Available game-based assessments
All assessmentsWhat is a game-based assessment?
A game-based assessment is a selection test made up of short games. Instead of answering a list of questions, you might remember a sequence of circles, steer a boat through a course or pump up balloons. Each game takes a few minutes, and the whole assessment usually takes 20 to 45 minutes. You'll also see it called a gamified assessment.
The game itself isn't the point. While you play, the software records how you make decisions: how fast and accurate you are, what you do after a mistake and how much risk you take. Those results are compared with a norm group or with the profile the employer is looking for.
What do the games measure?
Most game-based assessments combine games for cognitive skills with games that say something about your working style. A few examples of what you might get:
Working memory and focus
Remembering patterns and sequences while the pace picks up.
A number of circles light up, then you click them in the same order.
Reaction speed and accuracy
Responding quickly without making mistakes, and finding the balance between the two.
Arrows appear on screen and you indicate as fast as you can which way the middle arrow points.
Planning and problem solving
Thinking ahead, spotting a rule and choosing the most efficient route.
You move blocks or build a route in as few moves as possible.
Working style and risk
How you deal with reward, risk and setbacks. There is no right or wrong answer here; it's about your pattern.
You pump up a balloon for money and decide when to stop, before it pops.
Where will you come across them?
Game-based assessments are mostly used in the first selection round for traineeships, internships and graduate programmes, where an employer screens many applicants at once. Some government organisations use them as well.
In the Netherlands you'll often see games from Equalture and BrainsFirst (NeurOlympics). International employers such as Unilever, PwC and Shell also use providers like HireVue, Arctic Shores and Pymetrics. The games differ per provider, so it helps to know which one you'll get.
How to prepare
- Find out which provider the employer uses. It's usually in the invitation email or on the login page.
- Practise each type of game a few times. There's nothing to memorise, but if you already know the rules and the pace, you won't have to read the instructions under time pressure.
- During the real assessment, read the instructions for each game carefully. Some games reward speed, others reward accuracy.
- Take the assessment on a laptop or computer with a mouse, in a quiet room, with notifications switched off.
- In the working-style games, just be yourself. Trying to guess what the employer wants often produces a profile that doesn't add up.
- Make sure you're rested. Reaction and memory games in particular suffer when you're tired.
Want to try a few games first? Practise game-based assessments for free.
Frequently asked questions
Not sure which assessment you will get?
Start with a free practice test, or send us a message. You will get a reply from a real person on our team.
