In this text we go into depth Pymetrics, who provide game assessments and digital video interviews currently being used by top employers. We’ve got the lowdown on these games and how they work, so you can learn what to expect and start preparing for the real test.

We are the assessment games practice website. With us you can practice game assessments and digital interviews similar to those from Pymetrics to prepare for your job assessment.

Are you a recruiter or hiring manager looking for candidate pre-employment assessment tests and tools? We invite you to visit our Assess Candidates website.

Wondering whether you should be practicing to prepare for your gamified assessments? Many large employers are leveraging gamified assessments as part of their recruitment processes (Institute of Student employers, 2018). A few of these major companies include Unilever, HSBC and RBS.

In this article we will cover all the topics to prepare you for Pymetrics assessments, provide you with practice games and video interviews and help create a winning strategy to pass them.

In a nutshell:

1. Prepare for Pymetrics Game-based Assessments

Understand Pymetrics game assessments. Learn what the games measure, what you need to do, how much time each game will take. Ensure that you are using the browser and hardware (e.g. Laptop or Mobile) that is recommended for facing Pymetrics Game assessments. These games will track your behaviour and time.

Practice games with us similar to those created by Pymetrics today.

Refine your understanding and technique for Pymetrics game assessments by: 

• Finding a good time to complete the assessment
• Research the key values that the Pymetrics games are being used to assess.
• Read the instructions carefully before you start, make sure you stay focused throughout the tests.

The practice game assessments on our platform emulate the experience of the game assessments you will face when facing Pymetrics game assessments.

2. Record mock video interviews of yourself

You should practice answering questions that typically come up in interviews. Your answers need to flow and be timely. Avoid filler words. Your verbal communication should be convincing, filled with content that presents you in the best way for the job.

Identify potential interview questions you will face at Pymetrics by finding a similar job description to the position you want to apply for. Prepare for Pymetrics Digital interview by running a mock interview answering typical interview questions. For interview practice, use:

• A smartphone
• Zoom or
• our video interview practice platform

Our video interview practice platform contains predefined competency and industry questions and emulates experience you will have in platforms used in Pymetrics Digital interviews. Always record your answers and watch them to develop your interview technique, timekeeping and words used. Repeat recordings until you feel satisfied.

Use the STAR method for your answers and practice each answer several times.

Practice Assessments Similar to Pymetrics	Practice Now
Game Assessments	Start Practicing
Video Interview	Start Practicing

Continue reading to get answers to these critical questions:

1. which employers use their game assessments and why
2. what games Pymetrics offer and what they measure
3. how and where to practice Pymetrics games to succeed in employer assessments
4. what is Pymetrics Digital Interview
5. how to practice and prepare for Pymetrics digital interviews

Buckle up! Let’s start!

Contents

1. Who are Pymetrics
2. Who uses Pymetrics game assessments
3. Why employers use Pymetrics’ gamified-assessments to hire?
4. What are gamified-assessments developed by Pymetrics? What is Pymetrics Test?
   • Pymetrics Core Game Assessments
   • Pymetrics Numerical & Logical Reasoning Games
5. How to pass Pymetrics game-based assessments?
6. How do Pymetrics work? Science behind Pymetrics game assessments
7. How to prepare for Pymetrics Game-Based Assessments?
8. What is Pymetrics Digital Interview?
9. How to pass Pymetrics Digital Interview?
10. Why employers use Pymetrics’ digital interviews to hire?

Who are Pymetrics?

• Pymetrics are a company that specialise in developing gamified assessments for recruitment purposes. Their game-based assessments and their findings are backed by neuroscience and data science and are excellent tools for employers to select the best candidates.

• Dozens of large employers use Pymetrics game assessments to hire.

• Pymetrics games offer a number of benefits for the employers and the candidates and are scientifically robust.

• Pymetrics now offer 10+ game-based assessments which can be bundled as per employer’s request depending on the role.

• The games can be practiced to get familiar with their environment and measurement criteria.

• Pymetrics offer a Digital Interview platform with key benefits for employers and candidates

• These interviews can be practiced to get familiar with the types of questions you may face and the environment.

Let’s move on to find out the key benefits of Pymetrics’ gaming technology.

Why employers use Pymetrics’ gamified assessments to hire?

There are several benefits of utilising the game-based assessments offered by Pymetrics. Among them:

• Accessibility: Pymetrics game assessments can be taken by anyone on various devices; translation is limited and the games can be deployed very fast in multiple countries and languages.

• Reduce Bias: They use algorithms, free of gender or ethnicity biases. This is why their solutions increase the gender, ethnic, and socioeconomic diversity of hires.

• Suitable for novices: Pymetrics game assessment do not require any previous experience with gaming. They are very simple in operation and work on multiple devices.

• Engaging: Game based assessments are by nature more engaging and interactive for candidates. At the end there might be a bit of fun in assessments.

• Data-driven decisions: Game results provide the insights necessary for employers to make informed decisions about the strengths of a candidate, and the suitable role since they track many more data points (primarily behavioural) than more traditional online assessments.

What are gamified assessments developed by Pymetrics? What is Pymetrics Test?

Pymetrics have created many gamified-assessments. In this section, we investigate the aims of many of the games that candidates face when taking Pymetrics games.

Keep reading below for more detailed information on the game assessments provided by Pymetrics and how GF can help you practice and prepare for them.

Pymetrics core game assessments

Pymetrics core game assessments in a nutshell

Pymetrics core games key facts

• There are of 12 core Pymetrics mini games
• They measure cognitive and emotional attributes
• It takes around 25 minutes to complete
• This series of core games form a picture of a candidate’s strengths, and suggest suitable roles
• Core Pymetrics Games measure: Attention, Focus, Effort, Generosity, Fairness, Learning, Decision Making, Risk Tolerance, Emotion

Pymetrics core games list:

We’ll go through each mini-game and explain what you can expect to be tasked with.

1. Money Exchange 1
2. Keypresses
3. Balloons Game
4. Money Exchange 2
5. Digits Game
6. Easy or Hard Game
7. Stop 1
8. Cards Game
9. Arrows Game
10. Lengths Game
11. Towers Game
12. Facial Expressions (Faces)

Let’s see now what each of these games is about:

1. Money Exchange 1

• Money Exchange 1 game measures a candidate’s emotional attribute of trust
• Your task in this game
  • In Money Exchange 1 you are paired with another participant
  • You have $10 in your bank, your partner has $0
  • You are asked to send some to the other participant
  • The amount you send will be tripled for them on receipt
  • The other participant will then send back some of the money now in their account
  • You must evaluate how fair this trade was on a scale of 1 to 10

Time to complete Money Exchange 1 game: ~7 seconds.

2. Keypresses

• Keypresses is a Cognitive ability game that assesses candidate’s Processing skill
• Your task in this game:
  • Tap the space bar as fast as possible in the given time

Time to complete KeyPresses game: ~2 minutes.

3. Balloons Game

The Pymetrics Balloons Game also used by game providers Assess Candidates, and Arctic Shores measures the appetite for risk.

In this common employer game, candidates are presented with an interactive, simplistic, and colourful interface, whether completed on your computer, tablet, or mobile. The task that candidates are faced with is designed to measure risk-taking, amongst other things, and is unlikely to be like other traditional psychometric tests, although it may give some similar insights.

How the Pymetrics Balloons game assessment works:

• During the game, you will be faced with several balloons which with each successful pump earn you money
• You can choose to bank the money at any time. If the balloon pops before you bank the money, you lose all your money, and move onto the next balloon
• Along the way this will measure many data points, looking at the decisions you make after the balloons have popped, and the risks you are willing to take after banking certain amounts of money

The results that are provided give information about one portion of your personality, your appetite to risk based on how you performed, which can then be used to predict how you will react to certain situations when in the role. In other words, the test will give an indication as to how much of a risk taker you will be when moving into the future role.

To get a better idea of what the Balloons game looks like, we provide a practice version called BART (Balloon Analogue Risk Task). It is in line with the algorithm used behind the Pymetrics or Arctic Shores game.

The Pymetrics Balloons game, alongside the other dynamic assessments developed by Pymetrics, allow employers to measure many different abilities and personality traits including:

• emotions
• negative attributes that occur under pressure
• how an individual processes and uses information
• thinking style
• interpersonal style
• personal drive to cope with challenges
• and many more…

Time to complete Balloons game: ~3 minutes.

For more information about the balloon game, don’t miss our Balloon Game Video below:

4. Money Exchange 2

• The aim of the Money Exchange 2 game is to measure a candidate’s emotional attribute of trust/Altruism.
• Your task in this game:
  • As with the Money Exchange 1 game, you will be working with another participant
  • You and your partner will start with $5
  • At random, one of you will get an added $5
  • You must decide how much of the additional $5 you wish to give or take
  • You will be asked to do this twice, and evaluate how fair the transaction was each time

Time to complete Money Exchange 2 game: ~7 seconds.

5. Digits Game

The Pymetrics Digits game assessment simply measures your memory by how well you remember sequences of numbers.

Source: Pymetrics website

Time to complete Digits game: ~2.5 minutes.

We offer a memory practice game that should help you pass Pymetrics assessments.

Learn more about memory game-based asssessments:

6. Easy or Hard Game

• Pymetrics ‘Easy or Hard’ game assessment measures strategies for spending your effort.
• Your task in this game:
  • You will be given task difficulty levels
  • You job is to evaluate whether you want to complete a harder task in order to return more money.

Time to complete Easy or Hard game: ~2 minutes.

7. Stop 1

• Pymetrics ‘Stop 1’ game assessment is a cognitive game and measures your attention, reaction time, and how well you can switch from task to task.

• Your task in this game:
  • You must press the space bar when you see a red dot

Time to complete Stop game: ~2 minutes.

8. Cards Game

Pymetrics ‘Cards Game’ measures risk-taking by drawing cards, some with reward, others with a penalty. The game has a similar purpose to their Balloons Game.

• Your task in this game:
  • The aim of the Cards Game is to win money
  • You will start with $2,000
  • You must draw cards until the game finishes
  • Some of the cards contain a reward, others a penalty
  • You can switch decks at any time.

Time to complete Cards game: ~2.5 minutes.

9. Arrows Game

• Pymetrics Arrows game measures your ability to learn from mistakes and past decisions.
• Your task in this game:
  • You must indicate using the arrow keys on your keyboard which way the centre arrow (if the arrows are blue) or side arrows (if they are red) are facing.

Time to complete Arrows game: ~3 minutes.

10. Lengths Game

• Pymetrics Lengths game requires a lot of attention and measures your learning as with the Arrows Game.
• Your task in this game:
  • You will be shown different faces and must identify whether the faces have big or little mouths.

Time to complete Lengths game: ~2.5 minutes.

11. Towers Game

• Pymetrics Towers game assesses your planning and problem solving.
• Your task in this game:
  • This is a puzzle game in which you have to match the different coloured rings on the poles to the target image at the top of the screen
  • You can do this by only moving one ring at a time.  

Time to complete Towers game: ~2 minutes.

12. Facial Expressions (Faces)

• Pymetrics Facial Expressions game measures your emotion recognition and perception. It resembles the i-EQ game developed by GF, asking you to identify the expression displayed.

• Your task in this game:
  • Identify either with or without a given situation the Emotion being shown in the image
  • For those with context, you are permitted 30 seconds to answer, for those without you will get only 7 seconds.

Time to complete Facial expressions game: ~4 minutes.

Check out this video where we explain:

• Why emotional intelligence gamified-assessments are used by employers globally
• What a typical example Emotional Intelligence practice question looks like
• How Emotional Intelligence Game-based assessments measure candidates

Pymetrics core game assessments are packaged into one assessment experience that last 25 minutes for all 12 games.

Pymetrics Numerical and Logical Reasoning Games

Pymetrics also provide employers with a second bundle of games that aim to measure your numerical and logical ability. There are 4 games in this category that take a total of up to 10 minutes to complete.

More specifically, Pymetrics Numerical and Logical Reasoning games measure your:

• Quantitative Reasoning
• Numerical Agility

Here is an example of one of Pymetrics numerical & logical games (tests). Your task is to work quickly to identify which side has the specified colour of dots.

How to pass Pymetrics game-based assessments?

Continue reading below the video

Generally speaking, game based assessments are more difficult to practice vs more traditional aptitude tests. This is because aptitude tests focus on the result and the result only, whereas results from game based assessments tie in more with behaviours.

Here are a few things you can do to make sure you perform well and up to your individual abilities. Here is how you do well in Pymetrics.

1. Practice similar games to Pymetrics

Find out what type of game you could be playing. By knowing the main scenario and demands of the game, you will feel more confident and familiar with the game, and thus better able to focus on tasks.

We offer several practice games that can help you with Pymetrics games:

GF Test	Skills Practiced
Cognition-A™	Attention
Cognition-M™	Memory
BART	Risk-Taking
i-EQ™	Emotions
MTA-Tray™	Organising, Attention, and Multi-Tasking
MathBubbles™	Mental Arithmetic
Flanker Task	Attention
PassCode™	Attention and Resilience

2. Find the right time and place to complete the assessment

Somewhere where you will not be disturbed, with a reliable internet connection. Make sure that when starting the assessments, you are not stressed or anxious.

Use the platform that gives you the comfort of completing the assessments without unnecessary stress caused the hardware or its limits to the interactions you can perform.

3. Research what companies look for in you through Pymetrics game assessments

Researching the values of the company you are applying for can be a great place to start. Look out for personality traits that they praise in their existing employees, and core competencies that are valued. You may begin by looking on the following:

• Company Website
• Company Social Media
• Company YouTube videos
• Common online forums (though be aware that these are often opinion, and you should always double check the source)
• Or, when searching for a company’s values, simply google ‘Accenture core values’ for example.

If you are applying for more competitive jobs, risk-taking and initiative are likely to be some of the top competencies sought after by your recruiters. Therefore, when taking game-based assessments do not shy away from trying to get extra points and do lean backwards if things do not go easy at first.

4. Read carefully the instructions, stay focused

Even though it looks like a game, it is not a game – it is an assessment. Do not assume you know how it works because you are a pro in Fortnite or other game.

Stay focused. You will not be able to repeat it, and you do not want to lower your chances by not having understood the instructions in depth.

Pymetrics games last around 25 minutes, you do need to stay focused for this period of time since there is no break between the games and they measure various abilities.

How do Pymetrics work? Science behind their game assessments

Behind the interactive and engaging style that Pymetrics game assessments provide, lies a philosophy and science. Two core principles that Pymetrics value are:

• Predictive validity of assessments in identifying the correct candidates. To ensure this they:
  • Analyse the job and what it entails for the successful applicant to ensure that they can accurately predict success on the job.
  • Create cross-validated role and company profiles. Essentially, this means that they assess the performance of previous successful candidates.
  • A Pymetrics data scientist uses their own tool to develop a predictive model for the employer. These models are then evaluated for how predictive they are.

• Reducing bias from assessments.
  • While bias is natural, and often involves the involuntarily identifying of patterns, it sometimes shows itself in recruitment processes, in the form of less diverse work-forces. Pymetrics pro-actively remove bias in their processes and technologies.
  • Their assessments assess candidate’s cognitive, social and emotional individual differences, rather than focussing only on one trait.

How to prepare for Pymetrics game-based assessments?

A key part of success in game assessments is being prepared to face a new task and be able to focus your attention on this.

You can start your journey with us. We provide practice game-based assessments to help you get familiar with the most common styles of assessments.

Take a look below at the games you can practice with GF:

1. BART – Balloon Analogue Risk Task game assessing propensity to take risk.

2. Cognition-M™ – Cognition-focused game predominantly looking at the ability to recall information. 

3. Cognition-A™ – Cognition-focused game assessing one’s ability to overcome The Stroop Effect.

4. i-EQ™ – Interactive assessment looking at the ability to recognise emotional expressions, an aspect of Emotional Intelligence.

5. MTA-Tray™ – Game focusing on the ability to attend to multiple sources of information, an aspect also assessed by an In-Tray/E-Tray assessment.

6. MathBubbles™ – Bubble-popping game tapping into one’s mental arithmetic in reaching target numbers.

7. Flanker Task – Attention-based game to gauge selective attention and executive control.

8. PassCode™ – Code-cracking game looking at the ability to focus and attend, as well as bounce back and show resilience.

Try our Game-Assessments. Sign up with GF and practise a variety of game assessments.

Practice will allow you to get familiar with game assessments, help you interact and use the proper device when you get a chance to be assessed by the employer.

Each practice tests is designed to be replicate one or more of the game-assessments employers use. 

And that is all for Pymetrics game-based assessments! Let’s move on to find out about Pymetrics Digital Interviews.

Pymetrics Digital Interview

What are Pymetrics Digital Interviews?

Pymetrics provides pre-recorded video interviewing experience, alongside their suite of gamified assessments. Candidates will be required to record their interview question answers.

Depending on their recruitment needs, there are 3 ways in which companies use Pymetrics software:

1. Many employers hire using a combination of Pymetrics games and interviews.
2. Some employers may prompt to use only Pymetrics game assessments.
3. Others may prompt to purely use Pymetrics Video Interviews.

The employers recruitment process will likely be specified after you apply to the role.

Down below, we are going to provide key insights into the following questions.

• How do Pymetrics digital interview process work?
• How you can practice and prepare for your digital interview.
• How to make your video interview responses AI friendly
• How to pass Pymetrics digital interview?

Discover in our quick 1 minute video, What is a Video Interview below!

What questions are asked in a Pymetrics Digital Interview

A Pymetrics digital interview comprises two different styles of questions:

1. Pre-recorded Video Questions: During Pre-recorded video questions, Pymetrics allow employers to make a recording of the question they would like to ask candidates. For example this may be asked by a field manager, as a candidate you are expected to understand the video question and record your response.
2. Pre-recorded Text Questions: During Pre-recorded Text Questions, a question is asked in written form. The question will appear on your screen and candidates will be expected to read through the text and record their answers to the question given.

How much time do Pymetrics digital interview take?

• Practice Question: You will be given a practice question with unlimited time before you attempt the actual questions, this is to give you time to get comfortable with their platform and to ensure visual and audio quality.
• Preparation: Before you start recording often you will be provided with time to prepare your response. The time given to prepare by Pymetrics may be 30 seconds or indeed may be unlimited.
• Answer: Pymetrics digital interview typically provide 3 minutes in which to record your answer. This may vary between employers and it will always be made clear before the interviewing instructions.

Let’s jump right in as we show you how to prepare and pass Pymetrics digital interviews in our next section!

How to prepare and pass Pymetrics Digital Interviews?

1. Read the job description carefully and make a list of the important keywords.
   • Keep your pre-prepared list with you and try to incorporate those keywords into your answers.
   • Before the real thing, familiarise yourself with the key words
2. Look confident and into the camera while answering. Eye contact and confidence are vital for showing you are professional and right for the role.
3. Open and close your answers properly: Do not close the answer abruptly. Always finish your answers by returning back to the question.
4. Talk smoothly and without interruptions. This is another way to show the person reviewing your interview that you are confident in your ability.
5. Monitor your time so you are not cut off in the middle of thought or a sentence. We recommend you practice using our video interview preparation platform to record yourself answering most common recruitment questions, play back, improve answers and learn to manage time.

For more tips, take a quick look at our Video Interview Tips video below.

Why practice Pymetrics digital interview questions

To succeed in a Pymetrics digital interview you need to practice your answers. There are several reasons for that:

1. Familiarise yourself with naturally embedding the job descriptions keywords into your answers.
2. Improve your time keeping skills as you do not want to run out of time in your interview.
3. Practice will allow you to show good performance. This is vital as your recording will be reviewed many times and may even be transcribed into text.

Utilise the video below to gain further understanding into the most common interview questions

How to practice for Pymetrics digital interviews

1. Find a similar job description to the position you apply for and practice answers to typical questions in front of a mirror or record yourself on a smartphone
2. Gain Feedback by having a friend of yours watch over your recording.
3. Use GF AI video interview practice platform to help you improve with timed recordings, replay, practice dozens of questions for various jobs similar to those used by Pymetrics.

GF has a whole series of video interview questions with real experience for you. You can choose any field that you’re preparing for, and practice video interviews as much as you want!

 

Why use Pymetrics digital interviews in recruitment?

1. Fast interviewing of high volumes of candidates
   • Pymetrics digital interviews help employers interview much higher volumes of candidates for jobs or internships than traditional face-to-face interviews in a short period of time. An employer may actually interview hundred or thousands of applicants within a timespan of several days
2. Low cost per candidate
   • The cost per candidate interviewed goes down with an increase of the candidates interviewed and is relatively low
3. Easy, semi-automated matching of candidates to a specific profile and its requirements
   • AI-enabled software transcripts the interview and compares the answers to a pre-defined baseline
   • Science software can suggest which candidates scored best and who should be moved to the next recruitment stage
4. Pre-recorded interviews can be easily shared within the organization
   • For example a recruiter can share the interview with a line manager or other people participating in the process
5.  Pre-recorded video interviews can be taken at any time
   • It increases candidate flexibility and the recruiting managers can make decisions at their own time
   • It makes it much easier to interview candidates across time zones
6. Reducing Risk of Bias by creating a set of standard questions that go to all applicants which:
   • Standardisation can increase likelihood of fairness and honesty in the process
   • No candidate can gain a significant unfair advantage over the other due to personal experience/relationship with the interviewer.
   • AI-driven approach towards hiring candidates reduces the probability of a biased selection process and ensures the same, uniformed level of treatment for all candidates
7. Efficient in hiring the best candidate for the role through predefined questions focusing on competencies and behavioural criteria.
8. Flexibility of interview process allowing digital interview to be taken at any time
   • Completable without a requirement of going to a specific location,
   • Completed from the comfort of the applicants home ensuring a more positive environment to conduct the interview.
9. Accessibility features for candidates can be implemented. These are intended to improve the comfort of the candidate. For example:
   • If the candidate finds seeing their own video while recording the answer they can disable the camera appearing on their screen. The camera will still record the video for the interviewer to see later.
   • If the candidate finds the countdown timer distracting, this can be disabled with a 10 second remaining notification utilised for time remaining to answer the question as an alternative.
   • Should a candidate make a mistake, the candidate is allowed to re-record each answer once to ensure that the best quality is produced.