HireVue Game Based Assessment: Full Guide to the Games

The HireVue game based assessment is a set of short timed games measuring memory, numbers and work style. Here is every game, its timing and how to prepare.

The HireVue game based assessment is a set of short, timed browser games that sits alongside or instead of the video interview. HireVue says each game takes roughly 3 minutes, and its product page describes a short series of games completed in under 20 minutes. The games measure three competency domains: Personality and Work Style, Working with People, and Working with Information. Some are cognitive and adaptive, meaning the level gets harder when you succeed and easier when you fail. Others are personality style, where there is no right answer. You will not see a score. The output goes to the employer. The good news is that the format is learnable even though the content is not, and most candidates lose points to unfamiliarity rather than ability.

TL;DR

Each game runs about 3 minutes. HireVue advises allowing around 30 minutes for the whole game set.
HireVue’s product page names three domains: Personality and Work Style, Working with People, Working with Information.
Cognitive games are adaptive. Levels get harder when you win and easier when you lose.
HireVue collects the highest level reached, the win to loss ratio, and the total number of levels played.
Personality style games have no correct answer. Answer consistently rather than strategically.
Plug your device in. HireVue tells candidates to charge or plug in before starting.

What games are in the HireVue assessment?

Not every employer uses every game. GraduatesFirst, a graduate assessment publisher, documents the following set with approximate timings.

Game	What it asks you to do	Skill area	Approximate time
Numerosity	Pick numbers that produce a target result using a given operation	Number sense, speed	3 minutes
Digitspan	Recall sequences of digits and letters	Working memory	3 minutes
Flashback	Recall positions or shapes seen a moment earlier	Memory, visual processing	3 minutes
Shapedance	Track and match rotating or changing shapes	Attention to detail	3 minutes
Singularity	Spot the odd item under time pressure	Attention, pressure handling	3 minutes
Pathfinder	Find a route or connection under constraints	Problem solving	5 minutes
Puzzle Picture	Reconstruct or complete an image	Memory, reasoning	7 minutes
PortraitXT	Choose between statements about how you work	Personality, work style	5 minutes
E-Motions	Identify the emotion shown in a face or scenario	Emotion recognition	4 minutes

Before you meet these under real conditions, get used to working against a countdown at all. Our three free timed HireVue prompts do that for the video half, and the same nerve settling applies to the games. If your invitation includes both parts, read how does HireVue work first so you know the running order.

How does the adaptive scoring work?

HireVue describes its cognitive games as levelled: you move up a level when you complete one successfully and down when you fail. The system records the highest level you completed, the ratio of levels won to lost, and the total number of levels played.

Three practical consequences follow.

Failing a level is expected. The design pushes you until you fail. Reaching a level you cannot solve is the mechanism working, not a bad sign.
Volume counts. Total levels played is recorded, so hesitating on an easy level costs you twice: the time and the count.
Guessing has a price. A wrong answer drops you a level, so a stream of guesses can pull your ceiling down. On a hard item, decide fast and move, but do not fire blind.

Worked example: a Numerosity style item

Numerosity gives you a target and an operation, and you pick the tiles that reach the target.

Item. Operation: addition. Target: 17. Tiles: 4, 9, 6, 8, 3, 11.

Solution. Scan for the pair nearest the target first. 11 plus 6 equals 17. Select those two. Total time needed: under 3 seconds if you start from the largest tile and ask what is missing, rather than reading every tile in order.

Item. Operation: multiplication. Target: 24. Tiles: 3, 5, 8, 7, 2, 9.

Solution. Factor the target before you look at the tiles. 24 factors as 3 times 8, 4 times 6, or 2 times 12. Only 3 and 8 are both present, so select those. Factoring first is faster than scanning pairs, because 24 has few factor pairs and the tile grid has fifteen possible pairs.

The method matters more than the arithmetic here. Start from the target, not from the tiles.

Worked example: a Digitspan style item

Digitspan shows a sequence, hides it, then asks you to reproduce it.

Item. Sequence shown for 2 seconds: 7 2 9 4 1 8 3.

Solution. Seven items sits right at the normal working memory limit, so chunk rather than rehearse item by item. Read it as three groups: 729, 418, 3. Say the groups out loud as you see them. When the prompt appears, unpack each group in order. Chunking into three units instead of seven typically survives the delay far better than repeating the whole string.

Item. Sequence shown in reverse mode: K 4 R 9 M.

Solution. Reverse mode is harder because you must hold and flip. Build the sequence backwards as it arrives rather than storing it forwards and reversing at the end. Say “K”, then “4K”, then “R4K”, then “9R4K”, then “M9R4K”. You finish with the answer already assembled.

How should you prepare for the games?

You cannot revise the content, and HireVue states plainly that it does not work with third parties providing training or preparation services. What you can do is remove every avoidable loss.

Learn the instruction screens. Each game has its own rules page. Read it slowly. The clock on that page is not your game clock.
Get one clean session of practice at the mechanic, not the exact game: mental arithmetic drills, digit span apps, n-back tasks. Familiarity with the mechanic frees attention for the rules.
Use a laptop or desktop with a mouse if the employer allows it. Touchpad drag on shape games costs real seconds.
Charge or plug in. HireVue tells candidates to do this specifically for the game portion.
Do the assessment when you are sharp, not at 1am after a shift. Speed and accuracy under time pressure are the thing being measured.
Answer personality games consistently. PortraitXT style games often repeat the same trait from different angles. Inconsistent answering is visible and does not help you.

If your process also includes the recorded interview, our HireVue interview tips guide covers the on-camera half, and HireVue retakes, results and scoring explains what feedback you can and cannot expect afterwards.

What if the games go wrong technically?

HireVue says its games are built to be lightweight and to work on slower internet connections, and that if your connection drops during an assessment you can pick up where you left off. If a game freezes outright, note the time and the game name, and contact the employer’s recruitment team rather than starting a new session from a fresh link. A second session started without telling anyone looks worse than a reported technical fault.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does the HireVue game based assessment take?

HireVue quotes roughly 3 minutes per game and suggests allowing about 30 minutes overall. Its product page describes the whole game series as under 20 minutes of play.

Can I practise the actual HireVue games?

Not the real ones. HireVue states it does not work with third parties to provide training or preparation services. You can practise the underlying mechanics, such as arithmetic speed and digit span recall.

Do I see my score?

No. Results go to the employer. Candidates do not receive a game score or a breakdown.

Are the games the same for every role?

No. Employers select a game set matched to the competencies for that job, which is why two applications to the same company can look different.

Is there a right answer in the personality games?

No. Games such as PortraitXT ask you to choose between statements about how you prefer to work. Answer honestly and consistently. Trying to guess a profile usually produces contradictions.

Do the games replace the video interview?

Sometimes. HireVue supports video only, games only, or both together. Your invitation email states which parts you have. See how does HireVue work for the full running order.