Guides / How to prepare for HireVue games

How to prepare for HireVue games

Find out which games your invite lists, learn how the level system works, play each of those games once in full, practise the one where you reached the lowest level, and finish with a run of all of them back to back at real length. Three days is enough for that.

Play the HireVue games free

1. Find your games

HireVue has thirteen games and each employer picks a few. Recordings show sets of three to five: PwC used Numerosity, Flashback and Pathfinder; Shell used Digitspan, Flashback, Puzzlepicture and PortraitXT. Your invite or the first screen of the assessment lists yours. Paste the invite email here and we pick out the games for you.

2. Learn how the levels move

Every timed game starts at level 1. A right answer moves you up two levels; a wrong answer or running out of time on a level drops you one. Level 100 is the top.
A yellow bar shows the time left on the current level, and a clock shows the time left in the game. Most games last 3 minutes, Pathfinder 5 and Pulse 2.
HireVue's researchers record your final and highest level, the levels you won and lost, and your accuracy. In their published paper a game's score was the highest level times the share of levels won, so careless misses cost you twice. How your employer's result is calculated is not public.

3. A three-day plan

Day 1: play each of your games once in full here (free, no sign-up) and read its rules and tips. Note the level you reached.
Day 2: replay the one or two games where you reached the lowest level. Aim for fewer misses rather than more speed: one miss costs a level, and a right answer only gains two.
Day 3: run your whole set back to back at full length in the mock test, then rest. Do not cram the night before.

On the day

Use a computer with a mouse if you can, in a quiet room, with notifications off.
Watch each game's instructions: you can replay them before pressing Start.
You can take a break between games; take one if you are rattled after a bad run.
Portrait, PortraitXT and Teamchat have no right answers. Answer as you would at work and move on.

Questions

How long is the HireVue game assessment?

Each timed game lasts 2 to 5 minutes (most are 3), so a set of three to five games is usually 10 to 20 minutes of play, plus instructions and breaks. Portrait-style questionnaires have no clock.

Can you practise HireVue games for free?

Yes. Every HireVue game here can be played once in full for free with no sign-up, and Portrait and PortraitXT are always free. Unlimited practice and the mock test are a one-time $4.99 pass for 30 days.

Does practice actually help?

It removes the surprises: you know the controls, the timer bar and how the levels move before the real thing. We do not promise any score.