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Stuart Gentle Publisher at Onrec

New customisable game offers a flexible way to deliver rigorous and engaging assessment

A customisable, online game-based assessment, which has the appeal of a game and allows recruiters to embed specific ability tests and other measures, has been launched by assessment specialist cut-e.

Called playAssess, it involves an alien named Odd who has invaded Earth and taken over the top floor of a skyscraper. To save the city, job candidates have to get into the building’s elevator and complete a series of challenges, set by Odd. Each challenge is one of cut-e’s assessments. cute provides 30 different ability tests, covering verbal and numerical abilities, abstract logical abilities, special knowledge/skills and specific cognitive abilities such as reaction speed and multi-tasking. Any of these tests - and any other cut-e assessment - can be embedded into the cover story of playAssess, to provide job-relevant insights and an enhanced candidate experience. 

Completing each test moves the elevator further up the building; however it will stop when the next challenge is set. When all of the tests are finished, the candidate finally confronts Odd, who retreats back into his spaceship and flies home.

“Our assessment tests are powerful predictors of job success, so we’ve created a game scenario with an engaging storyline into which you can embed the exact tests that will meet the requirements of any role you want to recruit for,” said Dr Achim Preuss, Chief Technology Officer at cut-e. “We work with clients to help them identify the competencies and behavioural traits that will predict success and we then embed the appropriate tests into playAssess. By delivering a choice of rigorous, scientifically-validated assessments in a gamified context, playAssess is a completely new way to make assessment effective and engaging.” 

The flexibility of playAssess makes it a suitable pre-selection tool for a range of different job roles, from apprentices, high-volume customer-facing positions and seasonal jobs up to junior management roles. The duration of playAssess depends on how many tests are added. A report is provided on the assessments undertaken by each candidate, which makes it quick and easy to identify the best applicants. 

“Everything is configurable, including the cover story which can be changed to incorporate agency-produced sequences if required,” said Dr Preuss. “You can choose how many tests are incorporated and what they cover. Because each test has randomised questions, the whole assessment is different for each candidate and this makes playAssess unique in the market. This is a completely flexible way of introducing a game-based assessment that’s customised to your needs.” 

Candidates do not need any gaming skills or prior game experience to complete playAssess. “The game element simply provides a storyline and a context for the assessments,” said Dr Preuss. “Customising a game-based assessment is usually a very expensive option but that’s not the case here. playAssess can enhance your selection strategy as it provides an objective assessment of each candidate, whilst also providing an immersive experience that gives every applicant an equal chance of success.” 

Available in 15 languages, playAssess is optimised to run on all types of devices. Candidates will therefore receive exactly the same testing experience on a smartphone, tablet or desktop computer. The system will check to confirm whether all of the chosen tests are smartphone-compatible before allowing the candidate to continue. If a certain test is incompatible with a smartphone, candidates will be asked to use a tablet, laptop or desktop instead. 

cut-e is part of Aon Assessment Solutions. For further information about gamification and game-based assessment, please visit https://www.cut-e.com/online-assessment/gamification-in-recruitment/playassess