Pymetrics day-of: setup, mindset, recovery

Pymetrics takes 25 minutes. Your trait estimate depends as much on your physical and mental state as on the games themselves.

Setup (10 minutes before)

• Device: Use a laptop with a real keyboard. Trackpad clicks distort reaction-time games.
• Browser: Latest Chrome or Firefox, no extensions running.
• Connection: Wired if possible. A laggy connection adds noise to reaction times.
• Lighting: Bright but not glare-on-screen. The emotion-recognition game suffers in dim light.
• Audio: Headphones in, no music. Some games have audio cues.
• Browser tabs: Close everything else. The cognitive games are sensitive to micro-distractions.

Mindset

• Eat first. Empty-stomach reaction time is reliably slower.
• Don't drink caffeine within an hour of starting if you don't normally. The trait estimate uses your natural processing speed.
• Use the bathroom. A 25-minute session feels long if you can't focus.

During

• Read the instructions for each game once, then start. The instructions are the same as the practice version.
• Don't try to "remember" what you did in practice. Play the game in front of you.
• If you make an obvious mistake, don't recover by overcompensating. The next game is independent.
• Take the 30-second breaks between games. Stand up, breathe.

After

You won't see your scores. Don't replay it in your head — the assessment is done. Move on to the next part of the process (case prep, video interview, whatever's next).

Common day-of mistakes

• Taking the assessment late at night when reaction time is degraded.
• Squeezing it in between meetings. Stress hormones shift the trait estimate.
• Doing a practice run 20 minutes before. Fatigue carries over.

The cleanest trait estimate comes from a rested, fed candidate playing naturally in good conditions.