Flashback
The HireVue Flashback game is a memory-based assessment where you are presented with a sequence of shapes. Your task is to determine if the shape currently on the screen matches a shape that appeared a specific number of steps earlier in the sequence (an 'n-back' task).
Create an account to save your results. A HireVue pass includes unlimited replays. All results stay free.
Updated
How to play
Shapes appear one at a time in a continuous stream.
Decide whether the current shape matches the one shown N steps back — you start at 1 back.
Answer while the shape is on screen or in the brief gap after it; a missed window shows “Too slow” and counts as a miss.
Keep succeeding and the game escalates: 2 back, then 3 back, with color joining the matching rule.
Skills assessed
Create an account to save your results. A HireVue pass includes unlimited replays. All results stay free.
Flashback game FAQ
What is the HireVue Flashback game and what does it measure?
The HireVue Flashback game is a memory-based assessment where you are presented with a sequence of shapes. Your task is to determine if the shape currently on the screen matches a shape that appeared a specific number of steps earlier in the sequence (an 'n-back' task). It assesses Working Memory, Visual Recall and Concentration.
How is the Flashback game scored, and what is a good score?
HireVue does not publish a pass mark or a score scale for Flashback. Employers see percentile-style results benchmarked against other candidates and role models rather than a raw score, and each employer sets its own bar for who advances — so a result that ends one application can pass at another company. Because results are relative, the practical goal is maximizing accurate answers within the time limit. In our simulator a missed response window shows “Too slow” and counts as a miss, and the rule escalates from 1-back to 2-back and then 3-back while you keep succeeding.
Does practicing Flashback help?
Yes. By their fifth attempt, players score 9% higher on average on our Flashback simulator than a typical first attempt.
How long does the Flashback game take, and how many rounds are there?
Our Flashback simulator runs for 3 minutes. Levels keep coming until the clock runs out, so there is no fixed number of rounds. In the real HireVue assessment each game is individually timed and there is no pause button once a game starts; most games run three to five minutes each, and you usually get one attempt — retakes are rare.
Is Flashback practice free here?
Check the access shown before starting Flashback. Eligible accounts have one free attempt at each game. A HireVue pass includes unlimited replays. All results, explanations and available comparisons stay free. Passes do not renew automatically.
Which employers use the Flashback game?
Candidates report seeing Flashback in HireVue assessments for Shell (see our Shell employer guide). Game lineups change by role, region, and recruiting cycle, so check your invitation before practicing.
Want the scoring detail? Read the Flashback game score guide.
Score improvement across practice attempts
Across our matched practice data, the median candidate improves their score by +23% between their first and fifth practice attempt on a game — with no employer ever seeing practice data.
Read the full methodologyMedian HireVue score lift by practice attempt
Median paired change vs. first attempt on scored HireVue practice games. Observed practice association — not a hiring-outcome guarantee.
Flashback practice guide
Read the rules, scoring context and practice strategies for this game.
Read the Flashback guideCompanies reported to use Flashback
Candidates report seeing Flashback in assessments for these employers. Assessment stages can change by role, region, and recruiting cycle, so check your invitation before practicing.
