A new MyIQ survey suggests that as cognitive screening becomes more common in hiring, job seekers are responding with drills, brain games, and test-style prep.
Job hunting is increasingly shaped by one question: Can you think fast under pressure? In a recent survey of 1,428 people who applied for jobs in the past six months, 64% said they practiced IQ-style puzzles or timed reasoning tasks in the two weeks before an interview. For many, preparation now includes not just researching the company or rehearsing behavioral answers, but actively training the mind, as if for an exam.
The survey, conducted by MyIQ, a platform that offers cognitive and personality tests, highlights a shift in candidate behavior. 46% of respondents reported using dedicated brain-training apps as part of their routine, and 38% said this type of preparation improved their confidence when faced with logic or problem-solving questions in interviews.
Behind this trend is a broader change in hiring practices. 28% of respondents said they had encountered a timed cognitive screen as part of a job application within the past year. These screens, often presented as games or assessments, aim to measure skills like pattern recognition, working memory, and processing speed. But for applicants, they introduce a new layer of pressure and uncertainty.
Those who practiced IQ-style drills were 18 percentage points more likely to report feeling “well prepared” for technical or case-based interviews than those who didn’t. That sense of preparedness may be as psychological as it is practical, especially when success depends on staying calm under time constraints.
The normalization of test-like preparation is reshaping what it means to get ready for a job. Traditional interview prep focused on storytelling, industry knowledge, and interpersonal polish. Now, many candidates are adding repetitive, structured exercises that mirror the logic and speed of modern hiring assessments. For some, it’s a source of confidence; for others, a source of anxiety.
Experts at MyIQ note that as cognitive screens become more widespread, familiarity with test formats can significantly affect outcomes. This raises concerns about fairness: not all candidates have equal access to practice tools or understand how these assessments function. Without calibration, standardized cognitive tests risk amplifying pre-existing disparities.
The findings reflect a tension in contemporary hiring. Employers want reliable, scalable ways to evaluate candidates beyond resumes. Candidates want transparency and preparation time. What’s emerging is a parallel to academic testing: those who know the format often perform better, even if the underlying aptitude is similar.
Whether this trend continues depends on how employers balance efficiency with equity, and how candidates adapt. But for now, interview prep increasingly resembles exam prep, complete with drills, repetition, and test anxiety.
About MyIQ:
MyIQ was launched in 2024 and is used by over a million individuals worldwide. It is a digital self-knowledge platform that offers more than an IQ score, with over 9 million completed tests across the various test categories, cognitive, personality, and relationships, all with personalised, actionable insights. The platform offers over 25 brain games, more than 150 intelligence puzzles, over 20 hours of expert video content, and 300+ available lessons on emotional intelligence, problem-solving, innovation, confidence-building, and decision-making. Through its IQ test, full-spectrum personality assessment, and relationship insight quiz, MyIQ delivers structured, personalized feedback that helps individuals better understand their inner world and behaviour.
MyIQ was launched in 2024 and is used by over a million individuals worldwide. It is a digital self-knowledge platform that offers more than an IQ score, with over 9 million completed tests across the various test categories, cognitive, personality, and relationships, all with personalised, actionable insights. The platform offers over 25 brain games, more than 150 intelligence puzzles, over 20 hours of expert video content, and 300+ available lessons on emotional intelligence, problem-solving, innovation, confidence-building, and decision-making. Through its IQ test, full-spectrum personality assessment, and relationship insight quiz, MyIQ delivers structured, personalized feedback that helps individuals better understand their inner world and behaviour.