HireVue Digitspan Game
Sequence Length, Backward Rounds and a Good Score
HireVue's Digitspan game flashes numbers or letters one at a time; you type them back, forwards or backwards, and the strings grow as you succeed. What HireVue's research says about 7 digits, and free practice.
HireVue's Digitspan game shows you a string of numbers or letters one character at a time, and you type it back, in the same order or in reverse, with the strings getting longer as you succeed. HireVue's research poster calls it a "gamified version of the digit span sequencing task included in the widely used Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale" in which "players memorize and reproduce (forwards and backwards) strings of letters or numbers", and times it at 3 minutes (HireVue validation study). In that study it was also the single most influential game, and the dividing line between below-average and above-average predictions fell at remembering more than 7 digits. Span is very trainable, which makes Digitspan one of the best-value games to practise. Start with our free digit span test and the backward version.
What is the HireVue Digitspan game?
Digitspan is one of the cognitive games that came to HireVue with MindX, the London games studio it bought in 2018 (HireVue). An independent audit of HireVue's assessments lists it first among ten cognitive games and says employers receive the games in packages of two, three or four (HireVue IO psychology audit, 2020). The same audit says most of these games are "gamified versions of classic cognitive assessment tasks, like Raven's Progressive Matrices and the Weschler Adult Intelligence Scales' working memory assessments". Digitspan is the clearest example.
How does Digitspan work?
- Characters appear one at a time, then disappear.
- You type the sequence back. In some rounds you type it in the same order, in others in reverse. HireVue's study confirms both directions; one candidate summed up their HireVue games as "remembering sequences backwards and patterns" (Reddit).
- Numbers, letters, or both. HireVue says "letters or numbers". Prep providers report digits at the start and letters or mixed strings at harder levels (HireVueGames), and one reports that look-alike characters such as 0/O and 1/I are left out (Game Assessment Prep). Treat those details as reconstructions.
- Length adapts. HireVue says "candidates advance or go back in levels depending on their performance" (HireVue). Get a string right and the next is longer; miss and it gets easier.
- About three minutes. HireVue's candidate blog says each game "takes approximately 3 minutes" and opens with easy levels (HireVue blog). The clock keeps running, so slow, hesitant typing also limits how far you get.
The direction instruction can change between rounds. Read it on every screen before the sequence starts, not after.
Why does Digitspan matter so much?
HireVue's validation study tested six games against a traditional cognitive ability test. Its findings about Digitspan:
- "Digitspan is the most important game, with its features weighing in total around 50% of the explained variance of the model."
- "Almost 25% of explained variance in the final prediction are accounted by the Digitspan scoreRatio", a measure combining how far you got and how few levels you failed.
- Players below a scoreRatio of 0.47 were predicted to have below-average cognitive ability, and those above it above-average. "The 0.47 threshold corresponds to remembering over 7 digits in the Digitspan task."
- "The strongest single predictor of cognitive ability was the final completion level for the game Digitspan."
Two cautions. This was a research study of 328 online panel participants, not the scoring model of your employer, and HireVue configures its assessments client by client. And "over 7 digits" in a mixed forwards-and-backwards, letters-or-numbers game is harder than 8 digits read forwards. Still, the message is clear: in HireVue's own research, span length was the game result that mattered most.
What is a good HireVue Digitspan score?
HireVue publishes no pass mark; your result is compared with other candidates and the employer sets the bar. As a practical target, HireVue's 7-digit line is a useful one to aim past.
For reference, here is what first attempts look like on GamePrep, July to November 2026:
| Test | First attempts | Median | Upper quartile | 90th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forward digit span | 422 players | 6 digits | 7 digits | 8 digits |
| Backward digit span | 207 players | 6 digits | 7 digits | 8 digits |
The backward column is lower at the bottom end: its lower quartile is 4 digits against 5 forwards. So on a first, untrained attempt, 8 or more is already strong in either direction, and getting there is mostly a matter of technique. Among the 92 players who came back for a third run of the forward test, the median gain from first to third attempt was one digit. They chose to return, so it shows that span moves with practice rather than predicting what you will gain. For full norms, see what is a good digit span score, our score benchmarks and the cognitive test statistics study.
How to remember longer sequences
Chunk in threes. Seven loose digits are seven items; 4-8-2 / 9-1-5 / 7 is three. Phone numbers are grouped for exactly this reason. Decide your grouping before the game and use the same one every time.
Say it, do not see it. Repeat the chunks under your breath as they arrive ("four-eight-two, nine-one-five"). Spoken rehearsal is the most reliable short-term store most people have.
Make letters pronounceable. For mixed strings, turn chunks into sounds: K-T-R becomes "kuh-tur". For letters and digits together, keep the type inside each chunk ("K7P" as one unit).
For backward rounds, reverse chunk by chunk. Hold the chunks forwards, then type the last chunk reversed, then the middle one, then the first. Reversing seven single items at once is where most backward rounds fail. The backward digit span guide walks through this in detail.
Do not start typing until the string ends. Typing early splits your attention between output and input, and the last characters are the ones you then lose.
Type steadily. The clock keeps running, so a long pause before you type costs levels even when your answer is right.
How to practise for Digitspan
Our two games cover the parts separately. The digit span test is forwards only and uses digits: it starts at 3, adds one digit per correct answer, and ends after two misses at the same length. The backward digit span test has the same rules, with every answer typed in reverse. Neither mixes in letters or switches direction mid-game the way HireVue's can, so practise both.
- Day 1: one cold run of each to get a baseline.
- Days 2 to 5: short daily sets, chunking on every run. Alternate forwards and backwards so the direction switch stops being a shock.
- Add one twist: during practice, say a letter chunk aloud between runs and recall it at the end. It mimics the letters you may see at harder HireVue levels.
- Also useful: HireVue's study describes a sibling game, Disconumbers, in which players "reproduce a sequence of numbers and then calculate the sum", so summing your chunks now and then is worthwhile. If your invitation might include Flashback, the HireVue Flashback guide covers the other memory game in the battery.
Which employers use Digitspan?
HireVue does not publish which clients use which games; the audit describes HireVue's psychologists choosing the package for each client. Candidates report two to four HireVue games, often after recorded video questions, as in the Reddit report above. Your invitation is the authority. For everything else in a HireVue battery, see HireVue games explained and the complete guide to HireVue game-based assessments.
FAQ
What is the HireVue Digitspan game? A memory game based on the digit span task from the Wechsler intelligence scales. Strings of numbers or letters appear one at a time and you type them back, forwards or backwards, with the length growing as you succeed.
Does HireVue Digitspan include backward rounds? Yes. HireVue's own research describes players reproducing strings "forwards and backwards". Read the instruction before each sequence.
Does it use letters? HireVue says "letters or numbers". Prep providers report digits at the start and letters or mixed strings at harder levels.
What is a good Digitspan score? HireVue publishes no pass mark. In its validation study, remembering more than 7 digits was the point where predicted ability moved from below to above average. On GamePrep, 8 digits is the 90th percentile of first attempts in both directions.
How long is the Digitspan game? About 3 minutes, according to HireVue's study and candidate blog.
Can I improve my digit span in a week? Usually, yes. Most of the early gain is technique, chiefly chunking, and a week of short daily practice makes it automatic.
Can I write the digits down? Do not plan on it. It defeats the purpose of a memory test, and your invitation's rules apply. Chunking does the same job legitimately.
GamePrep is an independent practice platform and is not affiliated with HireVue or MindX. HireVue does not publish its game rules in full; the mechanics above come from HireVue's published research and candidate and prep-provider descriptions, and assessments change. Verify everything against your invitation. We provide practice only, with no leaked questions or answers.
