Standard Chartered Assessment: Pymetrics-Style Games & How to Practice
Standard Chartered screens graduates and interns with pymetrics-style behavioural games that measure cognition and risk-taking. Here's what the tasks reveal and how to walk in familiar with the format.
TL;DR: Standard Chartered uses pymetrics-style behavioural games in its early-careers assessment — short, neuroscience-based tasks measuring memory, attention, processing speed, and how you handle risk and reward. There are no "right" answers to the trait-based games, but familiarity with the mechanics removes anxiety, and the cognitive tasks genuinely reward practice. Get comfortable with the format so nerves don't skew your results.
If you've applied to a Standard Chartered International Graduate Programme, internship, or apprenticeship, you'll usually be invited to the online games after your application is reviewed. The bank favours a pymetrics-style approach: a set of quick, playful tasks that build a behavioural and cognitive profile rather than a pass/fail score. Some tasks measure raw ability (memory, speed, focus); others measure tendencies like risk appetite or effort allocation, which are matched against the profile the role calls for. Exact steps vary by programme and region, and Standard Chartered updates its process periodically — trust the instructions in your invitation over any general guide, this one included.
What the assessment looks like
The games are short and varied. You might inflate balloons for reward while judging when to stop, tap in response to signals, remember sequences, or sort information under a timer. There's no single correct way to play the trait-based games — the platform compares your natural pattern against role benchmarks, so trying to "beat" them usually backfires. The cognitive tasks, though, respond to practice: faster, more accurate memory and attention genuinely help. GamePrep trains those cognitive foundations — speed, recall, focus, arithmetic — and gets you used to the game format, so on the day you perform naturally rather than fighting unfamiliar mechanics.
The skills you can train
Reaction speed underpins the tapping and signal-response tasks. The reaction-time test teaches you to respond the instant a target appears while resisting false starts, tightening the speed-accuracy balance these games measure.
Working memory span shows up in the sequence-recall tasks. The digit span memory test trains accurate ordered recall and the chunking habits that push your span higher, so memory games feel manageable rather than overwhelming.
Selective attention matters when a game adds distractors or asks you to respond only to certain cues. The flanker arrows test drills focusing on the right signal and inhibiting the wrong response — exactly the go/no-go control pymetrics-style games probe.
Mental arithmetic helps in any numerical mini-game. Mental math rehearses quick sums, percentages, and ratios, so if figures appear you handle them smoothly instead of stalling.
The Standard Chartered process & timeline
A typical route runs: online application, the pymetrics-style games, a recorded video interview, then a virtual assessment centre with exercises and a final interview. Stages usually move within one to three weeks. Because much of the games' output is behavioural rather than scored, your best strategy is to arrive calm and familiar with the format so your natural profile comes through cleanly — anxiety and hesitation can distort it. For the wider context on this style of hiring, read our pillar guide on HireVue game-based assessments, and for a deep dive on this exact platform see our pymetrics games complete guide.
How to prepare in 3 days
Day one: play each of the four games once to get a feel for the mechanics and spot which cognitive task challenges you most. Day two: drill that weak area for 20 minutes, then run a mixed set to stay sharp across the board. Day three: one relaxed round of each, then rest — for pymetrics-style games, a calm, well-slept mind matters more than last-minute cramming. Set up somewhere quiet with a stable connection, a charged laptop, and headphones if a game uses audio. Read each tutorial fully, and on the trait-based games just play naturally — don't overthink or try to game the profile.
FAQ
Can you fail the Standard Chartered games? Not in a simple pass/fail sense. Many tasks measure traits, not ability, and are matched against a role profile. The cognitive tasks do reward accuracy and speed, which is where practice helps most.
Should I try to look like a big risk-taker? No — play honestly. The platform matches your natural pattern to the role, and forcing a persona tends to produce inconsistent results. Authentic play gives the truest fit.
Why practise if the games can't be studied? Because familiarity removes nerves and the cognitive tasks genuinely improve with reps. Walking in used to the format means your real ability and natural tendencies show through clearly.
GamePrep is an independent practice platform and is not affiliated with Standard Chartered. We provide practice only — no leaked questions or answers. Hiring processes change — verify against your invitation.