The Science Behind

Learn more about the science behind our assessment and the reliability of your results.

Quality of the NeurOlympics

At BrainsFirst, we prioritize the quality and reliability of the NeurOlympics to provide you with an accurate assessment and enable a genuine job-brain match. We adhere to the highest standards of science and follow the guidelines set by the Dutch organization responsible for testing quality (COTAN). This commitment to quality is achieved through four key criteria.

Test Hygiene & Reliability

Criterion Validity

We strive for the games to be directly connected to real-world data. Your performance on the NeurOlympics should correspond to your actual performance in the workplace. This alignment guarantees that hiring decisions based on the assessment contribute to the desired efficiency of employees.

Construct Validity

To accurately measure the executive functions, such as attention and working memory, we ensure that the games have a strong connection to the constructs they claim to assess. This scientific validity ensures that decisions made based on the game results are objective and aligned with the way the brain functions.

Concurrent Validity

While the NeurOlympics provide a unique talent assessment approach, they are designed to relate to other tests that measure similar outcomes, such as IQ tests. This connection validates that different measures of brain functioning align with each other, enhancing the overall validity of the assessment. However, it's important to note that maintaining test hygiene is crucial, particularly regarding concurrent validity and reliability.

Reliability

To ensure consistency and accuracy, it is crucial that the NeurOlympics yield similar results with each administration. This ensures that the outcomes truly reflect your brain's functioning, allowing for informed hiring decisions.

What is Test Hygiene?

Have you noticed different results when taking the NeurOlympics on separate occasions? Test hygiene likely played a role in those variations. Test hygiene refers to how the test, in this case, the NeurOlympics, is conducted. It encompasses factors like your effort, performance, following instructions, as well as external factors such as the test environment and the time of day you take the assessment. Test hygiene directly impacts your performance. Therefore, if you take the NeurOlympics multiple times and there are differences in test hygiene, the game results may differ. To ensure accurate assessments that reflect your abilities to the fullest, it's crucial to maintain proper test hygiene. The easiest way to do so is by taking the games during your brain's peak, ideally around 11 in the morning, in a quiet environment.

From Games To Results

So, you've completed the games and received your Brain Profile. But how do these games relate to your results?

The games serve as a measurement of your cognitive ability, a fundamental aspect of various areas in life, including your professional career. Specifically, they assess different facets of executive functions, which empower you to regulate your behavior in everyday situations. The NeurOlympics employs a gamified approach to measure these functions, providing valuable insights into how your brain operates. Given that cognitive abilities tend to be relatively stable traits, your performance in the games, including your responses and response time, reflects the general functioning of your brain, even in work-related contexts.

The Brain Profile revolves around six steps in the Behavioral Cycle and the corresponding Natural Brain Preference you have for each of these steps. While the NeurOlympics measures executive functions that underpin these steps, there isn’t a direct one-to-one mapping between them. Instead, executive functions uniquely translate into your brain’s way of thinking, influencing your proficiency in these. By gaining awareness of your strengths and weaknesses in relation to executive functions, you can better understand your working style.

Ultimately, just as every brain is distinctive, so is every job. By comprehending how your brain functions, BrainsFirst can assist you in finding a job that aligns with your unique way of working. This alignment ensures a harmonious match between your cognitive abilities and the requirements of the role, leading to greater fulfillment and success in your career journey.