Methodology
How the combine works
6 test modules. 8 cognitive dimensions. Every score is percentile-ranked against a competitive gamer population. Here is exactly what each module measures and how scores are calculated.
Test modules
Each module isolates a specific cognitive sub-system. Modules run sequentially. No module reuses another module's data.
Module 1
Reaction & Decision
Three trial types run in sequence. Simple RT: a stimulus appears and the player responds as fast as possible — measures raw neural transmission speed. Choice RT: the player must select the correct response from two options — measures decision speed under cognitive load. Go/No-Go: a mixed stream of signals requires the player to respond or withhold — measures inhibitory control.
How it's scored
- →Reaction Speed: mean simple RT in ms, percentile-ranked. Elite threshold: sub-155ms.
- →Decision Quality: blended accuracy — choice RT accuracy (40%) + go/no-go accuracy (60%).
- →Consistency: coefficient of variation across all valid RTs. Lower variance = higher score.
Why it matters
Reaction Speed separates players at the margins of mechanical play. Consistency is what separates a 70th-percentile player from a 90th — most players are fast but unreliable.
Module 2
Aim Precision
Targets appear at randomised positions. The player must click each target as quickly and accurately as possible. Both misses and partial hits are penalised. Isolates cursor control independent of in-game mechanics.
How it's scored
- →Three sub-metrics blended: hit rate (50%), click RT on successful hits (30%), mean distance from target center (20%).
- →Each sub-metric is independently percentile-ranked before blending.
Why it matters
Hit rate alone misses the precision ceiling. The three-metric blend captures both the accuracy and the quality of the accuracy.
Module 2b
Target Sequencing
Numbered targets appear and must be clicked in the correct order as fast as possible within a time window. Sequences increase in complexity across rounds. Tests rapid processing and execution of ordered information — a proxy for ability combo execution and multi-target decision-making.
How it's scored
- →Completion rate across all rounds (70%) + mean inter-click RT on completed rounds (30%).
- →Both sub-metrics independently percentile-ranked before blending.
Why it matters
In MOBA play, the ability to execute priority-ordered sequences under time pressure maps directly to ability rotation, last-hit timing, and multi-target engagement.
Module 3
Target Tracking
A target moves in a Lissajous curve pattern — a figure-eight that produces unpredictable-feeling motion without following a simple loop. The player must keep the cursor on the target continuously. Requires constant micro-adjustments rather than predictable intercept strategies.
How it's scored
- →Time-on-target proportion (60%) + mean normalised distance from target center (40%).
- →Both sub-metrics independently percentile-ranked before blending.
Why it matters
Measures smooth pursuit motor control — the ability to follow a moving object. More predictive of sustained combat performance than static aim tests.
Module 3b
Flicker Detection
Targets appear for a 500ms window at random positions. 30 trials. The short window makes pre-aiming impossible — isolates the ability to react, acquire, and execute within a brief opportunity. Replicates the flick-shot scenario in FPS titles.
How it's scored
- →Hit rate across 30 trials (60%) + mean RT on successful hits (40%).
- →Elite threshold: hit rate ≥0.90, mean RT ≤120ms.
Why it matters
The closest in-test replication of the FPS flick-shot — a target that will disappear if you don't act.
Module 4
Working Memory
A 3×3 grid. A sequence of cells is highlighted in order, then cleared. The player must reproduce the sequence from memory by clicking the cells in the correct order. Sequence length increases from 3 to 6 cells across rounds.
How it's scored
- →Proportion of cells recalled in correct order across all rounds, percentile-ranked.
- →50th percentile: 46% accuracy. 90th percentile: 82%. 99th percentile: 95%.
Why it matters
Working memory capacity correlates with the ability to track multiple entities simultaneously — teammates, enemies, objectives, cooldowns.
Module 5
Composure
A Flanker task: the player responds to a central stimulus, with flanking distractors that are congruent or incongruent. Two phases — baseline (no pressure) and distraction (incongruent flankers, faster pace, audio cues). The key measurement is the performance delta between phases.
How it's scored
- →Composure delta = accuracy retention (60%) + RT retention (40%).
- →Accuracy retention: distraction accuracy as proportion of baseline accuracy.
- →RT retention: baseline RT / distraction RT — higher means less slowdown under pressure.
- →50th percentile: ~87/100. 99th percentile: ~111 (some players improve under distraction).
Why it matters
Consistently the strongest predictor of clutch performance in the dataset. The distribution is wide — high-composure players are rare and valuable.
Module 6
Tilt Resistance
A Bet Under Pressure task. The player completes a decision task and makes a bet each round. A baseline phase establishes natural calibration. Then a failure phase engineers a run of bad outcomes. A recovery phase follows. Measures whether decision-making and risk calibration degrade or recover after sustained failure.
How it's scored
- →Recovery accuracy after the failure phase (60%) + rational bet rate across all phases (40%).
- →Rational bet rate: proportion of rounds where the bet matched the player's recent performance signal.
- →50th percentile: 59/100. 99th percentile: 100/100.
Why it matters
The most difficult dimension to train. Players who maintain calibrated decision-making after a bad streak are significantly more likely to stabilise a round. The distribution on this dimension is wider than any other.
Population norms and percentile ranking
Each raw metric is converted to a percentile score (0–100) using norm tables derived from cognitive science literature on young adult (18–30) gamer populations. Calibrated to reflect the gaming-age population, not the general population.
Norm tables will recalibrate as real NeuroRank data accumulates. Current tables are conservative: a player who belongs in the 80th percentile will score in the 80th range, not inflated.
Overall score is a weighted average of all dimension scores for the selected genre. Dimensions with the widest population variance carry more weight because they carry more signal.
How archetypes are assigned
After scoring, each player's dimension profile is compared against 18 archetype templates — 6 per genre (General, FPS, MOBA). Each archetype is defined by a signature pattern: which dimensions are elevated, which are average, and which are suppressed. The classifier scores similarity between the player's profile and each template and assigns the closest match.
The AWPer
Elevated Flicker Speed + Reaction Speed. Average Composure.
The Entry Fragger
Elevated Reaction Speed + Aim Precision. Composure below median.
The Strategist
Elevated Decision Quality + Working Memory. Average Raw Speed.
The Clutch Reactor
Elevated Composure + Risk Calibration. Average Reaction Speed.
What the combine does not measure
Game knowledge and map awareness
These are domain-specific skills built through game time. The combine measures the cognitive substrate — the processing speed and memory capacity that game knowledge runs on.
Raw mechanical skill in-game
The test uses a standardised canvas environment, not your game. Aim precision correlates with in-game aim but is not identical to it. Hardware, sensitivity, and muscle memory are not tested.
Team communication and leadership
Leadership and communication require separate assessment. The combine measures individual cognitive performance under controlled conditions.
Potential or ceiling
The combine measures current cognitive state, not ceiling. Most dimensions are trainable. A low score today is a gap, not a verdict.
Take the combine
10 minutes. Free. Full dimension breakdown, archetype classification, and AI scouting report.
Coaches: see the scouting dashboard →