Follow the centre arrow.
- Look at the centre arrow of the middle row. Ignore every surrounding arrow.
- Press Q for left or P for right. Arrow keys and the on-screen buttons also work in this practice.
- When X marks surround the centre arrow, press nothing for the entire round.
- Wait until the arrows appear. A press during the waiting cross counts as early. No response before the deadline counts as missed on an ordinary round.
- There are 80 rounds. The response window shrinks from 2.00s to 0.75s, and later distractors change shape or direction. One response is recorded per round.
Pause or open these instructions whenever you need a break. Switching away from the page pauses the task.
The central-arrow format is publicly described. Q/P controls, X trials, timing and the round schedule are settings of this practice version.
A useful way to approach it
Return your attention to the middle of the middle row. On this version’s X trials, wait without pressing for the full response window.
Understanding your results
Review correct responses, misses, early presses and response times. Timing and trial schedules are simulation settings.
About the practice format
Ready to try Direction? This guide describes the game on Assessment Arcade. Follow your employer’s own invitation and instructions for any real assessment. Our original simulations do not reproduce proprietary items or scoring.