Graduates First

Graduates First is an online practice platform for the aptitude tests, game-based assessments and video interviews that employers use to screen job applicants. It is aimed at students and graduates applying for internships, graduate schemes and first jobs, and at anyone else facing an online assessment. The FAQ says the company is based in the UK, and the site runs under GFI Group Limited, with a contact address in Huddersfield. The home page calls it "The World's #1 Test Preparation Platform," "trusted by over 1 million users and 150+ Universities."

The company's main credential is who builds the tests. The home page says it was "founded and run by former SHL and IBM Kenexa Chartered Psychologists and Scientists," and the FAQ explains that the tests "have been developed by the same Psychologists and Psychometricians who have previously developed tests for SHL and Kenexa." A disclaimer on the free-test page adds that GFI Group is not associated with SHL, IBM Kenexa, Korn Ferry Talent Q, Saville Assessment, Talogy, Talentlens or Cappfinity, and that its practice tests "may not reflect the appearance of specific employer tests."

What you can practice

The catalog covers the main families of employer assessment:

• Ability tests: numerical, verbal and logical reasoning, plus abstract, diagrammatic and spatial tests and checking tests.
• Situational judgment tests and a work personality questionnaire modeled on the SHL Occupational Personality Questionnaire.
• Digital assessments: game-based assessments and video interviews, with guides to HireVue, Pymetrics, Arctic Shores and Aon cut-e.
• Coding assessments and assessment center exercises such as in-tray, group discussion and presentation tasks.
• Industry packages for banking, finance, FMCG, law, retail, consulting, manufacturing and engineering, healthcare and technology, plus an apprenticeship bundle.

Alongside the tests, the site publishes step-by-step job guides to more than 100 top employers, including Unilever, Accenture, Amazon, Barclays, Deloitte, EY, JP Morgan, HSBC, KPMG and PwC, and resource guides on test types, interviews, CV writing and UK graduate application dates. A 1 to 1 consultation service is listed under career advice.

How the practice works

Tests run in what the site calls a "real test environment experience," against the clock. After each test, learners get worked solutions with "step by step answers to all questions," a personalized dashboard with reports and advice, normed scoring that compares them with other test takers, and progress tracking over time. The FAQ says the tests "contain unique questions, i.e. we do not recycle / repeat the same questions across tests," and advises focusing on a handful of tests repeated until the method sticks rather than spreading thin across many different ones.

Candidates with a disability such as dyslexia can request reasonable adjustments at registration; in line with Educational Psychologists' requirements, time per test is extended by 25%. Tests work in any browser and from any device.

The site makes two claims about why practice matters: that its tests mirror assessments "used by 8,000+ Employers," and that, by the company's own research, aptitude test practice can improve scores by between 40-80%. University careers services are a large channel; the FAQ says over 100 universities and business schools in the UK, Europe, Asia, Australia and the US use the tests with their students.

Packages and prices

The home page lists three options during its Graduate Season Offer, advertised at "up to 60% off":

• Go Premium: £52.95 (was £119.95). "An Entire Prep Bundle of 160+ Employer Assessments" with "2,400+ unique questions with answers," 10,000+ numerical questions in the GFI Accelerated Learning Tool, 50 numerical, verbal, logical, abstract, diagrammatic and spatial tests, 20 checking tests, situational judgment tests, 60 video interviews with questions and answers, 16 coding tests, 10 assessment center exercises, IBM IPAT, Watson Glaser and CAPP tests, an OPQ-style personality test, and lifetime access.
• Go Essential: £45.95 (was £89.95). A bundle of 90+ employer assessments and 1,900+ unique questions, with everything in Premium except game assessments, video interviews and coding assessments.
• Go Free. A free full numerical test, verbal test and logical test, benchmarking "against 1000s of test takers," in-depth feedback with detailed answers, and 150+ videos with tips.

Video interview practice is also sold on its own at £26.95 (was £49.95); the guide page describes 39 unique employer interview sets for on-demand interview practice.

Payment is one-time: the free-test page promises "one-time payment; no subscriptions or automated renewals." Access is instant after purchase, and the FAQ says buyers have "unlimited lifetime use" and get free access to new tools and tests added to their package. The site offers "100% satisfaction, or your money back guaranteed if you do not pass your test," subject to its terms and conditions.

Students verified through UNiDAYS get 30% off all assessment packages, including Go Premium and Go Essential, by copying a code from the UNiDAYS site, and the code can be reused on each new purchase.

Support

The free-test page lists "dedicated 24/7 free support" by email. The FAQ says it asks for a 24 hour response window but that the "typical response time is under 1 hour." Recruiters and employers are pointed to separate business licenses and to the company's Assess Candidates site; the consumer service is for individual practice only.

What users say

The home page shows an "Excellent 4.9 out of 5" Trustpilot rating and links to 531 reviews. Faizan Haider writes that "the practice test felt really close to the real thing, and the feedback showed me exactly where I needed to improve." Ahmed Maniyar says he practiced to improve his speed in numerical and logical reasoning, "did really well with both of my dream employers Deloitte and Kubrick, and got offered a graduate role by the former." Daniel Ngnenegbo calls it "a compact, easy-to-use platform that gives access to resources that make a difference."

Who it suits

Graduates First suits a student or graduate who has just been invited to an online test or video interview and wants realistic, timed practice with explanations, especially for SHL-style numerical, verbal and logical reasoning. The three free full tests are a sensible first step for anyone who has never sat one. Applicants targeting banks, consultancies, the Big Four or FMCG firms can pair the bundles with the employer guides for those companies, and the Premium bundle adds the newer formats: games, video interviews and coding tests. University students with UNiDAYS get the lowest price.

The tests are built to industry-standard difficulty rather than copied from any one employer, so a candidate facing a specific publisher's test should treat them as close practice, which is how the site itself frames them.