CogniPrep vs GraduatesFirst
GraduatesFirst and CogniPrep both sell lifetime access with no subscription. The real difference is what you practise: GraduatesFirst bundles a wide range of aptitude tests with its own practice games, while CogniPrep rebuilds the specific games and tests each assessment provider uses.
Free practice
- CogniPrep
- 87 free games with a free account, no card
- GraduatesFirst
- Free full numerical, verbal and logical tests
How you pay
- CogniPrep
- Pay once per provider, no subscription
- GraduatesFirst
- One-time bundle, no subscription
How long access lasts
- CogniPrep
- Lifetime
- GraduatesFirst
- Lifetime
Entry price
- CogniPrep
- From £10 for one provider
- GraduatesFirst
- £45.95 for Go Essential (no games or video interviews)
Plan with games
- CogniPrep
- £20 for one provider with scores and reports
- GraduatesFirst
- £52.95 for Go Premium, everything included
Game-based assessments
- CogniPrep
- Replicas of each provider’s named games
- GraduatesFirst
- 8 games of its own design, mapped to tasks such as Arctic Shores
Arctic Shores practice
- CogniPrep
- 14 playable games
- GraduatesFirst
- 6 of its own games mapped to Arctic Shores tasks
Scores and feedback
- CogniPrep
- Score and percentile on every game with Provider + Feedback; first 3 scores per provider free
- GraduatesFirst
- Benchmarking against other test takers, worked solutions
Video interview practice
- CogniPrep
- Recorded video answers with AI feedback, £5 for 20 interviews
- GraduatesFirst
- 60 question sets with AI feedback on emotions (Go Premium)
Refunds
- CogniPrep
- Refund if our practice did not match the test you sat, claimed within 30 days
- GraduatesFirst
- Money back if you do not pass your test, terms apply
GraduatesFirst details checked on 10 November 2026 on GraduatesFirst's own site. Plans and prices change, often with sales, so check GraduatesFirst's site before you buy. GraduatesFirst is a trademark of its owner; CogniPrep is not affiliated with it.
Where GraduatesFirst is stronger
- One price covers a lot: Go Premium lists 160+ employer assessments, numerical, verbal, logical, SJT, checking, coding and assessment centre exercises, plus games and 60 video interview sets.
- A pass-or-refund promise: its game practice page offers your money back if you do not pass your test, with terms.
- A long review record: 4.9 on Trustpilot from 530 reviews, as shown on its own site.
- Free full-length numerical, verbal and logical tests with benchmarking.
Where CogniPrep is stronger
- We rebuild the games you will actually play. GraduatesFirst says its 8 practice games are its own, not the providers' tests; we simulate 14 Arctic Shores games, 12 pymetrics games and 13 HireVue games by name.
- Coverage of 65 assessment providers, each with its own set of games or tests, priced on its own.
- If you only face one provider, it costs £15 at most, or £20 with every score and report.
- A free account opens 87 games across all 65 providers, with 5 plays per provider and your first 3 scores per provider shown.
Generic games or the real tasks
GraduatesFirst describes its game practice as games that emulate the experience of the real thing: a balloon risk task, memory and attention games, an emotion task and a code-breaking game. It maps six of them to Arctic Shores tasks and is clear that they are its own games, not the providers’.
CogniPrep takes the other approach: one practice game for each task an assessment provider uses, under its own name and with its own rules, so the first time you see Arctic Shores Balloon, Sequence or Security Door is not on the day.
Which to choose
Choose GraduatesFirst if you face several traditional aptitude tests, SJTs and an assessment centre across many applications and want one lifetime bundle for all of it.
Choose CogniPrep if your invitation names a provider such as Arctic Shores, pymetrics, HireVue or SHL and you want to practise that provider’s own games, from £10 with lifetime access.
Questions
Does GraduatesFirst have real Arctic Shores games?
No. GraduatesFirst sells its own practice games and maps six of them to Arctic Shores tasks such as Balloon, Arrows and the security lock. CogniPrep simulates the Arctic Shores tasks themselves.
How much does GraduatesFirst cost?
Go Essential is £45.95 and Go Premium £52.95, both sale prices with lifetime access. Only Go Premium includes games and video interviews.
Is GraduatesFirst lifetime access?
Yes, both paid plans are one-time payments with lifetime access and no subscription. CogniPrep is also lifetime, priced per provider instead of as one bundle.
Which has the better refund policy?
GraduatesFirst promises your money back if you do not pass your test, with terms. CogniPrep refunds a provider purchase if our practice did not match the test you sat, claimed within 30 days.
Other comparisons
Try CogniPrep for Free
Play 87 games free with no card required, then unlock the provider you're facing from £10 with lifetime access.