This is how a Cogstate (cognitive battery) test works:
Every test has a practice right before it so you can sort of test whether you understand what is being asked of you.
First, they check whether your YES and NO buttons are even working, so the screen simply shows “Yes” or “No” and you have to press accordingly. Also the No button is on the left and the Yes button is on the right for me.
CardsThen, you are asked to press Yes when a card turns face up on the screen. Basically a stack of cards is shown and a top card (always the same Joker card) is turned around, as soon as that happens you're supposed to press the button. I assume this is to test your reflexes.
Afterwards you're supposed to press “Yes” when a red card is shown and “No” when a black card is shown. I believe this is to test not just your reflexes, but your processing of information + reflexes (you can't just press the same button as soon as something changes on screen, you need to press the right button).
The last card test is the trickiest, now you need to press “Yes” when the same card is shown after the other on screen. So, when the test begins, you immediately need to press “No”, as no card has been shown previously, but if the same card is shown right after, you'll have to press “Yes”. If a different card is then shown, you'll have to press “No”. I believe this is to test how swiftly you can process information, or even the same input, without the same outcome. In the previous test, every red card was a “Yes” and every black card a “No”. Now, you can see the same card twice and a different response is required. You can't just associate one image with a reaction, you need to react based on the context of the images before. I would assume that tests a different ability!
MazeTechnically, there is only one maze, however, you're asked to complete it multiple times. You can't use the “Yes” or “No” buttons anymore, as with the previous tests, you'll have to press things on the screen. You have a starting point (top left) and an end point (bottom right) and you're supposed to find the invisible path from the beginning to the end. You can only guess, but are then asked to repeat the maze over and over again. I think this tests both response time and memory!
SymbolsHere you are asked to associate a sequence of numbers with a randomly generated set of symbols. The computer shows you multiple numbers one after the other, you need to press the according symbol. At the top, you are being shown what number represents what symbol. The symbols at the bottom, however, are not in the same order as the numbers at the top. This tests pattern recognition? Maybe? After a short time I can't concentrate too well on this test, so I stop performing well.
The End