Cognitive Ability Test Practice

What the real test usually looks like

"Cognitive ability test" is a general name for tests of problem solving and learning speed. Three of the best known publish their basic format:

• CCAT (Criteria): 50 questions in 15 minutes, about 18 seconds each (Criteria).
• Wonderlic Select cognitive section: 50 questions in 12 minutes, about 14 seconds each (Wonderlic).
• PI Cognitive Assessment: 50 questions in 12 minutes, across verbal, numerical and abstract reasoning (PI).

They share a pattern:

• Many short questions across numbers, words, logic and shapes, mixed together rather than in separate sections.
• Speed is part of the design. PI's administrator guide says the 12-minute limit deliberately adds a speed factor, because how fast you process information is part of what is measured (PI guide).
• Almost nobody finishes. Criteria says fewer than 1% of candidates answer all 50 CCAT questions (Criteria), and Wonderlic says test takers are not expected to complete every question (Wonderlic).
• No calculator on all three.
• A different set of questions for each candidate. Criteria and PI both draw questions from a larger pool, so memorizing questions does not work; learning the question types does.
• Taken online, often early in the application.

If your invitation names one of these tests, use our CCAT-style, Wonderlic-style or PI-style practice.

Question types with worked examples

These original cognitive ability test questions cover the common types: numbers, words, patterns and detail. Each shows the method and the trap.

Mental percentages. "What is 15% of 60?" 10% is 6 and 5% is 3, so 9. Splitting a percentage into 10% and 5% pieces is faster than multiplying.

Comparing fractions. "Which is largest: 3/5, 5/8, 7/12 or 2/3?" Compare each with a half and then with each other, or convert: 0.6, 0.625, about 0.583 and about 0.667. So 2/3. The trap is picking the fraction with the biggest numbers.

Rates with a twist. "If 3 painters paint 3 rooms in 3 hours, how long do 9 painters take for 9 rooms?" Each painter does one room in 3 hours, so 3 hours. Work out the rate for one person first; the trap is answering 9.

Letter series. Convert letters to their positions (A = 1, B = 2...) when the pattern is not obvious. "C, F, I, L" is 3, 6, 9, 12, so next is 15: O.

Odd one out. "Which number does not belong: 3, 5, 7, 9, 11?" All are odd, so look further: every number except 9 is prime (9 is 3 x 3). The trap is stopping at the first rule, which every item fits.

Word relationships. "GLOVE is to HAND as SOCK is to ___." A glove covers a hand, so a sock covers a foot. Say the link as a sentence and test it on the answer; "shoe" fails because a sock does not cover a shoe.

Detail checking. "Are these the same? Marlowe, J. 40217 / Marlow, J. 40217." No: the second name is missing the final e. Compare character by character, especially in names, numbers and postcodes, where one dropped or swapped letter is the usual trap.

How to prepare

1. Get used to the pace. On the best-known tests you have about 14 to 18 seconds a question: 720 / 50 = 14.4 seconds for a 12-minute test, and 900 / 50 = 18 for a 15-minute one. Use timed practice; untimed practice teaches the wrong habit.
2. Do not stall. If a question has not opened up in about 20 seconds, choose your best answer and move on.
3. Answer what you reach. Criteria says there is no penalty for wrong answers on the CCAT, and PI says incorrect answers do not count against you. Check your test's instructions, then do not leave reachable questions blank.
4. Refresh mental arithmetic: times tables, percentages, fractions and simple rates. Our percentage questions guide and speed, distance and time guide cover the common shortcuts.
5. Learn the pattern families. Doubling, growing gaps, alternating rules and letter positions cover most series. See our number series guide.
6. Read the question to the end. Words like "not", "least" and "except" change the answer.
7. Sleep well before the test. Speed tests are sensitive to tiredness.

How scoring usually works

Cognitive ability tests report results in three main ways, and the publisher decides which:

• Raw score and percentile. Criteria says employers receive your CCAT raw score (the number right) and your percentile, which compares you with other test takers (Criteria).
• Scaled score. PI converts the number right to a scaled score from 100 to 450, with a global average of 250 (PI guide). A scaled score stays comparable across different versions of the test.
• Weighted pattern score. Wonderlic says its scoring looks at your whole response pattern, weighting questions by difficulty and the effect of guessing (Wonderlic).

In each case the employer compares your result with a target for the role, usually higher for jobs that involve a lot of new learning. Our guides to CCAT scores and Wonderlic scores explain two of these systems in detail.

Our practice score is the number of our own questions you got right, with a section breakdown. It is not a score from any real test.

How this practice compares with the real test

What we match: the mix of number, word, pattern and detail questions, the multiple choice format and a fast pace. Full mocks use 50 questions under a strict timer, so the length and pressure feel familiar.

What we cannot match: any publisher's own questions, item pools or scoring. Our score is a simple count of right answers, while real tests may use percentiles, scaled scores or weighted scoring, so the numbers are not comparable.

What carries over: pacing, spotting question types in a second, and fast mental math. Those are the skills that usually separate a rushed attempt from a calm one. If you know which test you will take, the publisher-style pages linked above get closer to its exact mix.

Common mistakes on cognitive ability tests

• Trying to finish. On tests where almost nobody finishes, rushing the last 15 questions trades accuracy for nothing.
• Fighting one question. Every question is usually worth the same. The 40 seconds you spend on a hard one could answer two easy ones.
• Reaching for a calculator. None of the three best-known tests allow one, so do all practice without it.
• Stopping at the first rule. In odd-one-out and series questions, a rule that fits every item is not the rule; keep looking.
• Reading "not" as "is". Misreading the question costs more points than hard math does.
• Testing when tired. A 12-minute speed test leaves no room to warm up. Take it when you are fresh.

A one-week study plan

About 20 to 30 minutes a day. Short on time? Do days 1, 4 and 6.

• Day 1: Take the free sample above with the timer. Note which question type slowed you most.
• Day 2: Mental math: percentages, fractions and rates without a calculator.
• Day 3: Series and patterns with the number series guide, then odd one out.
• Day 4: A full 50-question mock under time. Review every miss.
• Day 5: Words and detail: analogies, word meanings and checking pairs. Then a short mixed set at 15 seconds a question.
• Day 6: A second full mock. Compare your position at the halfway time with day 4.
• Day 7: Rest and get a good night's sleep.