Cognitive Tests: What Are They and How Can You Prepare for Them?

Cognitive ability tests are pre-employment evaluations that use logic and reasoning as a way to gauge a potential employee’s intelligence and career potential. Some of these tests help new employees find the most appropriate job within a company while others are used to determine whether the test taker should be hired at all.

If you are facing a cognitive evaluation, take a look through our list of some of the most popular tests, learn about their scoring information, and see how best to prepare.

How Are the Tests Scored?

Cognitive test scoring varies from test to test, but the most typical form of scoring involves the answers you got correct, not those you got wrong. For instance, if there are 50 questions and you answer 30 correctly but don’t answer the last 20 at all, you receive the same score as someone who answered 30 questions correctly but got all other 20 wrong.

This focus on scoring only from correct answers means guessing at some questions is a legitimate and helpful test-taking tactic.

Common Cognitive Tests

Cubiks Logiks

Cubiks Logiks tests come in two separate versions: advanced and intermediate. The easier of these two – intermediate – has 50 questions and must be completed in 12 minutes. There will be questions covering verbal, abstract, and numerical reasoning.

Each section of the intermediate test has a specific time limit of 4 minutes taken evenly from the overall 12 minutes. Test takers will be allowed to use a calculator, but the short time limit can still make the assessment difficult.

MMAT – McQuaig Mental Agility Test

The MMAT, or McQuaig Mental Agility Test, is a popular assessment test created by the McQuaig company in the UK. This assessment is said to create a qualitative measurement of an applicant’s intelligence and ability to thrive in multiple levels of job performance.

The mental agility test has 50 questions that must be answered within 15-minutes. Questions will cover topics like vocabulary, mathematical understanding, and reasoning skills. The results of this assessment are often used by recruiters to match candidates with appropriate positions. This means that the better someone scores, the better position they will be recommended for.

GIA – Thomas International General Intelligence Assessment

The GIA (Also known as the TIGIA and Thomas Aptitude Assessment) is a cognitive test that is said to be able to predict how well an applicant will fit into a role. It also can give an idea of the time it would take for someone to understand a role and thrive within it.

This test has five different question categories: perceptual speed, word meaning, number speed and accuracy, spatial visualization, and general reasoning. The assessment can be issued in over 15 languages and allows between 30 and 45 minutes to complete.

HBRI – Hogan Business Reasoning Inventory

The HBRI focuses on breaking down how a test taker thinks and using that information to determine how suited a person is to a job position. This type of assessment gives employers a deep look into the applicant’s problem-solving style along with areas they will need to further develop.

The test consists of approximately 24 questions and takes 25-30 minutes to complete. The questions cover quantitative and qualitative reasoning which means applicants will want to study up on their verbal and mathematical skills.

PLI – Predictive Index Learning Indicator

PLI is a talent performance assessment that uses cognitive ability as an indicator for the potential job performance and career development ability of a candidate. The test is 12-minutes in length, in which time the test taker will be required to answer 50 questions.

The test will have a target score for a particular position and then compare the tester’s score against it. Some may show more skill and potential than necessary for the job while others may unfortunately fall under the target. 

RCAT – Revelian Cognitive Ability Tests

The RCAT takes a traditional approach to cognitive assessment by utilizing questions that span from verbal reasoning to numerical and abstract understanding. Thanks to this approach, the assessment can be used across a multitude of fields.

The test has 51 questions and must be completed within 20 minutes. It may not be possible to complete all 51 questions, which is why it is important to prepare properly beforehand.

WPT – Wonderlic Personnel Test

The WPT, also known as the Wonderlic Contemporary Cognitive Ability Test, is one of the most popular cognitive ability assessments on the market. It is often referenced as the basis for the 50 questions, 12-minute standard. The overall score is derived from the number of correct answers given within the time limit and is said to give a general notion of the test-takers average intelligence and critical thinking ability.

CCAT – Criteria Cognitive Aptitude Test

The CCAT – created by Criteria Corp – is a 50-question cognitive ability assessment that is extremely popular among software and computer technology companies. That is thanks to the company’s existence as a SaaS before creating the CCAT.

The test has 50 questions and allows 15 minutes for completion. The score for the test is shown to the hiring company as a “raw” score and a percentile. The scoring sheet also provides a “suggested” scoring range for a specific job type to which the test taker’s score can be compared.

 The Best Website for Cognitive Test Practice and Prep

No matter which cognitive assessment test you take, you will be faced with a large number of questions and limited amount of time to answer. The stress of the short time limit is enough to stress test-takers into a failing score, and the only way to overcome it is through thorough preparation.

At JobAssessmentHelp, we have prep materials and tests to help you through any pre-employment test whether it be the Predictive Index Cognitive Assessment or a generalized personality valuation. Our experts have created thousands of unique questions and a slurry of realistic practice tests to get you as prepared as possible for your big day.

If you are ready to take your career-search seriously, let JobAssessmentHelp prepare you for your pre-employment tests today.