Criteria Cognitive Aptitude Test

What is the CCAT?

The Criteria Cognitive Aptitude Test (CCAT) is a general aptitude test that measures your critical thinking, problem-solving skills, reasoning ability, and ability to learn.

The test consists of 50 multiple-choice questions covering three sub-categories: verbal reasoning, math & logic, and spatial reasoning. The difficulty of the questions will increase slightly as you move through the test.

Calculators are not allowed for the test.

The test has a 15-minute time limit, which means that you have an average of 18 seconds per question if you answer all questions. With such a strict time limit, it is no surprise that only 1% of all test takers complete all 50 test questions.

Here we will cover what you need to know about the CCAT.

What questions can I expect on the CCAT?

Criteria defines three question categories: verbal, math & logic, and spatial reasoning. To help you understand the types of questions on the test, we will break down these categories into ten sub-categories.

Verbal Reasoning questions

The CCAT's verbal reasoning questions evaluate how well you understand a word's precise meaning, how words relate to one another, and what role context plays in word choice. More specifically, these types of verbal questions are included in the CCAT:

Word analogies

These questions will challenge your English language skills, your ability to see relationships between ideas, and your ability to think methodically.

Example:

Fast is to running as slow is to?

A) Walking
B) Pace
C) Turtle
D) Lazy

The correct answer is A, walking.

Synonyms and antonyms

You must match either a word’s synonym or antonym from a list of options.

Sentence completion

Sentence completion questions will assess your grammar, spelling, and ability to understand contextual relationships in a sentence.

You are given one or more sentences where one or two words are missing; you have to find the missing word(s).

Example:

Fill in the missing words.

Frank has been depressed for a long time now. He says that he is very ____ at school because he _____ all his classmates and the teachers.

A) happy, likes
B) unhappy, dislikes
C) tired, alienated
D) bored, loves

The correct answer is B.

Deductive reasoning

Deductive reasoning is the process of reasoning from one or more statements to reach a logically certain conclusion.

Deductive reasoning questions will require you to use your problem-solving and reasoning skills by evaluating arguments, analyzing scenarios, and drawing logical conclusions.

Attention to detail

Attention to detail test questions assess your ability to spot subtle differences in short text strings quickly.

You will be presented with two columns, each containing five text strings. The strings of text can be names of persons or companies, short addresses, numbers, or any other short text string.

You have to determine how many of the five text strings of each column are exactly the same.

Math & Logic questions

The CCAT’s math and logic questions test your basic algebra skills and your ability to work through word problems. The question types are:

Number series

In these test questions, you are presented with a series of numbers with one number missing; you need to find the missing number. Number series tests assess your logical thinking ability.

Numerical word problems

Numerical word problems, also called math word problems, are mathematical questions presented in a written format. The questions will assess your mathematical ability and your logical reasoning.

The word problems can range from short to long or simple to complex. Some questions will only require mathematical ability to solve; others will require logical reasoning as well.

Example:

It takes two machines at a toy factory 50 minutes to create ten (10) teddy bears. How many teddy bears can one machine create in 30 minutes?

A) 6
B) 5
C) 3
D) 2

The correct answer is C, 3.

Spatial reasoning questions

The CCAT’s spatial reasoning questions will evaluate your spatial reasoning skills by having you rotate or flip images in your head, recognize patterns, and identify deviations. The question types are:

Inductive reasoning

Inductive reasoning questions, sometimes called image series, assesses your ability to identify and interpret patterns. You need to identify the rules and patterns in a series of objects to find a missing object.

Abstract reasoning

Abstract reasoning questions, also called matrices, assess your ability to identify and interpret patterns. You must find the rules and patterns in sets of objects to identify the missing object.

As you may notice from the description, these questions are somewhat similar to inductive reasoning questions; only the format is slightly different.

Odd one out

Odd one out questions assesses your ability to see relationships and patterns between shapes.

You are shown five (5) shapes/items, and you are required to identify the rules and similarities between them to find the correct answer. You will be asked to find the item that does not belong with the rest: the odd one out.

We have included practice questions of every type in our Criteria Test Prep Package.

How to prepare for the CCAT

Preparing for the CCAT will help you perform better. There are several things you can do to prepare for the CCAT:

• Speed is important for scoring well on the CCAT. So, practice your mental calculation skills: addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.
• Brush up on your knowledge of basic mathematical rules and concepts, such as fractions, decimals, percentages, square roots, exponents, and basic algebra.
• Practice questions similar to those of the CCAT, this will familiarize you with the questions and help you feel more confident about the test.
• Set up a simulated CCAT test with the same question types and time limit. Practicing time management techniques is very important for performing well.

Tips for taking your CCAT

• Keep an eye on the time. You only have 15 minutes to answer as many questions as you can.
• You should not spend too much time on any one question. If you are not close to an answer after 30 seconds, take a guess and move on.
• If you do not know the answer to a question, or if you find yourself taking too much time on any one question, you should guess at the answer rather than leave it unanswered. There is no penalty for wrong answers.
• Note that you cannot revisit previous questions, so do not skip too many questions.
• Use scratch paper and a pen or pencil to assist you; it will help you keep track of your calculations.
• Remember to read all answer options. Sometimes ruling out unreasonable answers can make it easier to identify the correct answer.

We can help you prepare for the CCAT. With our Criteria Test Prep package, you get more than 900 CCAT practice questions with explained solutions, four full-length simulated CCAT tests, extra study tools, and guidance throughout your training. Get access now.

Try our free CCAT practice test, we've included each of the question types explained above.

Free Practice Test