Free CCAT Practice Test: Questions, Answers, and Time-Saving Tips
This free CCAT practice test includes carefully selected questions that closely mirror the actual Criteria Cognitive Aptitude Test.
These sample questions, taken from our comprehensive CCAT Practice Pack, provide you with a realistic and effective way to:
- Familiarize yourself with the test format.
- Sharpen your problem-solving skills under time constraints (18 seconds per question).
- Build confidence to excel on test day.
Take the first step to mastering the CCAT by practicing with our expert-crafted questions.
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CCAT Practice Test Questions (Solved With Answers)
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What is the CCAT Test?
The Criteria Cognitive Aptitude Test (CCAT) is a pre-employment assessment designed to evaluate your problem-solving abilities, critical thinking skills, and learning capacity. Administered by employers during the hiring process, the CCAT consists of 50 questions spanning three main categories:
- Numerical Reasoning: Assesses your ability to interpret and solve math-based problems.
- Verbal Reasoning: Tests your understanding of written information and logical conclusions.
- Abstract Reasoning: Challenges your pattern recognition and spatial reasoning skills.
The test is timed at 15 minutes, making speed and accuracy crucial. On average, candidates answer around 24 out of 50 questions correctly. Performing well can significantly impact your chances of progressing to the next stage of recruitment.
If you want to ace the CCAT, practicing under timed conditions is essential. Scroll down to try our free practice questions and get expert tips to maximize your score.
CCAT Sample Numerical Reasoning Questions
The actual test (as well as this CCAT practice test) begins with three numerical questions.
To answer correctly, you must possess a foundational understanding of mathematical principles such as basic algebra, arithmetic, and fractions. Here are just a few examples:
CCAT Sample Math Word Problem
1. Jack and Jill have 44 cookies together. Jack has three times more cookies than Jill. How many cookies does he have?
Straightforward Basic Math Questions
2. Which of the following is the smallest value?
3. 53 is 25% of what number?
Tip:
Divide the numerical section into subcategories and work on each one independently. Each numerical question requires knowledge in a different field of mathematics, and ensuring you've covered all grounds will help you answer as many questions correctly as possible.
Wondering how scoring high on the CCAT can help you get the job you want? Check out the answer here.
There are 18 numerical questions on the CCAT in total (more than a third of all questions). This makes the Criteria Cognitive Aptitude Test more math oriented than almost any other pre employment aptitude test.
The numerical section therefore has a significant impact on your overall CCAT scores. To gain an edge on other test takers and get a good score, it is recommended you review and practice your basic math skills. Use this CCAT practice test and others like it to solve problems until you feel prepared.
A Complete Online CCAT Preparation Course
Our CCAT PrepPack contains 6 simulations that mimic the exact same test format, with 50 questions becoming increasingly challenging as time progresses. The order of the questions, difficulty, and time limit are all precisely the same as the CCAT test and come with in-depth explanations. As you follow our practice plan, you will be able to solve questions more quickly and see the improvement in your scores as you progress.
The online guided CCAT practice plan, which starts at $79, will help you perform at your best during the actual CCAT test.
“I am not a native English speaker. So English questions are relatively hard for me. I used to have a 37 marks 3 years ago. I recently studied this course for 5 days and faced CCAT and managed to score 40. Most questions in this course is relatively harder than CCAT but in a good way.”
Isuru S. On the CCAT Test
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“I used the CCAT prep materials the week before a CCAT with Crossover. The many Steps of practice questions and simulation practice tests really helped me determine the best strategy for me and get familiar with each type of question (and range of difficulty). As a result, I passed the exam and was offered the position”
Brittany B. On the CCAT Test
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“Very well organized training material”.
Peter R. On the CCAT Test
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CCAT Sample Spatial Reasoning Questions
1. Which of the following boxes should replace the question mark (?) to complete the pattern?
2. Which of the following boxes should replace the question mark (?) to complete the pattern?
3. Which of the following boxes should replace the question mark (?) to complete the pattern?
3. Which of the following boxes should replace the question mark (?) to complete the pattern?
Fully timed practice tests, sample questions and comprehensive answers for CCAT spatial questions are available on the full CCAT practice course.
CCAT Sample Verbal Reasoning Questions
The next batch of questions is taken from the 18 Verbal questions you'll get on the CCAT assessment:
Analogy Questions
1. STRINGS is to GUITAR as:
2. ABHOR is to DENOUNCE as ...
Sentence Completion Questions
3. Choose the word or words that, when inserted in the sentence to replace the blank or blanks, best fits the meaning of the sentence.
Since porcelain is an extremely hard and ___ substance, it is used in dentistry to create artificial teeth.
4. When inserted in the sentence to replace the blank or blanks, choose the word or words that best fits the sentence's meaning.
Electronic information and automated systems are essential to ____ all major federal operations.
Many of the CCAT verbal questions are based on the English vocabulary, which is harder to improve within a short limited preparation time. That said, when praciticing these kind of questions you learn how to answer even if you don't understand some of the words' meanings.
After these verbal questions, you'll see four Abstract Reasoning questions once again:
5. Which of the following does not belong?
6. Which of the following does not belong?
7. Which of the following does not belong?
Need more practice? Take an abstract reasoning practice test.
Practicing Time Management to Elevate Your Score
To learn more techniques that cut down your solving time and improve your chances of answering more questions correctly, our CCAT PrepPack provides:
- Detailed answers to each question, including the strategy for solving it the fastest.
- Tips on how to cut down the time you spend solving Math, Verbal, Spatial, and Logical problems, and how to make informed guesses.
- 6 complete CCAT practice tests that progressively increase in difficulty, allowing you to improve your ability to answer questions quickly and efficiently. This will also help you to manage your time better and collect more correct answers.
“Excellent customer service and rich content”
Peter L. On the CCAT Test
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“Very Helpful, relevant content, very good explanations, diverse and big enough collection of tests”.
Cristi C. On the CCAT Test
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“Fantastic system and course. I went through the course and it was tough. I felt a little discouraged going through it as I kept get subpar results when taking the practice tests. I decided to go through and take the CCAT anyway. I felt incredibly confident while taking the CCAT as this course was so difficult”.
Dan A. On the CCAT Test
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Additional Sample Questions
Here are some questions you may find in the more difficult second half of the test:
Math Word Problem
1. Solve the word problem:
In a popular music station, songs are played uninterrupted (i.e., no commercial breaks).
The popular music broadcast "Hits All Around Us" lasts 2 hours and 15 minutes, in which two-song lengths are played – songs that last 3 minutes and songs that last 6 minutes. How many songs will be played during the broadcast?
*Songs are fully played during the broadcast.
Number Series Question
1. What would be the next number in the following series?
0.25 ... 0.5 ... 2.5 ... 5 ... 7... ?
As you progress through the test, the questions become more complex.
This is the part where proper preparation can make a difference. Getting an early acquaintance with all possible question types and learning time-saving solving techniques will help you ace the last questions of the test.
Here are some more types of questions you might come across on the CCAT tests:
CCAT Attention to Detail Question
18. How many of the five items in the left-hand column are exactly the same as the corresponding entry in the right-hand column?
| Sharon V. Solaris | Sharon V. Solaris |
| Celesta L. Kroner | Celesta L Kroner |
| Savanna B. Swope | Savanna B. Swoppe |
| Zachery H. Eickhoff | Zachery H. Erickhoff |
| Megan N. Heinz | Megan N. Heinz |
A. 1
B. 2
C. 3
D. 4
E. 5
Answer:
Here are the discrepancies between the two versions:
| Sharon V. Solaris | Sharon V. Solaris |
| Celesta L. Kroner | Celesta L Kroner |
| Savanna B. Swope | Savanna B. Swoppe |
| Zachery H. Eickhoff | Zachery H. Erickhoff |
| Megan N. Heinz | Megan N. Heinz |
There are three errors, which means the answer is (B) - 2.
Letter Series Question
1. What would be the next group of letters in the following series?
zone … ynnd … xmnc … wlnb ?
Syllogism Question (Logical Reasoning)
1. Assume the first two statements are true.
All athletes are hard workers.
Alice is not an athlete.
Alice is not a hard worker.
Is the final statement:
Is the CCAT Test Hard?
The CCAT test is highly challenging, primarily due to the intense time pressure it imposes. With a total of 50 questions to answer within just 15 minutes, you're left with a mere 18 seconds per question. That's where effective CCAT test prep comes in.
While the initial questions in the test may seem relatively simple, the complexity increases as you progress, adding to the pressure caused by the ticking clock. The main objective of practicing for the CCAT is to enhance your ability to solve problems quickly under such demanding conditions.
Our experience has shown that the closer your practice aligns with the real test, the more significant the improvement in your score. That's why our CCAT PrepPack includes six simulations, each featuring 50 questions for you to tackle within 15 minutes—just like the actual test. The order of the questions, difficulty level, and time limit precisely mirror those of the CCAT test, and we provide in-depth CCAT test answers to accompany them.
While the first and second simulations may still require some adjustment to the pressure, you'll notice clear improvements as you progress to the third and fourth simulations. By the time you reach the fifth and sixth simulations, you'll be well on your way to achieving the high score necessary to outshine the competition.
With our comprehensive CCAT test prep, priced at only $79, you can ensure that you're fully prepared when you take the CCAT. It's your opportunity to secure the high score you deserve.
The CCAT Question Order
Questions in the Criteria Cognitive Aptitude Test always appear in the same order, and using this information in your prep can help in many ways, such as significantly reducing the element of surprise.
As you can see in the image above, the CCAT jumps between the four question types frequently, meaning that your problem solving skills need to be sharp and ready to adapt to the new topic as it arrives. Let's break down the CCAT's structure:
- Numerical Reasoning questions appear 16-17 times in the test, comprising a third of the questions. This category includes questions like number series, word problems, and others.
- Verbal Reasoning questions appear 17 times in the CCAT, comprising a third if the questions. It includes questions such as analogies, attention to detail., and more
- Spatial Reasoning questions make up about a fifth of the questions, appearing 11 times. These question include shape series, odd one out, and others.
- Logical Reasoning questions only appear five or six times in the CCAT, and measure your critical thinking.
In JobTestPrep's practice pack, the CCAT practice tests are given the exact same order as the real test - allowing you to get the closest simulation of the real test available.
Check our Free CCAT Practice Test to get an idea of what you will be facing, or our CCAT Study Guide PDF for a printable version.
CCAT Scores and Time-management
Understanding your CCAT score can be complicated, as you need to translate your raw score (how many answers you got right) to a percentile score that places your score on a scale. Getting 24 is the average score while getting over 31 places you higher than 80% of the other test takers.
The challenge of achieving a high score on the CCAT test primarily arises from the intense time pressure. With a total of 50 questions to be answered within 15 minutes, you are left with a mere 18 seconds per question. As the test progresses, the complexity of the questions increases while you have less and less time left. This prevents many examinees from making it past the 30-question bar.
So, what to do when you run out of time?
Here are a few useful tips you can use to increase your answering rate:
- Learn and utilize quick-solving tips like the ones presented on this page.
- At any point when you are not sure of the answer or feel that the question will take too long, take about 10 seconds to eliminate as many answers as possible so that you can make an informed guess (you will find that most of the time you can eliminate at least 2-3 options rather quickly).
- Allocate at least a minute at the end of the test to scan the remaining questions quickly and ensure no answer is left unmarked.
How to Maximize Your CCAT Score
Now that you are familiar with the types of questions and challenges expected on the CCAT test, you can take the next step and prepare with personalized practice aimed at optimizing your results.
To ensure that you don't waste time practicing questions that are too easy or unrelated to the skills you need to improve, we have created a step-by-step practice plan customized to your level:
- Start by completing an initial full CCAT simulation to discover your current score and get guidance on which type of questions you should focus on improving.
- Practice implementing time-saving solving techniques with an interactive guide and practice test for each question type (numerical, verbal, spatial, and logic questions).
- Practice tests in growing difficulty levels (intermediate, advanced) to elevate your skills and be able to answer the more difficult CCAT questions.
- After practicing each difficulty level, practice full CCAT simulations to track your score progress.
- Take additional practice tests to strengthen areas in which you scored lower.
With our guided practice, available starting 79$, you will maximize your practice time and reach your best potential score.
“This pack provided precisely the level of practice needed to do well on this test. Worth every penny”.
Cliff G. On the CCAT Test
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“Excellent. It made a tremendous difference in my final performance!”
Hawas M. On the CCAT Test
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“It was good. The explanations were clear and helpful”.
Elizabeth A. On the CCAT Test
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Continue Practicing for the CCAT Exam
Access more CCAT practice tests and other valuable CCAT prep materials so that you take the test while being as prepared as possible:
- The Definitive CCAT Practice Course - 6 full-length CCAT practice test simulations and hundreds of extra practice drills to sharpen your abilities in the four test areas.
- A 5-minute CCAT Diagnostic Test - get a feel for the time pressure of the real exam with this short diagnostic test.
- The Complete CCAT Scores Guide - learn about the CCAT raw score, percentile score, passing score, what's considered a good score, and other metrics that will affect your CCAT scores report.
- CCAT Numerical Questions Guide - word problems, arithmetic calculations, number series, and tables & graphs.
- CCAT Verbal Reasoning Questions Guide - sentence completion, antonyms, attention to detail, and analogy questions.
- CCAT Spatial Reasoning Questions Guide - Odd One Out, matrices, and shape series questions.
- CCAT Logic Questions Guide - syllogism and seating arrangement questions.
- Criteria On Demand Assessment - See what to expect on the testing platform of your upcoming assessment
Ensure your success with our CCAT Test Tips!
If you're looking for a dedicated preparation check out our Crossover and Criteria Vista preps.
CCAT FAQs
Employers, mainly in North America, often pick the CCAT for hiring. It helps in hiring by reducing costs and finding candidates who are good at thinking critically, solving problems, learning quickly, and applying new information.
Compared to other job-related tests, the CCAT is known to be challenging. It gets harder as you move to the 50th question. The math questions need quick thinking and strong analysis skills. People who've taken the CCAT and other tests like the Wonderlic and PI find the CCAT the most demanding.
An Average CCAT score is 24 out of 50 questions. If you achieve it places you in the middle, with 50% of people scoring the same or lower. See more on our scores page.
This is Criteria Corp's online platform where candidates take their tests. You can find out more about the CCAT On-Demand Assessment on our dedicated page.
The UCAT is a shorter test by Criteria Corp focusing on math, logic, and visual reasoning without the verbal section found in the CCAT. Click to see more info on the UCAT.
Yes, there's a longer CCAT version giving you 22 minutes instead of 15, which is about 50% more time. This is available for those who aren't native English speakers or have a medical condition that requires more time.
Several employers use the CCAT in their hiring process, including Pennymac Aptean, Cvent, Finastra, Granicus, PowerSchool, TIBCO, Vertafore, Xactly, Infoblox, Mitratech, Ping Identity, and Relias Learning. For specific details on each, check out our guide on the Vista Equity Partners Exam.
More CCAT FAQs
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While cognitive ability tests all generally aim to measure similar things, different tests have different ways of challenging you, be it the time limit, different types of questions, length, and other factors. The common denominator between all of them? Practice makes perfect.
To practice more free cognitive ability questions and learn about the differences between them, check out our Free Aptitude Tests Page, or check out the other specialized free tests for some of the leading test providers.
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Related topics: Numerical Reasoning | Number Series Questions | CCAT Study Guide - PDF