INFORMATION BRIEF

Criteria Cognitive
Aptitude Test
(CCAT )®

© Criteria Corp. 2021

INFORMATION BRIEF

Criteria Cognitive
Aptitude Test (CCAT®)
A person’s cognitive aptitude is a MEASURES
powerful predictor of their future • Critical thinking
work performance and how suitable • Problem-solving skills
they are for the job. • Learning ability
• Ability to digest and
Cognitive aptitude - often referred to as general
apply new information
intelligence or g - refers to the ability to solve
problems, digest and apply information, learn
new skills, and think critically. The Criteria
Cognitive Aptitude Test (CCAT®) is one of
PREDICTS
Criteria’s most popular aptitude tests and is Predict how well
commonly used for a broad range of mid- to someone will acquire,
high-level positions. organise, retain and apply
information on the job

QUESTIONS
Candidates complete
up to 50 questions

TIME
The CCAT is timed and
takes 15 minutes
to complete

CCAT Information Brief 2

Why is cognitive aptitude so important?
People who score well on cognitive aptitude tests use their high-level information processing
skills to solve job-related problems more effectively, and to learn on the job more quickly. As a
result, people with strong scores tend to perform better on the job and in training.

A strong and long-standing body of research demonstrates that cognitive aptitude is one of the
most accurate predictors of job success:

L 1.6x as predictive as unstructured interviews

L 4x as predictive as experience.

Research has also shown cognitive aptitude to be valid, reliable and strongly predictive of future
work performance. People with high levels of cognitive aptitude can:

L Perform work tasks more accurately and successfully

L Make decisions more effectively
L Use reasoning skills and solve problems
L Respond intelligently to new or complex circumstances.

Which jobs is the CCAT applicable for?

Cognitive aptitude is a critical underlying factor for almost every job, since all jobs require people
to process information, solve problems and learn new information. It’s especially important in
jobs that require people to process large amounts of information, such as complex technical
jobs and managerial roles.

The CCAT provides a traditional approach to assessing cognitive aptitude and is popular with
customers assessing for mid- to senior-level roles such as managers, sales executives, software
developers, executive assistants and analysts. It’s also critical for jobs that involve a great deal of
training, such as apprentice, intern or graduate roles.

What abilities does the CCAT measure?

The CCAT assesses three underlying abilities that, together, provide an overall measure of a
candidate’s cognitive aptitude.

Spatial reasoning
Ability to visualise objects in physical space, make spatial judgments, and solve problems.

Verbal ability
Reading and comprehension of words, logic, constructive thinking and attention to detail.

Math and logic

Ability to reason using numbers and numerical concepts. Also measures logic and
analytical thinking.

CCAT Information Brief 3

What score ranges are available?
The CCAT includes a series of suggested score ranges that help you understand how each
candidate’s results meet the range that has been associated with successful performance in
various roles. These ranges are based on large samples of prior scores from individuals applying
for or occupying similar roles and are supported by multiple validation studies.

The suggested score ranges available include:

L Accounting/Finance
L Administrative Assistant/Clerical
L Analyst
L Bookkeeper
L Computer Programmer
L Controller
L Customer Service Representative
L Finance Manager
L Financial Analyst/Advisor
L Front Desk/Receptionist
L Lawyer/Attorney
L Loan Officer
L Network Administrator
L Operations Manager
L Product Manager
L Production Manager/Supervisor
L Project Manager
L Recruiter
L Sales Manager
L Sales Representative
L Senior Managers/VP
L Store Manager

Can I create my own score ranges?

You can create your own score ranges within the Criteria platform. We can work with you to
gather and analyse results from your own organisation (either from incumbents or using data
from your applicant pool) to build appropriate score ranges for your roles.

CCAT Information Brief 4

What is the candidate experience like?
Flexible testing on any device
The CCAT is device-agnostic. This means candidates can take the test on any digital device they
choose – a mobile phone, tablet, laptop or desktop – in any location and at any time.

Example questions
The CCAT contains 50 items in total. However, most candidates won’t complete every question
within the 15-minute time limit. These questions assess the three areas of spatial reasoning,
verbal ability, and math and logic.

Example spatial reasoning question

Which of the following does not belong?

A B C D E

Example verbal ability question

Choose the word that is most nearly OPPOSITE to the word in capital letters.

LENGTHEN
A. abdicate
B. truncate
C. elongate
D. stifle
E. resist

Example math and logic question

A group of 3 numbers has an average of 17. The first two numbers are 12 and 19.
What is the third number?

A. 17
B. 19
C. 20
D. 23
E. 30

CCAT Information Brief 5

Ensuring a fair candidate experience
Like all of our assessments, the CCAT can be completed remotely over the internet under
unsupervised conditions. This provides a high level of flexibility and convenience for the
candidate. When testing is conducted under unsupervised conditions, however, it is possible
that the candidate may have had assistance in completing the assessment, and it is essential
to protect the security of the assessments. We adopt the following best practice strategies to
ensure online security and reduce the likelihood of cheating.

Dynamic item bank

To enhance test security, the CCAT is a dynamic assessment that draws on an item bank of
thousands of individually optimised test items. This means that no two candidates will ever
receive the exact same set of questions, giving you confidence in their individual results.

Secure online assessment

Our online testing engine is delivered using secure web technology, which allows us to
ensure that assessment security and integrity is maintained and that assessment time is
tracked accurately.

Detailed assessment session logging

From the moment the candidate logs in to start their assessments to the moment they finish,
we create detailed test logs of the candidate’s testing session, including time spent in the
assessment, internet connectivity, and individual issues and actions within the assessment.

CCAT Information Brief 6

Reporting
After candidates complete testing, you can access three different reports.

L A Candidate Summary Report that provides a high-level overview of a candidate’s results

on the CCAT and any other Criteria assessments they’ve completed.
L A Candidate Score Report that provides detailed information about a candidate’s scores
on the CCAT.
L A Workplace Insights Report that provides direct and immediate feedback to
candidates, if you choose to send it to them.

Candidate Summary Report

The candidate summary report includes a quick snapshot of a candidate’s results for each test
they’ve completed. It also includes their ranking score, which is based on a weighted average of
their performance across individual tests.

Vince Sample
Position: Sample Test Portfolio
Test Date: May 23, 2022
Event ID: ABC-D1Fg-2H3I-jklmN

WPP Workplace Productivity Profile

Risk assessment used to predict whether applicants will be conscientious, productive, and reliable

Conscientiousness 75
Medium 0 20 40 60 80 100

Perseverance 67
Applicants who receive Medium Ratings will 0 20 40 60 80 100

generally be dependable employees

Integrity 68
0 20 40 60 80 100

Theft 51
0 20 40 60 80 100

CCAT Criteria Cognitive Aptitude Test

Measures problem solving, critical thinking, and learning ability

Spatial Reasoning Percentile 58

24 50 Verbal Ability Percentile
0 20 40 60 80 100

62
Raw Score Percentile 0 20 40 60 80 100

Math and Logic Percentile 24

0 20 40 60 80 100

CBST Criteria Basic Skills Test

Measures basic grammar, math, attention to detail, and learning ability

Verbal Raw Score 18

34 54 Math Raw Score
0 8 16 24 32 40

16
Raw Score Percentile 0 8 16 24 32 40

CCAT Information Brief 7

Candidate Score Report

The score report gives you more detailed results for a single candidate. It includes:

L Candidate information (name, position, date completed)

L A Results Summary, which displays the candidate’s raw score out of 50 and their
percentile score.
L A Raw Score graphic showing their raw score on a normal distribution, which indicates
how their score compares to other test-takers.
L If enabled, you’ll also see a shaded area in the raw score section that indicates how the
candidate’s raw score compares to a selected score range. In the example below, the
candidate’s raw score of 24 falls within the Store Manager suggested range of 20-37.
L A Results Details section, displaying their percentile scores for each of the three sub-
categories measured by the CCAT.

Vince Sample
Position: Sample Test Portfolio
Test Date: Jan 17, 2022
Event ID: ABC-D1Fg-2H3I-jklmN | Test Ver: 1.0

The CCAT measures cognitive aptitude, or general intelligence. This test

provides an indication of a subject’s ability to solve problems, digest and apply
24 50
information, learn new skills, and think critically. Cognitive aptitude is one of the Raw Score Percentile
most accurate job predictors of job success for any position.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50

Project Manager
Suggested Range: 22-37

Vince Sample achieved an overall score of 24, which means Vince answered 24 questions correctly. This corresponds to a percentile
rank of 50, meaning Vince scored better than 50% of the people who have taken this test. Below are details of how Vince performed
in specific sub categories.

58 62 24
Ability to visualize, make spatial Reasoning and comprehension of Ability to reason using numbers and
judgements, and problem solve; words, constructive thinking, and numerical concepts. Also measures
correlated toBrief
CCAT Information general
intelligence.
attention to detail. logic and analytical thinking.
8

Sample - CCAT Score Report - Page 1 © 2022 Criteria Corporation. All Rights Reserved. • www.criteriacorp.com • (877) 909-8378
 In the Suggested CCAT Score Ranges by Position section, you’ll see how the candidate’s raw
score compares to all of the available score ranges for the CCAT.

*Based on national norms compiled by Criteria Corp.

Vince Sample | Score: 24

(Range: 24-39) In Range

0 10 20 30 40 50

(Range: 20-35) In Range

0 10 20 30 40 50

(Range: 26-42) Below

0 10 20 30 40 50

(Range: 20-35) In Range

0 10 20 30 40 50

(Range: 23-40) In Range

0 10 20 30 40 50

(Range: 24-39) In Range

0 10 20 30 40 50

(Range: 18-32) In Range

0 10 20 30 40 50

(Range: 21-40) In Range

0 10 20 30 40 50

(Range: 23-38) In Range

0 10 20 30 40 50

(Range: 18-30) In Range

0 10 20 30 40 50

(Range: 29-42) Below

0 10 20 30 40 50

(Range: 22-36) In Range

0 10 20 30 40 50

(Range: 23-37) In Range

0 10 20 30 40 50

(Range: 22-40) In Range

0 10 20 30 40 50

(Range: 26-41) Below

0 10 20 30 40 50

(Range: 18-34) In Range

0 10 20 30 40 50

(Range: 22-37) In Range

0 10 20 30 40 50

(Range: 21-35) In Range

0 10 20 30 40 50

(Range: 23-37) In Range

0 10 20 30 40 50

(Range: 21-35) In Range

0 10 20 30 40 50

(Range: 29-42) Below

0 10 20 30 40 50

(Range: 20-37) In Range

0 10 20 30 40 50

Sample - CCAT Score Report - Page 2 © 2022 Criteria Corporation. All Rights Reserved. • www.criteriacorp.com • (877) 909-8378

CCAT Information Brief 9

Workplace Insights Report
This report gives your candidates immediate, direct feedback after they complete the CCAT, and
can also include information about the Employee Personality Profile (EPP), Cognify, Emotify, the
Workplace Alignment Assessment (WAA) and the Workplace Safety Profile (WSP).

In the Problem Solving section of the report – which relates to their performance on the CCAT -
the candidate can view information about their key problem solving strengths.

Jesse's Workplace Insights

Test Date: Jul 21, 2021

This score report is intended to be shared with the test-taker, and be used in a post-hire setting for the purpose of enhancing self-awareness,
and encouraging growth and development. It may also be shared with Jesse's team members, manager and/or direct reports, if appropriate, so
that new team members may become aware of Jesse's likely work styles and how their behavioral tendencies may influence interactions with
team members in the workplace.

Problem Solving

Jesse's strengths are likely to be in the area of verbal or written

People can vary in the skills they rely on to solve problems. Some problems. Jesse may be more comfortable thinking about problems
may be better at solving written and verbal problems, some may be in a written or descriptive form.
better with numerical and number-based problems, while others are
better at problems that are abstract, spatial or conceptual in nature. Common problem solving situations that involve written or verbal
Knowing which of these areas is stronger for Jesse may help Jesse information include:
to apply their strengths when solving problems at work.
Drawing conclusions from written passages.
Identifying errors or mistakes in documents.
Explaining solutions or strategies in written form.
Distinguishing between shades of meaning in text.

Development Suggestions
Jesse is likely to be most effective at solving verbal or written problems. One way for Jesse to develop their effectiveness at problem
solving may be for Jesse to approach problems from a verbal or written perspective where possible. This could be done by
expressing or framing problems through written descriptions and using that information as a basis for solving problems.

© 2021 Criteria Corporation. All Rights Reserved • [email protected] 1 of 2

CCAT Information Brief 10

Psychometric properties
Normative sample
The normative group for the CCAT was developed using a sample of 106,740 individuals.
The sample was made up of adults aged 18 and older, including both incumbents and job
applicants. These individuals were being assessed for employee selection and/or benchmarking
purposes, and represented a sample of individuals from hundreds of different companies whose
current positions included managerial positions, technical services, customer service, and sales
positions. The median score for the normative sample is 24, and the standard deviation is 7.00.

Since the initial standardisation sample, the CCAT has been administered over 4 million times.
Based on the large volume of position-specific data that has been gathered on the CCAT,
Criteria has established score expectations and score ranges for various occupations.

Reliability
Reliability typically refers to the internal consistency of a test, or the extent to which all the
questions in the test measure the same construct and result in similar test scores. The most
common measurement of test reliability is Cronbach’s alpha, which can range from 0.00,
indicating no reliability at all, to 1.00 indicating perfect reliability. More reliable assessments
produce assessments that are more precise and more stable.

Based on a sample of 97,929 test takers, the Cronbach’s alpha for the CCAT is 0.86.
Psychometricians generally consider alpha coefficients of .70 or above to constitute an
acceptable level of reliability. Therefore, the alpha coefficient of .86 demonstrated by the CCAT
indicates a very high degree of reliability.

Construct validity
Construct validity is established through evidence for convergence, or the relationships
demonstrated between a test with other well-established tests that are purported to measure
the same construct or attribute. The CCAT has demonstrated construct validity through its
strong correlations with other leading measures of cognitive aptitude.

For example, among a sample of 34 individuals who took both the CCAT and Wonderlic
Personnel Test (WPT), the correlation observed between the CCAT and the WPT was .78.
Similarly, among a sample of 355 individuals who took both the CCAT and the Minicog Rapid
Assessment Battery (MRAB), the correlation observed between the CCAT and the MRAB was
.55. Thus, the CCAT has demonstrated strong construct validity evidence through its high
correlations with similar assessments like the WPT and MRAB.

Criterion-related validity
Criterion validity refers to the extent to which test scores relate to a relevant outcome such as
job performance. The CCAT functions as an especially effective predictor of performance for jobs
that require enhanced abilities in the areas of problem-solving, learning, critical thinking, and
verbal and mathematical reasoning. Criteria Corp has conducted numerous criterion validity
studies in collaboration with research partners and customers across many different industries.
These studies have demonstrated evidence for the criterion validity of the CCAT in a wide variety
of organisational settings.

For example, in a sample of 745 sales representatives, the CCAT was found to correlate .33 with
performance in a training period. Similarly, in a group on 42 social workers at a government
agency, the CCAT was found to correlate .44 with supervisor rated performance.

CCAT Information Brief 11

Case Studies

Technology call centre uses the SBMA reduced time

CCAT to reduce turnover spent hiring by 63%
View case study View case study

Consumer finance company Schweiger Dermatology Group

uses CCAT to lower hiring reduces turnover by 57%
and training costs View case study
View case study
Consulting firm improves
Sales reps with higher scores on job performance and
the Cognitive Aptitude Test and retention for analyst
EPP generate 7x more revenue View case study
View case study

CCAT Information Brief 12

www.criteriacorp.com.au | [email protected]