The CCAT (Criteria Cognitive Aptitude Test) remains popular among potential employers as it gives them a sound picture of what type of employee you will be. Cognitive aptitude tends to be a great predictor of job performance as it tests an individual’s ability to learn and adapt to new knowledge, roles, responsibilities, and environments.
Prospective employers find a CCAT result more accurate than interview performance, previous employment experience, and educational qualifications. Most people asked to take one find the idea terrifying, although you will not be if you know what to expect.
Here is some advice for completing a CCAT successfully:
Practice makes perfect
As with most tests, the devil is in the detail. Few people take sufficient time to read the instructions with comprehension in their haste to get to the questions and start answering them. Using a CCAT sample test gives candidates a chance to go through any instructions and ensure they understand them. This makes taking a test less stressful when you get to the real thing.
Each CCAT contains 50 questions, and candidates have 15 minutes to complete them. This sounds challenging, and it is. Indeed, only 1% of those who take the CCAT answer all of them. The average person finishes about half a CCAT’s questions.
If you become bogged down by a question, move on. After that, you can return to any questions that had you stumped and make an educated guess if there is sufficient time. A CCAT contains multiple-choice questions, where you must select and indicate a correct answer from a choice of five.
A CCAT is divided into three categories: verbal, math and logic, and spatial reasoning questions. Each tests a specific cognitive skill and indicates your potential to perform well in an employment environment.
Verbal questions
Verbal questions test communication skills, which are essential in any job. You need to speak to customers, coworkers, and supervisors. Word problems in a CCAT test your ability to choose a precise definition, synonym, or antonym for a word. This shows your capacity to relate words to one another and how word choice is affected by situational context.
Math and logic questions
Employees find how you answer math and logic questions valuable because numeric reasoning skills demonstrate your critical thinking abilities. Math is a subject that demands logic to solve a problem. Any math problems in a CCAT test require you to apply mental math operations and some algebra. No calculators are allowed when completing a CCAT, so do not practice with one.
Spatial reasoning questions
Spatial reasoning is a proven method of determining natural aptitude, indicating what type of problem solver you will be in the workplace, how you will utilize new information, and how quickly you process knowledge. Spatial awareness tests focus on pattern recognition, understanding symmetry, and recognizing anomalies.
The results
Once a candidate has completed their test, the testing service scores it and sends an employer your raw score. This contains the number of questions you got right. It shows why you need to answer as many questions as possible, even if some of your selections are a guess. The fewer questions you answer, the lower your number of potentially correct selections.
Your test score also gives a percentile, ranking your performance compared to others who have taken a CCAT. This percentile score is vital and something that employers set great store by.
Play to your strengths
If you have always favored language over math, the verbal section should be your point of departure when writing a CCAT. Answer all the questions in this category before moving to another. Utilize as much time as you can for the spatial reasoning test as it can be a determiner of whether an employer hires you.
Speed is essential when completing a CCAT test, although it should be balanced with accuracy. Practice ahead of the test ensures that you have prepared for both, as this gives you the greatest chance of finishing it or at least answering most of its questions.
When you work it out, each question should take no longer than 20 seconds to answer. While it sounds like a short time, 20 seconds is enough time to answer a question and will not be as daunting if you practiced in advance.