Upland Software's CCAT, then Codility: preparing for both

Upland Software and the CCAT at a glance

Where the CCAT sits in Upland Software's hiring process

1. 1

   Stage 1: CCAT

   Reported as the first stage: 50 questions in 15 minutes.

2. 2

   Codility coding test

   Reported as the second stage, an online timed coding assessment.

3. 3

   Technical interview

   Reported after Codility, with engineers on the team.

4. 4

   Business-unit round

   Reported; Upland runs several product lines, and this round is with the unit that is hiring.

5. 5

   HR round

   Reported as the final conversation before an offer.

Steps are as candidates describe them. Processes change by role and over time.

Can your pace reach Upland Software's target?

The numbers below use our estimate for Upland Software: a range of 25 to 28 out of 50 with a target of 27. Nothing is saved. If you ask Clever below, it sees your numbers.

Two timed tests in one week

Upland Software sells a portfolio of cloud business applications across several product lines. For engineering candidates, the reported process puts two timed online tests back to back: the CCAT and then a Codility coding test. They reward different things. The CCAT punishes slow, careful work; Codility punishes sloppy, untested code.

The mistake is preparing for both at once with the same mindset. Split the week. Spend the first days on the CCAT, because it comes first and decides whether you see the Codility link at all. Shift to coding practice only once the CCAT is done.

• Days 1 and 2: one timed practice test, then drill the two weakest question types.
• Day 3: a second timed test, then take the CCAT while the pace is fresh.
• Days 4 to 7: Codility-style problems, with edge cases and tests written out.

Switching from guess-and-move to test-every-edge

On the CCAT, a good habit is to commit to an answer within about 20 seconds and move on. On a coding test, that same habit costs points: you need to check empty inputs, off-by-one bounds and large values before you submit.

If you take both on the same day, give yourself a break between them and say the switch out loud: speed now, care later. Candidates who carry CCAT pace into a coding test tend to submit too early.

Where engineering candidates gain and lose points

Short algebra and mental rotation questions both reward a fixed routine. Algebra items like 7x + 18 = 179 should take one subtraction and one division, done in your head. Rotation items reward picking one corner of the tile and tracking only that corner.

Most engineers do not lose points on these types for lack of skill. They lose them by overthinking. Practise until each takes under 20 seconds, then spend the saved time on verbal items.

Use the pace check on this page with the numbers from one timed practice test. If your pace cannot reach the target, the saved seconds on algebra and rotation items are where the extra questions come from.

Question types to drill first

• Algebra and word equationsShort solve-for-x items that should take seconds, freeing time for harder questions.Word problems with worked examples
• Mental rotationSpatial items reward a fixed routine: track one corner, ignore the rest.Spatial reasoning with worked examples
• Sentence completionThe verbal type that most often slows candidates who prepare only for code.Verbal questions with worked examples

Roles at Upland Software reported to include the CCAT

Tips for the Upland Software CCAT

• Take the CCAT before you start Codility practice; it is the first gate and the faster one to improve.
• On rotation items, pick one marked corner and follow only that corner through the turn.
• Do algebra in your head: undo the addition, then the multiplication, and check the option list.
• Leave a gap of at least an hour between the CCAT and any coding test taken the same day.
• Read the business-unit name in your invite; the later round is with that team, so know what its product does.

Practice questions in the same formats

These are our own practice questions, written in the CCAT's formats. Upland Software does not publish its test questions, and neither does Criteria. For a full timed run, take the free CCAT practice test.

How we estimate

Upland Software does not publish a CCAT score, so the numbers on this page are our estimate. We start from Criteria's published job-family floors for the roles candidates report, then place them against Criteria's two norm groups, where the median raw score is 24. We adjust for how competitive the applicant pool is, and we use an employer's own published baseline whenever one exists.

Percentiles come from a normal model on Criteria's published median and standard deviations, shown as a range across both groups. See the CCAT percentile chart for the method and what a good CCAT score is for the published job-family floors.

Clever Cat Prep is not affiliated with Upland Software or Criteria Corp. Upland Software is a trademark of its owner.