Everything you need for the CCAT, free

Where to start

The CCAT gives you 50 questions and 15 minutes. That is 18 seconds a question, and almost nobody finishes: Criteria says fewer than 1% of candidates answer all 50 (see the CCAT rules) and reports a median of 24 correct (see what a good CCAT score is). So the test rewards two things: knowing the question formats cold, and knowing when to move on. Everything on this page serves one of those two.

Start from your test date.

• Your test is today or tomorrow. Read what to expect on test day and how to manage the clock. Then take one timed free practice test so the pace is not a surprise.
• You have three to seven days. Follow the 7-day plan. Take a practice test first, find your two weakest question types, and drill those.
• You do not know what to aim for. Put a practice score into the score calculator. It estimates a percentile range and shows which of Criteria's suggested job ranges it clears. If you know the employer, check its company guide.
• You run out of time on practice tests. Use the pacing calculator to set a time budget per question and see how many questions you can afford to skip.

A note on numbers. Every score figure on these pages either links to the Criteria document it comes from, or says plainly that it is our estimate and shows the method. Criteria does not publish a pass mark, and neither do most employers. When a page says "target", it means a score that would put you in a competitive range, not a guarantee of anything.

Free tools

Two calculators that answer the questions people ask most before a CCAT. No account needed.

• Score calculatorTurn a raw score out of 50 into an estimated percentile range and see which Criteria job-family floors it clears.
• Pacing calculatorPlan seconds per question for your target score, and see how many questions you can afford to skip.

Guides

Long-form answers to one question each. Read the first one if you have never seen the test. The rest go in roughly the order people need them.

• CCAT vs WonderlicFormat, timing and scoring, side by side.
• CCAT scoresWhat Criteria publishes about scores, and the suggested ranges by job.
• CCAT rulesGoing back, calculators, scratch paper and retakes.
• What is the CCAT?What the test is, who gives it, and how it is scored.
• How to prepareA day-by-day plan for the week before your test.
• Time managementHow to spend 15 minutes on 50 questions, and when to skip.
• Percentile chartHow a raw score out of 50 maps to an estimated percentile.
• Question typesEvery question format you will see, with an example of each.
• CCAT vs PIHow the CCAT differs from the Predictive Index test.
• Test dayWhat happens when you start, and a checklist for the hour before.
• Companies that use the CCATEmployers candidates report testing with the CCAT, and target scores.
• Prep options compared

Question types

The CCAT mixes math, verbal, logic and spatial questions in one run. Each page below shows worked examples from our practice bank, the setup that solves them, and the shortcut that saves the seconds. Spatial questions surprise people most, so if you only read one, read that.

• Math questions
• Verbal questions
• Logic questions
• Spatial reasoning
• Number series
• Word problems
• Syllogisms

Companies that use the CCAT

Employers that candidates report testing with the CCAT, each with the hiring process as reported, an estimated target score with the method behind it, and what to drill for the roles they hire. Clever Cat Prep is not affiliated with any of them. See the full list for how we decide what goes on it.

• CrossoverRemote talent platform
• TrilogyEnterprise software
• IgniteTechEnterprise software
• Vista Equity Partners portfolioPrivate equity
• InfobloxNetwork security software
• iCIMSHR software
• CventEvent management software
• PowerSchoolEducation software
• Datto (Kaseya)IT and MSP software
• Upland SoftwareEnterprise software
• AcquiaDigital experience software
• RoktE-commerce adtech
• Chatham FinancialFinancial advisory
• Marketo (Adobe)Marketing software
• CentralSquare TechnologiesPublic-sector software
• PluralsightEdTech
• VertaforeInsurance software
• FinastraFintech
• TIBCO SoftwareData and analytics software
• Apptio (IBM)IT financial management software
• EABEducation consulting
• LogicMonitorIT monitoring software
• MediaoceanAdtech

Still not sure where to start?

Ask Clever, the coach below. It reads this page and answers in a few sentences, free. If you want to know where you actually stand, a timed practice test tells you faster than any guide.