Illustrative example
All deliveries arrive before noon.
“A delivery arrives at 2 pm.”
Verbal questions
Vocabulary and verbal reasoning form part of the shared CCAT sitting.
View guidanceCCAT Test
The 50-question, 15-minute format, the verbal, maths and logic, and spatial questions inside it, why almost nobody finishes and what the average score means, and how the raw score and percentile are read.
- 10 practice tests in the CCAT pack
- 100 questions, all solved
Prepare for employers like
What is the CCAT?
The CCAT (Criteria Cognitive Aptitude Test) is a pre employment aptitude test from Criteria that gives you 50 questions in 15 minutes, mixing verbal reasoning, maths and logic, and spatial reasoning. That works out around 18 seconds per question; very few candidates finish all 50, and the average candidate gets about 24 correct. It is not adaptive, calculators are not allowed, and it is one of the most widely used aptitude tests in the United States.
Which CCAT test you sit depends on the employer and the role: an entry-level position will not be given the same assessment as a graduate or managerial one.
How a CCAT test works
Four things to know before you sit one. Timings and difficulty vary with the level of the role.
- Format50 mixed questions, one sitting
- Verbal, maths and logic, and spatial questions arrive mixed together, drawn from a bank of thousands, all multiple choice. No calculator is allowed, and the instructions beforehand are untimed.
- Pace18 seconds a question
- 15 minutes for 50 questions. According to Criteria fewer than 1% of candidates answer them all and the average candidate gets about 24 correct, so an unfinished paper is the norm.
- DifficultySimple content, brutal clock
- The maths is basic algebra, averages and percentages; the verbal questions test vocabulary and the spatial ones patterns. The difficulty is doing it in your head, fast. The test is not adaptive.
- ScoringOne point each, no penalty
- Each correct answer is a point, with nothing deducted for a wrong one, so guess rather than skip. The employer sees a raw score out of 50 and a percentile against other candidates.
CCAT: assessment names, formats and timings
Match the name in your invitation to the assessment below. Timings marked “approx.” are completion estimates; other published durations are limits for the named version.
| Assessment | What it measures | Questions | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| CCAT verbal | Vocabulary; the right word for a sentence, opposites, word relationships | Mixed within 50 | Shared 15 min |
| CCAT maths and logic | Word problems, basic algebra, proportions, averages and percentages, no calculator | Mixed within 50 | Shared 15 min |
| CCAT spatial reasoning | Odd one out, next in the series, completing a pattern | Mixed within 50 | Shared 15 min |
Counts and timings vary by role level and by the version an employer licences. Check the instructions on the screen before you start. Facts checked 11 September 2026.
These are sections within one CCAT, not three separate tests. All 50 questions share the same 15-minute limit.
Official sources for assessment names and timings
What CCAT assessment formats look like
A visual guide to the skills and response formats covered on this page. Your invitation tells you which assessments to prepare for.
Illustrations by Practice Aptitude Tests · not official test screenshots
Illustrative example
80 Before→100 After
What is the percentage increase?
Illustrative example
Find the missing shape
Spatial reasoning
Work with shapes and patterns alongside the verbal and numerical questions.
View guidanceUnderstanding practice scores
These results come from our own practice test in a format covered on this page. They are not official CCAT results, a benchmark for our entire CCAT practice pack, or an employer pass mark.
How our test takers score
Results from our verbal reasoning test.
Average score80%
75th-percentile score95%
0%50%100%
Average75th percentile
Source: Practice Aptitude Tests
Based on 493 completed practice sittings, all time. Checked 11 September 2026.
The 75th percentile marks the boundary of the top quarter of recorded scores; tied scores can share that boundary. These are our practice results, not employer pass marks.
How we calculate these figures
We use all-time completed, scored attempts at this practice test. Repeat attempts count separately, so the sample is sittings rather than unique people.
The average is the mean score across those sittings. The 75th percentile comes from their recorded score distribution. The “checked” date is when we retrieved the figures, not the period when the tests were taken.
Sharing these figures? Please credit Practice Aptitude Tests and link to this page.
Practise the real thing
One question tells you the style. A pack gives you the pace: about 18 seconds a question, marked, with the working shown.
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- 10
- practice tests
- 100
- questions, all solved
CCAT verbal questions
The verbal questions test your vocabulary and your grasp of how words relate to each other and to their context: finding the right word to insert into a sentence, or a word that means the opposite of the one given. As everywhere in the CCAT, there is no time to deliberate.
Sample verbal question
Which of the following would best replace the word ‘relocate’ in the last sentence of the first paragraph below?
- A) Develop
- B) Assist
- C) Move
- D) Study
Answer: C) Move is correct, as to relocate means to move (in this instance the implication is that if you are willing to move for a job then there are more opportunities for you in this sector).
CCAT math and logic questions
Basic algebra and word problems, with proportions, averages and percentages that need quick mental calculation, because no calculator is allowed.
Sample math and logic question
What was the highest number of students in any country that continued studying?
- A) 595
- B) 656
- C) 672
- D) 681
Answer: B). To find the answer you must work out the total number of students studying by interpreting the percentages:
41% = 0.41
1600 x 0.41 = 656
1650 x 0.36 = 594
1700 x 0.35 = 595
CCAT spatial reasoning questions
Spatial reasoning questions ask you to find the odd one out, complete a pattern or add the next shape in a series, turning images in your head and spotting the rule. The idea is that aptitude here predicts how well you learn and use new information.
Which of the boxes comes next in the sequence?
Answer: D). The pentagon moves within the quadrants in an anti-clockwise direction with each turn. The half circle remains in the top left quadrant for two turns and then moves into the bottom-right quadrant for one turn. The diamond appears on every alternate turn, alternating from the bottom left to right quadrant.
Frequently asked questions
What candidates ask us most often
How is the CCAT scored?
CCATs are scored as one point for each correct answer. This is presented to the recruiter in two ways: as a raw score (x out of 50) and as a percentile (for example, 55%). The percentile shows your relative performance compared to other test-takers; so if you score 55%, you have performed better than 55% of people who have taken the test.
What is the average CCAT score?
Criteria reports an average score of about 24 correct answers out of 50. This is a score, not the number of questions attempted. Very few candidates finish all 50 in the 15-minute limit.
Can you use a calculator on the CCAT?
No. The maths and logic questions are built for mental arithmetic, with proportions, averages and percentages that resolve cleanly, so practise doing them in your head against a clock. Reaching for paper is allowed but at 18 seconds a question it costs more than it saves.
Does the CCAT penalise wrong answers?
No. A wrong answer scores the same as a blank one, so never leave a question unanswered. If one will not come quickly, pick the most likely option and move on; the questions you find easy later are worth the same point as the one you were stuck on.
Reviews
Rated 4.6 out of 5 across 57 reviews. A selection:
Very helpful
The format was good. Perhaps I was looking something for CCAT format, which this test has long form questions, unlike CCAT verbal or logical reasoning questions are usually short forms.
Quick reading skills
Quite lengthy pieces of text needed to be scanned through in order to answer the questions. It requires speed but also great attention to detail to pass the test.
Wordy
The questions were easy to understand but the paragraphs for each example were very long and I wish there had been other types of CCAT examples mixed in (EG Math or patterns)
CCAT is a trademark of its respective owner. Practice Aptitude Tests is not affiliated with CCAT and our practice tests are not endorsed by them.
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