Criteria Cognitive Aptitude Test (CCAT) Practice & Full Guide [2025]
The Criteria Cognitive Aptitude Test is one of the most challenging cognitive ability assessments around, in which you will need to answer 50 questions in only 15 minutes.
The CCAT combines logical, numerical, spatial and verbal reasoning questions that grow in difficulty with a tight time limit, meaning that good time management and a solid understanding of the questions is crucial for your chances of success.
At JobTestPrep we have been helping people ace their tests since 1992, and our CCAT PrepPack was built based on extensive research and feedback from thousands of people who have taken the test. The CCAT PrepPack includes everything you need to ace the test, including:
- CCAT introduction test with 50 questions and a 15 minute limit. A detailed score report will give you a full understanding of your strengths and weaknesses and will allow you to focus your preparation on the areas that need the most work.
- CCAT test simulations with detailed score reports that will give you in-depth understanding of each type of question, and help you improve your time management skills.
- CCAT practice tests for each of the four question types that grow in difficulty as you progress with your prep. This will allow you to work on your verbal, numerical, logical and spatial reasoning skills individually, and elevate your abilities in each one.
- Study guides covering every aspect of the CCAT that dive into the theory behind the test, and offer valuable solving tips and hacks.
Start with a FREE Test:
CCAT Test Practice
Complete CCAT Prep Course
Each practice section below comes with full explanations and solving tips. The scores are normalized based on our 10,000+ CCAT user database:
- CCAT Introduction Test
- 5 full-length CCAT simulations with detailed score reports
- 24 practice tests covering CCAT's numerical, verbal, spatial reasoning, and logic questions
- 4 additional drills for each difficulty level (basic, intermediate, advanced)
- Full answers for every single question & interactive study guides
- Tutoring services available (contact us for more info!)
JobTestPrep is a leading test prep company that offers accurate practice simulations and preparation guides for many Criteria Assessments. If you have any additional questions about the assessments, feel free to send us an email, we usually reply within 24 hours.
What Is It Like Taking CCAT Tests?
The CCAT is a cognitive ability test that has four question types - Abstract, Verbal and Mathematical Reasoning, and Logical questions.
Overall, the test is hard, especially for candidates who are not used to solving problems under time pressure or haven’t touched high-school materials for years. Some question types, such as matrices and syllogisms, are more complex and require practice to master.
What Are CCAT Passing Scores?
| Job Title | CCAT Pass Range |
| Sales Representative | 21-35 |
| Sales Manager | 23-37 |
| Senior Manager / VP | 29-42 |
| Software Engineer | 23-40 |
| Project Manager | 22-37 |
| Product Manager | 26-41 |
| Analyst | 26-42 |
To learn more about CCAT test scores, check out the full CCAT Scores Guide.
Why Is It So Hard To Get a High Score?
The CCAT questions are not very hard to answer. Having said that, the time limit makes it almost impossible to finish the test with every question answered.
Time management is crucial. With 50 questions and 15 minutes, your ability to manage time is the most important success factor on the CCAT.
Although very few people actually finish the Criteria Cognitive Aptitude Test in time, you must pace your work in a manner that will maximize your correct answers. You should also be constantly aware throughout the test of how much time is left. Practicing with CCAT practice tests is the only way to effectively achieve this
How Can JobTestPrep Help You To Pass?
As leaders in the field of online test preparation, we have years of experience helping over a million candidates get the job they want.
Our brand new test system allows you to practice the same questions, with the same time limit, just like the real CCAT test. In our full PrepPack you'll find practice test for every CCAT type of question, so you can't get caught off guard.
Every CCAT practice on our PrepPack is followed by a detailed score report, with thorough explanations that will help you identify your strengths and weaknesses, learn from your mistakes and improve your score as you practice.
We are confident that we can help you prepare for the CCAT test and happily back it with a Money Back Guarantee.
In our full PrepPack you'll get thorough explanations for all CCAT question types, with solving tips and multiple practice drills.
CCAT Sample Question
Before trying this sample question - take a timer and see how much time you need to solve this one:
Seating Arrangements Question
Fiona, Georgia, Heather, Ian, John, Kilgore, and Lumina are forming a line.
- Fiona is standing in front of Ian.
- John is standing in front of Heather.
- If John is not first in line, Lumina is standing somewhere in front of him.
- Ian is standing immediately in front of or immediately behind Kilgore
If Heather is standing third in line, which one of the following lists all of those that can stand last in line?
- Georgia or Ian
- Georgia, Ian, or Kilgore
- Georgia, Ian, or Lumina
- Georgia, Ian, Kilgore, or Lumina
- Georgia, John, or Lumina
Most people will jump right into understanding how the entire line might look like, checking every possible position, and who could stand in it.
However, this "brute-force" method is a complete overkill for this question. Let's take advantage of the answer options to solve this one.
Georgia appears in all answer options, so she naturally can be last. There is no need to check it.
John appears in only one answer choice (E), so that is a good indicator that he probably cannot be last, otherwise, the answer is immediately clear. And yet, let’s check it just to be sure.
According to the third rule, John is in front of Heather. If John is in front of someone, that means he cannot be last (regardless of Heather standing third). Therefore, answer E is wrong.
Ian appears in all remaining answers. No need to check for him as well.
The only question is whether Kilgore, Lumina, or both can stand last. After checking each of these cases specifically, we can deduce that there is no rule preventing either Kilgore or Lumina from being last.
Therefore, the correct answer is (D).
You can see how we have refrained from determining the exact locations of all 6 participants in every possible variation, and instead checked only 3 specific individuals. Processes such as this will immensely cut down your solving time.
Pass Your CCAT test
On our full CCAT PrepPack you'll find dozens of time-management tips to help you cut down your solving time, answer more questions correctly and boost your score.
How Much Prep-Time is Needed?
For those with a high level of knowledge, only four hours of prep time for the Criteria Cognitive Aptitude Test will be necessary. For those with minimal experience, an additional four to six hours of preparation will generally be required.
Even if your test is tomorrow, you will have ample time to prepare. As many as three-four hours of accurate, personalized CCAT practice on test day itself can be beneficial to improving your performance and score.
Take a free CCAT practice test >>
About Criteria Corp - The CCAT Test Provider
Criteria, the provider of the Criteria Cognitive Aptitude Test, is one of the world's leading test providers, with over 1500 companies in 18 countries using their assessments. From the U.S. Marine Corps to private equity companies, Criteria's pre-employment testing is used in assessing candidates to an infinite variety of employers and positions.
To learn more about Criteria Corp and prepare yourself for their assessments, visit our Criteria page. You may also want to visit Criteria's official CCAT page.
Which Employers Use the Criteria Cognitive Aptitude Test?
Here are the main employers who use CCAT for candidates assessment:
- Vista Equity Partners - this company is perhaps the world’s largest CCAT enthusiast. Each and every employee of Vista or any of its subsidiaries (e.g. Finastra, PowerSchool, Vertafore, etc.) is required to take the test. Go to our Vista Equity aptitude test page.
- Crossover – the Texas-based technology company is another major employer using the Criteria Cognitive Aptitude Test. Go to our Crossover aptitude test page.
- Lambda School – The online coding school that offers students to defer tuition until they are employed uses the Criteria Cognitive Aptitude Test to screen candidates for its courses.
Criteria Cognitive Aptitude Test (CCAT) FAQ
The CCAT passing score greatly depends on the position you apply to. The CCAT average score is 24 correct questions out of 50, and less than 10% of people answer more than 35 questions correctly. Answering 42 questions correctly will put you on the top scale for ANY job the CCAT tests for.
Note that while the CCAT assessment contains 50 questions, you are not expected to answer all of them.
Here are 7 expert tips to help you pass the CCAT:
- Diagnose Your Level:
Discover what type of questions you struggled with, to ensure you know what to focus on to achieve the highest score possible. - Know What to Expect on the Real CCAT:
Each and every question on our practice will resemble a question type appearing on the actual CCAT. That will allow you to know exactly what to expect and reduce test anxiety. - Learn CCAT Solving Techniques to Reduce Solving Time:
Learning and implementing techniques to solve questions faster is one of the best things you can do to increase your score. - Get Full-Length CCAT Practice Test Simulations:
Practicing full-length simulations is a critical step in practicing for any exam, and even more so on the CCAT. - Track Your Progress:
Keep track of your results, so that you change your practice focus to the most critical areas as you go. This will also allow you to know the pace of your improvement. - Master Proper Time Management:
By taking the full-length simulations, you will be able to understand how well you keep up with the required pace of the test. - Learn from Your Mistakes:
Take some time to learn your most common mistakes and what you learned from them. You'll be amazed at what an effect this process has in the long-run.
The CCAT is a timed test which is composed of 50 questions to be answered in a 15-minute period. The test covers three main subjects: Verbal, Math and Logic, And Spatial Reasoning.
Here are 5 pro tips to help you improve your CCAT score:
- Know Your Strengths and Weaknesses:
Take our diagnostic test to identify weak areas you should focus on to improve your score. - Use CCAT Solving Strategies to Cut Down on Solving Time:
Time is the most important thing on the CCAT. Learning shortcut techniques can help you save precious time and increase your score significantly. - Practice as Many CCAT-style Practice Questions as You Can:
Familiarizing yourself with the vast majority of CCAT's question types and their solving methods will help you reduce test anxiety and will ensure nothing catches you by surprise during the test. - Don't Try to Solve All 50 Questions:
Less than 1% of the test takers manage to solve all questions. It is better to give a bit more time to get 40 questions right than to rummage through all the 50 questions and eventually get only 30 correct. - Take Some Time to Learn from Your Mistakes:
During practice, write down your most common mistakes and what you learned from them. In the long run, this will help you minimize your errors and boost your overall score.
You are not permitted to use a calculator when taking the CCAT. Therefore, avoid using it while practicing. Instead, try to make calculations on scrap paper or even better - in your head (and solve precious time).
The On-Demand Assessment is Criteria's online testing platform and this is where you're going to take your CCAT Test. Most candidates receive an email invitation with a link to ondemandassessment.com.
