About

The Wonderlic Personnel Tests, also known as the Wonderlic Cognitive Ability Tests, are the most popular of the Wonderlic tests. They are used in many industries for pre-employment selection, and they are designed to assess an applicant's ability to learn, adapt, solve problems, and understand instructions.

There are two cognitive ability tests: the Wonderlic Personnel Test-Quicktest (WPT-Q) and the Wonderlic Personnel Test-Revised (WPT-R).

The 30-Question, 8-Minute Wonderlic Personnel Test-Quicktest (WPT-Q)

The Wonderlic Personnel Test-Quicktest (WPT-Q), previously known as the Wonderlic Cognitive Ability Pretest, is a short version of the WPT. Normally, you may encounter this version as part of a preliminary step in the application process. In some cases it will determine your chances of progressing to the next step, while in other cases it might only serve as an orientation test. The test takes 8 minutes to complete and is administered online. It is an unproctored test.

The 50-Question, 12-Minute Wonderlic Personnel Test-Revised (WPT-R)

Also known as the Contemporary Cognitive Ability Test, this is the most popular Wonderlic test, used in job selection and as part of the admission process. This test has 50 questions and must be completed within 12 minutes With just over 14 seconds per question, the WPT-R requires strong analytic skills, quick response times, and good decision-making under time pressure. It is used mainly in job selection and admissions processes. It is supervised and can be taken in hard copy and online versions. Results are available immediately after the test is completed.

WPT-Q WPT-R
30 Questions 50 Questions
8 Minutes 12 Minutes
Not proctored Proctored
Administered online Administered online or in-person

Types of Questions on the Wonderlic Cognitive Ability Test

The Wonderlic Cognitive Ability Test is comprised of several types of questions. Together, these different types of questions challenge various aspects of the candidate's mental ability:

  • Basic questions assess everyday knowledge of mathematics, vocabulary, and grammar skills.
  • More advanced questions assess serial thinking, logical thinking, and abstract thinking through the constantly changing question formats—analogies, finding similarities, error detecting, number series, sentence structuring, idiom proficiency, complex mathematical word problems, and many more.

What Is the Makeup of the Wonderlic Personnel Test?

The breakdown of the Wonderlic Personnel Test is as follows:

  • 40% Math
  • 40% English (Verbal)
  • 10% Logic
  • 5% General Knowledge
  • 5% Clerical Questions

How Are Wonderlic Cognitive Ability Test Scores Calculated?

The Wonderlic Cognitive Ability Test score is calculated by the amount of questions answered correctly in the allotted time. This means that any score between 0 and 50 can be obtained, with 50 being the highest score and 0 being the lowest. Each question has the same value, and an incorrect answer will not cause a score reduction. Therefore, it is recommended to guess, even if you are not 100% sure if the answer is correct. The test is standardised according to these scores, so an employer can compare one candidate's scores with the scores of another candidate, in addition to comparing the scores with professional standards.

Who Uses the Wonderlic Cognitive Ability Test?

Below is a table of the most popular companies and organisations that utilise the Wonderlic Cognitive exam. Outscore the competition with JobTestPrep's PrepPack™ and ensure your success today.

Companies & Professions
Progressive Firefighters Vista Equity Partners Medline
Delta Nurses Social Workers EMCO
Subway Police Officers PepsiCo Southwest

Wonderlic Personnel Test Sample Questions

Antonyms Sample Question

SCRUPULOUS is the opposite of

  • Rigorous
  • Punctual
  • Negligent
  • Conscientious
  • Meticulous

Answer: C

Scrupulous is a word used to describe someone who is punctual and precise, while negligent is a word used to describe someone who is lazily careless.

General Knowledge Sample Question

Which has the biggest diameter?

  • The sun
  • The moon
  • Earth
  • Venus
  • A basketball

Answer: A

The sun has a diameter over than 100 times larger than earth, which has a diameter larger than the all the other answers.

Math Word Problem Sample Question

Five cookies cost £0.30. How much will 30 cookies cost?

  • £1.50
  • £1.80
  • £2.80
  • £5.30
  • £30.00
  • None of the above

Answer: B

Because 30 is 6 times more than 5, we also multiply the cost by 6, (0.3*6=1.80).

Want more questions, answers, explanations, and tips? Interested in benefiting from the comprehensive Wonderlic study guide? Get the full practice pack.

How to Prepare for the Wonderlic Personnel Test

JobTestPreps online practice tests can enhance your performance on test day. Practise today with JobTestPrep and receive:

  • Completely online and interactive questions. No downloads, no ebooks, no headaches.
  • Clear answers and explanations for each question.
  • The complete Wonderlic study guide and Time Management guide – the comprehensive guide to successfully understanding the questions on the Wonderlic as well as tips to improve your time management skills on the test.
  • Helpful customer service.
  • Hundreds of Wonderlic Personnel Test sample questions.

Wonderlic and other trademarks are the property of their respective trademark holders. None of the trademark holders are affiliated with JobTestPrep.


What's Included

  • Diagnostic test – learn your strengths and improve your weaknesses
  • Nine full-length Wonderlic–style tests
  • Including: five 50-question and four 30-question practice tests
  • A complete Wonderlic study guide – 56 pages of tips on how to quickly solve each type of question
  • Extra practice drills in logical reasoning, language competences, and graph reasoning and patterns
  • Including all question types seen on the real test
  • Fully detailed score reports & explanations
  • Secured payment
  • Immediate online access
  • Exclusive to JobTestPrep
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