The questions on this free CCAT practice test are a true representation of the questions you'll face on the actual Criteria Cognitive Aptitude Test (CCAT).
These CCAT sample questions were specifically chosen from our full CCAT test practice pack to help improve your score and ace your pre-employment process.
Good Luck!
The actual test (as well as this CCAT practice test) begins with three numerical questions.
1. Jack and Jill have 44 cookies together. Jack has three times more cookies than Jill. How many cookies does he have?
A. 9
B. 11
C. 22
D. 33
E. 40
Answer:
If Jack has three times more cookies than Jill, you can build the following equation letting Jill be X and Jack be 3X:
3X + X = 44
4X = 44
Divide both sides of the equation by 4:
X = 11 - The number of cookies Jill has
3X = 3 x 11 = 33 - The number of cookies Jack has
2. Which of the following is the smallest value?
A. 0.45
B. 0.054
C. 0.09
D. 0.05
E. 0.101
Answer:
From largest to smallest: 0.45>0.101>0.09>0.054>0.05
3. 53 is 25% of what number?
A. 13.25
B. 92.75
C. 159
D. 141.5
E. 212
Answer:
100% = 100*53/25 = 4*53 = 4*50 + 4*3 = 200 + 12 = 212
You can also find the answer by using a basic multiplication table method. If 53 is 25%, the whole number is four times 53. If we split the 53*4 to 50*4 + 3*4, we know that the number we are looking for has to end with 2 (3*4=12). The only option that ends with 2 is 212.
There are 18 numerical questions on the CCAT in total (more than a third of all questions). This means that you must answer most of them correctly to score high. To get thorough practice for the CCAT math portion and ensure you ace these questions, visit our full prep course.
On the CCAT test, the harder and less familiar questions are given later on. See the next batch of questions, for example.
Those are Spatial Reasoning questions that most people usually don't get to see outside pre-employment processes:
4. Which of the following boxes should replace the question mark (?) to complete the pattern?
Answer:
The direction of the arrows moves 90 degrees counterclockwise.
The order of the colors of the arrows is: black, gray, and white.
Thus, the following arrow in the series must be gray and pointing downwards.
5. Which of the following boxes should replace the question mark (?) to complete the pattern?
Answer:
The above series has two characteristics that change: The inside shape and the outside shape.
The pattern of the outside shapes is - circle, square, and triangle.
The pattern of the inside shapes is - square, triangle, and circle.
Thus, following this pattern, the answer is a square with a triangle inside.
6. Which of the following boxes should replace the question mark (?) to complete the pattern?
Answer:
The circle in each figure is divided into eight eighths.
In each circle within the series, the shaded segmented sections move one-eighth (1/8) of the circle, counterclockwise.
Therefore, the next figure is the one appearing in answer option B.
7. Which of the following boxes should replace the question mark (?) to complete the pattern?
Answer:
In this series, alternating vertical lines or vertical chains of circles are added to each figure, depending on the previous figure.
The middle circle in the vertical chain is always black. Since the last figure in the series contained an additional vertical chain of circles, the next figure should include an additional vertical line.
The figure appearing in answer-option A is the only one that fits.
Get more practice for these question types and learn time-saving solving techniques on the full CCAT practice course and on our CCAT spatial reasoning page.
Understanding your CCAT score can be complicated, as you need to translate your raw score (how many answers you got right) to a percentile score that places your score on a scale. While getting 24 is an average score, getting over 31 puts your in the area where your score is higher than 80% if the other respondents.
The next batch of questions is taken from the 18 Verbal questions you'll get on the CCAT assessment:
8. STRINGS is to GUITAR as:
A. WOOD is to CELLO
B. PIANO is to KEYS
C. BARS is to XYLOPHONE
D. VIOLIN is to FLUTE
E. SOUND is to MUSIC
Answer:
STRINGS are the part of the GUITAR which makes the music.
Let’s try to apply it to all answer choices:
A. WOOD is the part of the CELLO which makes the music.
B. PIANO is the part of the KEYS which makes the music.
C. BARS are the part of the XYLOPHONE which makes the music.
D. VIOLIN is the part of the FLUTE which makes the music.
E. SOUND is part of the MUSIC, which makes the music.
Of all answer choices, only C maintains the original relationship.
9. ABHOR is to DENOUNCE as ...
A. REGRET is to APOLOGIZE
B. PERTRUB is to AGGREGATE
C. REDEEM is to EXILE
D. PERMANENT is to TATOO
E. DESK is to CHAIR
Answer:
To ABHOR means to regard something with disgust, and to DENOUNCE is to declare something wrong.
(WORD 2) is an action one may take when he feels (WORD 1).
A person DENOUNCES something that he ABHORS; similarly, a person APOLOGIZES for something he REGRETS. These two pairs are particularly similar, as both actions (APOLOGIZING and DENOUNCING) are carried out through communication.
10. Choose the word or words that, when inserted in the sentence to replace the blank or blanks, best fits the meaning of the sentence.
Since porcelain is an extremely hard and ___ substance, it is used in dentistry to create artificial teeth.
A. Hazardous
B. Durable
C. Lucrative
D. Sly
E. Influential
Answer:
Porcelain is extremely hard and is used to create artificial teeth. As a result, it should be a long-lasting, stable substance. Therefore, the option "durable" fits the blank best.
Since porcelain is used in dentistry for creating artificial teeth and implanting them in peoples' mouths, it can not be hazardous or sly, as hazardous means 'dangerous, risky' and sly means 'showing a cunning and deceitful nature.
It could prove lucrative, which means 'cost-effective or fruitful (referring to financial profit)', but that is not a trait of the substance itself.
Influential, which means 'dominant, important, of great influence' is irrelevant.
11. When inserted in the sentence to replace the blank or blanks, choose the word or words that best fits the sentence's meaning.
Electronic information and automated systems are essential to ____ all major federal operations.
A. Fundamentally
B. Effectively
C. Implicitly
D. Approximately
E. Virtually
Answer:
The sentence refers to electronic information that is fundamental to (something) all major federal operations. The sentence's general idea implies that electronic information is essential to practically / nearly / almost all primary federal operations. Therefore, the only word accurately reflecting that meaning in the sentence's context is "virtually".
Many of the CCAT verbal questions are based on the English vocabulary, which is harder to improve when you have limited prep time.
That said, there are specific solving strategies to help you answer these questions even if you don't understand some of the words' meanings.
You can find these strategies as well as 6 full CCAT test practice simulations, study guides, and dozens of verbal reasoning practice tests on the preparation course. Significantly improving your chances to ace the test is only two quick clicks away, and at an affordable price.
After these verbal questions, you'll see four Abstract Reasoning questions once again:
12. Which of the following does not belong?
Answer:
Answer option (C) has three black circles inside of the square, while the rest of the answer options have only two black circles inside their squares.
Therefore, option C is the correct answer.
13. Which of the following does not belong?
Answer:
All answer options except for (E) present six stars, while answer option (E) presents five stars.
Therefore, option E is the correct answer.
14. Which of the following does not belong?
Answer:
Answer option (C) has two white squares and one black square, while the rest of the answer options have two black squares and one white square.
Therefore, option C is the correct answer.
15. Which of the following does not belong?
Answer:
The shape in answer option (D) is a circle and, therefore, does not have angles, unlike the figures shown in the other answer options.
Therefore, option D is the correct answer.
In the second half of the test, you’ll face harder questions that are more time-consuming than the first-half questions. Now is the time to keep an eye on the clock, and try not to stall too long on any question. Using the six accurate CCAT test practice simulations in our CCAT test PrepPack will allow you to improve your time management, and your performance under pressure.
Here are some questions you may find in the second half of the test:
16. Solve the word problem:
In a popular music station, songs are played uninterrupted (i.e., no commercial breaks).
The popular music broadcast "Hits All Around Us" lasts 2 hours and 15 minutes, in which two-song lengths are played – songs that last 3 minutes and songs that last 6 minutes. How many songs will be played during the broadcast?
*Songs are fully played during the broadcast.
A. 44 at most
B. 23 at least
C. 15 at least
D. 42 at most
E. 24 at least
Answer:
Two hours and 15 minutes are 135 minutes in total.
The most songs that can be played are 45 (45 songs X 3 minutes each = 135 minutes).
The least songs that can be played are 23 (22 songs X 6 minutes each + 1 song X 3 minutes = 132 + 3 = 135)
17. What would be the next number in the following series?
0.25 ... 0.5 ... 2.5 ... 5 ... 7... ?
A. 14
B. 17
C. 34
D. 25
E. 22
Answer:
The logical rule behind this series is an alternating arithmetic function – multiplication followed by addition.
The first number is multiplied by 2 to get the second number. Then 2 is added to the second number to get the third number, and so on: x2, +2, x2, +2 ...
Therefore, the last number in the series, 7, should be multiplied by 2: 7 x 2 = 14
As you progress through the test, the questions become more complex.
This is the part where proper preparation can make a difference. Getting an early acquaintance with all possible question types and learning time-saving solving techniques will help you ace the last questions of the test.
Here are some more types of questions you might come across on the CCAT tests:
18. How many of the five items in the left-hand column are exactly the same as the corresponding entry in the right-hand column?
Sharon V. Solaris | Sharon V. Solaris |
Celesta L. Kroner | Celesta L Kroner |
Savanna B. Swope | Savanna B. Swoppe |
Zachery H. Eickhoff | Zachery H. Erickhoff |
Megan N. Heinz | Megan N. Heinz |
A. 1
B. 2
C. 3
D. 4
E. 5
Answer:
Here are the discrepancies between the two versions:
Sharon V. Solaris | Sharon V. Solaris |
Celesta L. Kroner | Celesta L Kroner |
Savanna B. Swope | Savanna B. Swoppe |
Zachery H. Eickhoff | Zachery H. Erickhoff |
Megan N. Heinz | Megan N. Heinz |
There are three errors, which means the answer is (B) - 2.
19. What would be the next group of letters in the following series?
zone … ynnd … xmnc … wlnb ?
A. vkmc
B. akna
C. vkna
D. vnna
E. ajna
Answer:
The pattern in this question is that all the letters move one letter backward in the alphabet except the letter "n" which stays constant. Therefore the answer is vkna.
20. Assume the first two statements are true.
All athletes are hard workers.
Alice is not an athlete.
Alice is not a hard worker.
Is the final statement: A) True, B) False, or C) Uncertain based on the information provided?
Answer:
You can deduce from the first statement that all athletes are hard workers, but you do not have any information about non-athletes.
Therefore, according to the second statement, you cannot conclude anything regarding Alice, which is not an athlete.
The final statement is uncertain.
Questions 35 to 50 on the CCAT determine who will score high and who will settle for an average score.
Many candidates go on a “guessing spree” in the last seconds just to finish all 50 questions (as there's no negative scoring), which usually results in average or slightly below average scores.
(You have only a 20% chance to get a question right if you take a wild guess).
However, using an accurate and proven practice plan that includes full-length CCAT practice test simulations will eliminate the guesswork and enhance your chances of scoring high.
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
D | D | E | C | D |
6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
B | A | C | A | B |
11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 |
E | C | E | C | D |
16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 |
B | A | B | C | C |
Now that you have completed your CCAT practice test and learned about the types of questions and the elements of the test that make it so challenging, it's time to take the next step of your prep. Although using our free CCAT practice test is an excellent start, it is vital to practice with accurate prep materials that simulate the time pressure and growing question difficulty of the real test.
With our specialized CCAT exam PrepPack, available for only 79$, you will gain access to our full CCAT assessment practice materials which include:
With these CCAT practice test materials you will be able to take the actual test with the confidence you need to get a high score, and begin the next step of your career.
Access more CCAT practice tests and other valuable CCAT prep materials so that you take the test while being as prepared as possible:
While cognitive ability tests all generally aim to measure similar things, different tests have different ways of challenging you, be it the time limit, different types of questions, length, and other factors. The common denominator between all of them? Practice makes perfect.
To practice more free cognitive ability questions and learn about the differences between them, check out our free cognitive ability test, or check out the other specialized free tests for some of the leading test providers: Predictive Index and Wonderlic.
Read more about Arbel's courses.