Approximately 2.5 million people worldwide take the Wonderlic Test each year, including around 300 football players at the NFL Scouting Combine.
The NFL Combine is a week-long event that takes place every February, during which college football players are tested on the field and on paper, with their performances a central factor in the NFL draft.
While the players’ physical and technical skills on the field are essential, so are their cognitive abilities. This is where the Wonderlic Test NFL uses comes in: it provides scouts, coaches, and general managers with information regarding players’ decision-making and problem-solving abilities.
Curious about how you’d fare on the NFL cognitive test? Spend a few minutes and try to answer wonderlic style questions.
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The Wonderlic Test NFL is a cognitive assessment comprising 50 questions across abstract, verbal, numerical, and general knowledge domains, all to be completed within a 12-minute timeframe. While certain queries might appear straightforward, the limited average response time of 14 seconds per question renders the test highly demanding.
Functioning frequently as an IQ test, the Wonderlic Cognitive Ability Test aims to evaluate a wide spectrum of proficiencies. It encompasses four principal question categories:
As you have probably noticed from the practice questions if you had all the time in the world, the Wonderlic Test wouldn't really be a big deal. But you've got just 14 seconds per question, so the pressure's real. You've got to be on your A-game to make sure you outshine all the other candidates. That's why nailing time management for the Wonderlic Test is super important.
Practicing with realistic Wonderlic NFL Test simulations, keeping that same time limit, will help you get quicker and keep those jitters in check. This means you'll nail more answers and rock that test.
See our Wonderlic practice page for more free Wonderlic practice questions or check out our full Wonderlic preparation.
The Wonderlic Cognitive Ability Test score is calculated by the number of questions answered correctly within 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 you are not penalized for incorrect answers. Therefore, it is recommended to guess, even if you are not 100% sure if the answer is correct.
The test is scored in a standard manner, which means that players' scores can be compared to one another. The Wonderlic NFL scores help match a player’s ability, based on his Wonderlic score, with the proper training methods. Each position requires its own average passing score. Most teams prefer a quarterback with a score no lower than 21. Below, we have provided an outline of them:
Offensive tackle: 26 | Center: 25 |
Tight end: 22 | Safety: 19 |
Wide receiver: 17 | Fullback: 17 |
Quarterback: 24* | Guard: 23 |
Linebacker: 19 | Cornerback: 18 |
Halfback: 16 |
Wonderlic has long been used as the leading NFL IQ test. Here is a list of some top players and their NFL Wonderlic scores:
In 2012, Morris Claiborne garnered the lowest recorded score on the NFL IQ Test, a record he shared with former Iowa State RB Darren Davis. However, the Dallas Cowboys chose to disregard this assessment.
Pat McInally's notable achievement is that he is the only player known to have achieved a perfect score of 50 on the NFL Cognitive Test. His achievement highlights not only his exceptional cognitive abilities but also his intellect beyond the football field. McInally's score of 50 signifies that he answered all 50 questions correctly within the time limit.
McInally's achievement on the NFL Intelligence test has become a trivia and anecdotal legend within NFL circles, often mentioned when discussing both his football career and his intellectual capabilities. It's important to note that while McInally's perfect score is a remarkable achievement, a high Wonderlic score doesn't guarantee success on the football field, as success in football requires a combination of physical skills, strategy comprehension, teamwork, and mental agility.
Curious to know what your Wonderlic score is? Check out this Free Wonderlic Test and find out! For a full list of top NFL players and their Wonderlic scores see the following Wonderlic NFL scores page.
Below you will find Wonderlic sample questions with full answers. To simulate the limited time of the real Wonderlic Personnel Test, try setting your stopwatch to 14 seconds and see if you manage to answer the questions below in time.
Try to solve the questions within the time limit by pressing the timer icon ⏲️
A football coach is building his team. He has four quarterback options and three possible centers. He also has to select one assistant coach from two candidates. How many possible teams can he build?
Wrong
Correct!
Wrong
Wrong
Wrong
The coach has four quarterback options, three possible centers, and two candidates for assistant coach. Start with the quarterback: Let's say the coach selects quarterback A. He now has three options for a center.
If he selects quarterback B, he would still have three options for a center. Thus, for every quarterback option, the coach has three center options. Overall, he has 4*3 options to select a quarterback and center. Now, the coach needs to select an assistant. For every one of the quarterback + center combinations, the coach has two options for an assistant. Thus, overall, he has 4*3*2=24 options in selecting his team, and the correct answer is 24.
The correct answer is B.
Which THREE of the following have similar meanings?
Correct!
Correct!
Wrong
Wrong
Correct!
A quartet is comprised of four singers, just as a square is comprised of four sides.
On the other hand, the words "Secure" and "Gather" have different meanings:
The correct answer is A, B, and E.
For even more useful information and free tests, visit our main Wonderlic Page.
There are two types of Wonderlic cognitive ability tests; the Wonderlic Personnel Test-Quicktest (WPT-Q) and the Wonderlic Personnel Test-Revised (WPT-R).
The Wonderlic Personnel Test-Quicktest (WPT-Q) includes 30 questions and gives a time limit of 8 minutes to complete online. This assessment is a short version of the WPT, which you may face at the start of the application process. This exam often allows you to move on to the next stage of the hiring process, or may only be given as an orientation test.
Wonderlic Personnel Test-Revised (WPT-R), also known as the Cognitive Ability Test, includes 50 questions and allows 12 minutes to complete. To perform well on this exam, you must possess strong analytic skills, speedy response rates, and logical decision-making abilities. This exam is normally given during job selection and admissions procedures and may be taken as a written test or online.
Every year college football players are invited to attend the week-long NFL Scouting Combine, where they perform mental and physical assessments. NFL coaches, general managers, and scouts observe the players at the NFL Combine to select players for the NFL draft. A player’s performance during the NFL Combine may affect their draft status, salary, and NFL career.
Players can expect to encounter a variety of assessment tests:
1. Wonderlic Cognitive Ability Test
2. Player Assessment Test (PAT) (supplement to the Wonderlic).
3. 40-yard dash, bench press (225 lb repetitions), vertical jump, broad jump, 20-yard shuttle, 3 cone drill.
4. position-specific drills.
5. interviews (60 interviews per team in 15-minute intervals).
6. physical measurements.
7. injury evaluation
8. drug screening.
9. Cybex test.
The NFL Regional Combine consists of 15 events in 10 cities in February and March and will lead up to the Super Regional Combine. Regional Combines ordinarily take place in NFL club facilities. It is held specifically for players not participating in the NFL Scouting Combine, but are eligible for the NFL draft and free agents. Players must be eligible for the NFL draft, meet NFL eligibility rules, and play at a high level to participate in the Regional Combine.
Players at the Regional Combine are reviewed and tested by NFL scouts. Their measurements and Combine results are entered into a database that is available to each of the 32 NFL clubs.
Players are selected at the NFL Regional Combine to participate in the NFL Super Regional Combine. Those who are invited will have the opportunity to show off their skills before player personnel staff and NFL club scouts.
"Really helped a lot. The more I practiced, the more accurate and faster I got. 👍"
Wendy G. On Wonderlic Test Prep
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