Arbel, Wonderlic assessment expert at JobTestPrep.
Have a question? Contact me at: ask_arbel@jobtestprep.com
What is the Wonderlic Assessment?
The Wonderlic assessment (also known as the Wonderlic Personnel Test) is a cognitive assessment that includes 50 abstract, verbal, numerical and general knowledge questions that need to be answered in 12 minutes. It therefore measures cognitive skills, time-management, and how you cope with pressure.
Although some Wonderlic assessment questions seem straightforward, with only 14 seconds on average to answer each question the test is very challenging. Since it aims to examine a broad range of cognitive capabilities, the Wonderlic personnel test includes a wide range of question types:
- English (Verbal Reasoning) - this section comprises 40% of the Wonderlic assessment, and includes grammar, analogies, vocabulary, synonym / antonym, and deductive reasoning.
- Math (Numerical Reasoning) - this section comprises 40% of the test and includes number series, word problems, number patterns and more.
- Abstract Reasoning - 10% of the Wonderlic assessment covers spatial reasoning, pattern recognition, shape series, 3D shapes, and matrices.
- General Knowledge and Other - the last 10% of the test incldues general knowledge questions, as well as error identification questions and other clerical type questions.
Wonderlic Assessment Video
Check out our video where we go over the Wonderlic exam's various characteristics, and share useful tips to help your Wonderlic test prep!
Wonderlic Exam - Free Practice Questions
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 ⏲️
Wonderlic Exam Math Question
Wonderlic Exam Verbal Question
Wonderlic Practice Test - Logical & Abstract Reasoning Questions
Wonderlic Exam Verbal Question
1, 4 and 5
For more sample questions, check out our free Wonderlic practice test with answers.
Optimize Your Wonderlic Test Prep
The Wonderlic Personnel Test is a highly selective assessment that pits you against a killer time limit and challenging questions, and it could be what stands between you and your next career move. The only tried and tested way of acing the Wonderlic Assessment is practice, pure and simple.
For the best Wonderlic test prep available, we highly recommend using our specialized PrepPack. It includes seven full Wonderlic exam simulations, study guides, additional practice, and everything you need to sharpen your skills and get the high score you deserve.
What is a Good Score on a Wonderlic Test?
One of the most confusing aspects of the Wonderlic Personnel Test is understanding how many questions you need to answer correctly to place yourself above the competition.
Your Wonderlic score is first of all on the number of questions you answer correctly (known as your "raw score", with each question weighted based on its level of difficulty and taking into account the likelihood of guessing.
This method ensures a more precise estimate of your cognitive ability than a score based only on the total number of correct answers. The scores of the test takers is then standardized, which creates the Wonderlic test score chart you see in the image above. To understand how good your score is, consider the following broad rules:
- 50 is a nearly unattainable perfect score, placing you at the very top of all test takers
- 31 and higher marks a strong fit, placing you in the 94th and higher Wonderlic percentiles. Converting this to traditional intelligence tests, your Wonderlic IQ score would be 121.
- 23-25 is considered a moderate fit, however we don't recommend settling for this score as you could easily find yourself outscored by the competition.
- 22 and lower is a poor fit, which will mean the end of the road for you in the selection process.
Specialized Wonderlic Assessment Pages
Wonderlic assessments come in a number of formats. They are the go-to selection test for many of top companies, and here at JobTestPrep we have created specialized pages for a number of them - giving you better, more accurate Wonderlic test prep:
- Free Wonderlic Practice Test - gives you a taste of the different question types in the Wonderlic Personnel Test, with full explanations and solving tips.
- Wonderlic Basic Skills Test - The Wonderlic Basic Skills Test, or WBST, is a 20 minutes test with 50 Verbal Reasoning questions and 45 Math questions. Visit our page to take a free Wonderlic practice test and learn more about the Wonderlic Basic Skills Test, required by companies such as the Canadian National Railway, Zurich Insurance, Subway, and others.
- Wonderlic Scholastic Level Exam - The Wonderlic Scholastic Level Exam a trusted admissions test for the some of the top career colleges in the States. There are two SLE tests: the long version (SLE) requires answering 50 questions in 12 minutes, and the short version (SLE-Q) requires answering 30 questions in 8 minutes.
- Wonderlic Test NFL - on the National Football League page you will find useful information, tips and hacks, and fascinating stats about NFL players!. See if you have what it takes mentally to become an NFL player.
- Wonscore Test - The Wonderlic WonScore consists of three Wonderlic exams: a Wonderlic cognitive ability test, a Wonderlic personality test, and a motivation test. To learn how to master all three sections of this challenging test, visit our designated page which includes useful information and tips, as well as access to our full Wonderlic Wonscore test prep.
- Subway Wonderlic Test - The Wonderlic Cognitive Ability Test is a pre-requisite for anybody aspiring to open a Subway franchise. Visit our page for all the Wonderlic test prep you will need to ace the it and take another step towards realizing your goals.
The Wonderlic assessment measure your critical thinking, problem-solving skills, deductive reasoning, and cognitive abilities. Other pre-employment assessments that measure similar abilities are the CCAT test the PI Cognitive Assessment and IBEW Aptitude Test.
About the Wonderlic Personnel Test
The Wonderlic Personnel Test was created in 1936 as a quick way to measure intellectual functioning, or in other words as a quick IQ test. Similarly to existing IQ tests, the 50 question 12 minute Wonderlic Personnel Test aimed to measure test takers’ verbal, numerical, and abstract reasoning abilities, with the Wonderlic scores substituting IQ test scores which had been used until that point.
In the years since it’s creation, the Wonderlic Personnel Test has been adapted into specialized versions such as the Wonderlic Basic Skills Test (BST), Wonderlic Scholastic Level Exam (SLE), as well as the Wonderlic Personality Test. Furthermore, The Wonderlic Personnel Test has been adopted by a wide variety of employers and institutions, such as nursing schools, the National Football League (NFL), universities and more.
With a long history and huge credit from renowned institutions, the Wonderlic Personnel Test remains a go-to IQ test and an essential step in many career paths, be it becoming an NFL player, graduate student, future nursing school student, and more.
Wonderlic Assessment Time Management
Given unlimited time, the Wonderlic Assessment wouldn't pose much of a challenge for most test takers. But with only 14 seconds to answer each question, the pressure is definitely on. You will have to be as sharp and prepared as possible to make sure that you get the score that will help you get a high score and elevate you above all the other candidates. That's why the importance of good time-management in the 50 question Wonderlic Personnel Test cannot be overstated.
Practicing with a countdown timer (built in with our practice tests) will accustom you to the time constraint, improve your response time, and calm your nerves, meaning you will be able to answer more questions correctly on your way to acing the test.
Four Wonderlic Assessment Time Management Tips:
1. Don't Waste Too Much Time on One Question:
In the Wonderlic Assessment literally every second counts, so getting stuck on even just one question can spoil all your hard work. If you can't figure it out, guess and move on.
2. Take the Extra Second to Make Sure Your Answer is Correct:
Although you must work fast to get a good score in the Wonderlic exam, it is always good to take a second to make sure you haven't made a clear mistake.
3. Start Fast, Then Slow Down:
Being quick with the first questions gives you an edge. Since the Wonderlic exam questions increase in difficulty, leave yourself enough time to answer the more difficult questions towards the end.
4. Manage Expectations:
Only a very small number of Wonderlic test takers answer all 50 questions in time, so don't worry if you don't. Instead, make sure the answers you do submit are accurate.
Wonderlic Personnel Test Versions
Employers often use the Wonderlic Personnel Test instead of a traditional IQ test to assess a test taker's cognitive abilities, skill sets, and capacity to solve problems as part of their hiring process, coupled with a job interview. There are two main versions of the Wonderlic Personnel Test:
- The Wonderlic Personnel Test Revised (WPT-R) - includes 50 questions with a 12 minute time limit (14 seconds per question)
- The Wonderlic Personnel Test Quicktest (WPT-Q) - includes 30 questions with an 8 minute time limit (16 seconds per question)
The Best Strategy to Prepare for The Wonderlic Exam
There are several strategies you can use to prepare for the Wonderlic Personnel Test:
- Buying a premium preparation pack with like the JobTestPrep Wonderlic test prep pack with study guides, Wonderlic exam practice and more.
- Buying a book.
- Other practice sites.
| Wonderlic Practice Kits | JobTestPrep Practice | Prep Books | Practice Sites |
| Money-Back Guarantee | Yes | No | No |
| Online Practice Tests | Yes | No | No |
| Step by Step Explanations | Yes | Yes | No |
| Personalized Score Reports | Yes | No | No |
| 24/7 Customer Support | Yes | No | No |
Don’t wait. Buy our full online PrepPack and pass the Wonderlic Cognitive Ability Test like a pro.
FAQ
The Wonderlic Scholastic Level Exam (SLE) is an admissions test used by many higher education programs, notably in the health occupations of nursing and radiology, as well as in law enforcement to test corrections officers.
There are 2 other Wonderlic pre-employment tests.
One is the Wonderlic Basic Skills test which is meant to test a candidate's basic skills in English and in Math.
The other is the WonScore test that combines the Wonderlic Cognitive Ability test with Personality and Motivation exams.
A pre-employment aptitude test is a test that measures general cognition to see how well your brain processes information using Numerical, Verbal, Logical, and Abstract Reasoning exams.
Every company and job position requires a different minimum passing score on the Wonderlic exam.
The average Wonderlic Test score is usually 20 to 21, roughly equivalent to an IQ of 100. The maximum and mininum scores are 50 and 10 respectively.
Unfortunately, you are not allowed to bring one into the test with you.
Here are the questions types of the Wonderlic Personnel Test (also called the Cognitive Ability Test):
Spatial Reasoning
Speed Questions
Verbal Reasoning Questions
Math Word Problems
Check this page if you want to learn more about Wonderlic Test questions.
Many companies use Wonderlic as their primary tool for pre-employment screening, including the:
- NFL
- TTC
- Canadian National Railway
- Milicom
- Subway
- David Weekly Homes
- Consolidated Electrical Distributors
- Point 72
- Pepsi
- AlixPartners
- Medline Industries
- Uline
- Epic System
- IBM Assessment
- Various airlines
Here you can find more information about companies that use the Wonderlic test.
Is Your Wonderlic Exam Just Around the Corner? Four Tips to Pass Your Test
- Review Test Questions Before Submitting. While practicing with our Wonderlic test online, try identifying topics that you have trouble with and often answer incorrectly. When doing the Wonderlic exam, review those topics once more to make sure you haven't missed something.
- Get Used to Calculating with Pen and Paper. You won’t be allowed to use a calculator during the Wonderlic Cognitive Ability Test so practice with scratch paper an be sure you can do math the old way.
- Let Your Brain Rest. Tired people make mistakes, so avoid studying hard the day before the Wonderlic Personnel Test. If you won’t let your brain rest, you won’t be sharp enough to complete the test successfully.
- Make Sure You Get Enough Sleep. Sleep plays an important role in your ability to focus and respond quickly to test questions. The night before the Wonderlic exam, make the pillow your new best friend and the TV your worst enemy.
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