Wonderlic Test

What is the Wonderlic Test?

Wonderlic Contemporary Cognitive Ability Test was formerly called the Wonderlic Personnel Test. It is a quite popular pre-employment tool used to assess the cognitive and problem-solving abilities of prospective employees. Candidates can do this assessment in twelve different languages. Recruiters use Wonderlic in the recruitment of entry-level and managerial staff.

Eldon F. Wonderlic developed the Wonderlic test, and he named it after himself. Eldon developed this assessment tool while he was a graduate student at Northwestern University in 1936. Wonderlic test is a 50 questions multiple-choice examination. Applicants have 12 minutes to complete the test. Each question in the test is worth 1 point. The average score among test takers is 21.

What does the Wonderlic Test measure?

Wonderlic test was divided into three to measure prospective employees' cognitive ability, motivation, and personality. It measures the candidate's ability to solve problems, understand instructions, adapt, deal with mental rigors of the job, and learn new things.

  • Cognitive ability: this test assess the ease of learning and problem-solving skill of the prospective employees. The cognitive ability test has two parts. They are the Wonderlic Personnel Test and a Quick test. The Quick Test is a set of 30 questions to be answered in 8 minutes, while the Personnel Test is a collection of 50 items to be answered within 12 minutes. Wonderlic SLE is a scholastic version of the Wonderlic Personnel Test used in the assessment of medical personnel.
  • Motivation: motivation is measured using a fifty-eight item assessment tool. This assessment tool is based on the workplace motivation model for employees, Holland/RIASEC. This tool assesses a prospective employee's interests and motivation for the job applied. The more motivation and interest a prospective employee has for a job, the higher the chances of succeeding in that role.
  • Personality: the Wonderlic personality test assesses the personal character of the job applicants. It compares the candidate's character to that needed to succeed on the job. The characters are considered as a predictor of expected job performance.
    The Wonderlic personality test has two sections. They are the Wonderlic Five-Factor and the Seven-Factor personality profile. The five-factor assess candidates' emotional stability, willingness to learning, extraversion, conscientiousness, and agreeability. The Wonderlic seven-factor personality profile assesses Exaggeration, assertiveness, trust, need for recognition, sensitivity, emotional intensity, and intuition.

How to practice for the Wonderlic assessment

    • Take timed tests: Wonderlic gives you 12 minutes to answer 50 questions. You have 14 seconds to answer each question. It would be best if you timed yourself while answering practice questions to prepare you for test conditions.
    • Review before submitting: it is essential to review those questions you got wrong during practice. Review the mistakes made, focus on your weak part, and continue practicing.
    • Track your progress: keep track of the improvements you are making. Congratulate yourself when you see a marked improvement in your test score.
    • Learn to calculate without a calculator: you will not be allowed a calculator in this test. Learn how to calculate using a rough sheet of paper and a pencil.
    • Sleep well and eat before going for the test: sleep early the day before the assessment. Do not stay up all night to practice for the exam. The rest is right for your brain. Eat a healthy breakfast before leaving for the test.

Question examples

The Wonderlic cognitive ability test is an open response question manner. Questions are asked in logic, proverbs, disarranged sentences, synonyms, and geometric figures analysis. Examples of expected questions are shown below;

      1. Which number represents the smallest amount in the group?
        a) 0.33
        b) 1
        c) 0.3
        d) 0.08
      2. Which of the following is the latest date?
        a) September 6, 2032
        b) April 4, 2032
        c) November 3, 2031
        d) January 1, 2033
      3. The boys were waiting anxiously for the opening of the new toystore
        a) Excitedly
        b) Eagerly
        c) Sadly
        d) Uneagerly
      4. 76, 64,__, 40, 28
        a) 49
        b) 51
        c) 52
        d) 53
      5. A school teacher teaches a class of 80 pupils. Fourteen of the pupils want to be astronauts, six want to be teachers, and the rest do not know what they want to be. What percentage of the class is undecided?
        a) 50%
        b) 75%
        c) 25%
        d) 60%

Preparing for the Wonderlic Assessment?

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