Free tool · Tests
Pacing timer for timed aptitude tests
Updated
The short answer
An even pace is 18 seconds per question on the CCAT (50 in 15 minutes), 14.4 on the Wonderlic Select timed section and the PI Cognitive Assessment (50 in 12 minutes), and 30 on Criteria's UCAT (40 in 20). These tests are built so that most people do not finish: on the CCAT, fewer than 1 percent answer all 50.
- Format
- 50 in 15 min
- Even pace
- 18.0 s per question
- Checkpoints
- 3:45: question 12 done7:30: question 25 done11:15: question 37 done
Criteria says fewer than 1 percent of candidates answer all 50, and the average test taker gets 24 right. No calculator.
Time left
15:00
Done
0/50
Press Start, then tap Next question each time you finish one. Gray is time used, magenta is questions done.
Want a reasoning test without a race? 25 puzzles, about 12 minutes, no sign-up.
Published limits, side by side
Each figure below is from the publisher's own page. The pace column is simple division; the halfway column is where an even pace puts you when half the time is gone.
| Test | Questions | Minutes | Sec each | At halfway |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CCAT (Criteria: CCAT prep) | 50 | 15 | 18 | Q25 by 7:30 |
| Wonderlic Select (timed section) (Wonderlic: FAQ) | 50 | 12 | 14.4 | Q25 by 6:00 |
| PI Cognitive Assessment (Predictive Index: Cognitive Assessment) | 50 | 12 | 14.4 | Q25 by 6:00 |
| Criteria UCAT (Criteria: UCAT) | 40 | 20 | 30 | Q20 by 10:00 |
What the publishers add matters as much as the limits. Criteria says the average CCAT taker gets 24 right (Criteria: CCAT prep), and that most UCAT takers do not finish, by design (Criteria: UCAT). PI scores the number answered correctly in the time allowed (Predictive Index: Cognitive Assessment). Wonderlic says its current test has no single numerical cognitive score and no universal good or average score (Wonderlic: FAQ).
How to use the timer
- Pick the test, or Custom for a practice book with its own count and limit.
- Open your practice questions on paper or another screen, then press Start.
- Tap Next question each time you finish one. The bar shows time used against questions done.
- When time runs out, the summary shows your average seconds per question and how many took more than twice the even pace.
The slow-question count is the useful number. On a test where few people finish, one question that eats a minute costs you several you could have answered. Calculators are not allowed on the CCAT (Criteria: CCAT prep), and Wonderlic questions are answered without a calculator, dictionary or other resources (Wonderlic: sample questions), so practice the same way.
The method
Even pace is the time limit divided by the number of questions. Checkpoints are the question an even pace has you finishing at a quarter, half and three quarters of the time. The timer runs in your browser and stores nothing. It does not score answers: for timed practice questions with answers, try the CCAT practice test or the Wonderlic practice test.
Sources
- Criteria Corp. CCAT prep for candidates. www.criteriacorp.com/candidates/ccat-prep
- Wonderlic. Frequently asked questions about Wonderlic assessments. wonderlic.com/blog/candidates/frequently-asked-questions-about-wonderlic-assessments/
- Wonderlic. Wonderlic sample questions. wonderlic.com/blog/candidates/wonderlic-sample-questions/
- The Predictive Index. What is the PI Cognitive Assessment? docs.predictiveindex.com/en/articles/10579885-what-is-the-pi-cognitive-assessment
- Criteria Corp help center. Universal Cognitive Aptitude Test (UCAT). criteriacorp.helpdocs.io/article/j1y2ae6axg-universal-cognitive-aptitude-test-ucat