Do you have questions about the Wonderlic test?
The Wonderlic Personnel Test is one of the most difficult online pre-employment exams available for graduates and job seekers. With only 12 minutes to answer 50 multiple choice questions, the test isn’t easy by any means.
What is the Wonderlic test?
There are actually many different Wonderlic tests. The most common one is the Wonderlic Personnel Test(also known as the Wonderlic Cognitive Abilities Test). The Personnel Test is often referred to as, simply, “The Wonderlic Test.”
Wonderlic, Inc. also offers a Basic Skills Test and Personality exams but we won’t cover the details of those tests on this FAQ page. They feature completely different question types, test formats, and scoring systems.
The Wonderlic SLE test is very similar to the Personnel test (we’ll explain the difference below).
What is the Wonderlic Personnel test?
According to Wonderlic, Inc., the Personnel Test is a cognitive ability test designed to “measure a candidate’s ability to learn, adapt, solve problems and understand instructions.”
A cognitive ability test is a lot like an IQ test.
It’s used by employers during the job interview process to select the candidates that are most likely to succeed in a given role. So if you’re selected to take the test, take it seriously and prepare– it could be the difference between being hired or not.
How does the Personnel test work?
The full version of the test (WPT-R) is a 50-question test with a 20-minute time limit. It is administered on-site, generally at a job interview, and you’ll be monitored throughout the test.
There is also a shorter version of the Personnel test. You may even be sent a link to this test via email and asked to take it at home. The Quicktest version features 30 questions and an 8-minute time limit.
You need to answer as many questions as possible in the time allotted. You’ll be granted one point for each correct answer, with no penalty for wrong answers. So, a perfect score on the full test would be 50 points– but perfect scores are extremely rare.
What is on the Wonderlic Personnel test?
The 50 questions on the Personnel test can be broken down into 4 basic categories: Math, Logic, Verbal Reasoning, and General Knowledge. For more details on the question types, check out our full article on the Wonderlic Personnel Test.
If you want to see some Wonderlic sample questions, you can take our free Wonderlic Practice Test. It features real Wonderlic questions and answers so that you can get a sense for where you need help.
Then you can take a Wonderlic study course to help you improve the areas where you need help.
What is on the Wonderlic Personnel test?
The Wonderlic Scholastic Level Exam (SLE) is another Wonderlic cognitive ability test. It is nearly identical to the Personnel test but it is used by colleges and universities to assess applicants.
Like with the Personnel test, there are 2 versions– the full test (50 questions / 12 minutes) and a Quicktest (30 questions / 8 minutes).
If you’re asked to take the Wonderlic SLE then it will impact your admissions application. In fact, there may be a minimum score you need to hit in order to even be considered (regardless of your other qualifications).
You can prepare yourself to get into the school of your choice by studying real Wonderlic questions, answers, and explanations with an online course like Rapid Wonderlic Mastery from Wonderlic Test Prep.
Why would I take a Wonderlic test?
You will most likely take the Wonderlic test as part of a job interview process.
You may even be asked to take the Quicktest at home before an interview is scheduled. The Quicktest is often used to determine which applicants get invited to interview for a position.
Or you may be asked to take the full Personnel test at the interview site.
In either case, the results of your Wonderlic test will make a real difference in the hiring process. So, if you really want this job, you can boost your score consistently with just a few hours of focused study.
Is the Wonderlic test hard?
The Wonderlic test is designed to be challenging, even for intelligent and well-educated test-takers.
A lot if this is because of the structure of the test itself. With only 14 seconds to answer each question, you start to feel the pressure of the clock from the very first question.
Also, many questions are specifically designed to trick you. If you haven’t studied them (and learned how to answer them quickly), then you’re likely to get tripped up.
Plus, some of the questions (especially in the math section) use techniques you may not have used in years, or even decades. That doesn’t mean that they’re hard, just that you may need a refresher in order to be prepared to answer them in the few seconds that the test allows.
Our Wonderlic study course is designed to tackle these three issues and more. Learn to answer questions in less than 10 seconds, identify the traps Wonderlic has set for you and get advanced strategies that will help you boost your score.
How can I prepare for the test?
Start by taking a timed practice test. That will help you get familiar with the test format, the question types and the high-pressure environment.
Then take a Wonderlic study course.
The Rapid Wonderlic Mastery Course is designed to raise your score by as much as 10 points in just a few hours. It will show you exactly how to answer specific question types, respond to questions in under 10 seconds, avoid common pitfalls and learn strategies that are guaranteed to raise your score (or get your money back).
Can I use a calculator?
Calculators are not permitted on the Wonderlic Personnel or SLE tests. You can use scratch paper to work out your answers. Most of the math doesn’t require advanced computation, so it’s better (and faster) to train yourself to do it the right way.
Our online course will show you how to get the right answer for each type of Wonderlic math question. So you can be prepared, even without a calculator.
How is the test scored?
You’re simply given one point for each correct answer. Incorrect answers and unanswered questions both count as zero (so it makes sense to guess).
The full-length Wonderlic test is 50 questions, so a perfect score would be 50 points. On the Quicktest, a perfect score is 30.
You won’t, however, know your actual score in most cases. Your results are kept by the company or school and not shared with you.
What is a good score?
There is no “pass” or “fail” on the Wonderlic test. The score you need depends on the company or school administering the test and the scores of your competitors.
Many employers and schools set a minimum acceptable score, but that score varies by company, the type of job, and other factors.
You can’t know exactly what score you need in advance.
The average score is 21 points, which means that the average person answers just over 40% of the questions correctly.
An average security guard scores about a 17. An average nurse scores a 23. And an average electrical engineer a 30.
A good Wonderlic score is the best score that you can achieve.
And you can improve your score by learning advanced test taking strategies, studying specific question types and taking multiple practice tests.
If you’re competing for a job then you need to give yourself every advantage and there’s no excuse for not preparing to do your absolute best. Even ONE POINT could make the difference between being hired or not.
The Rapid Wonderlic Mastery Course is designed to help you improve your score by as much as 10 points or more in just a few hours.
