Wonderlic Test

The Wonderlic Test is a cognitive ability test administered to prospective college students and employees in various professions. It assesses one’s ability to learn and solve problems. It is considered to be a predictor of one’s professional performance. The Wonderlic test is most commonly known as a test given every year to football players entering the National Football League (NFL) draft. The test was created by Eldon F. Wonderlic, an industrial psychologist.

The Wonderlic test is considered to be the most widely-used aptitude test in the world. Employers rely on this test to assess a potential employee’s ability to solve problems, understand instructions, adapt, and learn. How well a candidate scores on the Wonderlic test can help an employer determine how well the candidate would fit with the company and, therefore, decrease turnover, decrease the amount of time spent on training, and increase productivity. A score of 10 indicates basic literacy, while 20 suggests average intelligence. A perfect score of 50 was obtained once by a football player. Several other individuals have come close. The average score overall is 24 with average scores in various professions as follows: warehouse worker – 14; security guard – 17; football player – 20; salesperson – 24; journalist – 26; computer programmer – 29; chemist – 31.

The original version of the Wonderlic test is scored by the number of correct answers given in the allotted time. The participant is given 12 minutes to answer 50 questions. The questions are presented in open response format and increase in difficulty. The original version of the Wonderlic test was available only on paper.

A new version of the Wonderlic test was created in 2007. This version, known as the Wonderlic Contemporary Cognitive Ability Test, contains more current questions and is available both on paper and online. It is available in three versions: pre-test, contemporary, and classic. The pre-test is abbreviated, containing only 30 questions. It takes eight minutes to complete and is given remotely. The contemporary version can be taken online or onsite and uses the latest testing methodology. The classic version of the Wonderlic test is taken onsite on paper.

Employers can now use a specific Wonderlic test to assess basic skills, writing skills, perceptual ability, and software skills. In addition, there are also behavioral tests available to assess one’s productivity and risk to a company. These are especially useful for candidates with little or no work experience. By using a Wonderlic test, you can determine how one’s personality fits in with the company, how likely an individual is to display counterproductive behavior, and someone’s work readiness. The results show an employer what an individual’s areas of weakness before hiring him, thus saving time and money. There are also in-depth personality tests available that an employer can use to specifically test candidates who will be in client-facing positions, such as sales, or in key roles, such as leadership or management. A company can use the Wonderlic test to see if an employee’s personality is the right fit for these types of positions.

A Wonderlic test is only available for purchase by schools and employers. Sales are not made to individuals. Pricing information is not readily available. More information is available by contacting the Wonderlic sales department.