A Test That's Been Around for Decades
Cognitive reasoning testing has a longer history in hiring than almost any other assessment method. Industrial-organizational psychologists have been studying general mental ability as a predictor of job performance since the 1970s, and the research base is substantial. This isn't a shiny new tool. It's one of the most studied instruments in the history of personnel selection.
What Cognitive Ability Tests Actually Measure
Cognitive reasoning tests measure your capacity to process information, identify patterns, reason through problems, and arrive at correct conclusions. They're not testing what you know. They're testing how quickly and accurately you can think.
The Different Types of Tests
Verbal reasoning tests assess your ability to understand written information and draw logical conclusions from text.
Numerical reasoning tests present data in tables and charts, then ask you to interpret it. They don't require advanced math.
Abstract reasoning tests use patterns of shapes and symbols with no words or numbers. This type tests general fluid intelligence most directly and is the least culturally dependent.
The Research Behind Predictive Validity
Frank Schmidt and John Hunter's 1998 meta-analysis found that general mental ability had a validity coefficient of 0.51 for predicting job performance across all job types. For comparison, unstructured interviews scored around 0.38, reference checks around 0.26, and years of experience around 0.18.
How Candidates Can Prepare
Practice genuinely helps, but there are limits. Research suggests candidates can improve their scores through practice by one-half to one standard deviation, primarily by reducing test anxiety and learning efficient question strategies.
Time management matters. Most cognitive tests are deliberately speeded. Skip questions that are taking too long. One difficult question isn't worth missing three easier ones behind it.