The CCAT gives you 15 minutes for 50 questions, about 18 seconds each. Criteria says fewer than 1% of test takers answer all 50, so the goal isn’t to finish. It’s to answer as many questions correctly as you can in the time you have. These tips are about doing exactly that.

Know your pace

Time used	Rough target
5 minutes	About question 17
10 minutes	About question 34
15 minutes	As far as you can get

These checkpoints assume an even pace. Most people bank time on quick verbal questions and spend it on word problems and spatial items. If you’re well behind at the 5-minute mark, speed up your guessing, not your reading.

When to guess and move on

Criteria’s own prep advice is to spend no more than about a minute on any question, then make an educated guess. With an 18-second average, a minute is already a lot, so many people set a tighter personal rule, such as 30 to 40 seconds.

• There’s no penalty for wrong answers, according to Criteria’s prep page, so never leave a question blank if you can answer it.
• Eliminate first. Ruling out two or three of the five choices turns a blind guess into a good one.
• Don’t plan on coming back. Unless your on-screen instructions clearly say you can return to skipped questions, treat each answer as final before you move on.

Play to your strengths

Criteria suggests focusing on the question types you’re strongest in and not letting the ones that cost you time drag you down. If long word problems slow you down, give them a quick try and guess if the method doesn’t come to you in a few seconds. If spatial series are your weak spot, check just one feature (sides, shading, direction) before you guess.

Mental math shortcuts

There’s no calculator, so a few habits save a lot of time:

• Percentages: 10% means moving the decimal one place. 5% is half of that, and 15% is the two added together.
• Averages: convert to a total. Five numbers averaging 12 add up to 60.
• Fractions: to compare fractions, turn them into rough decimals or cross-multiply.
• Estimate. If only one choice is near your rough answer, pick it.
• Rates and work: find the amount for one unit (one hour, one worker), then scale up.

Speed up the verbal questions

Verbal questions are usually the fastest on the test. Define the word yourself before reading the choices, say analogies as a sentence, and watch for signal words like “although” in sentence completions. See the verbal practice.

Set up for test day

• Read the instructions in your invitation before you start. Employers can set up the test differently.
• Pick a quiet time and place, and silence your phone. The CCAT can be taken on any device, but a computer with a steady connection is usually the most comfortable.
• Keep your Test Event ID. Criteria’s score report guide says that if something goes wrong during the test, you can go back to the testing site, enter your event ID and continue where you left off.
• Have scratch paper ready if allowed. It helps with word problems and ordering questions. Follow your invitation’s instructions on what you can use.

Build speed before the test

1. Take a timed set of 50 mixed questions, such as the practice on the home page.
2. Write down every question that took more than 30 seconds, and why.
3. Drill those types on their own: math, logic, spatial.
4. Retake a timed set and check whether your pace improved.

For the full format and scoring, read the CCAT test guide and CCAT scores explained.