CCAT practice test: 50 original questions in 15 minutes, scored out of 50
A CCAT practice test should match the real format: 50 multiple-choice questions, a 15-minute limit, no calculator and no penalty for wrong answers. That works out to about 18 seconds per question. Ours is a full-length run of original questions, scored out of 50 with a labelled percentile estimate and your pace on every question.
No sign-up to start. The clock starts after three untimed instruction cards.
The CCAT format, and how this practice test matches it
Everything below comes from Criteria Corp's own pages. Our run copies the parts that shape your score: the length, the time limit and the three families of questions.
| CCAT | Source | |
|---|---|---|
| Questions | 50 multiple-choice questions | Criteria |
| Time limit | 15 minutes | Criteria |
| Average time per question | 18 seconds (15 minutes ÷ 50, our arithmetic) | Criteria |
| Answer options | Five (A–E) on Criteria's sample question | Criteria |
| Question families | Verbal, Math & Logic, Spatial Reasoning | Criteria |
| Verbal | Sentence completion, vocabulary, word comparison | Criteria |
| Math & Logic | Basic algebra, proportions, word problems | Criteria |
| Spatial | Rotating or flipping images, patterns, outliers | Criteria |
| Instructions | Untimed: take as long as you need to read them | Criteria |
| Calculator | Not allowed, and no question needs one | Criteria |
| Wrong answers | No penalty | Criteria |
| Question set | Drawn from a bank of thousands; no two candidates get the same set | Criteria |
| Device | Any: phone, tablet, laptop or desktop | Criteria |
| Language | English (US) by default, or English (UK) | Criteria |
| Accommodations | "Some accessibility options are available"; contact Criteria | Criteria |
Our run gives you 50 questions in one continuous 15-minute block: 17 Verbal, 17 Math & Logic and 16 Spatial, mixed. That split is our practice mix, not a published Criteria rule. There is no going back to earlier questions. Criteria doesn't say whether the real test allows that, so we practice the stricter case. Every question is original; none is a real CCAT item, because Criteria draws each candidate's set from a bank of thousands and nobody outside Criteria has them.
What happens when you start
- Three short instruction cards, untimed, the way Criteria keeps its instructions untimed.
- The 15:00 clock starts. One question per screen, five answers, keyboard keys 1–5 or A–E.
- Skip any question you're stuck on. Every answer saves as you go, so a reload doesn't lose your place.
- When the clock hits zero, the run submits itself. Blank answers count as wrong, as on the real test.
What your result shows
Criteria sends employers a raw score out of 50 and a percentile against its global norm group, with sub-scores for each family (Score Report Guide). Candidates usually don't see that report. Our result gives you the same kinds of numbers, clearly labelled as practice:
| Part | What it tells you |
|---|---|
| Practice score | Correct answers out of 50. Unanswered questions count as wrong. |
| Estimated percentile | Our estimate from Criteria's published norm figures (median 24, SD 7). See how we score. |
| Split Board | Correct answers and time spent for Verbal, Math & Logic and Spatial. |
| Pace Trace | Seconds on every question against the 18-second line. Anything over 60 seconds is flagged. |
Your real CCAT percentile is calculated by Criteria and sent to the employer; ours is an estimate. To see what a number means, use the CCAT score calculator.
Facts most prep sites get wrong
Before you trust a practice site, check these points against Criteria's own pages.
- Nobody sells real CCAT questions. Criteria draws from a bank of thousands and no two candidates get the same set (InfoBrief).
- There is no published extended-time length. Criteria only says some accessibility options exist and to contact it (help center). A fixed 22.5-minute mode is a prep-site claim.
- Criteria publishes a median of 24 and a standard deviation of 7, not a share of people above 35. On those figures, about 5% score above 35.
- There is no pass mark. Employers set their own bar, and Criteria gives suggested ranges per job family, such as "Management Range: 20-50" (Score Report Guide).
How to use a practice test well
Take the first run cold, before you study anything. It tells you two things: your raw score, and where your time went. Most lost points on the CCAT come from pace, not from questions you couldn't solve. Criteria's own advice is to avoid spending too long on any one question and, past a minute, to guess and move on (What to Expect).
Then read your Pace Trace. Long bars show the question types that drain your clock. Fix those with short drills, then take a second full run under the same conditions. The 7-day CCAT prep plan lays this out day by day, and the sample questions show the 18-second method for each family.
Common questions
Is the CCAT hard?
The questions are not advanced: basic algebra, proportions, word problems and everyday vocabulary, and none needs a calculator. The time is what makes it hard. Criteria says the average test taker gets 24 questions right and fewer than 1% answer all 50.
Is 40 a good CCAT score?
Yes, it is a very high score. Gauntlet AI asks for 40 and describes it as around the 98th percentile. Our estimate from Criteria's published norm figures (median 24, standard deviation 7) puts 40 at about the 99th percentile.
Source: Gauntlet AI: preparing for the CCAT; Criteria CCAT InfoBrief (PDF)
Is 26 out of 50 good for the CCAT?
26 is above the median of 24 in Criteria's norm group, about the 64th percentile on our estimate. It clears BloomTech's published bar of 23 but not Gauntlet AI's 40. Whether it is enough depends on the employer, because each employer sets its own bar.
Source: Criteria CCAT InfoBrief (PDF); BloomTech: how to ace the CCAT; Gauntlet AI: preparing for the CCAT
How do you pass a CCAT assessment?
There is no pass mark; each employer sets its own bar. To reach it, work at an even pace, skip any question that takes more than a minute, and answer every question, since wrong answers cost nothing. Practice with the 15-minute clock until 18 seconds per question feels normal.
Source: Criteria help center: CCAT; Criteria: What to Expect on the CCAT
More full-length runs
The first run is open to everyone. Starter ($39, 90 days) adds six more full test forms, every worked explanation, Sprint Drills and a Test-Day Plan. Elite ($59, 12 months) doubles the forms and adds weakest-family sets and score history. One payment, no subscription. See plans and prices. Prefer to start with nothing to pay? The no-cost version is the same run.
Last updated November 10, 2026.