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About the test:

The cognitive ability test assesses a candidate's general intelligence- ability to think abstractly, understand complex ideas, draw logical conclusions and learn quickly. Research has shown that cognitive ability is the strongest predictor of job performance for all employment levels across industries.

Covered skills:

  • Abstract reasoning
  • Diagrammatic reasoning
  • Inductive reasoning
  • Pattern matching
  • Creativity
  • Critical thinking
  • Deductive reasoning
  • Problem-solving
  • Spatial reasoning

9 reasons why
9 reasons why

Adaface Cognitive Ability Assessment Test is the most accurate way to shortlist Data Analysts



Reason #1

Tests for on-the-job skills

The Cognitive Ability Test helps recruiters and hiring managers identify qualified candidates from a pool of resumes, and helps in taking objective hiring decisions. It reduces the administrative overhead of interviewing too many candidates and saves time by filtering out unqualified candidates at the first step of the hiring process.

The test screens for the following skills that hiring managers look for in candidates:

  • Analytical thinking
  • Logical reasoning
  • Problem-solving skills
  • Pattern recognition
  • Critical analysis
  • Abstract reasoning
  • Deductive reasoning
  • Inductive reasoning
  • Spatial reasoning
  • Creativity
  • Attention to detail
  • Numerical aptitude
Reason #2

No trick questions

no trick questions

Traditional assessment tools use trick questions and puzzles for the screening, which creates a lot of frustration among candidates about having to go through irrelevant screening assessments.

View sample questions

The main reason we started Adaface is that traditional pre-employment assessment platforms are not a fair way for companies to evaluate candidates. At Adaface, our mission is to help companies find great candidates by assessing on-the-job skills required for a role.

Why we started Adaface
Reason #3

Non-googleable questions

We have a very high focus on the quality of questions that test for on-the-job skills. Every question is non-googleable and we have a very high bar for the level of subject matter experts we onboard to create these questions. We have crawlers to check if any of the questions are leaked online. If/ when a question gets leaked, we get an alert. We change the question for you & let you know.

How we design questions

These are just a small sample from our library of 10,000+ questions. The actual questions on this Cognitive Ability Test will be non-googleable.

🧐 Question

Easy

Overseas office
Inferential Reasoning
Reading Comprehension
Solve
Your company recently opened a second office overseas. Some of the people from the original office will be relocating. All the people hired in the last six months will continue working in the original location where they were hired. Which of the following statements can be true regarding employees relocating?

Medium

China manufacturing
Economic reasoning
Cost analysis
Solve
The cost of manufacturing phones in China is twenty percent lesser than the cost of manufacturing phones in Vietnam. Even after adding shipping fees and import taxes, it is cheaper to import phones from China to Vietnam than to manufacture phones in Vietnam. Which of the following statements is best supported by the given information. 
A: The shipping fee from China to Vietnam is more than 20% of the cost of manufacturing a phone in China.
B: The import taxes on a phone imported from China to Vietnam is less than 20% of the cost of manufacturing the phone in China. 
C: Importing phones in Vietnam will cut 20% of the manufacturing jobs in Vietnam.
D: It takes 20% more time to manufacture a phone in Vietnam than it does in China.
E: Labour costs in Vietnam are 20% higher than in China.

Medium

Commerical Premises
Reading comprehension
Solve
A large real estate company conducted a recent study of their customers. The study was designed to uncover insights regarding the main criteria for choosing to invest in a residential property. A majority of the customers surveyed stated the 'returns profile' was their main priority, followed by 'development potential' and 'stability of income'. 'Portfolio legacy' ranked at the bottom in the list of factors. It was interesting to note that respondents were less likely to have residential holdings that formed part of mixed-use assets i.e. as an add on to commercial investment. One might assume that more investors are proactively investing in residential real estate rather than having incidental exposure via business investments. 
Based on the given passage, what can we say about the following statement?

Business owners having commercial premises often have a residential property as part of their portfolio.

Medium

Increasing monthly gross profit
Percentage Calculations
Solve
The CEO of Snipr. Inc wants to grow monthly gross profit by 4%. If costs stay the same, what does the sales turnover need to be in February to achieve this goal?
 image

Hard

Magic bag
Arithmetic Sequences
Solve
Alex’s uncle is a magician who gave them a magic bag in which coins get doubled each time you put those coins into it. Initially, Alex had few coins with them. So, Alex put all the coins, and the coins got doubled. Alex took out all the coins and gave a few to their friend and then again put the remaining coins back in the bag. The coins doubled again; Alex took out all the coins again and gave a few coins to their second friend. Alex then put the remaining coins in the bag and the coins doubled again. Alex took out all the coins and gave a few coins to their third friend. 
There were no coins left with Alex when Alex gave coins to the third friend and Alex gave an equal number of coins to each friend. What is the minimum number of coins Alex had initially and how much did Alex give to each friend?
A: Started with 3 coins
B: Started with 5 coins
C: Started with 6 coins
D: Started with 7 coins
E: Started with 9 coins
F: Gave 3 coins in every turn
G: Gave 4 coins in every turn
H: Gave 5 coins in every turn
I: Gave 7 coins in every turn
J: Gave 8 coins in every turn
K: Gave 9 coins in every turn

Medium

Three Clocks
Time Calculations
Solve
In my house, there are three clocks of different shapes – a round clock, a square clock, and a rhombus clock. The rhombus clock is always accurate whereas the round clock gains 2 minutes every day and the square clock loses 2 minutes every day. I checked the clocks on July 22nd, 2007 at 10 PM, and they were showing different times.
Two hours later, when I checked, the clocks were showing the same time, then on which date will all three clocks show the same time again?
A: 17 July 2008 
B: 23 Sep 2007
C: 25 July 2009
D: 19 Aug 2008
E: 26 July 2008
F: 28 Nov 2007
G: 11 June 2008
H: 15 Aug 2007

Medium

Missing element
Solve
Which of the following figures do you think would complete the pattern shown below?
 image
 image

Easy

Missing element
Solve
Which of the following figures do you think would complete the pattern shown below?
 image

Medium

Claims for a new drug Xylanex
Critical Thinking
Evaluating Arguments
Identifying Assumptions
Solve
A pharmaceutical company claims that their new drug, Xylanex, is highly effective in treating a specific medical condition. They provide statistical data from a clinical trial to support their claim. However, a group of scientists has raised concerns about the validity of the study design and potential bias in the data collection process. They argue that the results may be inflated and not truly representative of the drug's effectiveness.

Which of the following assumptions is necessary to support the pharmaceutical company's claim?
A: The clinical trial participants were randomly selected and representative of the target population.
B: The scientists raising concerns have a conflict of interest and are biased against the pharmaceutical company.
C: The statistical analysis of the clinical trial data was conducted by independent experts.
D: The medical condition being treated by Xylanex is widespread and affects a large number of individuals.
E: The pharmaceutical company has a proven track record of developing effective drugs for similar medical conditions.

Medium

Emma's cafe business
Solve
Emma's cafe has been operating successfully for the last 6 years. Profits have been growing every year, with this year (2020) being their best year so far. As a thank you, Emma treated her staff to a meal at a Michelin star restaurant. 
 image
Below are 3 statements about Emma, her staff and her cafe. Can you help us decide whether the 3 statements are "True", "Probably True", "Insufficient Data to Say True or False", "Probably False", or "False".

1. Emma's staff members are happy.
2. Emma's cafe did well in 2016.
3. Emma is rich.

A: True
B: False
C: Probably True
D: Probably False
E: Insufficient Data

Medium

Ivory's new startup
Solve
Statement: Ivory started a new startup. We know for a fact that almost all startups fail within the first 2 years. 
Conclusion: Ivory's startup will fail.
Does the conclusion follow from the statement?
🧐 Question🔧 Skill

Easy

Overseas office
Inferential Reasoning
Reading Comprehension

2 mins

Verbal Reasoning
Solve

Medium

China manufacturing
Economic reasoning
Cost analysis

2 mins

Verbal Reasoning
Solve

Medium

Commerical Premises
Reading comprehension

2 mins

Verbal Reasoning
Solve

Medium

Increasing monthly gross profit
Percentage Calculations

2 mins

Numerical Reasoning
Solve

Hard

Magic bag
Arithmetic Sequences

3 mins

Numerical Reasoning
Solve

Medium

Three Clocks
Time Calculations

3 mins

Numerical Reasoning
Solve

Medium

Missing element

2 mins

Abstract Reasoning
Solve

Easy

Missing element

2 mins

Abstract Reasoning
Solve

Medium

Claims for a new drug Xylanex
Critical Thinking
Evaluating Arguments
Identifying Assumptions

2 mins

Critical Thinking
Solve

Medium

Emma's cafe business

2 mins

Critical Thinking
Solve

Medium

Ivory's new startup

2 mins

Critical Thinking
Solve
🧐 Question🔧 Skill💪 Difficulty⌛ Time
Overseas office
Inferential Reasoning
Reading Comprehension
Verbal Reasoning
Easy2 mins
Solve
China manufacturing
Economic reasoning
Cost analysis
Verbal Reasoning
Medium2 mins
Solve
Commerical Premises
Reading comprehension
Verbal Reasoning
Medium2 mins
Solve
Increasing monthly gross profit
Percentage Calculations
Numerical Reasoning
Medium2 mins
Solve
Magic bag
Arithmetic Sequences
Numerical Reasoning
Hard3 mins
Solve
Three Clocks
Time Calculations
Numerical Reasoning
Medium3 mins
Solve
Missing element
Abstract Reasoning
Medium2 mins
Solve
Missing element
Abstract Reasoning
Easy2 mins
Solve
Claims for a new drug Xylanex
Critical Thinking
Evaluating Arguments
Identifying Assumptions
Critical Thinking
Medium2 mins
Solve
Emma's cafe business
Critical Thinking
Medium2 mins
Solve
Ivory's new startup
Critical Thinking
Medium2 mins
Solve
Reason #4

1200+ customers in 75 countries

customers in 75 countries
Brandon

With Adaface, we were able to optimise our initial screening process by upwards of 75%, freeing up precious time for both hiring managers and our talent acquisition team alike!


Brandon Lee, Head of People, Love, Bonito

Reason #5

Designed for elimination, not selection

The most important thing while implementing the pre-employment Cognitive Ability Test in your hiring process is that it is an elimination tool, not a selection tool. In other words: you want to use the test to eliminate the candidates who do poorly on the test, not to select the candidates who come out at the top. While they are super valuable, pre-employment tests do not paint the entire picture of a candidate’s abilities, knowledge, and motivations. Multiple easy questions are more predictive of a candidate's ability than fewer hard questions. Harder questions are often "trick" based questions, which do not provide any meaningful signal about the candidate's skillset.

Science behind Adaface tests
Reason #6

1 click candidate invites

Email invites: You can send candidates an email invite to the Cognitive Ability Test from your dashboard by entering their email address.

Public link: You can create a public link for each test that you can share with candidates.

API or integrations: You can invite candidates directly from your ATS by using our pre-built integrations with popular ATS systems or building a custom integration with your in-house ATS.

invite candidates
Reason #7

Detailed scorecards & benchmarks

View sample scorecard
Reason #8

High completion rate

Adaface tests are conversational, low-stress, and take just 25-40 mins to complete.

This is why Adaface has the highest test-completion rate (86%), which is more than 2x better than traditional assessments.

test completion rate
Reason #9

Advanced Proctoring


Learn more

About the Cognitive Ability Online Test

Why you should use Pre-employment Cognitive Ability Test?

The Cognitive Ability Test makes use of scenario-based questions to test for on-the-job skills as opposed to theoretical knowledge, ensuring that candidates who do well on this screening test have the relavant skills. The questions are designed to covered following on-the-job aspects:

  • Verbal reasoning and language comprehension
  • Numerical reasoning and data analysis
  • Abstract reasoning and pattern recognition
  • Critical thinking and problem-solving
  • Diagrammatic reasoning and logical analysis
  • Deductive reasoning and logical inference
  • Inductive reasoning and logical generalization
  • Spatial reasoning and mental visualization
  • Creativity and innovative problem-solving
  • Attention to detail and accuracy

Once the test is sent to a candidate, the candidate receives a link in email to take the test. For each candidate, you will receive a detailed report with skills breakdown and benchmarks to shortlist the top candidates from your pool.

What topics are covered in the Cognitive Ability Test?

  • Abstract reasoning

    Abstract reasoning refers to the ability to analyze and solve complex problems using logical thinking and without relying on prior knowledge or concrete facts. This skill is measured in the test to assess the candidate's ability to think conceptually, identify patterns, and make logical connections, which are crucial for problem-solving and decision-making roles.

  • Critical thinking

    Critical thinking involves the systematic analysis and evaluation of arguments, ideas, and information to form objective judgments and make informed decisions. This skill is measured in the test to assess the candidate's ability to identify and understand logical flaws, evaluate the validity of claims, and think critically in complex situations, which is vital in roles that require decision-making and problem-solving.

  • Diagrammatic reasoning

    Diagrammatic reasoning focuses on the ability to interpret and analyze visual information presented in the form of diagrams, charts, and graphs. This skill is measured in the test to assess the candidate's aptitude for understanding complex visual representations, recognizing patterns, and extracting meaningful insights, which is relevant for roles that involve data analysis, graph interpretation, and problem-solving.

  • Deductive reasoning

    Deductive reasoning involves the ability to draw logical conclusions based on given premises or general principles. This skill is measured in the test to evaluate the candidate's capacity to apply logical thinking and derive conclusions from existing information, which is essential for roles that require analytical reasoning, problem-solving, and decision-making.

  • Inductive reasoning

    Inductive reasoning refers to the ability to generalize, make predictions, and draw conclusions based on specific observations or patterns. This skill is measured in the test to assess the candidate's capability to identify underlying patterns, infer relationships between variables, and make informed predictions, which is valuable in roles that involve data analysis, forecasting, and problem-solving.

  • Problem-solving

    Problem-solving encompasses the ability to identify, analyze, and find effective solutions to complex problems or challenges. This skill is measured in the test to evaluate the candidate's capacity to think critically, apply logical reasoning, and employ systematic approaches to solve problems, which is crucial for roles requiring analytical thinking, decision-making, and innovation.

  • Pattern matching

    Pattern matching involves the capability to identify similarities, analogies, and relationships between various elements or entities. This skill is measured in the test to assess the candidate's aptitude for recognizing patterns, making connections, and applying logical reasoning to solve problems, which is significant in roles involving data analysis, problem-solving, and decision-making.

  • Spatial reasoning

    Spatial reasoning refers to the ability to mentally manipulate and understand visual representations of objects and spaces. This skill is measured in the test to evaluate the candidate's capacity for visual thinking, understanding spatial relationships, and solving problems that require mental transformation or visualization, which is important in roles involving architecture, engineering, and creative problem-solving.

  • Creativity

    Creativity involves the generation of novel ideas, solutions, or approaches that are original and valuable. This skill is measured in the test to assess the candidate's ability to think innovatively, adapt to new situations, and provide unique perspectives, which is essential in roles that require problem-solving, innovation, and creative thinking.

  • Full list of covered topics

    The actual topics of the questions in the final test will depend on your job description and requirements. However, here's a list of topics you can expect the questions for Cognitive Ability Test to be based on.

    Sequencing
    Analogies
    Syllogisms
    Data interpretation
    Number series
    Logical puzzles
    Spatial visualization
    Pattern completion
    Visual reasoning
    Language comprehension
    Coding and decoding
    Decision-making
    Logic gates
    Shape manipulation
    Flowchart interpretation
    Word problems
    Critical thinking
    Problem-solving techniques
    Venn diagrams
    Matrix reasoning
    Rules and regulations
    Abstract symbols
    Algorithmic thinking
    Geometric patterns
    Numerical reasoning
    Pattern recognition
    Spatial orientation
    Creativity exercises
    Logical deductions
    Analyzing statements
    Analogical reasoning
    Data analysis
    Cause and effect
    Classifying information
    Graph interpretation
    Formal logic
    Information processing
    Code comprehension
    Sequences and series
    Visual perception
    Comparative analysis
    Diagrammatic reasoning
    Critical analysis
    Coding patterns
    Data sufficiency
    Non-verbal reasoning
    Conceptual reasoning
    Number sequences
    Logical equations
    Problem-solving strategies

What roles can I use the Cognitive Ability Test for?

  • Data Analyst
  • Graduates
  • Freshers
  • Managers
  • System Admin
  • Front-office roles

How is the Cognitive Ability Test customized for senior candidates?

For intermediate/ experienced candidates, we customize the assessment questions to include advanced topics and increase the difficulty level of the questions. This might include adding questions on topics like

  • Information synthesis and data interpretation
  • Analytical thinking and logical reasoning
  • Decision-making and evaluating options
  • Information retrieval and research skills
  • Numerical calculations and mathematical aptitude
  • Logical puzzle solving and logical deductions
  • Logical reasoning and logical deduction
  • Effective communication and comprehension
  • Time management and task prioritization
  • Adaptability and learning agility
  • Attention to detail and error identification
Singapore government logo

The hiring managers felt that through the technical questions that they asked during the panel interviews, they were able to tell which candidates had better scores, and differentiated with those who did not score as well. They are highly satisfied with the quality of candidates shortlisted with the Adaface screening.


85%
reduction in screening time

Cognitive Ability Hiring Test FAQs

What is Cognitive Ability?

Cognitive ability may be defined as a mental capability that involves the ability to plan, solve problems, reason, think abstractly, learn quickly, comprehend complex ideas, and learn from experience.

What type of questions will the Cognitive Ability Online Test include?

The test is designed to enable recruiters and hiring managers to quickly identify which candidates should be invited to an interview.

This test will assess candidates on their fundamentals and depth of Cognitive Ability with questions on:

  • The ability to process verbal and written information and data.
  • The ability to gather information, reach conclusions, and make decisions based on text, data, and symbols.
  • Understanding of basic mathematical concepts such as ratios, proportions, simple interest, and discounts.
  • The ability to use rational thinking.

The questions are designed to test for on-the-job Cognitive Ability skills as opposed to just theoretical concepts. Test the situational and problem-solving ability of your candidates.

Can I combine multiple skills into one custom assessment?

Yes, absolutely. Custom assessments are set up based on your job description, and will include questions on all must-have skills you specify. Here's a quick guide on how you can request a custom test.

Do you have any anti-cheating or proctoring features in place?

We have the following anti-cheating features in place:

  • Non-googleable questions
  • IP proctoring
  • Screen proctoring
  • Web proctoring
  • Webcam proctoring
  • Plagiarism detection
  • Secure browser
  • Copy paste protection

Read more about the proctoring features.

How do I interpret test scores?

The primary thing to keep in mind is that an assessment is an elimination tool, not a selection tool. A skills assessment is optimized to help you eliminate candidates who are not technically qualified for the role, it is not optimized to help you find the best candidate for the role. So the ideal way to use an assessment is to decide a threshold score (typically 55%, we help you benchmark) and invite all candidates who score above the threshold for the next rounds of interview.

What experience level can I use this test for?

Each Adaface assessment is customized to your job description/ ideal candidate persona (our subject matter experts will pick the right questions for your assessment from our library of 10000+ questions). This assessment can be customized for any experience level.

Does every candidate get the same questions?

Yes, it makes it much easier for you to compare candidates. Options for MCQ questions and the order of questions are randomized. We have anti-cheating/ proctoring features in place. In our enterprise plan, we also have the option to create multiple versions of the same assessment with questions of similar difficulty levels.

I'm a candidate. Can I try a practice test?

No. Unfortunately, we do not support practice tests at the moment. However, you can use our sample questions for practice.

What is the cost of using this test?

You can check out our pricing plans.

Can I get a free trial?

Yes, you can sign up for free and preview this test.

I just moved to a paid plan. How can I request a custom assessment?

Here is a quick guide on how to request a custom assessment on Adaface.

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