How to Pass the Wonderlic test

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Whether it be for employment or for college admission, the Wonderlic Test is seen by many as an annoying hurdle to pass, with so many questions you have to answer within such a small amount of time.

With only 12 minutes at your disposal to answer 50 questions from a number of subjects ranging from reading comprehension to mind-boggling inductive reasoning and sequence analysis, it is not uncommon even for the brightest of individuals to panic and get a low score.

Fortunately, we have uncovered a number of tips on how to pass the Wonderlic Test based on how it works and how it is designed.

1. Be Familiar with the subjects contained within it

One of the most common reasons people fail the Wonderlic Test is because they didn’t know what to expect of it or merely assumed that it was just some run-of-the-mill IQ test.

While this is true to some extent, there is more to the assessment than just reading comprehension and arithmetics.

In general, people should also sharpen their logical reasoning, data/statistical analysis, and even general knowledge skills, because questions revolving around those subjects are always included in every version of the test.

A good way to do this is to take a jab at a Wonderlic practice test, either online or on paper.

2. You do not need to answer every question

If you ever have to take a Wonderlic Test, know this very simple rule: there WILL be questions that are intentionally designed to make you waste time or fail.

This will come in the form of paragraph-long questions or questions that require you to solve for multiple variables or figures.

Remember, you only have 12 minutes to go through the 50 questions in the Wonderlic test, which means  you can only spare approximately 14 seconds for each question.

No matter how simple or complex the questions are, they will only give you one point each, and focusing on the ones that you are sure to answer correctly will allow you to secure a good enough base score that you can then increase later on if you still have time left.

So lingering for too long in a single item can prevent you from answering questions where you are more likely to answer correctly within a few seconds.

3. Answer as many questions as you can, but…

This may seem like a contradiction considering the previous tip, but in the Wonderlic Test, every point counts.

That is to say, if you think that a question is too tough or a time trap of sorts, the best way to go about this is to make an educated guess.

Even if you are not sure, by answering every question you encounter in the Wonderlic, you still have a chance of getting it right, thereby allowing you to get a higher score compared to just leaving it blank by the end of the test.

This tip is frequently mentioned in every Wonderlic practice test due to the fact that merely making an educated guess can mean passing or failing.

4. Focus on the subjects that you are most comfortable with

One of the main reasons why test-takers run out of time is because they feel the need to get every question right.

However, once again, the main obstacle of the Wonderlic Test is its strict time limit, and it would be more economical for you to temporarily skip questions that you have trouble with in favor of those that are easier for you to answer.

So if you’re better with numbers, do those first before doing the logical reasoning or reading comprehension subjects and vice-versa

5. Practice, practice, practice!

At the end of the day, the Wonderlic Test is a test like any other, and this means that if you feel the need for it, then making good use of online resources, especially those that offer some kind of Wonderlic Practice Test, may help you tremendously.

By making yourself familiar with the ins and outs of the test through any Wonderlic practice test that you can get your hands on, you can prepare yourself to the best of your abilities and ace the assessment with relative ease.

Once you’ve done this, then the only thing left to do is to take the Wonderlic and get ready for success.


Interesting related article: “Things to consider when job hunting.”