The EAB CCAT Test
Last updated: September 2026
EAB uses the CCAT — 50 questions in 15 minutes — as an early hiring screen. Candidate reports place the bar around the 70th percentile for many roles. The pacing is the test: ~18 seconds per question, guessing is free, and there is no going back.
Why EAB uses the CCAT
EAB advises hundreds of colleges and universities on enrollment, student success, and operations — data-heavy consulting at education scale. Vista Equity acquired it in 2021, and candidate reports describe the CCAT screening both full-time analyst tracks and the competitive summer internship program.
What the test looks like
- 50 questions, 15 minutes — about 18 seconds per question, and almost nobody finishes all 50
- Verbal: synonyms, sentence logic, true/false statement analysis
- Numerical: word problems, number series, ratios, averages — no calculator
- Spatial: figure series, matrices, pattern recognition under rotation
- Guessing is free (wrong scores the same as blank) and there is no going back once you advance
The internship angle
For internships, the CCAT often carries extra weight: with no work history to compare, a percentile against a professional norm group is the whole signal. Internship candidates report earlier deadlines too — apply-and-prepare in the same week is a common pattern. Train before you submit, not after.
Roles that report the EAB CCAT
- Summer internship program candidates
- eBusiness Analyst
- eCommerce Consultant, Content Writer, and Store Manager tracks
How to prepare
- Train at full pace. Run complete 50-question sets against a real 15-minute clock — calibration is the entire game.
- Drill mental math. Averages (use the deltas-to-target trick), ratios, and number series without a calculator.
- Learn the spatial pattern families. Figure series rotate, add, and step by increasing amounts — recognizing the family is most of the answer.
- Set a skip rule. Not committed in ~20 seconds? Guess and move. Stuck time is the score killer.
- Never leave a blank. Wrong answers score the same as unanswered ones.
Practice with a free 5-question sample here on TestPrep.me, or run full timed simulations that mirror the 50-question format.
Frequently asked questions
Does EAB use the CCAT?
Yes — based on candidate reports, EAB uses Criteria's CCAT as an early screen. Formats can change, so confirm the details from your own invitation.
What roles does EAB screen with the CCAT?
The summer internship program plus analyst-track roles — candidate reports name eBusiness Analyst, eCommerce Consultant, eCommerce Content Writer, and eCommerce Store Manager.
What score do I need to pass?
EAB doesn't publish a cutoff. Candidate reports for Vista Equity portfolio companies suggest a bar around the 70th percentile — roughly the low 30s out of 50 — with product and strategy roles trending toward the 80th.
Can I retake it?
Retakes are employer-controlled and typically 6–12 months out. Prepare before you start — a retake is not a real strategy.
Preparing for a different employer? See the full list of companies using the CCAT, or our guides for Crossover, Shopify, Vertafore, Finastra, TIBCO, and PowerSchool.