The Vertafore Assessment Test
Last updated: September 2026
Vertafore's hiring process includes two pre-employment assessments: an untimed personality profile and the CCAT — 50 questions in 15 minutes — delivered through the HireBridge platform. We confirmed this first-hand from a Vertafore assessment invitation. Total time is about 30 minutes, there's a hard deadline to complete it, and you get one attempt: once you start, you can't restart or stop.
Why Vertafore uses a cognitive test
Vertafore builds software for insurance agencies, brokerages, and carriers — work that demands quick problem-solving across systems, data, and customer questions. Like many large employers, it screens candidates with a standardized cognitive assessment so every applicant gets measured the same way, before anyone talks to a hiring manager. Whether you love or loathe that approach, it means your CCAT score is a real gate. Treat the test as its own skill and train it.
What the Vertafore assessment actually says
This page is grounded in a real Vertafore invitation email (January 2020, via HireBridge). Formats can change, so always check your own invitation — but here's what candidates have actually received:
- Two assessments, ~30 minutes total. The personality profile comes first (untimed, no right or wrong answers), then the cognitive section.
- The CCAT: 50 questions, 15 minutes. The invitation itself does the math for you: 18 seconds per question, "try not to get stuck on any one question."
- A completion deadline. The example invitation required finishing within 3 days of the invite.
- One shot, no breaks. "Once you begin the assessment, it cannot be restarted or stopped. You cannot skip questions."
- Pen and paper yes, calculator no. "You are NOT permitted to use calculators or any other problem-solving device."
The personality profile is not a throwaway
It's untimed and scored without right answers, which tricks people into treating it casually. Don't. Consistency matters: personality assessments flag candidates whose answers contradict each other. Answer honestly and steadily rather than performing what you think an insurance software company wants — a confident, consistent "you" beats a performed "ideal hire" that falls apart halfway through.
How to prepare for the CCAT portion
The invitation's own advice is good: guess on everything (a wrong answer scores the same as a blank), and use the answer choices — ruling out unreasonable options is a legitimate solving strategy. Add these:
- Train the clock, not just the content. 18 seconds per question means most people don't finish. Practice full 50-question sets under a real 15-minute timer before test day.
- Bank easy points early. The question mix (verbal, numerical, spatial) is randomized. If a numeric word problem looks slow, mark your best guess and move — attention-to-detail-speed questions are waiting later.
- Relearn mental math. No calculator means percentages, ratios, and number series run on scratch paper and intuition. Speed comes from practice, not talent.
- Decide your skip rule in advance. A good default: if you're not committed within ~20 seconds, guess and go.
You can practice with a free 5-question sample here on TestPrep.me, or run full timed simulations that mirror the 50-question format.
What happens after you submit
Expect silence for a while. In the example we saw, the results confirmation arrived two days after completion — but it contained no score, just an acknowledgment that results were received and the hiring manager was reviewing. Vertafore does not share CCAT scores with candidates, so don't wait on a number: the next step is whatever the recruiting team sends.
Frequently asked questions
Does Vertafore use the CCAT?
Yes — a cognitive aptitude assessment with the CCAT's 50-question / 15-minute format, administered through HireBridge alongside a personality profile.
Is the Vertafore assessment proctored?
The invitation we saw didn't mention recording or proctoring, but rules can vary by role. Assume a quiet, solo, one-sitting environment either way — the no-restart rule makes interruptions costly.
Can I retake it if it goes badly?
Don't count on it. The invitation states the assessment cannot be restarted or stopped, and re-tests are at the employer's discretion. Prepare before you click start.
How hard is the CCAT for Vertafore?
The difficulty is the pace, not the questions. Individually the items are around middle-school to early-college level; stacked into 18-second slices, they punish hesitation. Timed practice closes that gap faster than anything else.
Preparing for a different employer? Criteria's formats are standardized across companies — start with the free practice test or read what your score means. See also the Shopify guide and the Crossover CCAT guide.