CCAT vs PI Cognitive
Last updated: October 2026
Same 50-question shape, different clock and scoring. The PI Cognitive Assessment (Predictive Index) gives 12 minutes for 50 questions - about 14 seconds each - and reports both a raw score and a 100-450 scale score. Criteria's CCAT gives 15 minutes (about 18 seconds each) and reports a percentile against a working-adult norm. Preparation for the two overlaps almost completely.
Side by side
| CCAT (Criteria) | PI Cognitive (Predictive Index) | |
|---|---|---|
| Publisher | Criteria Corp | Predictive Index |
| Questions | 50 multiple-choice | 50 multiple-choice |
| Time limit | 15 minutes | 12 minutes |
| Seconds per question | ~18 | ~14 |
| Categories | Verbal, numerical, spatial | Verbal, logical, figural, numerical |
| Wrong answers | No penalty; guessing is free | No penalty; guessing is free |
| Scoring | Raw count + percentile (norm mean ~24/50) | Raw 0-50 and a 100-450 scale |
| Cutoffs | Employer percentile cutoffs (commonly 50th-70th) | Employer target score per role |
| Where you meet it | PE-backed software, fintech, healthtech | Broad industrial, retail, and service employers |
Why candidates confuse them
Both are hour-crunched general-aptitude screens taken on an assessment platform, both are calibrated so almost nobody finishes, and both punish the same sin: stopping to think when you should be abandoning. If you prep for one, you have prepped for the other, minus three to four seconds per question that the PI's tighter clock takes from you.
What transfers between them
- Mental math - ratios, averages, number series are the big blocks in both.
- Pattern recognition - rotation rules and stepwise series repeat across both test banks.
- Triage - cap any question at 30 seconds, guess the rest, never leave a blank: the winning habit is identical.
Which one are you taking?
Check the invite before you prep. Criteria screens link to criteriacorp.com or ondemandassessment.com; Predictive Index runs its own platform. A PI invite also often includes a behavioral assessment - a personality profile, nothing to study - used to build an employment profile alongside the cognitive score.
TestPrep.me is independent and not affiliated with Criteria Corp or Predictive Index. Taking the CCAT? Start with the free practice test.
Frequently asked questions
Is the PI Cognitive Assessment the same as the CCAT?
No. Different publishers (Predictive Index and Criteria Corp), but matching shapes: both are 50-question multiple-choice cognitive screens taken online during hiring. The PI gives 12 minutes against the CCAT's 15.
What is on the PI Cognitive Assessment?
Four areas: verbal, logical, numerical, and figural questions - 50 in 12 minutes, about 14 seconds per question. Scores are reported raw out of 50 and on a 100-450 scale, and employers set a target score per role.
Which test is harder, CCAT or PI?
The PI's clock is tighter: 50 questions in 12 minutes is about 14 seconds each, against the CCAT's roughly 18. Neither is content-harder - both stay near school level - so the practical difference is how fast you must triage.
Does preparing for the CCAT help on the PI?
Mostly yes. Both reward fast mental math, pattern recognition, and ruthless triage under a clock, and timed full-length practice in either format transfers to the other.