What happens after you submit the test
You clicked submit, or the clock did it for you. The employer has your result within seconds. You, most likely, have nothing. Here is what they see, what you can ask for, and what comes next.
Updated October 13, 2026 · by TimedPrep
What the employer sees
| Test | What lands on the recruiter's screen | Source |
|---|---|---|
| CCAT | Raw score out of 50, overall percentile, a percentile for spatial reasoning, verbal ability, and math and logic, and whether the score is within, above or below the suggested range for the job | Criteria Score Report Guide |
| Wonderlic Select | A job-specific result that combines cognitive ability, motivation and personality; no single cognitive number | Wonderlic candidate FAQ |
| PI Cognitive Assessment | A scaled score from 100 to 450, a percentile for context, and a match rating from 0 to 10 against the target score for the job | PI Administrator's Guide |
All three are available to the employer immediately. Wonderlic says so in its FAQ; Criteria's product sheet says employers can view score reports as soon as candidates finish.
The recruiter does not see which individual questions you got wrong, how long you took on each, or what you scribbled. The CCAT report can carry one extra flag: if someone moves through the test very fast with no errors, Criteria's system may label the result invalid on the assumption that the person had seen that version before.
What you see
CCAT
Nothing from Criteria. Its candidate FAQ says results are emailed directly to the company you applied to, that Criteria Support cannot access them, and that questions about your status go to the hiring company. Results are also not carried over: if a second employer asks for the CCAT, you take it again.
Wonderlic Select
Wonderlic says the only result available to candidates is the Candidate Feedback Report, reached through a link shown when the assessment ends. It describes your tendencies and interests in words; numerical cognitive scores are not provided. If you were not shown a link, no report is available. Employers are generally not required to share results.
PI Cognitive Assessment
The employer decides. The publisher's guide tells employers to let candidates know before the test whether they will have access to their results. If your invitation did not say, you can ask.
How the result is used
Rarely on its own. The publishers say so to their customers in writing. The Predictive Index's scoring page says the cognitive score is "not intended as the sole determining factor in the hiring process" and should be used together with experience, education and the behavioral result. Wonderlic combines three sections into one job-fit result. Criteria gives employers suggested ranges and lets them set their own.
In practice employers use the result in one of three ways:
- As a screen. Candidates below the employer's range are not invited further. This is most common when the test is sent before any interview and the applicant pool is large.
- As a ranking aid. Everyone who clears a floor goes on, and the score is one column in a comparison with your resume and interviews.
- As interview material. Most often with the personality part: if your profile differs from the target on one point, expect a question about it. See the personality section.
You usually cannot tell which of the three your employer does. Assume the test matters, do your best on it, and then prepare for the interview as if you passed.
Free full-length timed tests, no sign-up. Pick the one you were invited to.
WonderlicCCATPI Cognitive AssessmentNot sure: general testRetakes
On all three tests, a retake is the employer's decision, not the publisher's.
- CCAT. Criteria's candidate pages set no retake policy; its support team handles technical problems and sends everything else to the hiring company. Employers publish their own rules. One example: Crossover states in its CCAT FAQ that it allows one attempt per email address in six months. Others add a second, supervised sitting later in the process for the people they intend to hire.
- Wonderlic. Wonderlic does not send or resend invitations; hiring organizations do. To ask for another attempt or a new link, contact the employer.
- PI. The Administrator's Guide leaves the policy to the employer but gives guidance: nobody should take the test more than three times, the highest score should be used, and whatever is offered to one candidate should be offered to all. It names two situations where a retest is warranted even at companies that normally allow one attempt: a technical problem such as an internet disconnection, and a serious unforeseen distraction such as a fire alarm.
So if something went wrong that was not your doing, say so quickly and factually: what happened, at what time, on which question if you know. Do it the same day. See the freeze section of the test-day checklist for what to note down.
If nothing went wrong and you simply think you could do better, you can still ask, once and politely. Expect "no" more often than "yes"; the publisher of the PI test says outright that retesting one candidate just because they were disappointed with the score is not fair unless everyone gets the chance.
How long until you hear something
Scoring is instant, so the wait is all on the employer's side: how often the recruiter reviews results, whether the hiring manager is traveling, how many other candidates are still inside their test window. Wonderlic links generally stay active for up to 14 days, and Criteria says the expiry date of a link is set by the employer. An employer who gave every candidate a week may not look at anyone until the week is over.
A reasonable approach: if the invitation gave no timeline, wait five working days, then send one short note confirming that you completed the assessment and asking about next steps. Silence is not a verdict.
While you wait
- Write down what you remember about the format: which question types slowed you, where you were when time ran out. If another employer sends you the same test, and these tests are widely used, you will have real notes.
- Prepare for the interview. Be ready for one question about how you work under time pressure; you have just had a fresh example.
- If more applications are open, keep your speed up. The next invitation may be a different test with a different guessing rule; here is how the three compare.
And if you want to know the number the employer would not give you, a timed practice test in the same format is the closest you can get. On TimedPrep the first full test for each exam is free, with no sign-up, and the result shows your score, an estimated percentile, and where the time went.
Free full-length timed tests, no sign-up. Pick the one you were invited to.
WonderlicCCATPI Cognitive AssessmentNot sure: general test