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Wonderlic sample questions with answers: one of every type

Every question type on the Wonderlic in 17 practice questions, each with the answer and a short explanation. Tap an answer to check yourself.

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Written by TimedPrep in the format of the Wonderlic. These are practice questions, not questions from the real test.

Verbal

Analogies

Turn the first pair into a short sentence ("an author writes a novel") and drop the third word into the same sentence.

Sample · Analogies · by TimedPrep

HEEL is to SHOE as BRIM is to ___

  1. hat
  2. scarf
  3. sun
  4. head
  5. wear

Answer: A. A heel is a part of a shoe; a brim is a part of a hat. Fast method: turn the first pair into a short sentence, then drop the third word into the same sentence and test each option.

Antonyms (opposites)

Think of your own opposite before you read the choices. One choice usually means the same as the word: that is the trap.

Sample · Antonyms · by TimedPrep

Choose the word that is most nearly OPPOSITE in meaning to: TIMID

  1. quiet
  2. gentle
  3. fearful
  4. bold
  5. shy

Answer: D. Timid means easily frightened and lacking courage, so its opposite is "bold". Watch for options that mean the SAME as the word: they are the usual trap. Fast method: think of your own opposite before reading the options, then find the closest match.

Word pairs (similar, opposite or neither)

Ask "opposites?", then "same?". A pair that only looks or sounds alike is usually "neither".

Sample · Word pairs · by TimedPrep

The words MORAL and MORALE have:

  1. Similar meanings
  2. Opposite meanings
  3. Neither similar nor opposite meanings

Answer: C. Moral concerns right and wrong; morale is the level of spirit in a group. They only look alike. Fast method: decide in this order: are they opposites, are they the same, or do they only look or sound alike?

Pick three similar words

Find the two words you are surest of, name what they share, then test the other three against that meaning. All three picks must be right.

Sample · Pick three similar words · by TimedPrep

Three of the following words have similar meanings. Which three?

  1. irate
  2. sad
  3. angry
  4. furious
  5. calm

Answer: A, C, D. Angry, furious and irate all describe strong displeasure. The other two do not fit: "calm" and "sad". Fast method: find the two words you are surest of, name what they share, then test the remaining three words against that meaning.

Sentence completion

Read the whole sentence and say the missing word in your head first. Words like "although" and "because" tell you which way the sentence turns.

Sample · Sentence completion · by TimedPrep

Choose the word or words that best complete the sentence. The memo was ___ worded on purpose, leaving managers free to apply it as they saw fit.

  1. loosely
  2. legally
  3. precisely
  4. harshly
  5. strictly

Answer: A. Freedom to apply it as they see fit comes from wording that is not tight. Fast method: find the signal word (because, although, but, so) and predict the missing word before looking at the options.

Sentence ordering

Start from the capitalized word and find the verb. You only need the word that ends the sentence, not the whole sentence written out.

Sample · Sentence ordering · by TimedPrep

The words below can be arranged into one complete sentence. The first word of the sentence keeps its capital letter. Which word comes LAST in the sentence? Friday / on / The / is / due / report

  1. on
  2. report
  3. is
  4. due
  5. Friday

Answer: E. The sentence is: "The report is due on Friday." Fast method: start from the capitalized word, find the verb, and let the rest fall into place; you only need the ending, not a perfect read-through.

Sayings

Say what the saying means in plain words before you read the choices, then pick the statement with the same meaning, not the same words.

Sample · Sayings · by TimedPrep

Which statement is closest in meaning to this saying? "Let sleeping dogs lie."

  1. Rest is as important as hard work.
  2. Do not stir up an old problem that is currently causing no trouble.
  3. Bring up old disputes again so they can finally be settled.
  4. Be wary of people who seem calm and harmless.
  5. Pets should not be disturbed while they are resting.

Answer: B. A dog that is asleep bothers nobody; waking it invites trouble. Fast method: say the lesson in your own plain words first, then drop any option that only repeats the picture in the saying (the literal reading).

Math

Word problems

Round first and look at how far apart the choices are. Calculate exactly only when two choices are close.

Sample · Word problems · by TimedPrep

How many minutes does it take to drive 45 miles at a steady 30 miles per hour?

  1. 85
  2. 90
  3. 95
  4. 100
  5. 105

Answer: B. Time = 45 ÷ 30 = 1.5 hours = 90 minutes. Fast method: at 30 mph you cover 1 mile every 2 minutes; multiply by 45.

Number series

Check the differences between neighbors first. If the numbers jump up and down, read every other number: two series woven together.

Sample · Number series · by TimedPrep

What number comes next in the series? 1, 5, 25, 125, ?

  1. 624
  2. 625
  3. 626
  4. 627
  5. 750

Answer: B. Each number is multiplied by 5. 125 × 5 = 625. Fast method: when the gaps keep growing, test a ratio (second ÷ first) before anything else.

Dates: which is latest

Compare the years first and cross out the losers, then the months, then the days. Dates are written month/day/year.

Sample · Number comparison · by TimedPrep

Which of these dates is the latest?

  1. Feb 24, 1999
  2. May 25, 1998
  3. Jan 22, 1999
  4. Dec 20, 1998
  5. Apr 18, 1998

Answer: A. Compare years first: the latest year is 1999, shared by 2 options, so compare months, then days. Answer: Feb 24, 1999. Fast method: scan only the years, cross out the losers, and read month and day just for what is left.

Which value is largest

Put every choice into the same form before you compare: all decimals, or all fractions over one easy base.

Sample · Number comparison · by TimedPrep

Which of these values is the largest?

  1. 3/4
  2. 1/12
  3. 2/3
  4. 5/12
  5. 3/8

Answer: A. Turn everything into decimals: 3/4 = 0.75, 1/12 = 0.083, 2/3 = 0.667, 5/12 = 0.417, 3/8 = 0.375. The largest is 3/4. Fast method: compare each value with 1/2 first to throw out most options, then convert only the survivors.

Graphs: match the numbers

Do not read values. Find where the highest and lowest numbers sit in the list and drop every graph with its peak or low point elsewhere.

Sample · Graphs and tables · by TimedPrep

A machine produced 20, 60, 20, 50 and 40 parts in five hours in a row. Which graph shows this output? (The graphs have no numbers: match the shape.)

    Answer: B. The graphs have no numbers, so compare shapes: the highest point must be point 2 and the lowest point 1 (ties count), and equal numbers must sit at equal heights. Fast method: find where the peak and the low point fall in the list, and discard every graph that has them somewhere else.

    Logic

    Logic statements (true / false / cannot tell)

    Accept the statements as true, even if they sound odd, and sketch them. If you can draw the situation two ways, the answer is "cannot tell".

    Sample · Logic statements · by TimedPrep

    Assume the first two statements are true. All employees with a locker are forklift operators. No forklift operators are union members. No employees with a locker are union members. The third statement is:

    1. True
    2. False
    3. Uncertain

    Answer: A. Call the groups A = employees with a locker, B = forklift operators, C = union members. Every A is a B, and nothing in B is a C, so no A can be a C. The third statement is true. Fast method: draw quick circles for the groups; only 'all' and 'no' statements pin a circle in place.

    Detail and shapes

    Attention to detail

    Compare in chunks of three or four characters, not the whole line at a glance.

    Sample · Attention to detail · by TimedPrep

    How many of the five pairs below are exactly the same? $145,419.82 | $145,419.85 $715,938.42 | $715,930.42 $59,501.96 | $59,501.96 $673,946.93 | $673,946.43 $290,743.62 | $270,743.62

    1. 1
    2. 2
    3. 3
    4. 4
    5. 5

    Answer: A. 1 pair is identical. Different: row 1: $145,419.82 vs $145,419.85; row 2: $715,938.42 vs $715,930.42; row 4: $673,946.93 vs $673,946.43; row 5: $290,743.62 vs $270,743.62. Fast method: compare in chunks of 3-4 characters from the right-hand end, where swapped digits and letters usually hide.

    Shape assembly

    Eliminate first: a piece that is dark where the pattern is empty cannot be part of the answer.

    Sample · Shape assembly · by TimedPrep

    Three of the five numbered pieces were stacked, without turning them, to make the figure labeled Pattern. Blank squares are empty; the others are gray or solid. Where pieces overlap, their colors match. Which three were used?

    1. 1, 3 and 5
    2. 2, 3 and 4
    3. 2, 3 and 5
    4. 2, 4 and 5
    5. 3, 4 and 5

    Answer: B. Two pieces cannot be part of the pattern: piece 5 has a gray square at the center where the pattern is solid; piece 1 has a gray square at the bottom-middle where the pattern is solid. The other three, pieces 2, 3 and 4, match the pattern everywhere and together cover all nine squares. Fast method: compare each piece with the pattern square by square and throw out any piece with a wrong-colored square.

    Odd one out

    Compare the figures two at a time and name what they share. The odd one breaks that rule; look for turns, mirror images and counts.

    Sample · Odd one out · by TimedPrep

    Which figure does not belong with the other four?

      Answer: A. Four figures share the same number of shapes; the odd one differs in number of shapes. The other differences are shared by at least two figures, so they do not single anything out. Fast method: test one feature at a time (shape, shading, count, size) and look for a 4-to-1 split.

      Figure series

      Follow one element across the frames (a dot, an arrow, a shading), cross out the choices that get it wrong, then check a second element.

      Sample · Figure series · by TimedPrep

      Which figure comes next in the series?

        Answer: A. The arrow turns 45° clockwise each step, and the dot moves three positions counterclockwise each step. Fast method: follow ONE element across the frames, eliminate the options that get it wrong, then check the second element.

        Now try them against the clock

        On the real test you get 14.4 seconds a question, with the types mixed together. Knowing the method is half of it; the other half is the pace.

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        Common questions

        Are these real Wonderlic questions?

        No. They are practice questions written by us in the Wonderlic format: the same question types and the same number of answer choices. The questions on your test come from the publisher's own bank, which is not public.

        How many questions are on the Wonderlic and how long is it?

        50 questions in 12 minutes, about 14.4 seconds a question. Most people do not reach the end, so pace matters as much as method.

        How do I practice these against the clock?

        Take the free Wonderlic practice test: 50 questions on a 12-minute clock, no sign-up. When the clock stops you see your score and which question types cost you the most time.