Small Business Glossary and Definitions

Cognitive ability testing judges thinking skills such as problem solving, mathematical and verbal ability, memory, perception and reasoning. These tests present questions intended to gauge job applicants’ potential for using such mental processes to resolve work-related issues or to obtain new job skills or knowledge.

The test usually is said to measure intelligence or “general mental ability.” Yet it also includes items that measure specific mental abilities, such as spatial relations, number series completion, reading comprehension, verbal analogies and arithmetic computations.

Test item formats range from sentence completion to multiple choice to true-false to short answer. Many tests are available commercially unless there is an overwhelming need to develop one specifically for the company.