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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

TestWhat lands on the recruiter's screenSource
CCATRaw 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 jobCriteria Score Report Guide
Wonderlic SelectA job-specific result that combines cognitive ability, motivation and personality; no single cognitive numberWonderlic candidate FAQ
PI Cognitive AssessmentA scaled score from 100 to 450, a percentile for context, and a match rating from 0 to 10 against the target score for the jobPI 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.

You can always ask. A short, neutral message is fine: "Thank you for the opportunity to complete the assessment. If you are able to share my result or any feedback, I would appreciate it." Some recruiters will tell you the score, some will say whether you met the bar, and some will say they cannot. None of those answers hurts your application.

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:

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 test

Retakes

On all three tests, a retake is the employer's decision, not the publisher's.

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

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

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