The Wonderlic Personnel Test is a short form test of general cognitive ability and has been used worldwide since 1937. Cognitive ability is often referred to as general intelligence and is used to describe the level at which an individual learns, understands instructions and solves problems.

Here are some tips on preparing for the test

 Review basic math skills such as the use of fractions and decimals; algebra and basic math problems

• Review vocabulary skills and logic
• Practice taking tests, under timed conditions, to become more accustomed to time pressures.
• Determine the exact location, date, and time of the test.

The Wonderlic Personnel Test contains 50 questions that increase in difficulty and must be completed within 12 minutes. It contains various types of questions that must be completed without the aid of a calculator or other problem-solving device. The questions include word comparisons, disarranged sentences, sentence parallelism, following directions, number comparisons, number series, story problems requiring either mathematics or logic solutions. Here are 75 samples questions:

1. A physical education class has three times as many girls as boys. During a class basketball game, the girls average 18 points each and the class as a whole averages 17 points per person. How many points does each boy score on average?

2. Randolph has 8 ties, 6 pairs of pants, and 4 dress shirts. How many days could he possibly go without wearing the same combination of these three items?

3. John is a mechanic. He makes $8.50 an hour, plus $3 extra for every oil change he performs. Last week he worked 36 hours and performed 17 oil changes. How much money did he make?

4. A box of staples has a length of 6 cm, a width of 7 cm, and a volume of 378 cm cubed. What is the height of the box?

5. What is the average of all of the integers from 13 to 37?

6. A basketball player averaged 20 points a game over the course of six games. His scores in five of those games were 23, 18, 16, 24, and 27. How many points did he score in the sixth game?

7. Arnold is about to go on a 500-mile car trip. His mechanic recommends that he buy a special highway engine oil that will save him 50 cents in gas for every 25 miles of the trip. This new oil, however, will cost $20. Is it worthwhile for Arnold to buy the oil if he has a coupon for $4 dollars off the price?

8 If three inches of rope cost 7 cents, how much would 2 feet of rope cost?

9. What is the next number in the sequence: 5, 10, 20, 40,...?

10 What is the next number in the sequence: 3, 8, 18, 38...?

11. What is the next number in the sequence: 5, 9, 17,33,...?

12. What is the next number in the sequence: 9, 3, 1, 1/3,...?

13. What is the next number in the sequence: 24, 12, 6, 3...?

14. Which of the following numbers represents the greatest amount: 6, 6.0, 0.600, 60?

15. Which of the following numbers represents the smallest amount: 0.400, 0.04, 4.0, 40?

16. Which of the following numbers represents the smallest amount: 3.26, 0.54, 89.00,0.09?

17. Which of the following numbers represents the smallest amount: 3899, 629, 89001, 9867?

18. CREDIT CREDENCE these words:

A: Have similar meanings.

B: Have opposite meanings.

C: Have neither similar nor opposite meanings.

19. VINTAGE NOVELTY these words:

A: Have similar meanings.

B: Have opposite meanings.

C: Have neither similar nor opposite meanings.

20. ASPIRE SPIRE these words:

A: Have similar meanings.

B: Have opposite meanings.

C: Have neither similar nor opposite meanings

21. PRODUCE REDUCE these words:

A: Have similar meanings.

B: Have opposite meanings.

C: Have neither similar nor opposite meanings.

22. ABSTAIN RETAIN these words:

A: Have similar meanings.

B: Have opposite meanings.

C: Have neither similar nor opposite meanings.

23. CONVERT INVERT these words:

A: Have similar meanings.

B: Have opposite meanings.

C: Have neither similar nor opposite meanings.

24. RESUME ASSUME these words:

A: Have similar meanings.

B: Have opposite meanings.

C: Have neither similar nor opposite meanings.

25. SIEGE BESIEGE these words:

A: Have similar meanings.

B: Have opposite meanings.

C: Have neither similar nor opposite meanings.

26. PUNISH SKIRMISH these words:

A: Have similar meanings.

B: Have opposite meanings.

C: Have neither similar nor opposite meanings.

27. CANDOR CONDOR these words:

A: Have similar meanings.

B: Have opposite meanings.

C: Have neither similar nor opposite meanings.

28. When rope is selling at $.10 a foot, how many feet can you buy for sixty cents?

29. Assume the first 2 statements are true. Is the final one:

1. True 2. False 3. Not certain

The boy plays baseball.

All baseball players wear hats.

The boy wears a hat.

30. Paper sells for 21 cents per pad. What will 4 pads cost?

31. How many of the five pairs of items listed below are exact duplicates?

Nieman, K.M.Neiman, K.M.

Thomas, G.K.Thomas, C.K.

Hoff, J.P.Hoff, J.P.

Pino, L.R.Pina, L.R.

Warner, T.S.Wanner, T.S.

32. RESENT RESERVE-Do these words

Have similar meanings

Have contradictory meanings

Mean neither the same nor opposite?

33. Look at the row of numbers below. What number should come next?

8, 4,2 ,1 ,½ ,¼ ,?

34. Assume the first two statements are true. Is the final one:

1. true, 2. false, 3. not certain?

The boy plays baseball. All baseball players wear hats. The boy wears a hat.

35. Paper sells for 21 cents per pad. What will four pads cost?

36. How many of the five pairs of items listed below are exact duplicates?

Nieman, K.M. Neiman, K.M.

Thomas, G.K. Thomas, C.K.

Hoff, J.P. Hoff, J.P.

Pino, L.R. Pina, L.R.

Warner, T.S. Wanner, T.S.

37. RESENT RESERVE

Do these words

1. have similar meanings, 2. have contradictory meanings, 3. mean neither the same nor opposite?

38. One of the numbered figures in the following drawing is most different from the others. What is the number in that figure?

39. A train travels 20 feet in 1/5 second. At this same speed, how many feet will it travel in three seconds?

40. When rope is selling at $.10 a foot, how many feet can you buy for sixty cents?

41. The ninth month of the year is

1. October, 2. January, 3. June, 4. September, 5 May.

42. Which number in the following group of numbers represents the smallest amount?

7 ,.8,31 ,.33 ,2

43. In printing an article of 48,000 words, a printer decides to use two sizes of type. Using the larger type, a printed page contains 1,800 words. Using smaller type, a page contains 2,400 words. The article is allotted 21 full pages in a magazine. How many pages must be in smaller type?

44. The hours of daylight and darkness in SEPTEMBER are nearest equal to the hours of daylight and darkness in:

1. June, 2. March, 3. May, 4. November.

45. Three individuals form a partnership and agree to divide the profits equally. X invests $9,000, Y invests $7,000, Z invests $4,000. If the profits are $4,800, how much less does X receive than if the profits were divided in proportion to the amount invested?

46. Assume the first two statements are true. Is the final one:

1. true, 2. false, 3. not certain?

Tom greeted Beth. Beth greeted Dawn. Tom did not greet Dawn.

47. A boy is 17 years old and his sister is twice as old. When the boy is 23 years old, what will be the age of his sister?

48. Round 907.457 to the nearest tens place.

A. 908.0 ,B. 910 ,C. 907.5 ,D. 900 ,E. 907.46

49. At a certain high school, the respective weights for the following subjects are:

Mathematics 3, English 3, History 2, Science 2 and Art 1.

What is a student's average whose marks were the following: Geometry 89, American Literature 92, American History 94, Biology 81, and Sculpture 85?

A. 85.7 ,B. 87.8 ,C. 88.9 ,D. 89.4 ,E. 90.2

50. Ginger over the course of an average work-week wanted to see how much she spent on lunch daily. On Monday and Thursday, she spent $5.43 total. On Tuesday and Wednesday, she spent $3.54 on each day. On Friday, she spent $7.89 on lunch. What was her average daily cost?

A. $3.19 ,B. $3.75 ,C. $3.90 ,D. $4.08 ,E. $4.23

51. What is 1230.932567 rounded to the nearest hundredths place?

A. 1200 ,B. 1230.9326 ,C. 1230.93 ,D. 1230 ,E. 1230.933

52. Subtract the following numbers rounded to the nearest tenths place.

134.679 ,-45.548 ,-67.8807

A. 21.3 ,B. 21.25 ,C. -58.97 ,D. -59.0 ,E. 1

53. What is the absolute value of -9?

A. -9 ,B. 9 ,C. 0 ,D. -1 ,E. 1

54. What is the median of the following list of numbers? 4, 5, 7, 9, 10, 12

A. 6 ,B. 7.5 ,C. 7.8 ,D. 8,E. 9

55. What is the mathematical average of the number of weeks in a year, seasons in a year, and the number of days in January?

A. 36 ,B. 33 ,C. 32 ,D. 31 ,E. 29

56. In a college, some courses contribute more towards an overall GPA than other courses. For example, a science class is worth 4 points; mathematics is worth 3 points; history is worth 2 points; and English is worth 3 points. The values of the grade letters are as follows, A= 4, B=3, C=2, D=1, F=0. What is the GPA of a student who made a "C" in Trigonometry, a "B" in American History, an "A" in Botany, and a "B" in Microbiology?

A. 2.59 ,B. 2.86 ,C. 3.08 ,D. 3.33 ,E. 3.67

57. Over the course of a week, Fred spent $28.49 on lunch. What was the average cost per day?

A. $4.07 ,B. $3.57 ,C. $6.51 ,D. $2.93 ,E. $5.41

58. A roast was cooked at 325° F in the oven for 4 hours. The internal temperature rose from 32° F to 145° F. What was the average rise in temperature per hour?

A. 20.2° F/hr ,B. 28.25° F/hr ,C. 32.03° F/hr ,D. 37° F/hr ,E. 37.29° F/hr

59. In the number 743.25 which digit represents the tenths space?

A. 2 ,B. 3 ,C. 4 ,D. 5 ,E. 6

60. Add 0.98 + 45.102 + 32.3333 + 31 + 0.00009

A. 368.573 B. 210.536299 C. 109.41539 ,

D. 99.9975 ,E. 80.8769543 ,61. Find 0.12 ÷ 1

A. 12 ,B. 1.2 ,C. .12 ,D. .012 ,E. .0012

62. (9 ÷ 3) x (8 ÷ 4) =

A. 1 ,B. 6 ,C. 72 ,D. 576,E. 752

63. 6 x 0 x 5

A. 30 ,B. 11 ,C. 25 ,D. 0 ,E. 27

64. 7.95 ÷ 1.5

A. 2.4 ,B. 5.3 ,C. 6.2 ,D. 7.3 ,E. 7.5

65. -32 + 7 equals:

A. -25 ,B. 25 ,C. -26 ,D. 26 ,E. 27

66. -37 + -47 equals:

A. 64 ,B. -84 ,C. 65 ,D. -75 ,E. -66

67. 41% equals:

A. 4.1 ,B. .41 ,C. .041 ,D. .0041 ,E. .00415

68. Describe the following sequence in mathematical terms. 144, 72, 36, 18, 9

A. Descending arithmetic sequence

B. Ascending arithmetic sequence

C. Descending geometric sequence

D. Ascending geometric sequence

E. Miscellaneous sequence

69. Which of the following is not a whole number followed by its square?

A. 1, 1 ,B. 6, 36 ,C. 8, 64 ,D. 10, 100 ,E. 11, 144

70. A nurse has to record her temperatures in Celsius but her thermometer reads Fahrenheit. A patient's temperature is 100.7° F. What is the temperature in °C?

A. 32° C ,B. 36.5° C ,C. 38.2° C ,D. 213.3° C ,E. 223.7° C

71. Art realized that he had 2 more quarters than he had originally thought in his pocket. If all of the change in his pocket is quarters and it totals to $8.75, how many quarters did he originally think were in his pocket?

A. 27 B. 29 C. 31 D. 33 E. 35

72. There are 12 more apples than oranges in a basket of 36 apples and oranges. How many apples are in the basket?

A. 12 B. 15 C. 24 D. 28 E. 36

73. Which of the following correctly identifies 4 consecutive odd integers where the sum of the middle two integers is equal to 24?

A. 5, 7, 9, 11

B. 7, 9, 11, 13

C. 9, 11, 13, 15

D. 11, 13, 15, 17

E. 13, 15, 17, 19

74. What is the next number in the sequence? 6, 12, 24, 48, ___

A. 72 B. 96 C. 108 D. 112 E. 124

75. Which of the following numbers could be described in the following way: an integer that is a natural, rational and whole number?

A. 0 B. 1 C. 2.33 D. -3 E. none of the above

Answers

1. 14. Since the class has three times as many girls as boys, the class is composed of 75% girls and 25% boys. To find the number of points each boy scores on average, we solve the following equation: 0.75*18 + 0.25*X = 17, where X is the number of points each boy scores on average. Solving for X gives X = 14, so the boys average 14 points per game.

2. 192 days. There are 48 different combinations of ties and shirts (8 different ties for each of the 6 pairs of pants), and then four different shirts for each of these combinations. In numerical form: 8 x 6 x 4 = 192.

3. $357. John's base wage can be figured by multiplying his pay per hour by the number of hours he worked: $8.50 x 36 = 306. His bonus for oil changes is calculated by multiplying the payment per oil change by the number of oil changes performed: 17 x 3 = 51. These two products can then be added together.

4. 9 cm. Volume is calculated as the product of length, width, and height, so if height is set as Y: 6 x 7 x Y = 378. This can be rearranged to 378 / 42 = Y = 9.

5. 25. This kind of problem can be easily solved by simply finding the average of the two extremes in the range: (13 + 37) / 2 = 25.

6.12 points.

7. No. Arnold will only save $10 by using the oil (.5 x (500 / 25)), and this is still $6 less than the cost of the oil.

8. 56 cents. First, divide the number of inches in 2 feet (24) by 3;then, multiply this number (8) by the price of 3 inches of rope: 8 x 7 = 56

9. 80.The next number is found by multiplying the previous number by 2.

10. 78.The next number is taken by adding one to each number and then multiplying this sum by 2.

11. 65. The next number is found by multiplying the number by 2 and then subtracting one from the product.

12. 1/9.

13. 1.5. The next number is found by dividing each number by 2.

14. 60.Be sure to identify the position of the decimal point.

15. 0.04. Be sure to identify the position of the decimal point.

16. 0.09. It may be helpful to say the numbers out loud: "9 hundredths" is clearly smaller than "54 hundredths."

17. Make sure to note the number of place values rather than simply looking at the value of the first digit in the number.

18. A, Have similar meanings. Both credit and credence can refer to a belief in the truth of something.

19. B, Have opposite meanings. Vintage refers to something old, while novelty refers to something new.

20. C, Have neither the same nor different meanings. To aspire to something is to set it as a goal, while a spire is the pointed top of a building, especially a church.

21. B, Have opposite meanings. To produce something is to bring it into existence, while to reduce it is to take part of it out of existence.

22. B, Have opposite meanings. To abstain from something is to refuse it, while to retain something is to keep it with oneself.

23. A, Have similar meanings. Both of these words can mean to change the purpose or direction of something.

24. C, Have neither similar nor opposite meanings.

25. A, Have similar meanings. Both of these words can mean to attack or crowd around.

26. C, Have neither similar nor opposite meanings. To punish is to penalize, while a skirmish is a small fight.

27. C, Have neither similar nor opposite meanings. Candor is fairness and openness in expression, while a condor is a kind of bird.

28. 6 feet 29. True 30. 84¢ 31. 1 32. 3

33. 1/8 34. true, 35. 84 cents, 36. 1, 37. 3, 38. 4,39. 300 feet ,40. 6 feet .41. September, 42. .33,

43. 17, 44. March, 45. $560, 46. Not certain,47. 40 years old

48. B,49. C,50. D,51. C,52. A, 53. B,54. D,55. E,56. C,57. A ,58. B, 59. A

60. C ,62. C,62. B,63. D,64. B,65. A,66. B,67. B

68. C,69. E,70. C,71. D,72. C,73 C ,74. B,75.B