Cognitive Ability Questionnaire
Managerial and Professional Level (CAQ-MP)

Cognitive Ability for Managers and Professionals will focus on Numerical and Abstract Reasoning Ability.  These are two attributes that most senior level positions will need to understand and interpret data, see relevancies, find probable cause and solve problems.  These positions are in need of more complex analytical thinking.  They may have the benefit of staff or other support functions that provide the data and first level analysis of the data, but they are still responsible for making sure that the solutions they find are appropriate to solve the problem or take advantage of the opportunity. 

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The two part Cognitive Ability questionnaire, measures two domains of analytical thinking, Numerical and Abstract Reasoning capabilities.  Each section is timed at 15 minutes.  The timer starts when the candidate selects to enter the questions and ends 15 minutes later.  The questionnaire will disappear when time expires.  This gives each candidate exactly the same amount of time to answer the questions.  most people will probably leave some of the questions unanswered.  The candidate is scored on the number of correct answers they chose in time alotted.  

 

Numerical Reasoning presents common data sets that people with a college degree will likely encounter on the job.  Most of this is interpreting data tables containing common business data, such as topline revenues, costs, profit, or margins.  The questions asked can all be answered by looking at the data tables.  For instance, the question may be, which division had the largest increase in sales volume by value or percentage.  The person completing the questionnaire may have to do simple math calculations such as calculating the difference in revenues from one year or one division to another and then determining the percentage change.  The candidate will have access to a calculator and paper.  The candidate will have to choose from a list of different possible answers already calculated and presented as multiple choice. 

 

The second part is devoted to Abstract Reasoning and is also timed.  This section presents a series of shapes that the candidate looks at and then selects from the multiple choices below, each problem, the next logical step in the progression of shapes. This section may also present some 3 x 3 matrices one of which is missing the candidate has to choose from the picture file choices adjacent to each example, to complete the matrix.