Verbal Comprehension Test

Vocabulary

The test taker is asked to tell the examiner what certain words mean. For example: chair (easy), hesitant (medium), and presumptuous (hard).

Similarities

The test taker is asked what 19 pairs of words have in common. For example: In what way are an apple and a pear alike? In what way are a painting and a symphony alike?

Information

The test taker is asked several general knowledge questions. These cover people, places, and events. For example: How many days are in a week? What is the capital of France? Name three oceans. Who wrote The Inferno?

Perceptual Reasoning Test

Block Design

The test taker is shown 2-D patterns made up of red and white squares and triangles and is asked to reproduce these patterns using cubes with red and white faces.

Matrix Reasoning

The test taker is asked to add a missing element to a pattern so that it progresses logically. For example: Which of the four symbols at the bottom goes in the empty cell of the table?

Visual Puzzles

The test taker is asked to complete visual puzzles like this one: “Which three of these pictures go together to make this puzzle?”

Working Memory Test

Digit Span

The test taker is asked to repeat a sequence of numbers. Sequences run from two to nine numbers in length. In the second part of this test, the sequences must be repeated in reversed order. An easy example is to repeat 3-7-4. A harder one is 3-9-1-7-4-5-3-9.

Arithmetic

The test taker is asked to solve arithmetic problems, progressing from easy to difficult ones.

Processing Speed Test

Symbol Search

The test taker is asked to indicate whether one of a pair of abstract symbols is contained in a list of abstract symbols. There are many of these lists, and the test taker does as many as he or she can in 2 minutes.

Coding

The test taker is asked to write down the number that corresponds to a code for a given symbol (e.g., a cross, a circle, and an upside-down T) and does as many as he or she can in 90 seconds.