Pre-Employment
Problem Solving Tests

Why Problem Solving is Important in the Workplace

Problems arise in the workplace on a daily basis. The ability to evaluate and resolve problems is a powerful skill that is applicable to a wide variety of positions. Problem solving can take a lot of different forms, including resolving a customer complaint, managing a conflict between coworkers, reallocating funds within a budget, or coming up with ways to improve a product's design. Any employee who is responsible for making decisions, either independently or within a team, will need sharp problem solving skills. Creative problem solving can also lead to new innovations that help businesses grow and evolve, which makes employees who can solve problems incredibly valuable.

Because problem solving is associated with creativity, logic, and reasoning ability, it can be evaluated through employment aptitude tests. . One cognitive aptitude test that employers often use to evaluate problem solving skills is the Criteria Cognitive Aptitude Test (CCAT), a pre-employment aptitude test that measures an individual's aptitude, or ability to solve problems, digest and apply information, learn new skills, and think critically. The test assesses problem solving ability through math, verbal, and spatial reasoning questions.

Another aptitude test, the Minicog Rapid Assessment Battery (MRAB), is a series of nine short tests that measure a person's "information processing" functions. Funded by NASA to evaluate the cognitive functions of astronauts, the MRAB administers a fast-paced battery of different problems or tasks for the test-taker to solve. While the CCAT measures general aptitude, the MRAB is more of a test of cognitive fitness that assesses attention skills, concentration, working memory, and problem-solving ability.

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