Learn more about Wonderlic scores and what is a good Wonderlic score. If you need to get a top score, consider our Wonderlic test prep course.
The Wonderlic Cognitive Ability test is an assessment that a future employer may use to test their prospective employees to see if they are a good fit for the job.
While you may know it tests mathematic skills, English knowledge, logic, and reasoning, you may not know what good Wonderlic scores are.
This article will explain what a good Wonderlic score is. Use the resources and information in this guide to achieve a top score on your exam.
Wonderlic Scoring
Unlike many other career-based standardized tests, the Wonderlic is the most straightforward when it comes to scoring. However, understanding what is a good Wonderlic score is a little less clear-cut.
How is the Wonderlic Scored?
For Wonderlic test scoring, each right answer awards the test taker one point. So, the total number of points possible is based on the number of questions on the test. If you take the quick version, that is 30 points. If you take the full version that is 50 points.
The lowest you can score on the full-length Wonderlic is a 0 and the highest is a 50.
It is important to know that there isn’t a standard pass/fail scoring system with the Wonderlic. Most employers will have a minimum number of questions they want to see you answer correctly, but the number varies from employer to employer and job to job.
What is a Good Wonderlic Score?
As we mentioned above, there is no pass/fail. How do you know if have a good Wonderlic score? Well, that kind of depends on your field of interest.
The average score from all Wonderlic test takers is a 20, which is almost right in the middle. However, it is nearly impossible to get a perfect score, and very few people have.
While it seems much easier than most IQ tests, you do only have 12 minutes to answer all 50 questions. Only around 2-3% of all people even answer all 50 questions to have a chance at a perfect score.
So, how can you determine if you got a good score on the Wonderlic? Compare your scores with some average Wonderlic scores from various professions below.
| Career | Score |
|---|---|
| Systems Analyst | 32 |
| Chemist | 31 |
| Electrical Engineer | 30 |
| Accountant | 29 |
| Programmer | 29 |
| Executive | 29 |
| Engineer | 29 |
| Reporter | 29 |
| Teacher | 29 |
| Investment Analyst | 27 |
| Electronics Technician | 26 |
| Salesperson | 25 |
| Nurse | 23 |
| Bank Teller | 22 |
| Firefighter | 21 |
| Cashier | 21 |
| Skilled Craftsman | 18 |
| Security Guard | 17 |
| Welder | 17 |
| Warehouseman | 15 |
As you can see, an average score varies greatly based on the job you want to do. You will also notice that the highest scores are in the 30s, so don’t feel stressed while taking the test if you cannot answer all the questions.
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Wonderlic Scoring Percentiles
In addition to seeing where you land in your chosen career field, you can also see if you got a good score on the Wonderlic test by seeing where you are in the percentiles. The higher the percentile the better your score is.
| Score | Percentile |
|---|---|
| 0-8 | < 5th |
| 9 | 5th |
| 10 | 6th |
| 11 | 8th |
| 12 | 10th |
| 13 | 13th |
| 14 | 16th |
| 15 | 19th |
| 16 | 23rd |
| 17 | 27th |
| 18 | 31st |
| 19 | 36th |
| 20 | 41st |
| 21 | 46th |
| 22 | 51st |
| 23 | 57th |
| 24 | 62nd |
| 25 | 67th |
| 26 | 71st |
| 27 | 76th |
| 28 | 80th |
| 29 | 83rd |
| 30 | 86th |
| 31 | 89th |
| 32 | 91st |
| 33 | 93rd |
| 34 | 95th |
| 35 | 96th |
| 36 | 97th |
| 37 | 98th |
| 38 | 98th |
| 39 | 98th |
| 40+ | 99th |
Again, the average Wonderlic score for all test takers is a 20, so don’t stress too much while taking the test. Some employers even let you take the Wonderlic more than once, but it’s best to do your best on your first try.
Highest NFL Wonderlic Scores
You may not know, but the Wonderlic test is a huge part of the National Football League in the United States. The NFL has all their players take it sometime before the draft, and the NFL average is actually 24.1, which is higher than the total average.
Some of the highest Wonderlic scores have come out of the NFL itself. While the main focus of the Wonderlic test in the NFL is on quarterbacks, who serve as one of the biggest decision-makers on the team, all players do take the test.
Here are some of the highest-scoring NFL players and the teams that picked them:
- Pat McInally – Punter, Cincinnati Bengals – 50
- Mike Mamula – Defensive End, Philidelphia Eagles – 49
- Kevin Curtis – Wide Receiver, St. Louis Rams – 48
- Ryan Fitzpatrick – Quarterback, St. Louis Rams – 48
- Ben Watson – Tight End, New England Patriots – 48
- Matt Birk – Center, Minnesota Vikings – 46
- Greg McElroy – Quarterback, New York Jets – 43
- Calvin Johnson – Wide Receiver, Detroit Lions – 41
All of these players came from great colleges, but three of them came from an Ivy League school. But good academics aren’t necessarily the route to getting a great Wonderlic score.
Getting a Good Wonderlic Score
The Wonderlic is different from most standardized tests. Instead of functioning as a test, the Wonderlic is much more like a game. You need to learn how to beat it to succeed on it.
Here are some tips we think will help you see success on the Wonderlic test:
- Take practice tests – You can try our sample Wonderlic test.
- Review incorrect answers
- Track and reward your progress
- Learn Wonderlic strategies
- Sleep and eat well before
- Read carefully
- Answer quickly
- Guess if need be
If you still need more help, you could always try a Wonderlic prep course.
It all comes down to working efficiently. The more practice you get with the fast-paced structure of the Wonderlic test, the more likely you are to achieve well. You can never start practicing too early.
Wonderlic Scores FAQs
The Wonderlic is scored on a scale from 0 to 50 with the average Wonderlic score being 20. How you know if you have achieved a good score depends on what job you are looking to hold, but a 20 is a decent score to aim for.
A 27 on the Wonderlic is seven points above the average Wonderlic score. This would place you in the 76th percentile and is above average for 22 of the 31 careers we have in the table above.
If you score a 27 on the Wonderlic test, you are likely to get the job you applied for.
