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How to use the Cognitive Assessment

Learn how the PI Cognitive Assessment can help you evaluate candidates for roles that require a certain level of cognitive ability.

Updated this week

Cognitive data serves as one of the strongest predictors of on-the-job performance, and can serve as a valuable supplement to behavioral data. At its core, the PI Cognitive Assessment measures a person's ability to learn, adapt, and grasp new information.

It is not an IQ test, but rather a scientifically validated measurement that can be applied alongside other traditional criteria (such as resumes and interviews) to inform the evaluation of an individual employee, candidate, or colleague, as it pertains to a particular role.

How does it work?

First, set your Cognitive Target for the role in question. The Cognitive Target is a guide for measuring someone’s ability to handle the essential demands of the role. Different jobs require different skills, just as they require different behaviors.


To set the Cognitive Target for a role, answer 16 questions on its basic requirements. Scores for the Cognitive Assessment are based solely on the number of questions a participant answers correctly.

Using the Cognitive Assessment and evaluating results

We’ll show you your candidate’s results alongside your Cognitive Target. If their results meet the target for the role, they should be able to perform the necessary requirements.

You can use the Cognitive Target for roles that require:

  • Learning new skills

  • Adjusting to new scenarios in the workplace

  • Processing information at a quicker pace

It is not recommended that you use the Cognitive Assessment for:

  • Roles that don’t have potential for advancement

  • Positions with minimal complexity

  • Instances in which a candidate’s disability compromises their access to or completion of the assessment in the allotted time.

FAQs

I can’t find a candidate's downloadable Cognitive Report. Is that available?

Where can I find a breakdown of a candidate's Cognitive Score?

In addition to the Cognitive Score, you can also view three cognitive “subscores”: Verbal, Numeric, and Abstract Reasoning.

You can find these subscores in two places:

  1. On the Cognitive Target Fit page, directly underneath the candidate's cognitive score. (Look for the expandable section titled "Cognitive Subscores.")

  2. On the full version of a candidate's downloadable Cognitive Report.


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