Free Caliper Test Prep: Ace the Cognitive Ability Section (Math & Shapes)

Hi there, 

Looking to prepare for the cognitive section of the Caliper Assessment by Talogy? You’ve come to the right place! 

  1. Learn everything about the Caliper test questions in math and abstract reasoning. 
  2. Take a free Caliper practice test with answers and explanations.
  3. Understand your test score and test results.
  4. Enroll in a prep course that will help you maximize your cognitive score.
caliper test samples

What is the Caliper Assessment?

The Caliper Profile is a multiple-choice assessment that is used to predict job performance. It is made up of two parts: a section that measures cognitive abilities, and a section that measures personality traits. This article will focus mainly on the cognitive section as that’s where training can lead to substantial improvements in your score!

*The Caliper profile was acquired by Talogy, thus you may come across the name Talogy when invited to take the Caliper Assessment.

Free Caliper Practice Test

Take this sample Caliper practice test to assess your current cognitive performance. You’ll get a score report that will compare your performance to that of other candidates who’ve taken this test, and in addition, you’ll get access to the solutions and explanations. This test is part of a prep course that includes many more caliper practice tests.

Caliper Cognitive Section Overview

The Cognitive section of the test is made up of two main parts:

  1. Abstract
  2. Numerical

Generally, you will be presented with some kind of pattern – made up of numbers, letters or shapes – and you will have to figure out what comes next.  Let’s dive into the different question types by moving on to the next section 🙂

Shapes (Abstract Reasoning)

These multiple-choice questions will test your abstract cognitive abilities. This means you will have to be able to understand and manipulate shapes and have a strong understanding of spatial orientations. You will be presented with abstract patterns of shapes and figures and will be asked to figure out what comes next. 

 

  1. Figural Analogies – These questions are basically what they sound like – they are analogies, but instead of comparing words, they compare shapes. They will test your ability to understand and compare shapes and figures to each other.

    Caliper-test-analogy-sample
  2. Figural Series – In Figural Series questions, you will be presented with a sequence of figures and shapes, with one space left blank. You will have to choose which shape or figure fits into that blank space. The blank space may be at the end of the sequence, the beginning, or anywhere in between.

    Caliper-figural-series-sample

  3. Matrices – These questions will present you with a 3 x 3 set of 9 squares with shapes and figures in 8 of the boxes. You will have to figure out the pattern to determine what the missing shape or figure will be to complete the matrix. The shapes are arranged in a 3 x 3 square, and it’s possible for there to be patterns horizontally, vertically, or even both. This will require extra practice to get used to looking for patterns in both directions.

Caliper-matrices-sample

Math (Numerical Reasoning)

These multiple choice questions will test your cognitive abilities as it pertains to numbers. The question styles are somewhat similar to the Abstract Reasoning questions, but it requires a different style of thinking to find patterns that exist in numbers instead of in shapes and figures.

 

  1. Number Series – These questions will present you with a series of numbers, and you will have to figure out what number completes the sequence. Patterns can be incredibly simple or incredibly complicated. It’s important to practice to make sure you are comfortable recognizing patterns in number series questions.

    Caliper-math-sample

  

Maximize your Caliper cognitive score potential

Learn how my course can help you.

How is Your Score Calculated?

Your test results are generated as soon as you finish the test and hit submit. They will be immediately sent to your employer for review. However, you will not be able to see your results or the Caliper Assessment answers. In some instances, you will be able to request a score report from the employer.  

The cognitive section of the test will be presented separately as Abstract Reasoning and will help comprise the Problem-Solving part of your Caliper profile.

caliper-cognitive-section-report

Caliper’s cognitive, abstract reasoning score, as seen in the report

Once your results are viewed by the hiring manager, they can see how well you fit into the specific position. The results can also be used once an employee is hired, during the onboarding and training process, and even over the course of an employee’s development at a company. 

When you take the Caliper, you are measured against a norm group, meaning your results are dependent on how other people perform on the assessment. Your results show a snapshot of your behavioral traits and cognitive abilities, including your strengths, weaknesses, motivators and stressors. 

Scores are grouped into three buckets based on score range from 1-99: 

  1. 60-99 – Natural fit for a position and strong alignment with the role. This means you are a good potential fit for the specific position you are applying for.
  2. 40-59 – Moderate alignment. This means you show some level of competency, but are somewhat inconsistent. You may need further training for the role.  
  3. 1-39 – Weak alignment. This means that this is not one of your strong areas, and that you are likely a poor fit for the role.

As you can see, how well you perform on the assessment plays a large role in how your potential employer views you as a candidate. This is why it is vital that you prepare for the test, especially when it comes to the cognitive section.

caliper-fit-score

The Caliper Personality Assessment

The Caliper can be used as a pre-employment tool for hiring, as well as for development and promotion of current employees. The assessment measures 22 different personality traits that employers can use to assess if a person is a good fit for a specific position. 

The assessment is made up of 180 multiple choice questions and is untimed, though on average it takes about two hours to compete. It can be administered online or with pen and paper, and employers can choose whether or not to proctor the test. All questions must be answered for the test to be submitted. 

The two main question types are:

 

    1. Multiple choice behavioral questions. Identify both most and least likely responses based on a specific scenario presented to you. 
    2. Agree/Disagree questions. Similar multiple choice question type where you will be presented with a statement and would have to answer on scale from strongly agree to strongly disagree. Slightly different variations may be formatted as true/false or on a scale from always to never.  

Take a free intro lesson

The first lesson in our Caliper prep course reviews the personality section and includes an appendix with references to free practice materials.

Seven Competency Areas

The Caliper Assessment assesses seven major areas of competency:  

  1. Leadership – ability to lead, team building, ability to coach and lead others, and delegate tasks. 
  2. Active Communication – skills of influence, conflict management, negotiation, and listening 
  3. Interpersonal Dynamics – helpfulness, relationship building, collaboration and teamwork 
  4. Decision making – decisiveness, strategic thinking, overall decision making abilities 
  5. Problem solving – tests creativity, innovation, analytical thinking, ability to learn and adapt
  6. Process management – time management, planning, prioritization, organizational skills 
  7. Self management – composure, resiliency, enthusiasm, conviction, motivation, perseverance, self awareness, adaptability professionalism

 

Not all areas are tested equally, and employees can focus more or less on specific traits, depending on the position they are hiring for. For example, they may focus more on Leadership for a managerial role; if they are hiring a nurse, they may focus more on Interpersonal Dynamics. 

FAQs

What's the difference between Talogy and Caliper?

Talogy is a conglomerate of assessment companies that owns the Caliper Profile assessment. This doesn’t affect the way the caliper test is taken nor does it affect its content.

Is there a list of the Caliper assessment answers?

As explained above in this guide, the caliper test is divided into two sections. When it comes to the personality profiling section, there are no wrong/right answers, but rather a general approach to answering these questions so that they best reflect your true self.

When it comes to the cognitive section of the caliper assessment, these questions are shuffled and pulled from a large bank of items. The only thing you can do in order to “see” the answers, is to practice in advance and make sure you understand the concepts that govern these questions so that you could solve them during the real test. This is why we offer a prep course for the cognitive section of the assessment.

How does the cognitive section of Caliper affect my score?

The cognitive section of the Caliper test shows up as an attribute in your overall candidate report. It is translated into an Abstract Reasoning Ability meter.

According to Caliper, the abstract reasoning ability is:

a personality attribute assessed by the Caliper Profile in which an individual has the potential to solve problems and understand the logical relationships among concepts. People who show a high level of Abstract Reasoning Ability should be capable of understanding complex issues. Those with low levels tend to be most effective when handling issues that have straightforward solutions.

While different employers will give different importance to this metric, it is known that cognitive abilities are an imperative component of evaluations when screening candidates for a job. That’s why it is so important to prepare for this inner-section of the assessment.

Is the Caliper cognitive section timed?

No, the cognitive section of the Caliper assessment is not timed. 

Should I also prep for the personality section of the assessment?

Yes, you can prepare for this section too, but not in the same way you prepare for the cognitive section of the Caliper assessment. We have a free appendix with links to personality tests in our intro lesson of the prep course. It’s just below the video tutorial. Make sure to check it out →.

Maximize your Caliper cognitive score potential

Learn how my course can help you.

External Resources for the Caliper

There’s a lot more out there to help you prepare for the Caliper. Check out these helpful links below to learn more about the test and find helpful practice materials: 

 

Disclaimer: www.12minprep.com is not affiliated with, nor owned by the Caliper Profile, Tyalogy, or any of the related companies that publish the Caliper assessment. This website provides advice on cognitive ability testing.