An oddity in the hiring front

Was contacted by a company to whom I'd applied. They sent an email, inviting me to take a Wonderlic test, to see if I qualified for an interview.

This is an oddity, because fewer than 1 in 50 employers use the Wonderlic. 

This was not my first experience with the Wonderlic, and the wife said I should post a bit about it. According to employers, the Wonderlic can be a useful tool to gauge a prospective employee's cognitive ability. In other words, it can tell you pretty quick if you have a bright person interviewing, or someone who just doesn't get it.

About the Wonderlic:

The test includes mathematical problems, word associations, and several other aptitude gauging problems. The traditional Wonderlic is 50 questions long, and examinees are given 12 minutes in which to complete the test. Scores are given strictly on the number of questions answered correctly.

According to Wikipedia, a score of 20 is roughly the equivalent of a 100 IQ. The article also gives average scores from given professions. Interesting to note that chemists have an average score of 31, while folks in sales have average scores of 24. I have worked in sales ever since graduating college with a degree in Chemistry.

Vince Young, former QB for the Tennessee Titans, scored a 6 on the test his first time. His second score was a 16. A score of 10 is said to indicate literacy. Wonder what they taught him at the University of Texas?

My history with the Wonderlic:
When I take traditional Wonderlic exams, I score perfect 50's. My first ever score was a 46, and the person administering it had never seen an exam completed in the time allotted, and had never seen a score over 35. I had completed the entire exam, and only missed four questions. She made me retake the exam, and I scored a 50.

Several years later, I took a couple of Wonderlic tests, and scored a 50 on them. Last year, when I was searching for a job, I took a Wonderlic, and scored a 50. I was disqualified from consideration, and the hiring manager truly thought I'd either cheated or gamed the test. On another Wonderlic, I intentionally missed some questions, scoring a 40 on purpose. I went farther in that interview, surprisingly.

Since my first Wonderlic, I've learned the secret to the two or three questions that initially plagued me, and I do believe I could score perfect on the test as often as not now.


Last night's results:
So last night, the prospective employer sent me a link to an online Wonderlic. It was a modified version - only having 30 questions and only allowing 8 minutes. From experience, I wanted a score that would translate to approximately 40 - so I estimated I should get no more than 25 questions correct. I also wanted the time to expire before I answered the final question, so as to make the score seem "more believable."

When I took the online, shortened test, I got the first 25 questions correct in just 5 minutes. I intentionally answered the next four questions incorrectly, though I knew the correct answer to each. And, I did not answer the final question, though I had calculated the correct answer (it was a math problem). If they track specifics, they will see I was on that question for nearly two full minutes, whereas all questions before that one I'd answered in mere seconds each.

Let's see how this one goes!