Where to Take the Wonderlic Test (Online and In-Person)

You take the hiring Wonderlic wherever the employer's invitation sends you, which in practice means online, on your own laptop or desktop, through a link the hiring company triggers. There is no public testing center and no way to book the hiring test yourself, and Wonderlic's candidate FAQ says there is no cost to test takers. The main in-person version still in use is the Wonderlic Basic Skills Test (WBST) for school admissions.

Last updated: October 2026.

Quick takeaways

• The hiring Wonderlic is ordered by employers, not candidates. Wonderlic now sells it as Wonderlic Select, and its cognitive section is the familiar 50 questions in 12 minutes.
• The invitation is a link from the hiring organization. You open it and sit the test online, usually from home.
• Proctoring is uncommon: Wonderlic says companies typically do not proctor Wonderlic Select, though some choose to. Your invitation tells you which you got.
• Wonderlic says invitation links generally stay active for a maximum of 14 days, and only the employer can resend an expired one.
• The NFL stopped giving the Wonderlic at the Combine starting in 2022, so the famous paper-and-pencil sitting is history.
• The WBST is a separate admissions test with math and verbal parts of 20 minutes each, given by certified proctors, online or on paper.
• No calculator on the cognitive section. Wonderlic says using one would not significantly help anyway.

Why there is no public testing center for the standard Wonderlic

The Wonderlic is a business product. Wonderlic sells it to employers as a screening tool and runs it through its own online platform on the employer's behalf. There is no consumer version you can buy, and you cannot phone Wonderlic and book a slot. The closest you get to taking it "for yourself" is a practice test from a prep provider, which mirrors the format but produces no score an employer will accept.

The employer triggers the invitation from its hiring process, usually after deciding to move your application forward. That is why candidates asking forums how to schedule a Wonderlic before applying never get a useful answer: the test only exists once an employer sends it.

Know what you are signing up for when the link arrives. Per Wonderlic's candidate FAQ, Wonderlic Select takes about 35 minutes in total and has three parts:

Section	Items	Timing
Cognitive ability	50 questions	12 minutes, timed
Motivation (work interests)	58 questions	Untimed
Personality	150 statements	Untimed

Only the 12-minute cognitive section is the "Wonderlic" most people mean, and it is the only part you can meaningfully practice. If you need a testing accommodation, Wonderlic says to ask the hiring organization: the employer provides accommodations after consulting with Wonderlic.

Proctored or unproctored: what Wonderlic actually says

Wonderlic's own answer is short: "Typically companies do not proctor the Wonderlic Select test, however, some might choose to do so." Wonderlic does not publish what share of employers add proctoring or exactly how a proctored session is monitored, so treat any confident percentage you read elsewhere with suspicion.

What this means for you in practice:

• Read the invitation first. If the employer added proctoring, the invitation or the first screens of the test will say so and explain what you need (for example a working webcam or an ID). If it says nothing, plan for an unproctored sitting.
• Sit it straight either way. Take it alone, in a quiet room, with no outside help, whether or not a camera is on.
• No calculator, no dictionary. Wonderlic's sample questions page says the 50 cognitive questions are answered without a calculator, dictionary or other resources. Pencil and scratch paper are commonly allowed for working, but follow your instructions if they say otherwise.

The in-person versions you might encounter

For hiring, an in-person Wonderlic is rare. If an employer wants you to sit it on site, the recruiter or the invitation will tell you where and when. Outside hiring, these are the cases people ask about:

The WBST for school admissions. Postsecondary schools use the Wonderlic Basic Skills Test as an ability-to-benefit test for applicants without a high school diploma, which can make them eligible for federal student aid. Wonderlic lists math and verbal portions of 20 minutes each, delivered online or on paper, and given by proctors who are trained and certified as the US Department of Education requires. In practice that means you sit it where the school arranges, with a proctor present. It is a different test from the hiring Wonderlic and produces a different score. For format details, see our WBST explainer.

The NFL Combine (past tense). For decades, draft prospects sat the 50-question, 12-minute Wonderlic at the Combine. The NFL dropped it starting with the 2022 Combine, and an NFL executive called the exam "outdated" as part of an audit of its assessments. If you are reading old articles about "taking the Wonderlic at the Combine," that sitting no longer happens. The historical scores still get quoted; our piece on Wonderlic scores in the NFL covers them.

How to tell what kind of Wonderlic you are taking

The invitation is the giveaway. A hiring invitation comes from the employer or its hiring system, describes a timed cognitive section (12 minutes) plus untimed questionnaires, and links you to complete it online. A WBST appointment comes from a school's admissions office, mentions verbal and quantitative (math) sections, and gives you a place and time with a proctor.

Version	Where you take it	Timing	Proctored?	Who arranges it
Wonderlic Select (hiring)	Online, your own computer, via the employer's link	50 cognitive questions in 12 minutes, plus untimed sections (about 35 minutes total)	Typically not, per Wonderlic; some employers add it	The hiring organization
WBST (ability-to-benefit admissions)	Where the school arranges, online or paper	Math and verbal, 20 minutes each	Yes, by a certified proctor	The school's admissions office
NFL Combine Wonderlic	Not offered since 2022	Was 50 questions in 12 minutes	Not applicable	No longer given by the NFL

If your invitation mentions "basic skills," "verbal and quantitative sections" or "ability to benefit," you are taking the WBST, not the hiring test. Prepare for the right one: the hiring Wonderlic gives you about 14 seconds per question, so speed matters far more there.

What you see afterwards, and what the employer sees

The employer that invited you gets your results inside its Wonderlic account. Wonderlic does not publish a full list of what that report contains, so ignore claims about exactly what is logged about your session.

What you get is narrower. Wonderlic says candidates receive only a Candidate Feedback Report, through a link at the end of the test, and that "traditional numerical scores for the cognitive portion of the assessment are not available" to candidates. So do not expect to walk away knowing you scored 27. If you want a number to benchmark yourself against role targets, you need to get it from practice. Our guide to what a good Wonderlic score is explains the bands.

Try three Wonderlic-style questions before you click the link

These are written in the style of the cognitive section, not copied from the real test. Give yourself about 45 seconds for all three, which is roughly the pace the real 12-minute clock demands. Work them by hand, then check the working.

1. Number series. What comes next: 2, 5, 11, 23, ?

(a) 35 (b) 46 (c) 47 (d) 48 (e) 52

Answer: (c) 47. Each term is the previous term doubled, plus 1: 2 x 2 + 1 = 5, 5 x 2 + 1 = 11, 11 x 2 + 1 = 23, 23 x 2 + 1 = 47. Spotting "double plus one" quickly beats testing the gaps (3, 6, 12, so the next gap is 24).

2. Word problem. A train travels 60 miles in 45 minutes. At the same speed, how far does it travel in 2 hours?

(a) 120 miles (b) 135 miles (c) 150 miles (d) 160 miles (e) 180 miles

Answer: (d) 160 miles. 45 minutes is three quarters of an hour, so the speed is 60 / 0.75 = 80 miles per hour. In 2 hours that is 160 miles. Shortcut: 15 minutes covers 20 miles, and 2 hours holds eight 15-minute blocks, so 8 x 20 = 160.

3. Logic. Some managers are engineers. All engineers are punctual. Therefore some managers are punctual. Is the conclusion true, false or uncertain?

Answer: True. The managers who are engineers must be punctual, because every engineer is. So at least some managers are punctual. The trap is answering "uncertain" because you are not told about the other managers; the conclusion only claims "some," which is enough.

If those took you well over 45 seconds, timed practice will move your score more than reading will. You can sit a free Wonderlic practice simulation on a 12-minute clock to see where you stand before the real invitation runs out.

A 4-step plan for the day the Wonderlic invitation arrives

Step 1. Open the email and note the deadline. Wonderlic says links generally stay active for up to 14 days, but your employer can set a shorter window, so go by the date in your invitation. Do not start the test from the email yet.

Step 2. Read the invitation carefully. Confirm it is the hiring test (12-minute cognitive section) and not the WBST, and check whether it mentions proctoring, a webcam or ID. If you need an accommodation, request it now, through the employer.

Step 3. Set up before you click. Laptop or desktop rather than a phone (the timing is tight and the questions include figures), a current browser, a stable internet connection, a quiet room, notifications off, every other tab and app closed, pencil and scratch paper if allowed. Block about 35 minutes so the untimed sections do not get rushed.

Step 4. Sit the test. Click begin only when you are ready for 12 uninterrupted minutes on the cognitive section. Wonderlic says many people do not finish all 50 questions and advises against spending too long on any one question or skipping around to come back later. You are scored on correct answers, so a blank earns nothing: if a question stalls you, make your best guess and move on. For pacing tactics, read how to pass the Wonderlic before you click.

What to do if your invitation expires before you take it

Contact the recruiter or the hiring company straight away and ask them to resend it. Wonderlic says organizations, not Wonderlic, manage test invitations, so the hiring company is the one that can send a new link. Give a short, honest reason and ask for a new deadline.

Whether they reissue it is the employer's call, and policies vary. The safest move is to avoid the problem: when the invitation lands, put the deadline in your calendar and sit the test with at least a day to spare.

What to do if you do not get the score you needed

Retake rules are set by each employer, and Wonderlic does not publish one universal waiting period, so ask the recruiter rather than assuming. Our guide on whether you can retake a cognitive test covers how retake windows usually work.

Because you will not see a numerical cognitive score yourself, the useful next step is to measure your level on timed practice and fix the slowest question types before your next invitation. If you have about a week, follow the 7-day Wonderlic prep plan. If the next invitation is due in 3 days, do one timed 12-minute set each day and spend the rest of each session reviewing only the questions you missed or guessed.

FAQ

Can I take the Wonderlic without a job application?

Not the official hiring test. Employers order it and send the invitation, and Wonderlic says there is no cost to test takers. You can take as many practice tests as you like, but no employer will accept a practice score in place of the real one.

Do I need special software to take the online Wonderlic?

Usually not. The hiring test is taken through the link in your invitation. If your employer added proctoring or a system check, the invitation or the opening screens explain what is required; follow those instructions exactly.

Can I take the Wonderlic on my phone?

Use a laptop or desktop. The cognitive section gives you about 14 seconds per question and includes number and figure questions that are harder to read and tap accurately on a small screen. If your invitation lists device requirements, those win.

Is the Wonderlic proctored?

Usually not. Wonderlic's candidate FAQ says companies typically do not proctor Wonderlic Select, though some choose to. Your invitation will tell you if yours is.

How long does the invitation link last?

Wonderlic says links generally remain active for a maximum of 14 days. Your employer may set an earlier deadline, so the date in your invitation is the one that counts. If it expires, ask the hiring company to resend it.

Will I see my Wonderlic score?

Not as a number. Wonderlic says candidates get a Candidate Feedback Report through a link at the end, and that numerical scores for the cognitive portion are not available to candidates.

Do they still give the Wonderlic at the NFL Combine?

No. The NFL dropped the Wonderlic starting with the 2022 Combine. When it was used, it was the same 50-question, 12-minute format. See Wonderlic scores in the NFL for the historical results.

Is the WBST harder than the standard Wonderlic?

It is a different test rather than a harder version. The WBST has math and verbal portions of 20 minutes each and checks basic skills for school admission, while the hiring Wonderlic packs 50 mixed questions into 12 minutes. Most people find the hiring test's pace the harder part.

Related on PrepClubs

• How to pass the Wonderlic: 9 tactics for the 12-minute format
• What is a good Wonderlic score: bands and cutoffs by job
• Wonderlic test prep: a 7-day plan
• Wonderlic Basic Skills Test (WBST) explained
• Wonderlic scores in the NFL: highest and lowest

Practice on PrepClubs

Once you have tried the free simulation, the full Wonderlic pack on PrepClubs gives you 8 full-length mocks, each 50 questions on a 12-minute clock, so you can practice the real pace several times before your link expires. More than 3,700 students have prepared with PrepClubs.

It comes with the 30-day Pass Guarantee: if you prepare with PrepClubs and don't pass your real test, we extend your access by 30 days at no extra cost. Current plans are on the pricing page.

See the Wonderlic practice pack