Wonderlic Scores

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.