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“CCAT” can refer to two very different assessments:
- Criteria Cognitive Aptitude Test — employment cognitive assessment;
- Canadian Cognitive Abilities Test — school/gifted assessment.
Choosing prep before identifying which CCAT you have is the biggest buying mistake on this topic.
Affiliate disclosure: This page may include affiliate links to JobTestPrep and TestPrep-Online. Affiliate relationships do not determine the editorial recommendation.
If you are a job applicant: Criteria CCAT
Criteria’s current candidate material describes the employment CCAT as:
- 50 questions;
- 15 minutes;
- verbal, math/logic and spatial reasoning;
- no calculator;
- raw score and percentile reporting;
- a test where very few candidates complete all 50 items.
Use Criteria Cognitive Aptitude Test for factual format and scoring. This page only compares optional prep.
JobTestPrep may fit when you want timed volume
JobTestPrep currently publishes a full-length 50-question / 15-minute CCAT practice simulation and advertises additional employment-CCAT preparation. That is a vendor description, not Criteria endorsement.
It can be a reasonable fit if you need:
- more timed CCAT-style volume after official familiarization;
- numerical, verbal and spatial drills;
- explanations and repeated simulations.
Review JobTestPrep’s current CCAT practice before deciding whether the paid product adds enough value.
If you are a parent/student: Canadian CCAT
The Canadian Cognitive Abilities Test is a school/gifted assessment, not the Criteria employment test.
TestPrep-Online currently lists school/gifted preparation including CCAT alongside MAP, OLSAT, NNAT, CAT4, CogAT and related assessments. That audience and product structure may fit a parent or student better than employment-focused preparation.
Review TestPrep-Online’s current gifted-test catalog and verify the grade/test version before purchase.
Comparison
| Question | Criteria CCAT | Canadian CCAT |
|---|---|---|
| Main context | Employment | School/gifted |
| Test taker | Job applicant | Student |
| Primary factual source | Criteria | School/test publisher materials supplied for the student’s administration |
| Prep style that may fit | Timed employment cognitive practice | Grade/test-specific student practice |
| Candidate mistake to avoid | Buying school CCAT prep | Buying employment CCAT prep |
Free-first approach
For Criteria CCAT:
- use Criteria’s official candidate practice/resources;
- use Free CCAT Practice for additional original practice;
- add paid timed volume only if you need it.
For Canadian CCAT:
- confirm the actual grade/version from school materials;
- use age-appropriate sample practice;
- compare a current school-focused PrepPack only after the test identity is clear.
Buying checklist
Verify:
- which CCAT you have;
- grade level if school-based;
- current access period;
- whether full simulations are included;
- free versus paid content;
- refund/renewal terms;
- whether the provider’s current product matches your exact test.
Verdict
For the Criteria employment CCAT, JobTestPrep is one plausible paid option when a candidate wants more timed CCAT-style practice after official familiarization. For the Canadian school CCAT, a K–12/gifted-focused provider such as TestPrep-Online may fit better. Neither is the official test publisher, and neither product should be treated as a score guarantee.