A reasoning test result is a position relative to a comparison group, not a mark out of 100. Here is what the common terms mean and how employers turn them into decisions.
Your raw score counts correct answers. A norm group turns that count into a percentile, sten or T-score that shows where you sit relative to other test takers. Employers then compare the result to a cut-off or rank candidates, and each employer chooses its own approach.
Criteria's Score Report Guide for the CCAT shows how a typical report reads. Its sample candidate has a raw score of 24 out of 50 and a percentile of 50, which the guide explains as scoring better than half of the people who have taken the test. The guide also says the average raw score in the CCAT norm sample is 24, so those two figures line up.
The same guide shows separate percentiles for spatial reasoning, verbal ability and maths and logic, and it displays a shaded band for a suggested score range by job family. Its results summary shows the raw score and the percentile together. This is one provider's format; others, including SHL and Saville, present results differently.
Imagine the same raw score compared with two groups, one of experienced managers and one of school leavers. The percentile will usually be higher against the second group. When you see a percentile or sten, ask which norm group sits behind it. Employers often choose a group that matches the level of the role.
Standard scores such as sten and T-score exist so that results from different tests can be read on one scale. They assume a roughly bell-shaped spread of scores, so they are approximate guides rather than exact measurements.
| Method | What it means | Effect on you |
|---|---|---|
| Pass / fail cut-off | A minimum score you must reach to go forward | Falling just short can end the application |
| Ranking | Candidates are ordered and the top group progresses | Your outcome depends on who else applied |
| Banding | Scores are grouped into bands such as below, within or above a range | Small differences inside a band may not matter |
| Combined with other stages | The test is one input alongside interviews or exercises | A modest score may be offset elsewhere, at the employer's discretion |
Whether you can see your result depends on the employer. Saville Assessment states on its candidates page that the inviting organisation decides who sees results and whether feedback is offered.
Once you know which areas drag a result down, practise those families. ReasonEra works as a browser-based AI tutor for practice questions: upload a screenshot, use Tutor Explanation to see the steps, and then try a similar item yourself. It covers numerical, verbal, abstract, logical and other reasoning styles, and new accounts have 3 free trials before the 14-Day Pass at 49 €. It does not give you a percentile, since that needs a real norm group; for that, rely on the employer's report.
Assessment stages vary by role, country and intake, so confirm anything important with the recruiter.
ReasonEra is designed for practice and learning, but some assessments are proctored and many forbid any assistance, so treat it as practice and not as a way around the test.
A percentile shows the percentage of the comparison group you scored higher than. For example, the 50th percentile means you scored better than about half of that group.
A sten of 5 or 6 is typical of the norm group, according to publisher help pages. It is a position on a 1 to 10 scale, not a count of correct answers.
A norm group is the reference sample that your score is compared with. The same raw score can give a different percentile against a different norm group.
It depends on the employer. Saville Assessment notes that the inviting organisation decides who sees results and whether feedback is given.
No, a raw score counts correct answers, while a percentage or percentile has a different meaning. A raw score of 24 on a 50-question test is not a 24th percentile result.
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Notes. Public pages are the only basis for the facts stated here, with the links given above. ReasonEra has no affiliation with the organisations named on this page.