The Predictive Index Cognitive Assessment is a 12-minute assessment of an individual’s general cognitive ability. The PI Cognitive Assessment was built and validated exclusively for use in the workplace and it provides insight into a person’s capacity to learn, adapt, and grasp new concepts. The PI Cognitive Assessment does not measure IQ or previously acquired knowledge (e.g., job-specific knowledge), skills, or willingness to make an effort to learn new things. Rather, it indicates how fast an individual can be expected to acquire new knowledge.

The assessment consists of 50 multiple-choice questions from a larger question pool from three categories including verbal, numerical, and abstract reasoning. The questions are selected by the assessment’s linear-on-the-fly test (LOFT) engine to ensure equivalent content and difficulty for each administration, while also ensuring that a participant won’t be presented with the exact same assessment twice.

The total number of correct answers is the basis of the PI Cognitive Assessment score, which is a measure of general cognitive ability. The raw score is converted to a scaled score between 100 and 450. 

Companies should determine their own policies around use and administration. The PI Cognitive Assessment is meant for candidates or existing employees applying for a new position with different demands. The PI Cognitive Assessment may not be needed if the job has a low cognitive demand. In addition, the PI Cognitive Assessment should not be used as a development tool and should not otherwise be taken by existing employees for their current roles.

BEST PRACTICES

Use Job Targets

• The PI Job Assessment helps clearly establish a role’s requirements, and it serves as a conversational aid in aligning interviewers on what to look for in candidates. By setting job targets in advance, clients ensure a clear and mutual understanding of a role’s requirements. Using the Job Assessment helps avoid bias from arbitrarily setting the cognitive target.

Use Match Scores

• Cognitive match scores are calculated based on their distance from the cognitive job target. If a candidate’s cognitive score is the same as or higher than the target, then the match score is a ten. There is no penalty for being above the target because there is no evidence to suggest that being above the target has a negative impact on job performance. If a cognitive score is below the target, then points are deducted on a sliding scale. 
• Match scores should be used for ranking and prioritizing candidates for further review or interviews, but they are not designed to be used as a sole decision-making measure or “cut score.” Any assessment used should be considered as another data point through which you evaluate your candidate.

Share Cognitive Data on Need-to-Know Basis Only

• Cognitive data is sensitive information that, when used improperly, can be detrimental to employees morale and organizational culture. This data (raw score or match score) should never be shared directly with candidates or employees. It is also not recommended to share raw scores with hiring managers, instead sharing whether someone met the cognitive target or not without providing further detail. 

Reduce Bias

• Cognitive assessments that are extremely predictive of job performance often produce lower average scores for some protected demographic groups. Administrators of the PI Cognitive Assessment are responsible for ensuring that candidates are properly informed about the assessment process, that the assessment is administered fairly and in compliance with their organization’s standards as well as all applicable law, and the confidentiality of participants’ scores, and the proper overall use of the assessment across the organization.

Now you KNOW:

• What the cognitive assessment is and what it measures
• Best practices on how to implement and use cognitive data in your hiring process
• How cognitive match scores are calculated

Now you TRY:

• Send the cognitive assessment to yourself and complete it
• Change the cognitive job target for your Onboarding Demo role

If you have any questions or concerns about how best to implement the use of the cognitive assessment in your hiring process or PI roll out, please contact your Client Success Advocate or Talent Optimization Consultant and they'll be happy to talk it through.