GCAT
General Reasoning Ability
BPS Registered
general cognitive ability measuring abstract, numerical and verbal reasoning.
GCAT General Reasoning Ability
GCAT
General Reasoning Ability
An EFPA Registered Test
General mental ability (GMA) influences how quickly somebody can learn, how readily they can adapt, how easily they can understand, and how adeptly they can solve novel problems. GMA assessments classically contain abstract reasoning (sometimes called diagrammatic or inductive), numerical reasoning and verbal reasoning tests.
It is suitable to assess all levels of staff for selection purposes, identify high-potential workers, or assess whether applicants have the minimum ability level needed for a particular job.
For organisations, it is well established that GMA predicts occupational success regardless of role or context and is an important ingredient of future potential. However, is important for organisations to select tests that are fair, reliable, and valid.
Measuring Success Potential
General cognitive ability influences how quickly somebody can learn and how readily they can adapt, understand, and solve novel problems. This fundamental capability has been proven time and again to be the strongest indicator of workplace performance and career advancement potential.
The Podium GCAT assessment measures General Mental Ability using abstract reasoning, numerical reasoning, and verbal reasoning ability assessments. With flexible timing options and 60 carefully crafted questions, it provides organizations with deep insights into a candidate's problem-solving capabilities and learning potential.
Verbal Reasoning
The verbal reasoning category in GCAT consists of questions that require context analysis, word grouping and word appropriation.
Numerical Reasoning
The numerical reasoning category in GCAT consists of questions that require context analysis, number grouping pattern solving and sequences.
Abstract Reasoning
The GCAT abstract reasoning category is made up of diagrammatic test questions and word association question types that test critical thinking.
Measures
General Reasoning Ability
Abstract Ability
Numerical Ability
Verbal Ability
Reports
Selection Reports
Development Reports
Bulk/Group Reports
Feedback Reports
Administration
On-Screen
Remote Email Invitation
Bulk Access
Duration
60 Timed Questions
30 Minutes
About GCAT
GCAT provides a measure of general mental ability and is comprised of 60 items under abstract, numerical, and verbal reasoning categories.
GCAT is available in timed and un-timed variants. The un-timed version is typically completed in about 30 minutes. A timed variant of GCAT (30 minutes) is available for selection into roles where complex decision-making under time pressure is a feature of the role, or when necessary for operational reasons.
It is suitable to assess all levels of staff for selection purposes, identify high-potential workers, or assess whether applicants have the minimum ability level needed for a particular job.
The Evidence Behind GCAT
Key facts about how it was built and how well it works, from its technical manual, independent review and current norm library.
- What It Measures
- General mental ability ('g') and three reasoning scales: verbal, numerical and abstract. 60 questions in about 30 minutes.
- Theory
- The Cattell–Horn–Carroll (CHC) model of cognitive abilities.
- How It Was Built
- Calibrated with item response theory (a three-parameter model). Each candidate receives a form assembled from banks of equivalent questions, which protects against question sharing.
- Reliability
- Internal consistency of .92 overall (verbal .81, numerical .86, abstract .81; N = 510). Test–retest reliability of .93 over 24 days (N = 123) and .86 over 10 months (N = 101).
- Validity
- Correlates .89 with the International Cognitive Ability Resource (corrected; N = 118). Predicts training performance in emergency-service cadets (r = .48, corrected .58; N = 308), and abstract reasoning predicts academic results in a graduate programme (r = .25, corrected .32; N = 495).
- Norms
- 2026 norm groups including International (N = 114,161), Australasia (N = 82,839), New Zealand (N = 75,225), Türkiye (N = 48,113), the Gulf region in English (N = 37,845) and Arabic (N = 4,911), Australia (N = 12,414), Australian public safety roles (N = 6,237) and Saudi professionals in Arabic (N = 1,795).
- Fairness
- Measurement-invariance analysis of about 7,000 people found no test bias by ethnicity, gender or age. Differences between men and women are negligible (Cohen's d .00 to .21).
- Independent Review
- Reviewed and registered by the British Psychological Society (October 2021), which concluded: “Psychometric properties are good and overall, it is a well-crafted instrument.”
- Maintained By
- Carl Francis CPsychol and Dr Pakeezah Rajab, Podium's psychologists. Created by Dr Glenn Brown with Dr Nigel Guenole, external scientific adviser.
- Sources
- GCAT Technical Manual v2.2; British Psychological Society test review (October 2021); Podium norm library as at 2026.
When To Use GCAT
Development and Coaching
Recruitment and Selection
Language Availability
- English
- Arabic
- Chinese (Simplified)
- French
- German
- Russian
- Slovakian
- Swedish
- Thai
- Turkish
