Wonderlic Test: The NFL Combine IQ test is tough. Take it for yourself.

The Wonderlic Test is one of the subplots of EVER NFL Combine. While most people focus on physical test results, the Wonderlic tests the mental makeup of potential candidates. Developed in 1936, its use in evaluating the NFL is awarded to former Dallas Cowboys coach Tom Landry.

Potential candidates have 12 minutes to answer 50 questions.

So I wanted to know: how difficult is it?

In my very unofficial experience: pretty damn hard. I only completed 25 of the 50 questions before time runs out on a sample Wonderlic test website, but managed 15.

I probably had the wrong strategy and pretty suspicious time management. But if I had passed the test with flying colors and answered more questions, I think I would have been even more wrong because the questions are designed to trip you up.

Here are some examples :

For reference, this painting from 2015 lists all Wonderlic scores for the starting QBs in the league at that time.

Lots of scores in the 1920s or 1930s.

Like everything else about the pre-draft process, the Wonderlic test should only be one part of a complex tapestry of player evaluation. There is also nothing to suggest that proficiency on the test is in any way indicative of success in the field.

There is a myriad of issues with the fact that the Wonderlic test is still being used and how many of it is being extrapolated.

A wonderful result does not take into account the anxiety level of players during testing or other factors such as teacher training for standardized testing in the past. Plus, just because a player is “smart with the books” doesn’t mean he lacks the incredible mental processing ability and spatial awareness it takes to score a touchdown or tackle.

But the next time you see a bad Wonderlic test reported, give it a try for yourself and understand that it is not as easy as it seems.