- CHA on this site refers specifically to the Crossover Hiring Assessment, built on Criteria's CCAT.
- The test is 50 questions in 15 minutes covering verbal reasoning, math and logic, and spatial reasoning.
- 35/50 is the most common minimum threshold; 43/50 or higher is considered excellent; the average score is 24/50.
- Only the official guide and 12minprep are endorsed third-party prep resources for this assessment.
What CHA Actually Means
CHA stands for Crossover Hiring Assessment - the cognitive-aptitude screening stage that Crossover uses early in its hiring pipeline for remote roles. It is not a professional license, not a healthcare credential, and not tied to any certifying board outside of Crossover's own hiring process. If you landed here searching for a different industry's "CHA," this is the wrong page - but if you're trying to understand the term as it applies to Crossover's job applications, you're in the right place.
The confusion is understandable. Several unrelated fields use the same three letters for entirely different purposes. This article, and every other piece on this site, uses CHA in one sense only: the aptitude-based screening step candidates encounter when applying to Crossover-affiliated positions. For a broader overview of how this fits into the hiring funnel, see What Is CHA? and CHA Certification.
Why the Acronym Confuses People
Search engines rank pages for "CHA" from multiple unrelated fields on the same results page, which is why candidates often land on content that has nothing to do with Crossover's hiring process. If you're prepping for this specific assessment, double-check that any resource you read matches the mechanics described below: a 50-question, 15-minute cognitive test, not a lengthy professional exam with a testing fee schedule or continuing-education requirement. Related terminology gets untangled in What Does CHA Stand For? and What Does CHA Mean?.
Job seekers sometimes also ask "what is a CHA" as though it were a job title or a person who holds a license. In Crossover's context, there's no such role - CHA describes the assessment itself, not a credentialed individual. See What Is A CHA? for that distinction spelled out in more detail.
What the Assessment Measures
The Crossover Hiring Assessment is built on Criteria's Cognitive Aptitude Test (CCAT), a free online assessment that measures general cognitive ability across three domains rather than job-specific knowledge. Nothing here tests coding syntax, product-management frameworks, or industry trivia - it tests how quickly and accurately you can reason under time pressure.
Domain 1: Verbal Reasoning
Questions assess your ability to understand relationships between words, follow written logic, and draw conclusions from short passages quickly.
- Analogies and word-relationship items
- Reading short prompts and identifying valid inferences
- Vocabulary-in-context questions under time pressure
Domain 2: Math and Logic
This domain blends arithmetic, word problems, number sequences, and logical deduction - all without a calculator.
- Ratios, percentages, and basic algebra done mentally or on scratch paper
- Number-series and pattern-completion items
- Syllogism-style logical reasoning questions
Domain 3: Spatial Reasoning
These items test the ability to mentally manipulate shapes and visualize transformations without physical models.
- Rotated-shape matching
- Sequence-of-figures pattern recognition
- Folding or assembly visualization problems
A full breakdown of question styles and how much time to budget per domain lives in CHA Exam Domains 2026: Complete Guide to All 3 Content Areas.
Format, Scoring, and Retake Mechanics
The mechanics of this assessment are straightforward once you know the numbers, but they surprise a lot of first-time candidates who expect a longer, untimed test.
- Length and time: 50 multiple-choice questions in 15 minutes total, spanning all three domains.
- Tools allowed: pen and paper are permitted; calculators are prohibited.
- Scoring: wrong answers carry no point deduction, so an educated guess never costs you more than leaving a question blank.
- Thresholds: Crossover sets role-specific minimums, with 35/50 being the most common cutoff. A score of 43/50 or higher is considered excellent, while the reported average sits at 24/50.
- Validity window: a passing score badge stays valid for six months.
- Retake policy: candidates who don't clear the threshold wait six months before attempting again.
Key Takeaway
Because wrong answers aren't penalized, never leave a question blank in the final minute - an educated guess only helps your score, never hurts it.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Question count | 50 multiple-choice |
| Time limit | 15 minutes |
| Domains covered | Verbal Reasoning, Math and Logic, Spatial Reasoning |
| Common passing threshold | 35/50 |
| Excellent score | 43/50 or higher |
| Reported average score | 24/50 |
| Score badge validity | 6 months |
| Retake waiting period | 6 months |
For a deeper look at what these numbers mean for your odds of success, read CHA Pass Rate 2026: What the Data Shows and CHA Passing Score 2026: Exactly What You Need to Pass. Since thresholds vary by role, it's also worth reviewing CHA Requirements 2026: Eligibility, Prerequisites & How to Qualify before you register.
Who Uses This Screening Stage
Crossover uses this cognitive-aptitude stage as an early filter across a wide range of remote roles it recruits for - from technical positions to operations and management tracks. Rather than testing domain expertise, it screens for general reasoning speed and accuracy before a candidate advances to role-specific interviews or exercises. That's a meaningfully different purpose than a licensing exam that certifies you to practice a profession, which is part of why this term shouldn't be confused with other credentials sharing the same three letters.
If you're weighing whether investing prep time into this stage is worthwhile relative to the roles it unlocks, Is the CHA Certification Worth It? Complete ROI Analysis 2026 and CHA Jobs cover that from a career-outcomes angle, while CHA Salary Guide 2026: Complete Earnings Analysis looks at compensation for roles that use this screening step.
From CHA to the Live-Proctored Stage
Passing the initial online assessment isn't the finish line. Finalists are asked to repeat the same 50-question test format under live proctoring - referred to as the PCCAT - which adds identity and environment verification on top of the original question set.
Because the question style mirrors the original screening, the best preparation for the proctored stage is simply being consistently sharp across all three domains rather than memorizing specific items - which, given how quickly this test moves, isn't realistic anyway.
Preparing Around the Meaning, Not Just the Name
Once you understand what CHA actually measures, prep decisions get much simpler. This is a speed-and-accuracy cognitive test, not a knowledge exam, so cramming facts won't move your score - building fluency with the three domains will.
A light structure that respects the test's format looks like this:
Diagnose and Baseline
- Take a timed practice set to see your current split across verbal, math/logic, and spatial items
- Identify which domain eats the most time relative to accuracy
Drill the Weakest Domain
- Spend extra reps on whichever domain scored lowest in Week 1
- Practice mental math without a calculator, since none is allowed on test day
Full-Length Timed Runs
- Simulate the full 15-minute, 50-question format at least twice
- Practice guessing quickly on stuck items since wrong answers aren't penalized
Crossover officially endorses only its own guide and 12minprep as legitimate third-party preparation. Any other resource claiming affiliation or promising access to live questions should be treated with skepticism - this site does not reproduce actual test items or claim any official partnership. For a structured walkthrough that respects that boundary, see CHA Study Guide 2026: How to Pass on Your First Attempt and, if you want a gauge on realistic difficulty before you commit study hours, How Hard Is the CHA Exam? Complete Difficulty Guide 2026.
You can also run a few untimed warm-up sets on the main practice test site to get comfortable with pacing before attempting a fully timed simulation. Once pacing feels natural, a full timed run on the practice test platform is the closest thing to a dry run for the real 15-minute window.
For a condensed reference you can skim the morning of your test, bookmark CHA Cheat Sheet 2026: One-Page Review of Must-Know Facts, and check CHA Exam Dates 2026: Testing Windows, Deadlines & Scheduling if you're coordinating prep around a specific application window.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. Every article on this site uses CHA to mean the Crossover Hiring Assessment exclusively, even though other unrelated fields use the same acronym elsewhere.
The underlying CCAT-based assessment Crossover uses is a free online test; for full cost breakdowns related to preparation resources, see CHA Certification Cost 2026: Complete Pricing Breakdown.
No. Calculators are prohibited, though pen and paper are allowed for working through math and logic questions manually.
Unsuccessful candidates must wait six months before retaking the assessment, so it's worth thoroughly preparing before your first attempt.
No. Passing leads to further steps, including a live-proctored retake of the same 50-question format called the PCCAT, which verifies your identity and workspace before finalists proceed further in hiring.