- CHA stands for Crossover Hiring Assessment, the screening stage Crossover uses before interviews.
- It's built on Criteria's Cognitive Aptitude Test (CCAT): 50 questions, 15 minutes, three domains.
- Most roles set a 35/50 minimum; 43/50 or higher is considered excellent; the average scorer lands near 24/50.
- Finalists retake the same 50 questions live-proctored as the PCCAT, with ID, webcam, and a workspace scan.
What Does CHA Stand For?
CHA stands for Crossover Hiring Assessment. It's the cognitive screening step Crossover uses to evaluate candidates applying for its remote roles, sitting between the initial application and later interview stages. The acronym gets confused with other credentials that happen to share the same three letters, so it's worth being precise: on this site, and in every article linked below, CHA refers exclusively to Crossover's hiring-stage assessment - not a healthcare credential, not a hospitality certification, and not any other "CHA" you might find elsewhere online.
If you landed here because a recruiter mentioned "the CHA" or you saw it referenced in a job application flow, you're in the right place. The rest of this guide breaks down what the assessment covers, how it's scored, and how the whole process actually works from a candidate's perspective.
Why the Name Matters for Applicants
Understanding what CHA stands for isn't just trivia - it shapes how you should prepare. Because the "hiring" part of the name is literal: this isn't a standalone professional certification you can add to a resume independent of a job search. It's tied directly to Crossover's recruiting funnel. Your score determines whether you advance, and thresholds vary by the role you're applying for.
That distinction matters because a lot of generic "test prep" content treats every acronym-named exam the same way, with the same weekly templates and the same advice. The Crossover Hiring Assessment has its own mechanics - timing, scoring bands, retake rules - and treating it like a generic aptitude test wastes preparation time. For a full breakdown of what makes this exam distinct from typical pre-employment tests, see our difficulty guide.
What the Assessment Actually Tests
The Crossover Hiring Assessment is built on the CCAT and covers exactly three domains. Each one shows up in every version of the test, so you can't skip a section based on the role you're applying for.
Domain 1: Verbal Reasoning
Questions test how quickly and accurately you can parse written information - analogies, sentence logic, and reading comprehension under time pressure.
- Identifying relationships between words and concepts
- Drawing valid conclusions from short passages
- Working fast enough that timing, not knowledge, is the limiter
Domain 2: Math and Logic
This section blends arithmetic, word problems, sequences, and logical deduction. Calculators are prohibited, but pen and paper are allowed - mental math speed and estimation matter more than complex computation.
- Ratios, percentages, and basic algebra done quickly by hand
- Number and pattern sequences
- If-then logic and deductive reasoning puzzles
Domain 3: Spatial Reasoning
Candidates work with shapes, rotations, and visual patterns - the domain most people haven't practiced since school, and often the one that costs the most time per question.
- Mental rotation and shape-matching
- Identifying the "odd one out" in a visual set
- Recognizing patterns without relying on verbal or numeric shortcuts
For a deeper walkthrough of question styles and how time is typically distributed across these three areas, the CHA Exam Domains Guide goes section by section.
Key Takeaway
All three domains - verbal reasoning, math and logic, and spatial reasoning - appear on every attempt. There's no way to specialize in one area and skip another, so balanced practice matters more than deep expertise in a single domain.
Format, Scoring, and Registration Mechanics
The initial assessment is free and taken online: 50 multiple-choice questions in 15 minutes. That's roughly 18 seconds per question, which is why pacing matters as much as accuracy. Wrong answers carry no point deduction, so leaving a question blank is strictly worse than guessing.
Crossover sets thresholds by role rather than applying one universal cutoff. Here's how the scoring bands generally break down:
| Score Range | What It Signals |
|---|---|
| 35/50 | Most common minimum threshold used across roles |
| 43/50 or higher | Considered an excellent result |
| 24/50 | Reported average score among test-takers |
A passing score badge is valid for six months, so if you're job-hunting across multiple Crossover-affiliated roles in that window, you generally won't need to retest for each one. If you don't clear the threshold, you'll need to wait six months before attempting again - which makes first-attempt preparation far more valuable than treating the free test as a low-stakes practice run. Our passing score breakdown covers how thresholds shift by role type.
The Live-Proctored Follow-Up: PCCAT
Finalists don't just get a job offer after clearing the initial 50-question screen. They repeat the same test format under live proctoring - referred to as the PCCAT - which requires a government-issued ID, a computer webcam, a second camera device positioned to show your workspace, and a room scan before the test begins. This step exists to verify that the score matching your application is actually yours, done independently.
Who Uses the CHA and Why
Crossover uses this assessment across a wide range of remote roles it recruits for - technical, operational, and managerial positions alike - because cognitive aptitude testing correlates with how quickly someone can learn new systems and reason through ambiguous problems, regardless of specific job title. Rather than relying solely on resumes, Crossover uses the CHA as an objective, comparable data point early in the funnel, before human interviewers get involved.
For candidates, that means the assessment isn't tied to one department or skill set - someone applying for a support role and someone applying for a technical lead role may face the same 50 questions, just with different passing thresholds attached to their specific position. If you're mapping out whether you meet the baseline expectations for a role you're targeting, the requirements overview lays out what's expected before you even sit the test.
How to Prepare Without Wasting Time
Because the test is short - 15 minutes, 50 questions - cramming general aptitude theory the night before rarely helps. What helps more is spending focused blocks on the domain that's weakest for you, since all three carry equal weight and a low score in one area can drag down an otherwise strong result.
A simple way to structure a short prep cycle:
Diagnose
- Take a timed practice set covering all three domains to see where you lose the most time
- Note whether errors come from pacing or actual misunderstanding
Drill the Weak Domain
- Spend the bulk of your time on whichever of verbal reasoning, math and logic, or spatial reasoning scored lowest
- Practice without a calculator, since none is allowed on the real test
Full-Speed Simulation
- Run a full 50-question, 15-minute simulation to rebuild pacing instincts
- Review any questions you skipped or guessed on, since guessing carries no penalty
Crossover officially endorses only its own guide and one third-party resource, 12minprep, for preparation - so approach any other "official-sounding" prep material with caution, and don't assume unrelated aptitude-test content maps cleanly onto this format. For a structured walkthrough of what to review and in what order, the CHA Study Guide is a useful starting point, and you can benchmark your timing against realistic conditions using the practice environment at the main practice test hub.
Key Takeaway
Since wrong answers aren't penalized, never leave a question blank in the final minute - a guess has better expected value than skipping entirely.
If you're still deciding whether investing prep time is worth it relative to the roles you're targeting, it helps to look at the broader picture of what clearing this stage typically leads to - the ROI analysis and salary guide both look at that question from different angles. And if timing your application matters, the exam dates and scheduling guide explains how the assessment fits into Crossover's broader hiring calendar. You can also run a few timed sets on our practice platform before committing to a full study plan, just to see where you currently stand.
Frequently Asked Questions
CHA stands for Crossover Hiring Assessment - the cognitive screening test Crossover uses during its hiring process, built on Criteria's Cognitive Aptitude Test (CCAT).
No. Several unrelated credentials share the "CHA" acronym in other industries. On this site, CHA refers only to the Crossover Hiring Assessment used in Crossover's job application process.
The initial assessment is 50 multiple-choice questions in 15 minutes, covering verbal reasoning, math and logic, and spatial reasoning.
Thresholds vary by role. 35/50 is the most common minimum, while 43/50 or higher is considered excellent. The reported average score across test-takers is 24/50.
You'll need to wait six months before retaking the assessment, and a passing score badge, once earned, remains valid for six months.