- What Is CHA, Exactly?
- Who Administers the CHA and Why It Exists
- Exam Format: 50 Questions, 15 Minutes, Three Domains
- The Three CHA Domains Explained
- Scoring Thresholds and What They Mean
- The PCCAT: CHA's Live-Proctored Final Stage
- Rules, Tools, and Retake Policy
- Preparing for CHA Without Wasting Time
- Frequently Asked Questions
- CHA is Crossover's cognitive-aptitude hiring stage, built on Criteria's CCAT: 50 questions, 15 minutes.
- Domains are Verbal Reasoning, Math and Logic, and Spatial Reasoning - no domain-specific breakdown of question count is published.
- 35/50 is Crossover's most common minimum threshold; 43/50+ is considered excellent; the average score is 24/50.
- Finalists retake the same 50-question test live-proctored as the PCCAT, with ID, dual cameras, and a workspace scan.
What Is CHA, Exactly?
CHA stands for Crossover Hiring Assessment - the cognitive-aptitude screening stage that Crossover uses when evaluating candidates for its remote roles. It is not a standalone certifying body's credential; it is a hiring gate built around Criteria's Cognitive Aptitude Test (CCAT), administered as a free online assessment before candidates advance further in Crossover's pipeline.
Because "CHA" is used as shorthand by several unrelated credentials in other industries, it's worth being precise here: everything on this site refers specifically to Crossover's assessment process, its scoring bands, and its two-stage structure (an unproctored screen followed by a proctored retake). If you've landed here searching for a different CHA, this article - and this site - will not answer that question.
Who Administers the CHA and Why It Exists
Crossover uses the CHA to quickly compare large volumes of applicants against a consistent, role-agnostic benchmark of raw problem-solving speed and accuracy. Rather than reviewing resumes line-by-line for every applicant, Crossover applies a numeric cutoff first, then moves qualifying candidates into further evaluation. This is why understanding the exact mechanics - the questions, the time limit, and the score bands - matters more here than in most "study hard and hope" exams. For a broader look at how this fits into eligibility overall, see CHA Requirements 2026: Eligibility, Prerequisites & How to Qualify.
Because thresholds are role-specific, the exact bar you need to clear can vary by the position you're applying to, but Crossover's most frequently cited minimum is 35 out of 50. That number, along with the "excellent" and "average" bands, comes directly from Crossover's own published guidance and is explored in more depth in CHA Passing Score 2026: Exactly What You Need to Pass.
Exam Format: 50 Questions, 15 Minutes, Three Domains
The core mechanic of the CHA is speed under pressure. You get 50 multiple-choice questions in 15 minutes - roughly 18 seconds per question if you spread time evenly, though in practice most candidates move fast through familiar item types and slow down on unfamiliar ones. The questions are drawn from three domains: verbal reasoning, math and logic, and spatial reasoning.
There is no published breakdown of exactly how many questions come from each domain, so candidates should treat all three as equally likely to appear and prepare accordingly rather than betting heavily on one area. A full breakdown of each domain's question style lives in CHA Exam Domains 2026: Complete Guide to All 3 Content Areas.
Key Takeaway
Treat the 15-minute window as the real constraint, not the difficulty of any single question. Most candidates run out of time before they run out of ability.
The Three CHA Domains Explained
Each domain rewards a different kind of mental speed. Knowing what each one actually tests - rather than guessing from the name - is the fastest way to stop wasting practice time on the wrong skills.
Domain 1: Verbal Reasoning
Tests how quickly you can extract meaning, relationships, and logical structure from short written passages and word-based problems.
- Analogies and word-relationship items
- Short passage inference and reading comprehension under time pressure
- Identifying logically valid conclusions from limited text
Domain 2: Math and Logic
Combines arithmetic, basic algebra, word problems, and sequence/pattern logic - all without a calculator.
- Ratios, percentages, and rate problems solved by hand
- Number and letter sequence completion
- Basic deductive and conditional logic ("if X, then Y" style items)
Domain 3: Spatial Reasoning
Measures your ability to mentally manipulate shapes, patterns, and orientations without physically moving anything.
- Rotated and mirrored shape matching
- Pattern completion and "what comes next" visual sequences
- Folding, unfolding, or reassembling 2D/3D figures mentally
Since calculators are prohibited but pen and paper are allowed, the math and logic domain rewards candidates who can sketch quick diagrams or jot down intermediate steps rather than relying on mental math alone. For a domain-by-domain difficulty comparison, How Hard Is the CHA Exam? Complete Difficulty Guide 2026 breaks down where most candidates lose time.
Scoring Thresholds and What They Mean
Crossover's scoring bands give useful context for interpreting your own result:
| Score Range | What It Signals |
|---|---|
| 24/50 | Average score across the general candidate pool |
| 35/50 | Most common minimum threshold Crossover applies for roles |
| 43/50 or higher | Considered an excellent result |
Wrong answers carry no point deduction, which changes strategy meaningfully: an educated guess is always better than leaving a question blank, since there's no penalty beyond simply not scoring a point. A passing score badge remains valid for six months, so timing your assessment against your actual application window matters. If you score below the required threshold, Crossover requires a six-month wait before you can retake it - a long enough gap that it's worth treating your first attempt as the one that counts. For the numbers behind how many candidates typically clear these bars, see CHA Pass Rate 2026: What the Data Shows.
The PCCAT: CHA's Live-Proctored Final Stage
Passing the initial CHA screen isn't the end of the cognitive evaluation. Finalists are asked to repeat the same 50-question, 15-minute test under live proctoring - referred to as the PCCAT. This stage requires:
- A valid government-issued ID for identity verification
- A computer webcam for live monitoring
- A second camera device positioned to show your workspace and hands
- A full workspace scan before the test begins
The proctored retake exists to confirm that the score achieved in the unproctored screen reflects genuine ability rather than assistance. Because it mirrors the original test's format and domains exactly, your preparation for the initial CHA and the PCCAT should be identical - there's no separate content to learn, only a stricter environment to perform in.
Rules, Tools, and Retake Policy
A few operational details separate CHA from many other timed assessments:
- Calculators: prohibited at every stage, including the PCCAT.
- Pen and paper: explicitly allowed, and useful for math/logic and spatial items.
- Wrong-answer penalty: none - guess rather than skip.
- Score validity: six months from the date of a passing result.
- Retake wait: six months after an unsuccessful attempt.
On the preparation side, Crossover officially endorses only its own guide and 12minprep as an approved third-party resource. This site does not claim any affiliation with Crossover, does not reproduce live CHA questions, and does not market itself as an authorized preparation provider - it exists to explain the assessment's public, factual mechanics so you can plan your own study realistically. For a full cost breakdown of what's actually involved in the hiring process around CHA, see CHA Certification Cost 2026: Complete Pricing Breakdown.
Preparing for CHA Without Wasting Time
Because the CHA rewards speed as much as accuracy, the highest-value preparation is timed practice split evenly across all three domains, not deep study of any single one. A simple two-week structure works well if you're starting from scratch:
Diagnose and Drill
- Take a full 50-question, 15-minute timed run on the main practice test site to establish a baseline
- Identify which domain - verbal, math/logic, or spatial - costs you the most time
- Drill untimed accuracy first in your weakest domain, then add time pressure
Simulate and Tighten
- Run two to three full timed simulations back-to-back to build pacing stamina
- Practice quick pen-and-paper shortcuts for math/logic since calculators aren't allowed
- Rehearse your PCCAT setup - ID, webcam, second camera angle - well before test day
If you want a structured, step-by-step version of this plan, CHA Study Guide 2026: How to Pass on Your First Attempt goes deeper into pacing drills and common mistakes by domain. And if you're weighing whether the time investment is worth it relative to the roles it unlocks, Is the CHA Certification Worth It? Complete ROI Analysis 2026 covers that tradeoff directly.
Key Takeaway
Spend more prep time on pacing simulations than on content review - at 18 seconds per question, speed under pressure is the skill actually being tested.
Whichever schedule you follow, run at least one full-length timed session on a realistic practice platform before attempting the real CHA, since the format itself - not just the content - takes adjustment.
Frequently Asked Questions
The CHA is Crossover's hiring assessment built on Criteria's CCAT. The underlying 50-question, 15-minute test is the CCAT; "CHA" refers to how Crossover applies it as a hiring stage, including its own thresholds and retake rules.
50 multiple-choice questions in 15 minutes, covering verbal reasoning, math and logic, and spatial reasoning.
Thresholds are role-specific, but 35 out of 50 is Crossover's most common minimum. A score of 43/50 or higher is considered excellent, while the average candidate scores 24/50. See CHA Passing Score 2026: Exactly What You Need to Pass for details.
No. Calculators are prohibited at every stage, including the live-proctored PCCAT. Pen and paper are allowed for working through problems by hand.
You must wait six months before retaking it. A passing score, once achieved, remains valid for six months, so timing matters on both ends.