Qiyas Cognitive Ability

Overview

The Cognitive Ability Test (اختبار القدرة المعرفية) is a professional test run by Qiyas, the testing centre of Saudi Arabia's Education and Training Evaluation Commission (ETEC). It measures a candidate's ability to understand relationships between things and events, make judgements and assess real-life situations. Government bodies use it when filling administrative jobs and when ranking employees for promotion.

According to Qiyas, the test aims to give a picture of how likely a candidate is to succeed in a job, show each candidate's strengths and weaknesses, show how well candidates can apply what they know to new situations, and provide a criterion for comparing candidates for appointment or promotion.

Who can apply

The test is aimed at applicants for administrative jobs, for appointment or for promotion, on the general scale of Saudi Arabia's human resources system. Health and education jobs are excluded. The bodies that use the results include ministries, public authorities, universities and any other employer that requires the test.

Candidates need an accepted original identity document: the national ID card, a resident ID (iqama) for non-Saudis, the candidate's paper passport, or a Saudi driving licence. It must be an original plastic card (or the passport), valid and with a clear photo. Work ID cards and university student cards are not accepted.

Exam pattern

The test is offered in two formats, paper-based and computer-based. Both have 5 sections of 20 questions each, and the test lasts 2 hours and 5 minutes. All questions are multiple choice, and the test is in Arabic only. Calculators are not allowed.

Syllabus

• Verbal ability: understanding word meanings, using words well, and grasping the relationships between words and the meanings in a sentence, paragraph or text.

• Quantitative ability: handling and processing mathematical and numerical information.

• Reasoning ability: logical thinking, applying deductive and inductive rules to abstract, symbolic or verbal information to reach conclusions.

• Spatial ability: visual thinking with images and geometric shapes, including picturing two-dimensional drawings as three-dimensional objects.

Marking and results

There is no pass mark. The score does not mean pass or fail; employers use it to compare and rank applicants. A result is valid for five calendar years from the test date.

A candidate may sit the test 7 times within 3 years, and the eighth attempt is allowed once three years have passed since the first test. Qiyas may limit registration in some sittings to first-time candidates.

Important dates

The 2026 sittings listed by Qiyas were:

Fees

When checked in October 2026, Qiyas listed a fee of SAR 200 for early registration and SAR 250 for late registration.

How to apply

Register through your beneficiary account on ETEC's e-services portal (e-services.etec.gov.sa), choose a sitting and pay the fee. After payment, a booking can be cancelled or moved up to 72 hours before a paper test and 48 hours before a computer-based test. Qiyas publishes visual registration guides for the paper and computer-based formats. On test day, bring your original accepted ID; for the paper test, know your seat number.

Preparation tips

• Weight your practice by the test's balance: quantitative ability is the largest share at 35%, followed by verbal ability at 30%.

• Practise mental arithmetic, since calculators are banned.

• Practise in Arabic, as the test is offered only in Arabic.

• Register in the early window to pay the lower fee.