First Move Assessment vs Criteria (CCAT) for Contractors

The short answer: Criteria Corp fits a company that wants one subscription to a large library of assessments (cognitive aptitude including the CCAT, personality, emotional intelligence, risk and integrity, skills and game-based tests) plus video interviewing, with published validity information behind its tests. Criteria prices by quote, built around your headcount.¹ First Move Assessment fits a contracting business that wants to buy assessments one at a time and get a read on the move a candidate reaches for first in the exact trade seat it is hiring for. The two measure different things, and a shop can use both.

We checked every Criteria fact on this page against Criteria Corp's own public website on 8 October 2026. Prices and features change, so confirm on their site before you buy. Sources are listed at the bottom.

Who each one is for

Criteria. Criteria says it serves more than 4,000 organizations across 60 countries.² Founded in Los Angeles in 2006, it says customers use it "From high-volume hiring to professional, technical, and leadership roles".³ Its tests-by-position list includes HVAC mechanics, plumbers, electricians, field service technicians, dispatchers, and janitors and cleaners.⁴

First Move Assessment. Built for owners and managers who do their own hiring in nine trades: HVAC, plumbing, electrical, roofing, garage door, pest control, commercial mechanical, residential cleaning and commercial cleaning. Every seat in the company has its own written standard, from apprentice and service tech through dispatcher, CSR, comfort advisor, estimator and bookkeeper, up to the chief executive.

What each one measures

Criteria sells tests in several families, and you pick a set for each role.⁵

Cognitive aptitude. The Criteria Cognitive Aptitude Test (CCAT) "measures an individual's aptitude, or ability to solve problems, digest and apply information, learn new skills, and think critically." It has 50 items and a 15-minute limit, and Criteria says very few people finish all 50. Criteria recommends it for mid- to high-level jobs and says it has been given more than 10 million times.⁶ The WTMA (30 minutes, 60 items) and the shorter, mobile-friendly CMRA measure mechanical aptitude.⁷⁸
Game-based. Cognify tests cognitive aptitude in three games (10 minutes plus tutorials), and the mobile-first GAME takes about 5 to 6 minutes.⁹¹⁰
Personality. The Employee Personality Profile (EPP) is a "general personality inventory that measures twelve personality traits", with 140 items, about 10 minutes and job-specific benchmarks.¹¹
Emotional intelligence. Emotify is an interactive, ability-based test of how well a candidate perceives, understands and manages emotions.¹²
Risk and integrity. The Workplace Productivity Profile (WPP) measures conscientiousness, perseverance, honesty and attitudes toward theft and fraud in about 7 minutes. Criteria says it is "used primarily for entry-level positions where rule adherence and trustworthiness are of primary importance", and should not be used in Massachusetts.¹³ The Workplace Safety Profile (WSP) rates the risk of unsafe behavior as High, Medium or Low.¹⁴
Video interviewing. Structured one-way and live video interviews. An AI Interview Agent is listed as coming soon.¹⁵

First Move Assessment measures work instinct: the move a candidate reaches for first when the work gets hard. The candidate reads situations from the seat and picks the move they would make first. The report scores them out of 100 against the seat's written standard, with a margin of error printed beside the score, and shows where their instincts pull away from what the seat needs. It does not test skills or trade knowledge, describe personality or check backgrounds.

What that means in practice: Criteria tells you how quickly a candidate reasons and learns, their personality traits, and their integrity or safety risk. First Move Assessment tells you which way the candidate leans on the calls one seat runs on: check first or jump in, fix what keeps causing the problem or the one in front of them, handle it or pass it to the right person.

The research behind each

Criteria puts validation at the center of its pitch. In its own words: "An assessment is only as powerful as its validation."¹⁶ It says it tests reliability, construct validity and criterion validity, checks content validity against Department of Labor data on over 1,100 roles, and follows the Uniform Guidelines on Employee Selection Procedures: "We extensively validate our assessments, both in the process of developing the assessments as well as on an ongoing basis with client implementations."¹⁷

Several of its test pages carry the numbers. The CCAT correlates .55 to .8 with leading employment aptitude tests, and Criteria says "Research shows that cognitive aptitude is one of the most accurate predictors of job success: 1.6x as predictive as job interviews and 4x as predictive as experience."⁶ EPP test-retest reliabilities run .67 to .90.¹¹ Criteria says it runs "hundreds of additional local validation studies with our client organizations", and that an independent June 2026 audit of over 300,000 candidates, using New York City Local Law 144 standards, found "no practically significant disparate impact" by gender, US racial category or the two combined.¹⁸

First Move Assessment is built on situational judgment, a hiring method with 30 years of published evidence. Candidates face real situations from the seat and pick the move they would make first. What the published research on the method has found:

A meta-analysis pooling 118 results found situational judgment tests predicted job performance at .26 (McDaniel, Hartman, Whetzel and Grubb, 2007, Personnel Psychology).
Tests built around teamwork situations predicted at .38, and leadership situations at .28 (Christian, Edwards and Bradley, 2010, Personnel Psychology).
The approach lines up with decades of research on tacit knowledge, the practical know-how that separates experienced performers (Sternberg and Wagner, 1985; Lievens and Motowidlo, 2016).

The limits page explains how these findings on the method relate to this assessment.

Where Criteria is ahead: Criteria publishes validity figures on several of its test pages, such as the CCAT, WTMA and EPP,⁶⁷¹¹ and reports an independent bias audit of its assessments.¹⁸

Trade-specific content

Criteria fits a set of its tests to each job. Its position pages recommend:

HVAC mechanics: the WTMA and the WPP, because they can work in customers' homes. The page says the Customer Service Aptitude Profile (CSAP) may also be appropriate for techs who work directly with customers.¹⁹
Plumbers and electricians: the CMRA and the WSP.²⁰²¹
Janitors and cleaners: the WPP.²²
Dispatchers: the Criteria Basic Skills Test and the EPP.²³

Criteria's TestMaker lets you build your own tests, which it says suits industry-specific knowledge.⁵ In one part of Emotify, candidates read short scenarios and "select the best response for managing the emotion involved."¹² Criteria's position list does not name roofers, garage door techs or pest control techs.⁴ Ask which tests it would use for those seats.

First Move Assessment is trade-specific all the way through. Each situation is written from inside one seat in one trade, in that trade's own words: a night crew cleaner alone in a locked building who finds a floor that is not on the route sheet, or an estimator with a bid due and a scope question the general contractor has not answered. A dispatcher is read against what a dispatch board demands, a bookkeeper against what the books demand.

Pricing

Criteria shows three plans: Criteria Assess (all assessments, TestMaker, standard ATS integrations, SSO and MFA), Criteria Interview (async and real-time video) and Criteria Hire (both). AI upgrades, AI Proctoring, Criteria Develop and premium integrations are add-ons. Every plan says "Request Pricing", and Criteria says: "Talk to our team for pricing built around your headcount."¹ Its small business page says flat-fee pricing means "you can test at any point in your hiring funnel without worrying about going over budget."⁵ Employers can start a 14-day free trial.²⁴

First Move Assessment charges per assessment. One assessment is $149. Packs run $595 for 5, $995 for 10 and $1,995 for 25. The Practice License is 100 assessments a year for $4,950. Every seat costs the same, assessments never expire, and the first one is covered by a 30-day refund. Full details are on the pricing page.

The honest math: Criteria does not publish prices, so no side-by-side number is possible. A flat fee lowers the cost per candidate as you test more people, which favors a company running many candidates across many roles. Divide Criteria's quote by $49.50 (Practice License) or $79.80 (25 pack) to see how many First Move Assessments it would buy, and compare that with last year's finalists.

Setup and support

Criteria includes standard ATS integrations, SSO and MFA in every plan.¹ It lists 50+ ATS and HRIS integration partners, including Greenhouse, BambooHR, ADP Workforce Now and JazzHR.¹⁵²⁵ Its support teams help you choose, administer and interpret assessments.¹ Candidates can use a tablet or mobile browser, and are told beforehand if an assessment does not work on one.²⁶

First Move Assessment takes almost no setup. Your account email arrives within a minute of buying, and you set a password from it. Pick the seat, type the candidate's name and email, and the link goes out. The candidate finishes on their phone in about 10 to 20 minutes, with no app and no account, and the report lands in your inbox. Questions go to support@firstmoveassessment.com.

How each one uses AI

Criteria says: "Many platforms use AI to automate decisions. Criteria uses AI to improve them." It also says: "Every talent decision remains human-led." Criteria is certified to ISO 42001, a standard for AI management systems.² Its AI Scoring add-on scores video interviews from the transcript alone, which Criteria says it does "as accurately as an expert human grader", and the hiring team keeps the final say.²⁷ Its AI Scoring page describes async interviews, and its interviewing page says the add-on also works with real-time and AI-conducted interviews.¹⁵ AI Proctoring samples images, screens and audio during an assessment and flags suspicious activity for review.²⁸

First Move Assessment: AI tools helped draft the seat standards and the situations a candidate reads, and checked them against occupational research. Every standard then had to pass a fixed set of rules and was approved before use. No AI takes part when a candidate sits the assessment, when it is scored, or when the report is written.

Frequently asked questions

Is First Move Assessment a CCAT alternative?

It answers a different question. The CCAT measures problem solving, learning ability and critical thinking in 50 items with a 15-minute limit.⁶ First Move Assessment is not an aptitude or IQ measure and does not test trade knowledge. If you want a reasoning test, the CCAT is built for that. If you want the move a candidate reaches for first as a dispatcher or service tech, that is what First Move Assessment reads.

How much does Criteria Corp cost?

Criteria does not list prices. Its three plans are quoted around your headcount, its small business page describes flat-fee subscription pricing, and there is a 14-day free trial.¹⁵²⁴ First Move Assessment is $149 for one assessment and drops to $49.50 a candidate on the Practice License.

Is Criteria validated for hiring?

Criteria says yes. It publishes reliability and validity figures on several of its test pages, describes its validation process and reports an independent 2026 bias audit.⁶¹⁷¹⁸

Does Criteria have tests for HVAC, plumbing and electrical hires?

Yes. Its position pages recommend the WTMA or CMRA for mechanical aptitude and the WPP or WSP for integrity and safety, and the HVAC page says the CSAP may suit HVAC techs who work with customers.¹⁹²⁰²¹ First Move Assessment reads the move a candidate reaches for first in situations from the seat.

Does Criteria use AI to score candidates?

Its AI Scoring add-on scores video interviews from the transcript alone. Its AI Scoring page describes async interviews, and its interviewing page says the add-on also works with real-time and AI-conducted interviews.²⁷¹⁵ First Move Assessment uses no AI in scoring or in the report.

Which one covers commercial mechanical and cleaning companies?

Criteria's position list includes janitors and cleaners, maids and housekeepers, construction managers, construction workers, and maintenance and repair workers.⁴ It reports that Clean MD, a commercial cleaning company of about 90 people, cut turnover from 37.7% to 22% after giving cleaning technicians the WPP, the Criteria Basic Skills Test and the EPP.²²²⁹ First Move Assessment has written seat standards for commercial mechanical, residential cleaning and commercial cleaning, including project managers, estimators, night crew cleaners, day porters and commercial supervisors.

Sources

Criteria facts checked on criteriacorp.com on 8 October 2026.

Criteria plans and pricing: https://www.criteriacorp.com/plans-and-pricing
Criteria home page: https://www.criteriacorp.com/
About Criteria: https://www.criteriacorp.com/about-us
Criteria tests by position: https://www.criteriacorp.com/solutions/tests-by-position
Criteria for small businesses: https://www.criteriacorp.com/solutions/small-business
Criteria CCAT: https://www.criteriacorp.com/assess/cognitive-aptitude/criteria-cognitive-aptitude-test-ccat
Criteria WTMA: https://www.criteriacorp.com/assess/cognitive-aptitude/wiesen-test-mechanical-aptitude-wtma
Criteria CMRA: https://www.criteriacorp.com/assess/cognitive-aptitude/criteria-mechanical-reasoning-assessment-cmra
Criteria Cognify: https://www.criteriacorp.com/assess/cognitive-aptitude/cognify
Criteria GAME: https://www.criteriacorp.com/assess/cognitive-aptitude/general-aptitude-mobile-evaluation-game
Criteria EPP: https://www.criteriacorp.com/assess/personality/employee-personality-profile-epp
Criteria Emotify: https://www.criteriacorp.com/assess/emotional-intelligence/emotify
Criteria WPP: https://www.criteriacorp.com/assess/risk/workplace-productivity-profile-wpp
Criteria WSP: https://www.criteriacorp.com/assess/risk/workplace-safety-profile-wsp
Criteria predictive interviewing: https://www.criteriacorp.com/interview
Criteria, The Science: https://www.criteriacorp.com/science
Criteria testing validation: https://www.criteriacorp.com/science/testing-validation
Criteria legal defensibility: https://www.criteriacorp.com/legal-defensibility
Criteria tests for HVAC mechanics: https://www.criteriacorp.com/solutions/pre-employment-testing-for-hvac-mechanics
Criteria tests for plumbers: https://www.criteriacorp.com/solutions/pre-employment-testing-for-plumbers
Criteria tests for electricians: https://www.criteriacorp.com/solutions/pre-employment-testing-for-electricians
Criteria tests for janitors and cleaners: https://www.criteriacorp.com/solutions/pre-employment-testing-for-janitors-and-cleaners
Criteria tests for dispatchers: https://www.criteriacorp.com/solutions/pre-employment-testing-for-dispatchers
Criteria free trial: https://www.criteriacorp.com/free-trial
Criteria integrations and partners: https://www.criteriacorp.com/integrations-and-partners
Criteria candidate FAQs: https://www.criteriacorp.com/candidates/candidate-faqs
Criteria AI Scoring add-on: https://www.criteriacorp.com/interview/AI-Scoring
Criteria AI Proctoring: https://www.criteriacorp.com/ai-proctoring
Criteria case study, Clean MD: https://www.criteriacorp.com/case-study/clean-md-reduces-turnover-and-achieves-major-cost-savings

Criteria, CCAT and the other Criteria test names are trademarks of Criteria Corp. First Move Assessment is not affiliated with or endorsed by Criteria Corp.

First Move Assessment reads the first instinct a candidate brings to one seat in your trade before you hire: get the three sample reports.

First Move Assessment vs Criteria: Which Actually Fits a Contractor?