WARNING: SPOILERS ahead for American Sports Story episode 4.

The new FX series American Sports Story depicts Aaron Hernandez taking an exam known as the Wonderlic test. Josh Rivera leads the American Sports Story cast as Aaron Hernandez, the former collegiate and NFL superstar tight end who was convicted of murdering semi-pro football player Odin Lloyd in 2015. The first two episodes of American Sports Story capture a basic understanding of Aaron Hernandez’s complicated upbringing, tumultuous family life, and accelerated path to becoming a Florida Gator before joining the NFL’s New England Patriots in 2010. American Sports Story episode 3 chronicles Hernandez’s celebrity status and religious considerations at the University of Florida.

American Sports Story episode 4 “Birthday Money” depicts more of the details of Hernandez’s transition from being the 2010 John Mackey Award winner to having his draft stock plummet ahead of the NFL Draft due to off-the-field concerns. Even though Hernandez was talented enough to become a first-round draft pick, he was ultimately selected in the fourth round by the New England Patriots, who had one of the most tried and tested disciplinary structures in the entire NFL. Episode 4 also introduces Hernandez’s longtime agent, Brian Murphy, the CEO of the prestigious Athletes First management company who helped Hernandez prepare for the NFL.

The Wonderlic Test Scores Explained

It’s a swift test that requires immediate answers

The Wonderlic test is a standard cognitive ability test exam used by employers to evaluate potential and current, meaning that it is not exclusive to the NFL whatsoever. Generally speaking, the Wonderlic test provides measurements of a person’s ability to solve problems and overall knowledge and aptitude. The test is comprised of 50 multiple-choice questions that cover several different topics, such as math, logic, geometry, reasoning, and vocabulary. Test takers are typically given 12 minutes to complete the exam, which is intentionally brief in order to encourage them to answer honestly and immediately.

Wonderlic tests are made up of 40% English, 40% Math, 10% Logic, and 10% General Knowledge (via Job Test Prep). Each correct answer on the Wonderlic test counts for one point, meaning that the highest score possible for the standard version of the test is 50. According to Football IQ Score, “Pat Mcinally, a former punter for the Cincinnati Bengals, is the only player to have ever gotten a perfect score of 50.” The average score for NFL quarterbacks is 24, while the highest-performing position is offensive tackle at 26. The lowest-performing position is generally the running back, averaging a score of 16. Tight ends on average score a 22 on the Wonderlic (via Wonderlic Test Prep).

Aaron Hernandez Scored A 17 On The Wonderlic Test

Tight ends on average score a 22 on the Wonderlic

According to the Wall Street Journal, which obtained a copy of Aaron Hernandez’s real-life Wonderlic test results, Hernandez came up with a score of 17. This score is notably below the average of 22 among tight ends. In American Sports Story episode 4, the fictional Hernandez tells the fictional Murphy “I suck at taking tests” and Murphy tells Aaron that his Wonderlic scores aren’t where they needed them to be. It is worth noting, however, that he did receive a 10 out of 10 score in the category of mental quickness, which is based on a different assessment from the Wonderlic Test.

Aaron Hernandez Did Score A 1 Out Of 10 In Social Maturity

The SIGMA Motivation test is separate from the Wonderlic

The only section of Aaron Hernadnez’s testing at the 2010 NFL Combine that’s called out in American Sports Story is his social maturity score, which was given the lowest possible number of 1 out of 10. While Hernandez received a 7 or higher in every other category of the SIGMA Motivation test such as Self-Efficiency (9), Receptivity to Coaching (9), and Focus (10), his abysmal Social Maturity score certainly raised some eyebrows as depicted in the FX series. The results of his SIGMA Motivation test, which is a separate assessment from the Wonderlic, were otherwise generally consistent and positive outside his alarming Social Maturity score.

Aaron Hernandez’s Strengths & Weaknesses Based On The Wonderlic

Hernandez’s test results suggest he’d have difficulty mastering an NFL playbook

Since the Wonderlic is used to measure responsivity in areas of logic, math, and general knowledge, it can be concluded that Hernandez wasn’t necessarily efficient in these regions or was simply a poor test taker. This would affect how coaches and scouts would anticipate Hernandez’s ability to memorize a playbook and think on his feet, which is often required during professional football games. It appears that the struggles he faced with learning the extensive playbook at the University of Florida affected his below-average Wonderlic score. The results of his SIGMA Motivation test all point to a highly motivated individual who had a lot of growing up to do in American Sports Story.

Source: Job Test Prep, Football IQ Score, Wonderlic Test Prep, Wall Street Journal