What do credit card companies think of you?

Surprised by credit card offers that seem a lot worse or a lot better than you think you deserve? What exactly do the card companies see when they look at you?

Here's how to find out. Just answer a few quick questions and get a sneak peak at what goes on your credit report, plus some insight into how your FICO score -- one of the major credit grading systems -- really works.

1. Which one of these factors helps your credit the most?

   Paying your bills on time

   Having a high income

   Keeping the same credit cards for a long time

2. FICO scores range from 300 (lowest) to 850 (highest). The median score (the person right in the middle) has a score of:

   650

   675

   700

   725

3. If you want one of those prime rate credit cards, you probably should have a score that's at least:

   650

   700

   800

4. At any given time, your core FICO score will fluctuate:

   plus or minus 5 points

   plus or minus 10 points

   plus or minus 25 points

5. If a husband's credit is not so good while the wife's is stellar, the card company will:

   Give more weight to the bad score

   Give more weight to the good score

   Give more weight to the primary card holder

   There's no telling

6. To get one of those low-rate cards, what the company wants to see most is:

   High income

   High credit score

   Lots of assets

   Stable job history

7. Being an authorized user on another person's card:

   Could help your credit

   Could hurt your credit

   Could have no effect on your credit

   All of the above

8. Credit card companies analyze your credit habits:

   When you apply for a card

   Once a year

   Constantly

9. There are three credit bureaus. Your score:

   Should be exactly the same at all three

   Could vary from bureau to bureau

10. If you apply for a credit card, it will go on your credit report:

    Only if you are declined

    Only if you are approved.

    Regardless of whether you're approved or declined

11. You've been paying one credit card on time, but have been a little late with payments on a second card. Your ''favored'' card will probably:

    Ignore your behavior with the other card. (Hey, as long as we're getting paid, that's not our problem.)

    Punish you by increasing your rate or lowering your credit limit. (If you do it to them, you'll do it to us.)

    Throw some nice incentives your way. (We're first in your wallet -- and we want it to stay that way.)

12. You have five credit cards and two are maxed out. Your best move for your FICO score is:

    Close out some of the unused accounts so that you don't have the specter of all that potential debt.

    Keep everything open and pay down the balances.

    Apply for additional credit.

Source: Bank Rate