The purpose of the present study was to examine the effects of providing two simple tactical aids designed to bolster cognitive ability while problem-solving. After receiving computer-based instruction, subjects used either an orientation aid, a short-term memory aid, both aids, or no aids to perform a computer-based electronic problem-solving task. A major goal was to determine whether the effect of each aid on performance conformed to either a compensatory model or a training model. Results were mixed. That is, some evidence supported the compensatory interpretation, while other evidence supported the training model interpretation. Specifically, an interaction between short-term memory scores and use of the short-term memory aid showed that the aid helped low scoring subjects solve problems quicker when they used the aid more. However, most of the evidence suggested that, in terms of the time needed to solve problems, the effects of both aids were characteristic of a training model.