What is the COGAT® ?
How Difficult is the COGAT®?
How Best to Prepare the COGAT®?
- COGAT® is an acronym for the Cognitive Abilities Test®.
- It is commonly used to screen for gifted/selective programs and gifted/selective schools.
- It measures cognitive (reasoning skills).
- It is a multiple-choice assessment.
How Difficult is the COGAT®?
- For many children, the COGAT® is challenging.
- The test has questions different than those used in regular classroom settings.
How Best to Prepare the COGAT®?
- Introduce your child to the types of questions they'll see on test day (COGAT® Practice Questions).
- Practice focusing on COGAT® Practice Questions (as many children have short attention spans).
- Click here for 25 Free COGAT® Practice Questions
What Kind of Questions Will My Child Answer?
- There are 3 sections (each called a "Battery").
- Each "Battery" has 3 Question Types (below):
Want to learn more about these question types?
Click here for 25 Free COGAT® Practice Questions
Which COGAT® Level Will My Child Take?
How Long is the COGAT®?
Click here for 25 Free COGAT® Practice Questions
Which COGAT® Level Will My Child Take?
- It is usually the same grade level as (s)he is in when (s)he takes the test.
- Verify this with your school.
- Sometimes a higher level will be administered.
How Long is the COGAT®?
- The full test is usually spread over a few days.
- COGAT® format by grade level:
Grade |
COGAT® Level |
Test Time |
Total Questions |
K |
5/6 |
112 minutes |
118 |
1st |
7 |
112 minutes |
136 |
2nd |
8 |
122 minutes |
154 |
3rd |
9 |
90 minutes |
170 |
4th |
10 |
90 minutes |
176 |
5th |
11 |
90 minutes |
176 |
6th |
12 |
90 minutes |
176 |
7th/8th |
13/14 |
90 minutes |
176 |
9th/10th |
15/16 |
90 minutes |
176 |
11th/12th |
17/18 |
90 minutes |
176 |
How is the COGAT® Administered?
What COGAT® Score does my child need to be accepted?
Scores are based on:
25 Free COGAT® Practice Questions
- There are two versions: paper/pencil -or- computer.
- It may be given individually or to a group of students.
- It's given by a teacher or other education professional.
- Verify your school's specific procedures.
What COGAT® Score does my child need to be accepted?
- G&T/selective schools usually only accept scores of at least 95%.
- You must verify score requirements with your school.
- Scores could be the sole factor for admission or part of a "portfolio" (IQ tests administered by psychologists, grades, teacher recommendations, etc.).
Scores are based on:
- Number of questions your child correctly answered
- Broken down by COGAT® Battery (Verbal, Non-Verbal, Quantitative)
- “Composite” Score = Overall Score (combines 3 Batteries)
- Your child’s age
- Sometimes child’s grade and school considered
- Scored 1 to 9, where 9 is the highest
- “Percentile Rank” compares your child to others of same age
- Example: if your child scores 99%, then (s)he scored as well as or better than 99% of other test-takers in the same age group
25 Free COGAT® Practice Questions
- G&T/selective schools usually only accept top scores of at least 95%.
- Help ensure your child is ready for test day.
- Click here for 25 Free COGAT® Practice Questions