Are you interested in information on how to pass the CogAT test and don’t know where to look? Are you looking for CogAT test tips to help you overcome the exam? If you have answered yes to this question, you are in the right place.
The CogAT, also known as the Cognitive Abilities Test, is used on children in grades k-12. The exam is used to help institutions and clubs determine if a student is gifted. We can provide you with several CogAT test tips to ensure that you grasp the material and adequately prepare for the exam.
All you have to do to receive these tips and an abundance of other important information is to keep reading.
How Does the CogAT Test Work?
How Does the CogAT Test Work?There are several ways that CogAT test scores are used. The test measures how a child is developing and is able to identify gifted students. The test not only identifies students who are above the threshold but those that are below it as well. The exam can also help students adapt their instruction to the needs of the students. This can mean tailoring lessons and activities for the styles of the students.
The CogAT exam is a highly respected test but should not be confused with an IQ exam. The most common test form is 7. This exam is made up of three sections or batteries. These batteries include
- Nonverbal Battery – This area includes three domains: figure classification, matrices, and even paper folding. This area asks that you complete the paper folding paper and identify the result, understand matrices and their relationship, as well as how to classify figures.
- Verbal Battery – This section tests the child’s knowledge of relationships between two topics. Relationships are represented through pictures or words – this may vary by the test level. It also asks a student to categorize a topic based on the relationships presented to them. Questions may be asked using images or words; this depends on their exam level. Lastly, sentence completion is another topic of interest on this battery.
- Quantitative Battery – The Quantitative battery tests a series of numerical topics. These include number analogies, puzzles, and analogies. This section asks that individuals determine relationships between mathematical concepts, solve given equations and even find number patterns.
These three sections can be administered separately or together, all at once. Each different battery contains different information.
Overall, there are ten levels for the exam. Each level is administered at a different grade level. The chart below shows the level of the exam and the grade it is administered in.
| Grade | Test Level |
| 18th | Senior in High School |
| 17th | Junior in High School |
| 16th | Sophomore in High School |
| 15th | Freshman in High School |
| 14th | 8th Grade |
| 13th | 7th Grade |
| 12th | 6th Grade |
| 11th | 5th Grade |
| 10th | 4th Grade |
| 9th | 3rd Grade |
| 8th | 2nd Grade |
| 7th | 1st Grade |
| 6th | Kindergarten |
How Many Questions Are on the CogAT Test?
Students in grades fourth through twelfth grade will all have 176 questions. Students in the lower grades have a lower number of questions. The number of questions for these levels is as follows:
- Kindergarten – 118 questions
- First grade- 136 questions
- Second Grade 154 questions
- Third Grade 170 questions
Each exam level also has a different style of questions.
Quantitative Battery: This exam portion aims to test problem-solving and quantitative reasoning. This section also aims to test a child’s knowledge of relationships, and these are often referred to as number analogies.
The three sections listed all have different time limits. It’s important to remember that these limits may vary by a student’s test level. The items below are based on a level 5/6 exam, which is the first level. These time limits are as follows:
Number Analogies – 14 questions, 13 minutes
Number Series – 14 questions, 10 questions
Number Puzzles – 10 questions, 11 minutes
Verbal Analogy:Â Verbal analogy questions asks students to associate different images together. Students will often be shown four images. The top two images will be related to each other. These will be used to show the student a specific association. For example, a picture of a bird next to an image of a cage is two images students could see. The bottom image would be a baby, and the fourth image would be up to the student to choose. Options would likely include a crib, the correct answer, and three other photos which relate to babies but would not be accurate.
Images can also be used for sentence completion. Students will need to pick the image that would give the best ending to a sentence. The three sections below all have different time limits.
Sentence Completion – 14 questions, 14 minutes
Picture Classification – 14 questions, 14 minutes
Picture Analogies – 14 questions, 15 minutes
Non-Verbal Battery: Â The non-verbal section includes paper folding problems. A question may show how a sheet of paper is folded and where some holes are punched. You may then need to answer what the page would look like unfolded.
The three sections listed all have different time limits. These time limits are as follows:
Figure Matrices – 14 questions, 11 minutes
Figure Classification – 14 questions, 10 minutes
Paper Folding – 10 questions, 10 minutes
Is the CogAT Test Hard?
The CogAT test can be challenging depending on the student who is taking it. However, the exam difficulty is one component of the exam. It is meant to be a challenge that students can conquer, with the highest scores going to gifted students. The exam measures cognitive abilities in students and is known to be a challenge.
9 Tips for Passing the CogAT Test
Use Your Practice Tests
One of the most important things you can do when helping your child prepare for the CogAT test format is to utilize practice tests. Practice tests not only help you prepare for the exam format but it enables you to prepare for the content and what you should look out for.
Use Your Resources
Several different resources are available to prepare for the exam. Several books, websites, and other resources provide CogAT test tips and even flashcards to aid in doing well on the exam.
Set Aside Time to Study
one thing that your child should never do is cram for the exam. They should be getting adequate rest and scheduling time to study long before the week of the exam. They should also have rest periods between study batteries so that they are not overloaded.
Create a Serene Environment
There should not be numerous distractions when studying for the exam. Students should be focused in a well-lit environment. They should not be studying from beds or leisure places. This takes away from what they are able to get from studying.
Focus on The Batteries Where the Most Help is Needed
You should expend the most energy on ensuring that students are exposed to and confident with all areas of the exam. Puzzles are a great way to improve thinking ability and can be fun for students to try.
Allow Your Child to Read Independently
Independent reading is a great way to help students develop their linguistic skills. It is also highly beneficial because it is something your child can do alone and without supervision.
Practice Test-Taking Skills
Helping your child advance their test-taking skills can be the difference between two very different CogAT test scores. Even the most intelligent students may be bad at taking exams. Practice common test-taking mistakes to ensure that they are prepared and won’t make them during the exam.
Understand the Scoring
Adequately understanding soring is extremely important for this exam. You will likely see different score types on your child’s score report. The stanine score, also referred to as standard nine, is shown on a nine-point scale. It allows the score to be converted into a more straightforward form, a single digit. A different ranking percentile represents each stanine score. The higher a child’s stanine, the higher the percentile rank.
In addition to the stanine, there are several other score types listed. These include the following:
- Percentile Rank: The percentile rank means that if a student scored a 70%, the student scored higher than 70% of the students who also took the exam. This rank is used to compare all students of the same age and grade level. A 50 is traditionally the average for students.
- Standard Age Score: The max that a student can score is 160. This is a normalized score for the universal scale scores. This score has a standard deviation of 100 and a mean of 100.
- Raw Score: The raw score is the actual score that a student scored on the exam. This score is obtained by calculating the number of questions answered correctly in relation to the ones answered incorrectly.
- Universal Scale Score: This score is derived from the universal. This is the normalized score.
Have Fun
If your child is having fun while they are preparing for the exam, they won’t even realize they are studying. This is especially true for younger children. Do fun activities, use flash cards and even music when studying—this aids in retaining information.
Wrapping Things Up: How to Pass the CogAT Test?
Overall, there are several ways to help your student pass the CogAT exam. However, making sure that your child understands the exam, the format, and basic test-taking skills will help them go far with this exam. Use the CogAT test tips to make sure that your child is prepared and ready to do their best on the exam. Happy testing!
