Are you looking for resources to help your child do well on the CogAT exam? Do you need information on where to find free CogAT practice tests? Well, you have come to the right place.
Not only will we be providing you with a repository of free online CogAT practice tests, but you will also get so much more great info. This includes information on the CogAT test and how it can help your student excel. We will even provide you with information on how practical the practice tests are.
If this sounds like information that would interest you, all you have to do is keep reading!
What is the CogAT Test For?
What is the CogAT Test For?The exam’s name is a play on what the exam is testing. It is short for cognitive abilities. If you want to learn about your child’s mental growth, the CogAT test is likely in the future. The test measures a student’s development against other children of a similar age and grade range. More specifically, three different batteries are being measured with the exam. These areas include the following:
- Verbal section
- Math (Quantitative Section)
- Non-verbal Section
Within the nonverbal battery, there are three different domains. Each of these domains is different within each battery. Each different battery contains different information and subsets for students to test on.
The first section of the CogAT exam is the non-verbal section. This section includes several different questions surrounding paper folding.
Questions may ask students to identify the placement of hole punches on the sheet when the page is folded. There are different question types within this section. It will often ask that students complete a paper folding exercise and identify the result. Other problem types include understanding matrices and their relationship and classifying figures. This section consists of three sub-tests. These subtests are listed below:
- Figure Matrices – 14 questions, 11 minutes
- Figure Classification – 14 questions, 10 minutes
- Paper Folding – 10 questions, 10 minutes
The second battery is verbal. This area tests relationships that are depicted through words or pictures. However, what is used varies by level. Students will need to categorize images based on the relationship 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. This section includes three sub-tests. These subtests are listed below:
- Sentence Completion – 14 questions, 14 minutes
- Picture Classification – 14 questions, 14 minutes
- Picture Analogies – 14 questions, 15 minutes
Last but not least, the Quantitative Battery is the final battery. This includes a series of numerical topics.
Activities may include things like number analogies, puzzles, and general analogies. Individuals may be asked to determine relationships between mathematical concepts, solve given equations, and find number patterns. This section includes three sub-tests. These subtests are listed below:
- Number Analogies – 14 questions, 13 minutes
- Number Series – 14 questions, 10 questions
- Number Puzzles – 10 questions, 11 minutes
What are the Different CogAT Levels?
Children of several ages take the CogAT exam. Therefore, it would not be suitable if all children took the same test. The exam is offered at different levels for different age groups. If you have two children taking the exam at the same time, likely, they will not be taking the same levels. Since other age groups develop at different rates, the exam times and questions will also vary.
Depending on your school’s purpose for testing, they have the option to administer an exam above the grade level of the intended students if they are testing for gifted students. The test below grade level can also be issued if testing is happening at the beginning of the year.
| Grade Level | Test Level | Test Time | # Questions |
| Kindergarten | Level 5/ Level 6 | 1 hour 52 minutes | 118 |
| First Grade | Level 7 | 1 hour 52 minutes | 136 |
| Second Grade | Level 8 | 1 hour 52 minutes | 154 |
| Third Grade | Level 9 | 1 hour 30 minutes | 170 |
| Fourth Grade | Level 10 | 1 hour 30 minutes | 176 |
| Fifth Grade | Level 11 | 1 hour 30 minutes | 176 |
| Sixth Grade | Level 12 | 1 hour 30 minutes | 176 |
| Seventh Grade | Level 13/ Level 14 | 1 hour 30 minutes | 176 |
| Eight Grade | Level 13/ Level 14 | 1 hour 30 minutes | 176 |
| Ninth Grade | Level 14/ Level 15 | 1 hour 30 minutes | 176 |
| Tenth Grade | Level 14/ Level 15 | 1 hour 30 minutes | 176 |
| Eleventh Grade | Level 15/ Level 16 | 1 hour 30 minutes | 176 |
| Twelfth Grade | Level 15/ Level 16 | 1 hour 30 minutes | 176 |
5 Places to Find Free CogAT Practice Tests
If you are looking for practical exams to help your student, there are some small options available for you. Outside of using traditional textbooks that you can purchase via bookstores or online merchants; you may also find free online CogAT practice tests. Some resources are available to you; the items listed below are an excellent place to start if you are looking for a free resource.
There are several places to find practice exams online by grade level. The lists below provide you with options for various grade levels.
1. Tests.com – Tests.com allows students to take one free practice exam. It offers questions for each grade up until 6th grade. The test not only has free online CogAT practice tests but several others.
2. TestingMom.com – This site provides students with another option for free questions. These options are offered to children at various levels. Students will find the CogAT Practice test for 1st grade and beyond on this site.
3. TestPrep-Online.com – This is another online resource that gives students the option of free sample tests that they can use for each level of the exam, even the CogAT practice test for 6th-grade students.
4. Gifted.Achieve.Ai – This is an excellent resource for kindergartners, first graders, and second graders. It can be used on phones or tablets and provides abundant practice material. This includes over 4000 practice questions, practice exams, and even analytics, all for free. Students and parents love it.
5. Elm Academy Prep’s Free CogAT practice test – The founder of this site reached out to us to share this collection of resources for CogAT K-6.
6. School Websites – School or district websites are another great resource for practice material. Often your child’s school will provide practice questions and practice exams for students to download and use.
Outside of these options, if you have exhausted all your options, paid resources are still an option. Though it may not be ideal, several paid resources provide students with a free trial or practice questions to entice their parents to buy the software. These can include interactive games, prep questions, and more.
How Effective are CogAT Practice Tests?
If you are looking for where to find free CogAT practice tests, likely, you are similarly wondering if they will be effective. This question likely lives in the back of most parents’ minds before buying an exam, service, or more.
Practice tests can be highly effective not just for the content of the exam but for the format as well. It is not uncommon for students to get anxious when walking into a new experience. The exam, at any age, is something that must be prepared for. The same way that students prepare to take the ACT or SAT exam is the way that students will often prepare for the CogAT. Though the exam may not be as important to some, it can still be a significant milestone in your child’s life.
Familiarity breeds comfortability. Taking practice exams can aid in building your child’s confidence and even help them understand how to answer specific questions. Contrary to popular belief, your child’s school may not want them to study for the exam. They will want to see how your child performs without the aid of resources.
However, depending on the reasoning for the exam, doing nothing may not be the best option for you. If your child is adamant about doing their best and getting into some of their school’s best classes or a gifted program, you may want to start the preparation early.
Regardless of your child’s score, you must understand what happens before or after the exam. This means knowing the consequences of what happens when a specific score is achieved and if it will change your child’s workload. The test is generally used to determine if a child is gifted or has what it takes to perform at a higher level. This includes:
- School-level gifted programs
- Advanced placement courses
- Placement into different educational tracks – Some schools operate on different educational paths. This may look different at every school. Some tracks may include Business, Technology, or several others. However, these tracks may be gated by different scores.
- High school placement – Advanced placement in high schools will often require an entrance exam. This exam can also be used to understand where the child will fall academically and aid them in course selection.
These are only a small subset of the ways that the CogAT can influence your child’s education.
Wrapping Things Up: Where to Find Free CogAT Practice Tests?
Finding the perfect CogAT exam may not always be the easiest thing to do. However, there are options out there for you. If you are looking not to spend any money on test prep, doing trial versions of paid programs may not be a bad idea. There are also some sites like TestingMom.com, which will offer users the option of getting a subset of questions free. This even includes CogAT practice tests for 5th-grade students and beyond. As a parent, you will also want to know the reasoning behind testing so that you can gauge your child’s expectations and know what the outcome of testing will be.
