Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT) Screener Information and FAQs
Every year between March and April, all 2nd and 4th graders take the
CogAT Screener in the Beaverton School District. Students who score at
the 97th percentile or above will be invited to take the full version of the
CogAT test. This can determine whether your child will qualify for
placement into the Talented and Gifted (TAG) program.
What does the full version of the CogAT measure?
CogAT measures learned reasoning and problem solving skills in three
different areas: verbal, quantitative, and nonverbal. Reasoning skills
develop gradually throughout a person’s lifetime and at different rates for
different individuals. CogAT does not measure such factors as effort,
attention, motivation, or work habits, which contribute to school
achievement as well.
How do the three batteries of CogAT differ?
1. The Verbal Battery tests a student's vocabulary, as well as his/her
comprehension of ideas, verbal memory, and ability to discover word
relationships. Statistics show that there is a high correlation between high
verbal ability and success in a variety of school subjects.
Three tests are administered in the verbal section. Each test has
approximately 20 questions and the student is given 10 minutes to
complete each test. These three tests comprise the verbal score.
Verbal Classification: The student is given a list of three words that
are alike in some way. The student is asked to choose a word from a
selection of five words that is also alike in the same way.
Sentence Completion: The student is given a sentence with a word
left out and is asked to choose a word that makes the best sense in the
sentence.
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Verbal Analogies: The student is given three words in dark type.
The first two words go together. The third word goes with one of the
answer choices. The student is asked to choose the word that goes
with the third word the same way that the second word goes with the
first.
2. The Quantitative Battery tests the student's quantitative reasoning and
problem solving ability and provides an appraisal of the student's general
level of abstract reasoning. Three tests are administered in the quantitative
battery. The first test has 25 questions and students are given eight minutes
to finish. The second has 20 questions with a 10 minute testing time. The
third has fifteen questions with a 12 minute testing time.
Quantitative Relations: The student is given two problems
numbered one and two with three answer choices. The student is to
solve the two problems and determine if the answer is greater, less
than, or equal to.
Number Series: The student is given a series of numbers and is asked
to decide which number should come next in the series.
Equation Building: The student is given numbers and signs. The
student is asked to combine the numbers and signs to get a solution
that is an answer choice.
3. The Nonverbal Battery presents the most novel problems to students.
The items on these tests use only geometric shapes and figures that have
had little direct relationship to formal school instruction. These tests
require no reading. The nonverbal battery is particularly suitable for
obtaining an accurate estimate of development for students who have
difficulty with reading, who have limited competency in English, or who
have limited opportunities. The three tests in the nonverbal battery are
between 15 and 25 questions each, and students are given 10 minutes for
each test.
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Figure Classification: The student is given three figures that are alike
in some way. They are given three answer choices and five pictures
to choose from. They are asked to decide which figure goes best with
the three answer choices.
Figure Analogies: The student is given three figures. The first two
figures go together; the third figure goes with one of the answer
choices.
Figure Analysis: The student is shown how a square piece of dark
paper is folded and where holes are punched into it. The student is to
figure out how the paper will look when it is unfolded.
What if I don’t want my child tested?
There is no law that requires CogAT testing; you do not need to have your
child participate.
I don’t think the results matched my child’s capacity. What if I want my
child re-tested?
The BSD does CogAT testing only once per year for 2nd and 4th grade
students.
Do students get a chance to practice for the CogAT?
Yes. Practice questions are given prior to each section.
What does a CogAT report look like?
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How do I interpret this report?
In the example above, the first box on the left shows Katrina’s national age
scores and percentile ranks for the three categories and the composite. In
this case, a Quantitative percentile rank of 60 indicates that Katrina has
performed better than 60% of students her age nation-wide.
The second box gives her raw scores along with her national scores and
how her scores compared with other BSD students.
The third box shows the range of achievement that is predicted for Katrina
based on her CogAT results. In this example, the student’s predicted level
of achievement is about average. It is important to note that there are other
factors (such as study environment or student effort) that can influence
student achievement other than the CogAT.
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Are grade scores the same for all children of the same grade any time
during the year?
No. The student’s scores are compared with those of other students tested
at the same time of the school year.
What does percentile rank mean?
Percentile ranks range from 1 to 99 and describe a student’s test
performance position relative to other students of the same age or grade in
the national normative reference group. Percentile rank relates the percent
of students in the national sample who obtained identical or lower scores
on the test, with ranks between the 25th and 75th percentile falling within
the average range of normative expectations. For example, a percentile
rank of 40 indicates that the student has performed better than 40% of
students in the comparison group.
Who should I contact if I still have questions?
Your primary contact should be the TAG Facilitator at your child’s school.
You can find a list of facilitators here.
The secondary contact person is the District Testing Coordinator Rayna
Flye at 503.591.4403.
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Adapted in part from the Cognitive Abilities Test Report to Parents by Riverside
Publishing.
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