CogAT 6 Results
Application Information
Attached are the results of your CogAT testing. The CogAT has been used as a
screening tool for potential gifted and talented students for many years. The new
CogAT 6 has even greater application to use with all students to learn more about
characteristics, learning interventions, and strengths of students.
Materials Included:
 List of Student Scores by teacher
 Two Plot Charts:
o CogAT Profiles to plot names with profiles, strength/weakness
areas, and stanines.
o Class CogAT Plot to just plot general scores w/o names
 Quick Reference Guide for the Verbal, Quantitative and Nonverbal
categories to find information on teacher role, student profile and student
needs
-------------------------------------------------------The following is a quick reference for teachers to obtain the extensive profile
information that is available at the CogAT website www.cogat.com.
 Log onto website www.cogat.com
 Two areas to look at:
o The Interactive tutorial at the bottom of the page which explains
vocabulary, and how the profiles are obtained
o The Interactive Profile (Click on yellow horizontal oval) to obtain
the individual student profile.
 When you are in the Interactive Profile you will need to supply the
following information for each student you would like information for.
This is available on the “List of Student Scores” on the far right-hand
side under “Profile”:
o Stanine: the number next to the student’s name in the “profile
column” which will be 1-9
o Profile: The letter after the stanine number: A,B,C or E
o Strength: Click V+, NV+ or Q+ or none if nothing is indicated
o Weakness: Click V-, NV-, Q- or none if nothing is indicated
(Keep in mind that strength and weakness are in relation to the
student’s other scores: for example a 98% Verbal, 99% Math, and
82% Nonverbal could show a nonverbal weakness which is not
truly a weakness, just in relation to the other scores.
 Input the profile scores and you will receive approximately 2-3 pages of
information regarding the characteristics, implications for grouping,
programming and teaching to the student’s strength.
Information for Students Who Score 95% or above in Verbal, Quantitative or
Nonverbal:
Because the CogAT is a screening tool for potential gifted and talented students, if a
student scores at or above 95% in any of the three areas on the CogAT, this is
considered as one qualification of the three needed to obtain an ALP. THIS DOES
NOT MEAN THE STUDENT HAS AN ALP YET! Often this begins the data
gathering process which includes a parent and teacher referral form. As the student’s
current teacher your input in critical and very much appreciated. If there are three
qualifying areas, for example a 95% or above CogAT, a qualifying parent referral and
a qualifying teacher referral, an ALP can then be generated.
Cognitive Abilities Test
Multilevel Battery Test Content and Format
The Multilevel Battery contains nine tests. All nine appraise general, inductive and
deductive reasoning abilities. Each of the Verbal, Quantitative, and Nonverbal batteries
also measures students’ facility in reasoning with different types of symbols. As students
progress in school, these specific reasoning skills become increasingly important for
learning and problem solving in different areas of study. In addition to the more general
reasoning abilities, the Verbal and Quantitative batteries are designed to appraise more
specific verbal and quantitative reasoning skills. Although the Nonverbal Battery
appraised some figural reasoning skills, it is primarily a measure of general, inductive
reasoning abilities. This is in part evidenced by the fact that scores on the Nonverbal
Battery show no difference between girls and boys.
The chart that follows illustrates the overall structure of the Multilevel Edition. It shows
the number of items on each test and each battery.
Structure of the Multilevel Edition
Number of Items
Verbal Battery
65
Test 1
Verbal Classification
20
Test 2
Sentence Completion
20
Test 3
Verbal Analogies
25
Test 4
Quantitative Relations
25
Test 5
Number Series
20
Test 6
Equation Building
15
Test 7
Figure Classification
25
Test 8
Figure Analogies
25
Test 9
Figure Analysis
15
Quantitative Battery
60
Nonverbal Battery
65
Composite
190
Verbal Battery. The tests on the Verbal Battery appraise verbal inductive and deductive
reasoning skills, as well as flexibility, fluency, and adaptability in working with verbal
materials and solving verbal problems. Successful performance on these tests requires
that students have a variety of verbal strategies that they can use effectively. This cluster
of reasoning abilities plays an important role in developing skills in reading
comprehension critical thinking, writing, and other verbal learning tasks.
Quantitative Battery. The tests on the Quantitative Battery appraise inductive and
deductive reasoning skills as well as flexibility and fluency in working with quantitative
symbols and concepts. The Equation Building test also appraises the ability to organize,
structure, and give meaning to an unordered set of numerals and mathematical symbols.
Successful performance on these tests requires that students have a variety of strategies
for working with quantitative materials. The reasoning skills appraised by this battery are
significantly related to problem solving not only in mathematics but also in other
disciplines.
Nonverbal Battery. The tests on the Nonverbal Battery present the most novel problems
to students. All three tests appraise general, inductive reasoning skills as well as
flexibility and fluency in using and adapting cognitive strategies. The items on these
tests use only geometric shapes and figures which have little direct relationship to formal
school instruction. To perform successfully students must assemble strategies for solving
novel problems. Students must be flexible in using these strategies and accurate in
implementing them.
The Nonverbal Battery is particularly suitable for obtaining an accurate estimate of
cognitive development for students who have difficulty with reading who have limited
proficiency in English, or who have had very limited opportunities to acquire verbal or
quantitative knowledge.
Using the Test Results
Information about the level and pattern of cognitive development for both individuals and
groups of students is essential for making a variety of educational decisions. An outline
of suggested used of CogAT scores follows. For an extensive discussion that includes
many examples see the CogAT Interpretive Guide for Teachers and Counselors.
Individualizing Instruction. Students vary in the levels and patterns of their cognitive
skills. These variations affect the ways in which they learn. Information on cognitive
development from CogAT scores profiles can help teachers adapt instructional strategies,
learning materials, and the pace of instruction to the individual needs of their students.
Students understand best when instruction capitalizes on what they now and can do. The
general rule in all efforts to adapt instruction, then, is to build on strength. A steady diet
of remediation is not only tedious for the student, but also less effective than instruction
that capitalized on the student’s competencies. Nevertheless, instruction aimed at
improving less well-developed abilities should be a part of every school program. Such
interventions can be particularly effective for young students. Indeed, one of the most
important uses of CogAT is to help guide efforts to improve the thinking skills of
students.
The score report for each student indicates a profile such as 1A, 3C, or 7E.
The number indicates the middle stanine score for the student. Stanine scores range from
1 (very low) to 9 (very high) For example, if the student has stanine scores of 7, 5, and 6
for the Verbal, quantitative, and Nonverbal batteries, respectively, then the middle
stanine would be 6. The higher the stanine, the less instructional support the student will
need when compared with age mates.
The letter indicates the general forma of the score pattern. There are four letters:
A
All scores are at roughly the sAme level.
B
One score is aBove or Below the other two – a relative strength OR a
relative weakness.
C
Two scores Contrast – a relative strength AND a relative weakness.
E
There are Extreme scores differences – at least two scores differ by 32
points on the Standard Age Score (SAS) scale.
Verbal
Stanine 1,2,3
Student Profile
Higher in reading than math
Reading skills not strong
Get frustrated
Difficulty making mental images
May have difficulty with graphs
and maps
Poor listening skills
Stanine 4, 5, 6
Teacher Role
Assist and monitor comprehension
Model how math can be stated in sentences
Let student use oral skills to explain
Will need extensive practice of visual skills
(e.g. maps and graphs)
Need structured environment
Carefully monitor work
Use videos, models, hand-on and
illustrations
Allow to ask questions, assist to make
connections, teach them to model ideas
Student Profile
Tend to obtain higher scores on
achievement tests
May struggle in math
May have ability to lead in discussion
May like to do reports; present
information, write essays or assist others
Learn best by observing others
Self monitoring difficult
Teacher Role
May need more help in math area
Encourage practice of math facts out loud
Monitor use of verbal skills for math
Need more structured environment
Teach then to use cue words for analyzing
and interpreting information
Direct instruction, frequent feedback
Help them to breakup tasks into simpler
Ideas
Supervised instruction, planning use of time
Teach them how to keep track of progress
Student Needs
Use of computer for certain math skills
Work in pairs
Give some assignments with student interest
Use concrete analogies
Give specific, explicit instructions
Student Needs
Work in pairs with above ability student
Put all info on one sheet of paper
Allow someone else to monitor skills for them
Work well in groups if positions or jobs are rotated
Stanine 7,8
Stanine 9
Student Profile
Will do well on all achievement tests
May have difficulty with math
computation
Have good memories for sounds, letters
and words (can be a pitfall)
May be good at spelling
Learn rather quickly
Good group participants
They often know what they need for help
Teacher Role
Benefit from challenging reading, writing
and speaking assignments
Need enrichment
Need moderate amount of guidance
Aim for transfer of knowledge
Give long term projects
Quick to learn different strategies
Student Needs
Work in pairs with more abled peers
Works well with older students
Needs help to focus on important features of a problem
Catherin Shaw cshaw@jeffco.k12.co.us
Reference www.cogat.com
Student Profile
More likely to succeed academically
Can create semantic or meaning
based on extensions for new knowledge
They can monitor their own thinking
May like to do reports; present
information, write essays or assist others
Learn best by observing others
Self monitoring difficult
Teacher Role
Give feedback on ways to improve rather
than praise
Benefit from discover learning
Provide challenge academically
Provide opportunities to learn
Allow them to monitor their own progress
Teach them different ways to solve problems
Help them to discover what strategies
work best
Help them to develop self-reflection and
Student Needs
and consider alternate opinions
Needs to be challenged with reading/writing,
Speaking activities
Expose them to speakers with high levels of competence in language
Needs to develop confidence
Teach them to persist
Quantitative
Stanine 1,2,3
Stanine 4,5,6
Student Profile
Generally good at grammar and
spelling
Lack of experience in talking
and thinking about concepts
Has difficulty with abstract concepts
Learning and remembering difficulties
Difficulty detecting relationships in math
Math anxiety
Short attention span
Teacher Role
Encourage participation
Build on strengths
Provide connections
Provide slower pace instruction
Provide structure
Reduce time pressure
Monitor acquisition of skills
Reduce working memory load - allow
someone else to check work
Student Profile
Have good resources for learning,
but difficulty applying information
Moderate learner
Math anxiety
Teacher Role
Make student aware of own strengths
Put instructions on one piece of paper
Direct instruction
Be a cheerleader for student
Verbal instruction doesn’t work
Break instruction up into smaller lessons
Look for specific interests
Look for connections to previous work
Correct errors quickly
Student Needs
Teach algorithm
Cross off/out irrelevant information
Circle/highlight important information
Provide concrete materials
Provide substantial practice for automaticity
Work with partners (peer modeling)
Step by step instruction
Model/demonstrate
Use calculators/videos
Student Needs
Modeling of process
Work in pairs
Offload monitoring/checking to someone else
Give practice and frequent monitoring
Lessons broken into smaller parts
Needs structured environment
Games and puzzle
Frequent repetition
Stanine 7,8
Stanine 9
Student Profile
Likes challenge
Masters skills easier
Likes guided discovery rather than structure
Quick to acquire learning strategies
Excellent group participant
Good to work with parent or older student
Imitates well
Flexible thinker
Teacher Role
Be a cheerleader
Put student in teacher role
Model with guided discovery
Offer computer for work
Reward perseverance
Offload self-monitoring to others
Model
let student work in groups
Student Profile
Learn best from self-discovery
Very able
Anxiety
Reason exceptionally well
Student Needs
Student Needs
Automatize low level skills
Focused practice at low-level skills until mastered
Record ideas on paper
Let them keep track of results
Catherin Shaw cshaw@jeffco.k12.co.us
Reference www.cogat.com
Work on computer
Work with someone older
Special projects with instruction
Need for enrichment
Provide groupings where student is the learner
Teach to persist in face of difficulty
Teacher Role
Build trust
Watch for behavior (slackers)
Challenge learner to improve his/her
understanding of mathematical concepts
Challenge at level equal to ability
Teach alternate methods to learn
Allow student to be teacher
Instruct several years in advance
Non-Verbal
Stanine 1,2,3
Stanine 4,5,6
Student Profile
Difficulty in highly verbal environments
Prefers concrete experiences
Tendency to neglect details
Sees overall picture (e.g. sees words
misses vowels)
Difficulty identifying where to focus
their attention
Do not learn effectively in unstructured
situations
Teacher Role
Model, diagram, map, illustrate for student
Look for student strengths
Help student find interests
Provide structure environment
Provide direct coaching
Provide direct guidance and support
Carefully monitor student when learning
new tasks
Give frequent prompting
Student Profile
Visualizes or uses mental models
May have difficulty in reading and spelling
Tends to obtain lower scores on
achievement tests
Tends to have high interests in specific areas
Teacher Role
Supply visual illustrations for reading
instruction
Break up problems into simpler tasks
Use visual cues to reduce strain on
working memory
Use terms like “What do you see?” when
learning new material
Reward excellence by recognition
Keep all information in view for
comparisons
Provide structured environment
Provide moderate pace for instruction
Carefully monitor work
Student Needs
Show rather than tell
Need short explanations with modeling
Need help developing analytic strategies
Reduction of the number of things that must be processed
Use familiar concepts to explain ideas
Concrete analogies
Very specific instruction
Needs slower paces instruction
Use of peer modeling – work with partner
Relate information to material previously learned
Student Needs
Work in pairs
Use illustrations/schematics for comprehension
Use videos with student controlling input of information
Use metaphors and analogies to connect information
Use computer for graphic organizers
In writing, teach descriptive wording rather than narrative
Stanine 7,8
Stanine 9
Student Profile
Poor sense of time
Sensitive
Likes to use visual/mental models
to learn
Often have well developed verbal skills
May have difficulty spelling
Likes adult company
Teacher Role
Encourage student with materials, projects
and problems that follow their interest
Provide diversity in grouping
Ask “What do you see?”
Student is sensitive of the attitude of the
teacher
Praise students’ accomplishments
In math, need concrete objects to solve
Problems
Provide guided instruction, model
Different strategies
Student Needs
Hands on experience
Emphasize descriptions
Encourage all three areas (verbal, quantitative, non-verbal)
Work with older peer
Encourage, revise and improve flow of ideas
Catherin Shaw cshaw@jeffco.k12.co.us
Reference www.cogat.com
Student Profile
Poor sense of time
Good at puzzles and mazes
Can have sense of humor
Excellent visual memory
May seem inattentive or spacey
Possible music or art talent
Desk may be unorganized
Forgets to turn in work or poor quality
May have difficulty spelling
Teacher Role
Allow for guided discovery
Put with older students
Needs visual representations
Try to develop visual thinking and
reasoning
Can use systematic instruction in visual
entities
Suggest trying new ideas rather than
model
Encourage self-regulation/self-monitoring
Help with confidence; “I trust you”
Encourage student to reflect, see different
perspectives
Student Needs
Use of computers and calculators
Follow interests and perseverance on long term projects
Summarize verbally
Visual mental models needed-graphic maps instead of verbal directions