CogAT test is an important assessment for students. There is concrete scientific evidence that cognitive ability and academic excellence are correlated. In fact, several scientific studies indicate that spatial abilities, fluid reasoning, and processing speed demonstrate statistically significant direct effects on mathematics achievement.
CogAT Assessment–An Overview
By definition, the Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT) is a widely used assessment in the USA for K-12 students to estimate their learned reasoning and problem-solving abilities. Many schools in the USA administer CogAT to evaluate their students for a gifted placement or categorize them with respect to their reasoning abilities. If you want to gain more information about the CogAT before letting your child attempt it, then continue reading this article.
Is CogAT Similar to the IQ Test?
The CogAT is not the Intelligence Quotient (IQ) test. An IQ test measures the general ability of a student to process information and retain memory. On the contrary, a CogAT test score determines a student’s cognitive ability.
Intelligence and cognitive ability may seem intertwined, but they are different in reality. In fact, cognitive abilities are more concerned with the mechanism of learning, remembering, and paying attention than with academic knowledge.
What Does CogAT Measure?
CogAT measures students’ abilities to solve cognitive problems through a battery of verbal, quantitative, and nonverbal test items.
Briefly, CogAT assesses:
- Your students’ special gifts
- Your students’ cognitive strengths and weaknesses
- Your students’ specific learning style and how to teach them in the most effective way
- Your student’s academic success in the future
CogAT measures verbal battery, quantitative battery, and non-verbal battery. |
Verbal Battery assesses reasoning flexibility, fluency, and adaptation with verbal tasks. These reasoning abilities are crucial in reading comprehension, critical thinking, writing, and other verbal learning activities. Its subtests include picture analogies, sentence completion, and picture classification. |
Quantitative Battery assesses the ability to organize, arrange, and provide meaning to an unordered set of numbers and mathematical symbols. These thinking abilities are closely related to problem-solving in mathematics. Its subtests include number analogies, number puzzles, and number series. |
Non-Verbal Battery measures the reasoning skills of students using geometric shapes and figures. Its subtests include figure matrices, paper folding, and figure classification. |
Some Quick Facts about CogAT
Full Name | Cognitive Abilities Test |
Publisher | Riverside Publishing—A subsidiary of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt |
Creators | David F. Lohman and Elizabeth P. Hagen |
The Most Updated Versions of CogAT | CogAT Form 8 and Form 7 (Both forms are equivalent) |
Age Range | 5 – 18 years old (Kindergarten to K – 12) |
Test Pattern | Online/On-site; Group or individually administered |
Test Duration | 2-3 hours |
Time Allocated Per Battery | 20-45 minutes |
Types of Question | Multiple Choice Questions |
Skills Assessed | Verbal, Quantitative, and Nonverbal |
Passing Score | Decided by the School District (scoring in the top 3% and higher is desirable) |
Should Your Child Take the CogAT Test?
You can let your child take the CogAT test to determine if they can acquire placement into a gifted program. Alternatively, the scores can be used to identify your child’s strengths and build on them. However, it is highly beneficial for students to prepare for the CogAT test beforehand. This strategy will increase their confidence in taking the CogAT test. You don’t need to look for any math tutoring services to prepare for CogAT. With the right kind of mentorship offered by the MathProject programs, your child can continuously develop superior cognitive abilities and get a high score in CogAT. Contact us to book a FREE assessment!
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Citations
The Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT) — www.riversideinsights.com
Cognitive Abilities Test — www.wikipedia.org
The Mediating Role of Cognitive Ability on the Relationship between Motor Proficiency and Early Academic Achievement in Children. — https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29223033/
Cognitive Correlates of Performance in Advanced Mathematics. — https://doi.org/10.1111/j.2044-8279.2011.02049.x
Effects of general and broad cognitive abilities on mathematics achievement. — https://psycnet.apa.org