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A CogAT-style practice test for children in grades 2 to 4. Three questions from each of the nine CogAT question types — verbal, quantitative and nonverbal — with one 30-minute timer. See the score and a result for each battery the moment your child finishes.
Answered 27 of 27 in 24:10
A practice test, not the real CogAT. Every question was written by IQ Metrics in the nine CogAT question types. None are copied from the real test. The result is a practice score out of 27 — never a CogAT percentile, stanine or Standard Age Score, because only the real test is normed. CogAT is a registered trademark of Riverside Insights; IQ Metrics is not affiliated with or endorsed by it.
The CogAT (Cognitive Abilities Test) is a school reasoning test that US districts use to find children for gifted and talented programs. It scores verbal, quantitative and nonverbal reasoning separately and compares each child with others of the same age and grade.
The CogAT measures reasoning, not school knowledge. It has three batteries — Verbal, Quantitative and Nonverbal — each made of three subtests, nine in all. Schools give it in class, on paper or online, usually to a whole grade at once.[1]
Pick a grade to see the usual level, how many questions it has and how it is timed.
10 minutes per subtest, 90 minutes in total.
| Level | Usual grade | Questions | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5/6 | Kindergarten | 114 | Untimed, read aloud |
| 7 | Grade 1 | 136 | Untimed, read aloud |
| 8 | Grade 2 | 156 | Untimed, read aloud |
| 9 | Grade 3 | 170 | 10 min per subtest, 90 min |
| 10 | Grade 4 | 174 | 10 min per subtest, 90 min |
| 11 – 12 | Grades 5 – 6 | 174 | 10 min per subtest, 90 min |
| 13/14 – 17/18 | Grades 7 – 12 | 174 | 10 min per subtest, 90 min |
Question counts and timing from Riverside Insights[1]. Highlighted rows are the grades this practice test is written for. Schools may choose a different level.
Three per battery. Verbal: analogies, sentence completion, classification. Quantitative: number analogies, number puzzles, number series. Nonverbal: figure matrices, paper folding, figure classification. The number beside each is how many questions it has at Level 9 (grade 3).[1]
One from each subtest. Tap an answer to check it straight away — the explanation opens underneath. Talk it through together. These nine are not in the timed test.
UP is to DOWN as IN is to ___?
A. Out Up and down are opposites. In and out are opposites too, so "out" completes the pair the same way "down" completes the first one.
The lights went out, so the room became very ___.
A. Dark When lights go out, a room loses its light, so the word that fits is "dark" – the direct result of the lights going out.
Which word belongs with RED, BLUE and GREEN?
A. Yellow Red, blue and green are all colours, so the word that belongs with them is another colour: yellow.
The same rule connects each pair: 4 -> 8, 6 -> 12, 3 -> ?
B. 6 4 becomes 8 and 6 becomes 12 – each number is doubled. So 3 doubled is 6.
? + 5 = 12. What number is missing?
C. 7 12 is 5 more than the missing number, so the missing number is 12 minus 5, which is 7.
Which number comes next? 5, 10, 15, 20, ?
C. 25 Each number is 5 more than the one before it, so the next number is 20 plus 5, which is 25.
The first shape becomes the second. Which shape completes the third pair the same way?
A. A large navy diamond The small orange triangle only gets bigger to become the large orange triangle. Apply the same change to the small navy diamond: make it bigger, keep it navy.
A square sheet is folded in half, right onto left, and a hole is punched through both layers. Which picture shows the sheet opened flat?
A. Two mirrored holes Opening the fold swings the right half back across the crease, so the second hole is the mirror image of the first, at the same height and the same distance from the crease.
The first three shapes are alike in one way. Which option is alike the same way?
A. A triangle A square, a hexagon and a diamond are all shapes made only of straight sides. Only the triangle among the options is also made only of straight sides.
Right answers become a Universal Scale Score, which is then compared with children of the same age and grade nationally to give three easy-to-read scores.[2]
A developmental scale from kindergarten to grade 12. It is the entry point for the other scores.
Compared with children of the same age. 100 is average and 16 points is one standard deviation.
The share of children at or below your child’s score. 50 is average; 98 means higher than 98 in 100.
Nine broad bands from 1 to 9. 4 to 6 is average, 7 and 8 above average, 9 very high.
A Standard Age Score of 100 is the 50th percentile, 116 is about the 84th, 128 is about the 96th and 132 is about the 98th. The chart is worked out from the published scale (mean 100, standard deviation 16);[2] the percentile on a real report comes from Riverside’s norm tables and can differ by a point or two.
| SAS | Percentile* | Stanine |
|---|---|---|
| 136 | 99 | 9 |
| 132 | 98 | 9 |
| 128 | 96 | 8 |
| 124 | 93 | 8 |
| 120 | 89 | 8 |
| 116 | 84 | 7 |
| 108 | 69 | 6 |
| 100 | 50 | 5 |
| 92 | 31 | 4 |
| 84 | 16 | 3 |
| 76 | 7 | 2 |
| 68 | 2 | 1 |
SAS = Standard Age Score. *Approximate, from a normal curve with mean 100 and SD 16.
Type the SAS from your child’s report (50 to 160).
An estimate for reading a real CogAT report. It does not apply to this practice test, which gives a score out of 27.
100 is average; 120 and above is well above average; gifted programs usually want the 95th to 98th percentile (a Standard Age Score of roughly 126 to 133). There is no national cut-off — each district sets its own.
A Standard Age Score of 100 is exactly average for your child’s age, and a percentile rank of 50 means they did as well as or better than half of the children in the national sample.
Some districts use a composite score, some the best single battery, and some combine the CogAT with a second test or teacher ratings. Ask the school for its rule before you plan.
For how the CogAT compares with the NNAT, read CogAT and NNAT scores explained.
Stanine 9 is the top 4% and stanine 8 the next 7%. Our practice test does not give these scores.
The number is the median of the three battery stanines and the letter is the pattern across Verbal, Quantitative and Nonverbal. V, Q or N with a plus or minus names a relative strength or weakness. So 8B (Q−) means high scores overall, with quantitative reasoning a little lower.[3]
All three scores are at roughly the same level.
One score is above or below the other two: a relative strength or weakness.
Two scores contrast: one relative strength and one relative weakness.
Extreme differences: at least two scores differ by 24 or more points.
The biggest change comes in grade 3: the test moves from picture questions read aloud by the teacher to written questions with a 10-minute clock on every subtest.[1]
156 questions, untimed. The verbal battery uses picture analogies and picture classification, and sentence completion is read aloud.
170 questions, 10 minutes per subtest. Children now read the verbal questions themselves, so reading speed starts to matter.
174 questions, 10 minutes per subtest. The question types stay the same as grade 3; the items get harder.
| Real CogAT (Levels 8–10) | This practice test | |
|---|---|---|
| Question types | 9 subtests in 3 batteries | The same 9 types, 3 of each |
| Questions | 156–174 | 27 |
| Time | Untimed at Level 8; 10 min per subtest from Level 9 | One 30-minute timer |
| Where | At school, paper or online | At home, on a phone, tablet or computer |
| Score | SAS, percentile rank, stanine, ability profile | Practice score out of 27, plus each battery out of 9 |
| Used for | Gifted program decisions | Getting familiar with the question types |
Make the question types familiar, practise once against a clock, then rest. The aim is a calm child who knows what the questions look like, not one who has memorised answers.
Ask the school which level and form your child will take, and whether it is on paper or online.
Try the nine sample questions above. Talk about why the answer works, not just which letter it is.
From grade 3 the real test is timed. One 30-minute practice run shows whether speed or accuracy needs work.
Sleep, breakfast and a relaxed morning matter more than one more worksheet.
The CogAT scores verbal, quantitative and nonverbal reasoning separately; the NNAT is nonverbal only (picture patterns, very little language); the OLSAT mixes verbal and nonverbal school-ability items.
| Test | What it covers | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| CogAT | Verbal, quantitative and nonverbal reasoning | Three battery scores plus a composite |
| NNAT | Nonverbal only: picture patterns | Little reading or language needed |
| OLSAT | Verbal and nonverbal school ability | Often paired with an achievement test |
More detail: CogAT and NNAT scores explained. Form 8 of the CogAT (August 2017) is an equivalent form of Form 7;[4] new national norms were released in August 2025.[5]
The CogAT (Cognitive Abilities Test) is a group reasoning test from Riverside Insights that many US schools use to screen children for gifted and talented programs. It has three parts, called batteries: Verbal, Quantitative and Nonverbal, each with three short subtests. It measures how well a child reasons with words, numbers and shapes, not what they have learned in class.
Not exactly. Both measure reasoning, but the CogAT is built for schools: it compares a child with others of the same age and grade and gives a Standard Age Score (mean 100, standard deviation 16), a percentile rank and a stanine, plus a profile of verbal, quantitative and nonverbal strengths. An IQ test gives one overall score, usually with a standard deviation of 15.
It depends on the level. Level 5/6 (kindergarten) has 114 questions, Level 7 has 136, Level 8 has 156, Level 9 has 170 and Levels 10 to 17/18 have 174.
From Level 9 (usually grade 3) each of the nine subtests has a 10-minute limit, 90 minutes of testing in total, usually split over several sessions. Levels 5/6 to 8 are untimed; the teacher reads the questions aloud and the guide time is about 10 to 15 minutes per subtest.
Level 5/6 is usually given in kindergarten, Level 7 in grade 1, Level 8 in grade 2, Level 9 in grade 3, Level 10 in grade 4, Level 11 in grade 5 and Level 12 in grade 6. Levels 13/14, 15/16 and 17/18 cover grades 7 to 12. Schools can choose a different level, so check the letter from your school.
A Standard Age Score of 100 is exactly average for the child’s age. Stanines 4 to 6 are average, 7 and 8 are above average and 9 is very high. Gifted programs often look for the 95th to 98th percentile or higher, which is roughly a Standard Age Score of 126 to 133, but every district sets its own rule, so ask your school.
The number is the median of the three battery stanines. The letter is the pattern: A means all three scores are about the same, B means one score is above or below the other two, C means one relative strength and one relative weakness, and E means at least two scores differ by 24 or more points. V, Q or N with a plus or minus names the battery that is a relative strength or weakness, so 8B (Q-) is a high overall profile with quantitative reasoning a little lower.
From Level 9 (usually grade 3) each subtest has a 10-minute limit. The younger levels, 5/6 to 8, are untimed and the teacher reads the directions aloud. This practice test uses one 30-minute timer for all 27 questions, about a minute per question.
Yes, in a sensible way. Practice makes the question types familiar, so a child does not lose time working out what is being asked. Short sessions, a few question types at a time, work better than long drills. Reasoning grows with reading, puzzles, board games and talking through problems, not with memorised answers.
Yes. The nine sample questions on this page print cleanly on one or two sheets: use the “Print the sample questions” button in the samples section. The full 27-question practice test is taken on screen, so it can be timed and scored instantly.
No. This is an independent CogAT-style practice test with original questions written by IQ Metrics in the same nine question types. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by Riverside Insights, it contains no questions from the real test, and its score is a practice score out of 27, never a CogAT percentile, stanine or Standard Age Score.
It is pitched at grades 2 to 4 (about ages 7 to 10), the grades where most gifted screening happens. Younger children can try it with a parent reading the questions aloud, which is how the real test works up to grade 2.
One point for each correct answer, out of 27. As soon as your child finishes you see the score, how many questions they answered, the time used and a score for each battery: Verbal, Quantitative and Nonverbal. An optional paid parent report adds a question-by-question view of what was solved or missed, strengths, a pace analysis, a practice plan and a printable certificate.
Form 8, released in August 2017, is an equivalent form of Form 7: the same three batteries, the same nine question types and the same scores, with different questions. Schools use either one. In August 2025 Riverside Insights released new post-pandemic norms built from 2.8 million assessments.
27 questions, 30 minutes, all nine CogAT question types. Find a quiet spot, sit with your child, and see the score the moment they finish.
Start the practice test →Facts about the real CogAT were checked against these pages on 21 September 2026. Written and reviewed by the IQ Metrics Editorial Team.
CogAT® is a registered trademark of Riverside Assessments, LLC (Riverside Insights). IQ Metrics is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by Riverside Insights. This is an independent practice test with original questions; it does not reproduce the CogAT or its items, and its score is not a CogAT score.
