The Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT) is the most widely used gifted screener in the United States, administered by over 3,000 districts. It measures reasoning across three batteries — Verbal, Quantitative, and Nonverbal — with nine distinct question types.
Two things confuse parents about the CogAT: which "form" the test uses, and which "edition" their child will see. Here's the short version.
Form 8 is the newer version, but Form 7 is still actively used. They are parallel forms — same number of questions, same structure, same scoring system, equivalent norms.
Practicing with one prepares your child for either. Many districts use both, sometimes alternating year to year. Every Claretti workbook is compatible with both Form 7 and Form 8.
At K–Grade 2, the CogAT comes in two distinct formats. The Primary Edition uses picture-based questions and is administered with a teacher or proctor reading instructions aloud (parents fill that role during practice). The Multilevel Edition uses text-based questions and the child reads independently.
Districts choose which to administer. If you buy the wrong edition, your child practices a different format than what they'll see on test day.
Find the right edition →Quick rule of thumb: Kindergarten through Grade 2 may take the Primary Edition (Levels 5/6, 7, or 8). Grade 2 students may instead take the Multilevel Edition (Level 9), and Grade 3 and above always take Multilevel (Levels 9–17/18). Grade 2 is the only grade where either edition is possible — and it's also when most districts screen for gifted programs, so check with your school.
Note on terminology: The Primary Edition's verbal subtests are picture-based (Picture Analogies, Picture Classification, Sentence Completion) while the Multilevel Edition's are text-based (Verbal Analogies, Verbal Classification, Sentence Completion). Quantitative and Nonverbal subtests are the same across both editions. Both editions have 9 subtests across 3 batteries.
The verbal battery tests your child's ability to understand word relationships, classify concepts into categories, and complete sentences using context clues.
Identify the relationship between a pair of words, then apply the same relationship to a new pair.
Choose the word that best completes a sentence, demonstrating understanding of language and context.
Given three words that belong to a group, identify a fourth word that belongs to the same category.
The quantitative battery measures your child's ability to find number relationships, extend sequences, and solve number-based puzzles.
Find the mathematical relationship between two pairs of numbers, then apply it to a third pair.
Identify the pattern in a sequence of numbers and determine what comes next.
Solve equations presented visually, using pictures, symbols, or simple word problems.
The nonverbal battery tests visual-spatial skills — recognizing patterns in shapes, mentally folding paper, and classifying figures by shared properties.
Complete a visual pattern in a 2×2 or 3×3 grid by identifying how shapes change across rows and columns.
Visualize what a folded and hole-punched piece of paper looks like when unfolded.
Given three shapes that share a common rule, identify which of the answer choices follows the same rule.
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