Gifted Testing Information

In order to qualify for the gifted program, students in grades K-8 must take the CoGAT test. 

General CogAT INFO:

The CogAT is a test of reasoning skills. It’s not like a spelling or a math test where if you know the words or the facts you can get 100%. There is no defined curriculum for the CogAT. It is a nationally standardized, norm referenced test. Scores are reported in a percentile rank which indicates the percentage of students whose scores fall at or below the score obtained by a particular student.

For example, if a student obtains a percentile rank of 90 on the Quantitative Battery, it means that 90 percent of the  students in the standardization sample received scores that were the same as or lower than the score obtained by this particular student. A percentile rank of 50 is considered average.

There are three parts to the CogAT:

  • Verbal Battery
  • Quantitative Battery
  • Non-Verbal Battery

The Verbal Battery measures flexibility, fluency, and adaptability in reasoning with verbal materials and in solving verbal problems. These reasoning abilities play an important role in reading comprehension, critical thinking, writing, and virtually all verbal learning tasks.

The Verbal Battery includes the following subtests:

  • Verbal Analogies
  • Sentence Completion
  • Verbal Classification

The Quantitative Battery measures quantitative reasoning skills; flexibility and fluency in working with quantitative symbols and concepts; and the ability to organize, structure, and give meaning to an unordered set of numerals and mathematical symbols. These reasoning skills are significantly related to problem solving in mathematics and other disciplines.

The Quantitative Battery includes the following subtest:

  • Number Analogies
  • Number Puzzles
  • Number Series

The Nonverbal Battery measures reasoning using geometric shapes and figures. To perform successfully, students must invent strategies for solving novel problems. They must be flexible in using these strategies and accurate in implementing them.

The Nonverbal Battery includes the following subtests:

  • Figure Matrices
  • Paper Folding
  • Figure Classification

 

Testing session #1  September 16-20, 2019

Testing session #2  October 21- November 1, 2019

Testing session #3   February 24-28, 2020

Please send an email or ask the student’s teacher for the referral form or click the link here. You need both forms.

Staff referral

Parent referral

PREPARING YOUR CHILD FOR THE CogAT:

New this year: Testing online with CogAT 7. Students will take a computer based test.

There are 9 sections for grades K-2nd which will be read by the test administrator to the child. All the answers are in picture form. Two sections are the verbal section (word puzzles and vocabulary), two sections will be quantitative (number puzzles), and two sections will be nonverbal/ spatial (picture puzzles). This test is not timed. 

There are 9 sections for grades 3rd-8th, 3 verbal (word puzzles), 3 quantitative (number puzzles), and 3 nonverbal/spatial (picture puzzles. These tests are times at 10 minutes each. 

Most students do not qualify in all three areas. They only need to pass one section to be identified as gifted with a score in the 95th percentile or higher.

The creators of this test have not produced nor do they recommend any study materials for the test. This test does not tell how much your child knows. The test measures how your child learns. It tests your child relationships, solve puzzles, and your child at this stage in their cognitive development.

Most students who take the CogAT test are very bright and high achievers. If your child does not achieve the qualifying percentile scores, it does not mean that they aren’t intelligent.Students who qualify for gifted education are generally in the top 5 percent of the general population.

Students who do not qualify this year can have another opportunity to test in the future. (However, a student may only test once in a current school year.)If a child places, they will not have to take future tests. They will remain in the gifted education program during their duration within the District. Here is a link with some sample question for grades K-6.

http://www.tests.com/practice/COGAT-Practice-Test

https://www.testingmom.com/tests/cogat-test/sample-cogat-practice-questions/

http://120perhour.com/cogat-sample-test-index/

If your student passed a state approved test in another district, please bring a copy of their scores to school office. The student will be admitted into the program if they meet the Laveen district qualifications.