The Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT) is a test to help determine your child’s aptitude. Testing occurs over a three-day period. This is a nationally normed test that will compare your child’s performance with performances of other students of the same age. WCPSS previously administered the CogAT to 3rd graders, but this was changed in the 2024-2025 school year so that all WCPSS 2nd graders will take the CogAT. Wakelon 2nd graders will take the CogAT later in the 25-26 school year (dates are TBD).
The CogAT is broken down into 9 parts across 3 subtests: Verbal, Quantitative and Non-Verbal.
Click on the headings at the top of the page to view some activities to help your child better understand what to expect in each section.
Please email me at kstephens3@wcpss.net if any of the links don't work.
Verbal - How do you think with WORDS?
Verbal analogies, completing sentences, which word belongs in the group
Quantitative - How do you think with NUMBERS?
Number analogies, patterns, and puzzles
Non-Verbal - How do you think with GEOMETRIC SHAPES & FIGURES?
Figure analogies, paper folding, which figure belongs in the group
Gifted education is provided for students who consistently perform above grade level and demonstrate need for additional rigorous academic differentiation in kindergarten through grade twelve.
Multiple criteria are used for identification and include both formal and informal indicators (shown below).
Grades K-2 individual assessments
Grades 3-12 norm-references assessments in aptitude, i.e. Cognitive Abilities (CogAT) and achievement, i.e. Iowa Assessments (Iowa).
Teacher and parent checklists
Performance indicators (i.e. academic grades in reading/language arts and mathematics, writing samples, North Carolina End-of-Grade and North Carolina End-of-Course tests, student progress on grade level standards in literacy and math).
Student work portfolios
Any other available student data
The School Based Committee for Gifted Education (SBCGE) reviews formal and informal indicators for all nominations to determine which students should be referred for additional assessments:
Students referred for additional assessments prior to their taking the CogAT in 2nd grade will be evaluated by the AIG psychologist.
Nominations for 2nd grade are reviewed once CogAT and Iowa scores are available. Students are referred on the basis of these scores.
Students who are referred by the SBCGE in grades 4– 12 are administered the CogAT and Iowa during established testing windows. Contact the AIG teacher and/or administration for testing window dates.