CogAT, or the Cognitive Abilities Test, measures how students think and solve problems. It focuses on reasoning skills rather than what they’ve learned in school.
Research from the National Home Education Research Institute (NHERI) shows that homeschooled students typically score 15 to 25 percentile points higher than public school students on standardized academic achievement tests. A peer-reviewed study published in Peabody Journal of Education found that homeschooled children are typically well-adjusted socially and score above average on measures of social skills, emotional development, and daily living skills (Richard Medlin, 2013).
What is cogat?
The Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT) is a group test that checks how students reason and solve problems. Unlike achievement tests that look at what students have learned, CogAT focuses on cognitive skills—how students think and tackle new challenges. It covers three main areas: verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, and nonverbal reasoning. Schools often use CogAT to find students who might thrive in gifted programs. For homeschoolers, it offers outside proof of cognitive skills, which can help when applying to selective schools.
What cogat actually measures
CogAT assesses cognitive abilities in three areas:
- Verbal Battery: Tests reasoning with language by looking at word relationships and completing sentences.
- Quantitative Battery: Measures numerical reasoning, including patterns and mathematical relationships.
- Nonverbal Battery: Evaluates spatial reasoning through visual puzzles and pattern recognition. This setup provides a clear view of a student’s thinking style. It’s normal to excel in one area and struggle in another, and this profile can highlight learning strengths.
How homeschoolers can take cogat
Homeschoolers usually find CogAT testing through specific services since a bachelor’s degree is needed to administer it. Here are some options:
- BJU Press Homeschool: Offers online CogAT with Iowa Assessments.
- Triangle Education Assessments: Provides online tests for homeschoolers and small private schools.
- University of Minnesota Homeschool Testing: Administers CogAT online with Zoom proctoring.
- SMART Testing Services and Seton Testing also offer choices. Most services bundle CogAT with Iowa Assessments, so expect to pay about $120 when combined with achievement testing, though prices can vary.
Understanding scores
CogAT scores come in percentile ranks and stanines. These scores use both age norms (comparing to same-age peers) and grade norms (comparing to same-grade peers). For example, a score in the 85th percentile means your student did better than 85% of others in the comparison group. Most gifted programs look for scores between the 92nd and 97th percentiles, while highly selective programs may want scores in the 98th to 99th percentiles. Scores also show ability profiles, which can reveal strengths in specific areas. Riverside Insights offers online tools to help interpret these scores.
The bottom line
CogAT has a clear purpose: it measures reasoning skills without relying on what’s been taught. For homeschoolers, this is valuable because it provides proof of abilities that isn’t tied to a specific curriculum. If you're looking into gifted programs or want to understand your child's learning profile better, CogAT can give insights that achievement tests can’t. Just remember, high scores show potential, but nurturing those abilities is still important. Use the test as one part of understanding your child's learning journey.
