Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT) is for children who perform at a high-level and exhibit leadership skills in any field to assess their critical thinking and reasoning abilities. These children can be admitted into gifted and talented (GT) programs based on their CogAT scores. GT screening and referring take place in the fall. There are many test prep services across the country to help children prepare for CogAT via online learning. Your children can develop their test-taking skills in specific cognitive areas from the comfort of their homes through online learning.
5 CogAT Practice Tips
1. Identify your child’s strengths at an early age: Before enrolling your child in CogAT test prep services, consult your child’s teacher regarding his or her classroom performance and progress in school. Find out if your kid is performing at a higher level and exhibiting a higher maturity level compared to other children of the same age group. Identify his or her strengths in various fields like science, language, sports, arts, etc. If your child shows remarkable skill development in any of the above-mentioned fields, start the prep process for CogAT.
2. Familiarize your child with the format and content of CogAT: CogAT papers contain verbal, non-verbal, and quantitative questions. There are 3 subtests under each cognitive area like language, problem-solving, and memory. Verbal battery includes sentence completion, verbal classification, and verbal analogies. Non-verbal battery includes paper folding, figure matrices, and figure classification. Quantitative battery includes number series, equations or puzzles, and analogies. Kids who aren’t fluent in reading are administered the picture format of CogAT questions while kids aged 8 years and above are administered the text format of CogAT.
3. Minimize mistakes by improving your child’s test-taking skills: Even the most gifted and talented child can be poor at taking tests due to the lack of practice. Children should be given practice tests to familiarize themselves with the format and content of CogAT. Their focus and confidence will build up with each practice test. What’s more, their time management skills will improve as well. Thus, preventing common mistakes, such as spending too much time on hard questions and neglecting the rest, losing focus and being distracted during the test, not reading the questions fully, and so on.
4. Practice using CogAT test simulation: Children develop skills by habitual learning, so use a CogAT test simulation to help your kid practice for the cognitive assessment. Assign a comfortable and neutral space in your home for your child to practice for the test. Minimize disturbances during test preparation. Provide your kid the materials required to take the CogAT test. Find out which CogAT form your kid will be administered. For example, CogAT Form 7 levels are standardized to match the specific age of the child taking the test. Accordingly, you will have to get the relevant study materials for your kid. Focus on improving your kid’s reading and listening skills.
5. Make sure your child’s physical and mental health are not neglected during the test prep: Children require breaks between study sessions to avoid monotony and boredom. Even adults have a shorter attention span when burdened with long study hours, so schedule short breaks between practice tests. Provide positive feedback and assurance at the end of a practice test. After the completion of a practice test session, keep their minds stimulated with other hobbies and interests. Ensure they eat healthy and nutritious foods that will boost their stamina, growth, and memory power. They have to be in good health to not only stay focused during test prep but also to retain knowledge for a longer time.
Take help where you can; enroll your kid in test prep services for thorough and advanced preparation for CogAT. Fortunately, online learning makes it easier for children to continue their education from the safety of their homes during a global pandemic. Children need gentle guidance and supervision to excel in any field. It’s the responsibility of their parents and teachers to provide them proper guidance and resources to succeed. All the best for your child’s CogAT performance and GT screening!
