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How to Interpret CogAT Scores

The Cognitive Abilities Test, also known as the CogAT or CAT, is an exam administered to K-12 students to assess their abilities in three areas considered important in determining future academic success: verbal, nonverbal and quantitative reasoning. This test is most commonly used by schools to determine placement for gifted and talented programs. CogAT scores are reported in terms of percentiles and stanines rather than IQ, which is a better way of assessing where a student stands in relation to his peers. The score report lists four percentiles -- one for each section, and one for all three combined -- ranging from 1 to 100, as well as four stanines, which are normalized standard score scales, ranging from 1 to 9, with 5 being the average.

Things You'll Need

  • Child's CogAT score report
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Instructions

  1. Review the Percentiles

    • 1

      Locate the number indicating the percentile in which your child was placed for verbal reasoning. For example, if your score report says that he was placed in the 98th percentile for verbal reasoning, it means your child outperformed 98 percent of his peers and is in the top 2 percent for his age group.

    • 2

      Locate the number indicating the percentile in which your child was placed for the nonverbal reasoning.

    • 3

      Locate the number indicating the percentile in which your child was placed for the quantitative reasoning.

    • 4

      Locate the number indicating the composite percentile for all three sections. This number combines all three scores and indicates where your child stands in comparison to other students who took the test. Thus, a composite percentile score of 98 indicates that, overall, your child did better on all three sections combined than 98 percent of other students in her age group.

    Review the Stanines

    • 5

      Locate the number indicating your child's stanine for verbal reasoning. For example, a stanine of 9 corresponds to a percentile range of 96 to 99; a stanine of 8 corresponds to a percentile range of 89 to 95, and so on. A stanine above 5 means that your child scored above average on that section.

    • 6

      Locate the number indicating your child's stanine for nonverbal reasoning.

    • 7

      Locate the number indicating your child's stanine for quantitative reasoning.

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