Cognitive Abilities Test™ Form 6

Tests & Times
Administration | Scoring
Ability Profiles
FAQ's
  • Tests & Times

    Levels

    The table below lists the recommended test levels for low-, average-, and high-ability classes. Some individuals in any group—such as those students expected to score above the 90th percentile—may be candidates for individualized testing with a level different from that used by the majority of students. Consult the CogAT, Form 6, Interpretive Guide for School Administrators for additional information.

    CogAT features overlapping sets of items throughout the series. The overlap of items from level to level provides the user with a continuous, ascending scale of difficulty, which is the foundation of CogAT's superior score scale from Kindergarten through grade 12.

    Recommended Test Levels for CogAT Form 6: Low-, Average-, and High-Ability Classes

    Grade

    Low

    Average

    High

    K

    K

    K

    1

    1

    K/1

    1

    2

    2

    1/2

    2

    A

    3

    2/A

    A/B

    B

    4

    A/B

    B/C

    C

    5

    B/C

    C/D

    D

    6

    C/D

    D/E

    E

    7

    D/E

    E/F

    F

    8

    E/F

    F

    F

    9

    F

    F

    G

    10

    F

    G

    G

    11

    G

    G

    H

    12

    G

    H

    H

    Administration

    Although CogAT may be administered in whole or in part, the most complete view of a student will occur through administration of all three batteries.

    Table 1: Testing Schedule for CogAT Form 6, Level K

    Session

    Test

    Minutes (est.)

    Estimated Total Time (minutes)

    Number of Items

    Session 1:

    Distributing materials and working practice questions

    10

    34

    20

     

    Test 1: Oral Vocabulary

    22

     

     

     

    Collecting materials

    2

     

     

    Session 2:

    Distributing materials

    3

    29

    20

     

    Test 2: Verbal Reasoning

    24

     

     

     

    Collecting materials

    2

     

     

    Session 3:

    Distributing materials

    3

    26

    20

     

    Test 3: Relational Concepts

    21

     

     

     

    Collecting materials

    2

     

     

    Session 4:

    Distributing materials

    3

    26

    20

     

    Test 4: Quantitative Concepts

    21

     

     

     

    Collecting materials

    2

     

     

    Session 5:

    Distributing materials

    3

    27

    20

     

    Test 5: Figure Classification

    22

     

     

     

    Collecting materials

    2

     

     

    Session 6:

    Distributing materials

    3

    27

    20

     

    Test 6: Matrices

    22

     

     

     

    Collecting materials

    2

    Table 2: Testing Schedule for CogAT Form 6 Levels 1 and 2

    Session

    Test

    Minutes (est.) Level 1

    Minutes (est.) Level 2

    Number of Items Level 1

    Number of Items Level 2

    Session 1:

    Verbal Battery (Total)

    49

    43

    44

    48

     

    Distributing materials and working practice questions

    5

    5

     

     

     

    Test 1: Oral Vocabulary

    20

    18

    22

    24

     

    Test 2: Verbal Reasoning

    22

    18

    22

    24

     

    Collecting materials

     

    2

    2

     

     

    Session 2:

    Quantitative Battery (Total)

    44

    40

    44

    48

     

    Distributing materials

    3

    3

     

     

     

    Test 3: Relational Concepts

    20

    18

    22

    24

     

    Test 4: Quantitative Concepts

    19

    17

    22

    24

     

    Collecting materials

    2

    2

     

     

    Session 3:

    Nonverbal Battery (Total)

    45

    41

    44

    48

     

    Distributing materials

    3

    3

     

     

     

    Test 5: Figure Classification

    20

    18

    22

    22

     

    Test 6: Matrices

    20

    18

    22

    22

     

    Collecting materials

    2

    2

     

     

    Table 3: Testing Schedule for CogAT Form 6, Levels A-H

    Session

    Test

    Minutes (est.)

    Estimated Total Time (minutes)

    Number of Items

    Session 1:

    Verbal Battery

     

    51

    65

     

    Distributing materials and preparing answer sheets

     

    10

     

     

    Test 1: Verbal Classification

    10

    13

    20

     

    Test 2: Sentence Completion

    10

    13

    20

     

    Test 3: Verbal Analogies

    10

    13

    25

     

    Collecting materials

     

    2

     

    Session 2:

    Quantitative Battery

     

    48

    60

     

    Distributing materials

     

    5

     

     

    Test 4: Quantitative Relations

     

    12

     

     

    Test 5: Number Series

     

    12

     

     

    Test 6: Equation Building

     

    16

     

     

    Collecting materials

     

    2

     

    Session 3:

    Nonverbal Battery

     

    46

    65

     

    Distributing materials

     

    5

     

     

    Test 7: Figure Classification

    10

    13

    25

     

    Test 8: Figure Analogies

    10

    13

    25

     

    Test 9: Figure Analysis

    10

    13

    15

     

    Collecting materials

     

    2

     
  • Administration | Scoring

    Technical Qualities

    CogAT Form 6 was developed with the same rigorous standards as The Iowa Tests, Forms A, B and C. Detailed technical information on CogAT may be found in the Research Handbook.

    Resources

    HMH wants to ensure that your testing program will be smooth and efficient. A variety of resources are available to help you manage your testing program and communicate effectively with families.

    An online, interactive glossary of testing terms help you understand your test results.

    Click below for Report to Parents, a free resource for schools that hand score.

    Report to Parents

    Download Levels K-2 (42 KB)

    Download Levels A-H (39 KB)

    Report to Parents, Spanish Edition

    Download Levels K-2 (44 KB)

    Download Levels A-H (46 KB)

    Pre-Test Resources

    Practice tests are available to help familiarize students with the overall structure and format of CogAT.

    Interpretation

    The Interpretive Guide for Teachers and Counselors focuses on the use of test results to help improve student achievement. It contains samples of individual and group score reports, along with suggestions for reporting results to parents.

    The Interpretive Guide for School Administrators discusses the interpretation of score reports and provides suggestions for using test results in curriculum planning and reporting to school officials and the community.

    Scoring

    CogAT reports separate scores for each battery (Verbal, Quantitative, and Nonverbal) as well as a Composite. Scores are not reported for subtests within each battery.

    Among the scores available for each battery are the raw score (the number of items marked correctly), standard age score, national age and grade percentile ranks, and age and grade stanines. A normal curve equivalent table is provided in the CogAT Form 6, Norms Booklet. Local norms based on the standard age score are available from the HMH Scoring Service®, which provides a wide range of scoring services for CogAT.

    CogAT also may be scored by hand. Scoring key booklets are available for hand scoring each level. Levels A-H may be hand scored with either a scoring key booklet or an individual-level scoring mask. For more information please contact your local Assessment Account Executive or HMH Customer Experience.

    Explore More

  • Ability Profiles

    Every student assessed with CogAT receives an Ability Profile score that highlights both the level and pattern of a student's ability. CogAT is unique in offering this score, which helps provide educational guidance for all students, not just those with high ability.

    Educators will be able to visit this page, enter a student's profile, and receive:

    • General characteristics of learners with this profile
    • Instructional strategies tailored to the individual profile
    • Additional lists of resources and support materials

    Interactive Ability Profile Interpretation System

    Your local Assessment Account Executive can provide you with additional information and training on how to use the Interactive Profile Interpretation System in your school, district, or diocese.

  • FAQ's

    Q: Is there a correlation between the results of the CogAT® Form 6 and the results of The Iowa Tests®?

    A: The relationship is substantial at all grades. Tables of these correlations are found in the CogAT Form 6, Research Handbook. The tables show that the CogAT Composite score has the highest correlation with achievement (except for mathematics achievement). The Nonverbal Battery has the lowest correlation with achievement and appears to be a good indicator of ability that is somewhat less dependent on academic achievement.

    Average correlations between CogAT and the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills® Composite scores are .83 for the Verbal Battery, .77 for the Quantitative Battery, .69 for the Nonverbal Battery, and .85 for the CogAT Composite. Average correlations with the Iowa Tests of Educational Development® Composite score are .81 for the Verbal Battery, .75 for the Quantitative Battery, .70 for the Nonverbal Battery, and .84 for the CogAT Composite.


    Q: Does CogAT measure students' innate abilities?

    A: No. All abilities are developed through experience. CogAT measures students' abilities to reason with words, quantitative concepts, and nonverbal (spatial) pictures. These abilities are developed through experiences within and outside of school.


    Q: Is CogAT an IQ test? Are SAS scores IQ scores?

    A: No. CogAT measures reasoning abilities. Although these abilities are central to all definitions of intelligence, the word intelligence implies much more. However, psychologists have never agreed on the definition of intelligence, so how much more should be included in an intelligence test is often debated. Further, the notion of IQ comes from an earlier set of procedures for indexing the rate of mental development. CogAT does not use these procedures. The SAS scale used on CogAT provides normalized Standard Age Scores for that fraction of the population that attends school. Although SAS scores are very helpful for professionals, nonprofessionals can confuse them with IQ scores, so they are generally not reported to parents and lay organizations. Percentile ranks and stanines are better suited for general audiences.