CogAT Nonverbal Battery – The Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT) is a standard test of reasoning. The CogAT has three main sections called batteries: Verbal battery, Quantitative battery and Nonverbal battery.
Each of these batteries has three additional sections. There are nine components to the test. Here we discuss the nonverbal battery.
Schools can administer the test for students in kindergarten through 12th grade. There are three batteries to the CogAT. It’s not a standardized achievement test on grade-level content. The CogAT test measures students’ reasoning and problem solving abilities.
The nonverbal battery in CogAT is generally considered by many as the most difficult out of all the three batteries and is generally not considered in formal schooling.
The nonverbal section doesn’t contain any type of verbal test or reading exercise. It contains multiple choice questions which measure a student’s reasoning skills based on geometric figures and shapes.
CogAT Nonverbal Battery
If you want to see actual questions, strongly consider purchasing a CogAT workbook. You and your child can see the exact types of questions which will give your child an incredible advantage.
Purchase the sample test books for the grade your child is in. We recommend grade level and one grade below. You can review them with your child anytime.
The non-verbal battery of CogAT contains three main parts. These are:
- Figure classification
- Figure analogies
- Folding paper section, the figure analysis
Understanding CogAT Nonverbal Battery
Figure classification
In the Figure Classification section, students answer questions in which they are to classify and categorize figures.
This test typically contains three or four figures that will have some common factor. Students will have a choice of four answers.
The test taker will have to look at the figures, understand the common factor between them, and decide the right answer from the choices.
For example, there may be four circles each a different color.
Sample answer choices could be Answer choices could be green circles, red circles, colored circles and yellow circles.
In this case, the answer is colored circles since all figures are circles and filled with different colors.
Figure analogies
The second category under nonverbal battery of CogAT is figure analogies. In this section, students will be given two figures with one figure having certain uniqueness.
A student has to understand the first figure and apply the same reasoning with the second figure by choosing the right answer.
Sometimes the question will show three figures, with one pair having some relation between them.
A student has to recognize the relation between the first two figures and apply the same for the third figure, by choosing the best answer among the choices given.
A sample question can be a big circle with a small circle inside it and another big square. A set of choices will contain a small circle, small square, small triangle.
The correct answer in this case is small square.
This is because a big circle contains a small circle and hence a big square will also contain a small square.
Figure analysis
The third category under non-verbal battery of CogAT is figure analysis. People often refer to this as the “folding paper section.”
Figure analysis evaluates children’s spatial awareness and figure and diagram analysis.
The CogAT uses the example of folded paper.
The test shows a picture of folded paper. The child’s job is to answer the questions about what it looks like unfolded and/or with a hole punched in it.
As an example, the test will show the students they should fold a square piece of paper at the center from the top to the bottom.
There will be a hole punched through the bottom right hand corner. The test asks students how the paper will look when it is unfolded.
They would have to tell from the choice of answer of where the hole would be.
Example: One hole each at top and bottom right hand corner, only one hole at right hand corner, or one hole at right hand corner with one hole on the left.
The correct answer in this case is one hole each at top and bottom right hand corner.
Folding paper section
Many people consider the Figure Analysis section to be the most challenging as it relies on spatial reasoning. A way to practice at home is to use origami paper or any square paper and a hole puncher.
Make it fun. You can sit with your child as he/she folds the paper and punches a hole in it. Then have him unfold it to see where the hole is.
Familiarizing your child with this concept in advance of the CogAT test will help them understand it when they see it.
Understanding NonVerbal CogAT questions
If you want to give your child a head start for the next time, purchase a workbook.
Seeing the types of questions in advance is really the best way to prepare your child for the non-verbal and other sections.
The questions themselves don’t matter as much ensuring your child understands the directions. The CogAT nonverbal section is challenging. The questions are likely unlike others students have seen before.
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Your child will have an advantage knowing the directions in advance so they will know what they need to do.
