FCPS AAP testing: the NGAT in 2nd grade and how to prepare

Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) now uses the NGAT, the Naglieri General Ability Tests, as its ability test for Advanced Academic Programs (AAP). It replaces the CogAT that every 2nd grader used to take and the NNAT3 that used to be given in 1st grade. This guide explains what the NGAT is, how FCPS uses the score, the dates for 2026–27 and how to help a child feel at home with the format.

What changed: CogAT and NNAT3 out, NGAT in

According to the FCPS Advanced Academic Programs page, the NGAT is FCPS's nationally normed ability test for 2026–27. It is given in grade 2 and to some students in grades 3 to 7. FCPS no longer offers the CogAT or the NNAT3, so a retake can only be on the NGAT.

The two tests ask different things of a child:

FCPS still gives a paper CogAT to a student whose disability or health condition means they need a paper test.

What the NGAT looks like

FCPS's NGAT information page describes the three parts:

• Verbal. Six pictures, five of which share an idea. Your child picks the one that doesn't belong.
• Quantitative. Numbers or shapes arranged in a pattern with a missing piece.
• Nonverbal. A grid of shapes and colors with one empty box to complete.

All questions are multiple choice. A child needs to be able to log in and use a mouse on their own. FCPS says that if a child without a score is still learning to use a computer, testing may be moved from fall to spring.

Dates for 2026–27

All dates come from FCPS and are pending school board approval.

FCPS says score reports usually arrive about a month after the testing window closes, in the Documents section of ParentVUE.

How FCPS uses the score

AAP has several levels of service. Subject-Specific and Part-Time services are decided at your child's school. Full-Time AAP (grades 3 to 8) is decided by a central committee. A child reaches that committee in one of three ways: as a 2nd grade universal screener candidate, through a staff referral or through a family referral.

The NGAT score is required for central screening, but it is only one piece of the file. The file can also hold a parent questionnaire, up to two pages of work samples and other test results. FCPS doesn't publish a cutoff, and being a universal screener candidate doesn't guarantee eligibility. FCPS also says it doesn't encourage families to get extra testing beyond what it gives all students.

Reading the score report

FCPS compares each child with others in the same grade, using national norms through 6th grade. The report shows:

• Percentile rank from 1 to 99. A percentile of 90 means the child scored as well as or better than 90 out of 100 children in the comparison group.
• Stanine from 1 to 9.
• Standard score for each part, from 55 to 160.
• Total score, which needs at least two parts.

For what these numbers mean in more depth, see Naglieri scores explained.

How to prepare

FCPS says children aren't expected to study for the NGAT the way they would for an achievement test, and they get to try sample questions before the real test. Practice is still useful for a younger child who has never seen this kind of puzzle or clicked through a test on a computer.

1. Look at the format together. Try a few questions from each part and talk about what the question is asking.
2. Keep it short. Ten to fifteen minutes a day for three or four weeks is plenty.
3. Practice on a screen. A few sessions with a mouse or touchpad help a child who mostly uses a tablet.
4. Go over the misses calmly. Ask your child to explain why the right answer works.

Our Naglieri practice guide has tips for each part.

Free ways to practice

• The free sample quiz has Naglieri-style questions from all three parts.
• A free readiness check shows which question types are new or harder for your child. It is a practice estimate, not an NGAT score.
• Our Fairfax County page and Virginia guide cover the district and nearby school divisions.

GiftedCub practice is designed to help children feel familiar and comfortable with question formats. It is not the actual test, and no practice service can guarantee a score or placement.

Naglieri General Ability Tests™ is a trademark of Multi-Health Systems Inc. (MHS). CogAT® is a registered trademark of Riverside Assessments, LLC. NNAT® is a trademark of Pearson Education, Inc. or its affiliates. These owners are not affiliated with and do not endorse GiftedCub, and GiftedCub is not affiliated with Fairfax County Public Schools. Test names are used only to describe the formats our original practice material is designed to resemble.