How to prepare for the CogAT in 2nd grade

Second grade is the year most districts screen every child for gifted programs. In our directory, 110 of the 168 districts whose plans name a specific ability test give it to all 2nd graders, and most of those use the CogAT. This guide explains what your child will see and how to get them ready without turning it into homework.

What the 2nd grade CogAT looks like

Second graders usually take CogAT Level 8. According to Riverside, the publisher, the primary levels are entirely made of pictures, the teacher reads one part aloud, and children do not have to read. They mark one of the answer pictures for each question.

The test has three batteries, each with three kinds of question.

Verbal battery

• Picture analogies. Two pictures go together in some way. Your child finds the picture that goes with a third picture in the same way: a bird goes with a nest, so a dog goes with a doghouse.
• Picture classification. Three pictures are alike. Your child picks the answer that belongs with them.
• Sentence completion. The teacher reads a question aloud, such as "Which one would you use to dig in the garden?", and your child picks the picture that answers it.

Quantitative battery

• Number analogies. Like picture analogies, but the link is about amounts: one more, double, half, some taken away.
• Number puzzles. Two trains must carry the same number of things, and your child picks the car that makes it true. At Level 8 there are also short equations with one missing number.
• Number series. Strings of beads follow a pattern. Your child picks the string that comes next.

Nonverbal battery

• Figure matrices. A 2×2 grid of shapes has one empty box. The change across the top row happens again on the bottom row.
• Figure classification. Three shapes are alike in some way. Your child picks the one that is alike in the same way.
• Paper folding. A piece of paper is folded and cut. Your child picks how it looks when opened.

Our 2nd grade CogAT page shows an example of each.

A six-week plan

You do not need a workbook a week. Short, regular sessions work better for seven-year-olds than long ones.

Weeks 1–2: meet every question type. Do two or three examples of each of the nine types together. Talk through them out loud. The aim is only that your child knows what each question is asking.

Weeks 3–4: find the hard ones. Mix the types up. Notice which ones your child gets stuck on and spend a little more time there.

Week 5: work alone. Let your child do short sets without help, then go back over the misses together. Ask "how did you know?" for the right answers too.

Week 6: keep it light. A few easy sessions to stay familiar. Stop adding new material. A calm, rested child does better than one who crammed.

If the test is sooner than six weeks away, shorten each phase; even two weeks of short practice helps a child recognize the formats.

Tips for each part

Verbal. Say the link out loud: "A puppy grows into a dog, so a kitten grows into a…". Common links are "lives in", "is used for", "is part of", "grows into" and "is made of". For classification, ask "what are all three?" and look for the most exact group: "things that fly" beats "animals".

Quantitative. Count first, then compare. For number analogies, count both pictures in the top pair and say what changed. For trains, count what the first train carries and what the second one already has; the missing amount is the difference.

Nonverbal. Name exactly what changes: shape, color, size, number or direction. Then check the answer against both the row and the column. For paper folding, do it for real with paper and safety scissors. Five minutes of folding and cutting teaches more than twenty pictures.

Listening. Sentence completion questions are read aloud. Practice at home by asking your child to hear the whole question before pointing: "Which of these would you find in a kitchen and use to cut bread?"

What not to do

• Don't drill the same questions. Memorizing answers does not carry over to new questions. Variety does.
• Don't push through tears. If your child is frustrated, stop for the day.
• Don't talk about the score. Talk about thinking. Children who feel the test is a big deal tend to rush.
• Don't skip sleep and breakfast the night and morning before. It matters more than one more practice session.

Free ways to practice

• Our puzzle-time activities build the same skills with things you already have at home.
• The free sample quiz shows the 2nd grade CogAT question types.
• Our printables include a free CogAT-style 2nd grade pack to do on paper.
• A free readiness check takes about 20 minutes and shows which of the nine question types are new or harder for your child. It is a practice estimate, not a CogAT score.

Find out when your district tests

Testing windows, which children are tested and what score counts all vary by district. Look up yours on our district pages, and read CogAT scores explained to understand the report when it comes home.

CogAT® is a registered trademark of Riverside Assessments, LLC, which is not affiliated with and does not endorse GiftedCub.