Naglieri (NGAT) practice test: free NGA-style questions and how to prepare

The Naglieri General Ability Tests (sometimes called the NGA or NGAT) are the newest of the four main gifted screening tests. They are three short tests taken on a computer or tablet, and short animations show the child what to do instead of spoken or written directions. Because nothing has to be read or explained, most children have never seen anything quite like them. A little practice with the format helps a child understand what each question is asking.

This is a different test from the NNAT (Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test), even though both carry Dr. Jack Naglieri's name. The NNAT is one test of shape patterns. The Naglieri General Ability Tests add a verbal test and a number test. For the NNAT, see our NNAT practice guide.

Which districts use the Naglieri tests

Of the 192 school districts we have researched in depth, 15 use the Naglieri General Ability Tests. Many give them to a whole grade:

• 2nd grade: Fairfax County, VA plans to test every 2nd grader in October 2026 (pending school board approval; see our FCPS NGAT guide), and Houston ISD, TX tests every 2nd grader in October. Alamance-Burlington and Pitt County in North Carolina test every 2nd grader in the spring.
• 1st grade: Denver, CO and Seattle, WA test every 1st grader.
• Kindergarten: Rockwall ISD, TX tests every kindergartner in January, then all 2nd and 4th graders in the fall. Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD, TX tests all kindergartners and 5th graders in the fall.
• 3rd grade: Tustin Unified, CA tests every 3rd grader unless the family opts out.

Some districts give only part of the test. Tacoma, WA gives every 2nd grader the Nonverbal test, and Denver gives 5th graders the Verbal test. Atlanta Public Schools uses the Naglieri tests for children in kindergarten to 5th grade who are flagged by screening or referred by a parent or teacher. Look up your own district on our district pages.

What the three tests look like

According to MHS, the publisher, the questions use pictures, shapes and diagrams. Each test has its own kind of question.

• Verbal. Six pictures are shown. Five of them share an idea, such as things that can hold a drink, and your child picks the one that doesn't belong. It measures what a child knows about words and ideas without asking them to read.
• Quantitative. A pattern made of numbers or shapes has a missing part, and your child picks which of five answers completes it. There are no word problems.
• Nonverbal. A small grid of colored shapes has one empty box. Your child picks which of five answers fills it, following changes in color, order and direction.

The same three tests are used from kindergarten up, with harder questions for older grades. Because the directions are animations, a kindergartner and a 5th grader take the test the same way.

How to practice

Week 1: look and talk. Do a few questions from each test together. Ask "what do most of these have in common?" for Verbal, "what is happening to the numbers?" for Quantitative, and "what changes from this box to the next?" for Nonverbal.

Weeks 2–3: one test at a time. Spend a few days on each test. Start with questions where only one thing changes, then move to ones where two things change at once, which is where most mistakes happen.

Week 4: work alone, then review. Let your child do short sets alone, then go over the misses together. Ask them to explain why the right answer works.

Tips that work

• Find the shared idea first (Verbal). Before hunting for the odd one out, ask what most of the pictures are for. Look past color and size: the idea is about what things are or do.
• Say the numbers aloud (Quantitative). Hearing "4, 6, 8…" makes the step easier to spot. If the step keeps changing, look for two patterns taking turns.
• Copy the change (Nonverbal). Compare the top two boxes, then make the same change in the bottom row. Check color and direction separately.
• Steady beats fast. Each test has 40 questions in about 30 minutes, which is plenty of time for a careful child. Rushing causes more misses than running out of time.
• Practice on a screen too. The real test is online, so a few practice sessions on a tablet or computer help your child feel at home with tapping or clicking an answer.

Free Naglieri-style practice

• The free sample quiz has Naglieri-style questions from all three tests to try right away.
• A free readiness check shows which question types are new or harder for your child. It is a practice estimate, not a Naglieri score.
• Our Naglieri test guide explains each test with a worked example.

When the results come home, read Naglieri scores explained.

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.

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