A Guide to the CogAT Test 6th Grade: Examples & Tips
Updated January 5, 2024
All products and services featured are independently selected by WikiJob. When you register or purchase through links on this page, we may earn a commission.
What Is the CogAT Test 6th Grade?
The CogAT Test 6th Grade is an assessment of cognitive abilities that are used in school situations to evaluate children for entrance to a gifted and talented program.
There are specific tests used throughout school time, from Kindergarten through to Grades 11 and 12, and each test is structured to assess students on their inherent cognitive abilities rather than what they have learned in school.
For students who are not entering a gifted program, the results can be used to provide a tailored educational experience designed to help them be successful by focusing on the cognitive abilities that they need to work on.
The CogAT Grade 6 Test is administered in the same way as the other tests in this battery, in a group, which means that all students in a class will take the test at the same time.
To make the test appropriate for different age groups, there are different numbers of questions and a different time limit for each age.
The levels are as follows:
| Grade | Level | Questions | Time Limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| K | 5/6 | 118 | 112 minutes |
| 1 | 7 | 136 | 112 minutes |
| 2 | 8 | 154 | 122 minutes |
| 3 | 9 | 170 | 90 minutes |
| 4 | 10 | 176 | 90 minutes |
| 5 | 11 | 176 | 90 minutes |
| 6 | 12 | 176 | 90 minutes |
| 7/8 | 13/14 | 176 | 90 minutes |
| 9/10 | 15/16 | 176 | 90 minutes |
| 11/12 | 17/18 | 176 | 90 minutes |
For the CogAT Test 6th Grade, there are 176 questions to be answered in 90 minutes, and the questions cover three different areas:
- Verbal
- Quantitative
- Non-Verbal
These sections are known as batteries.
It is important to remember that the point of this test is not about assessing specific knowledge or things that a child will have learned in school.
Instead, the CogAT Test Grade 6 is all about academic aptitude and whether a child has the cognitive ability to be successful in a gifted program and where their aptitude sits in comparison to other children of the same age or in the same grade.
The test is also an effective way for teaching staff to understand whether there are any discrepancies between a student’s achievement and their progress, which can be helped with individualized training plans.
Prepare for the CogAT 6th Grade Test with TestPrep-Online
How Is the CogAT Test Grade 6 Structured?
Each of the questions in the CogAT Test 6th Grade is multiple choice.
CogAT Test 6th Grade Verbal Battery
The verbal battery consists of the following three types of questions.
CogAT Test 6th Grade Verbal Analogies
There are three words given in the question.
Two of these words are connected to each other, and the third word will be connected in a similar way to one of the multiple-choice options that are given.
CogAT Test 6th Grade Sentence Completion
There is a sentence given with a word missing.
The student needs to choose the word that is missing from the multiple-choice options.
CogAT Test 6th Grade Verbal Classification
Three words are provided, and they are all linked in the same way.
The student needs to choose the word that matches the others from the multiple-choice options given.
CogAT Test 6th Grade Quantitative Battery
In the quantitative battery, the questions are based on numerical ability.
CogAT Test 6th Grade Number Analogies
There are four boxes and three numbers in them already.
The first and second numbers match through some sort of mathematical connection, and the student needs to find the corresponding number that matches the one in the third box from the multiple-choice options.
CogAT Test 6th Grade Number Series
There is a sequence of numbers provided, and the student needs to find the missing number to complete the series from the multiple-choice options.
CogAT Test 6th Grade Number Puzzles
These are questions that are based on mathematical ability, solving and balancing equations.
The multiple-choice options that are given will include the correct answers.
CogAT Test 6th Grade Non-verbal Battery
The non-verbal section asks questions that are based on figures and shapes.
CogAT Test 6th Grade Figure Matrices
These look similar to the Number Analogies questions, with shapes or images in the boxes instead of numbers.
CogAT Test 6th Grade Figure Classification
Each question features three shapes or figures, and they are all connected in some way.
The student will need to choose the shape or image that matches the multiple-choice options provided.
CogAT Test 6th Grade Paper Folding
In this type of question, the student must choose the image from the multiple choice options that represent how some paper would look when it is folded based on the net provided.
Example Questions of the CogAT Test 6th Grade
CogAT Test 6th Grade Verbal Battery
CogAT Test 6th Grade Verbal Analogy
'Cat' is to 'purr' as 'dog' is to _______?
a) Buzz
b) Bark
c) Neigh
d) Roar
When I ____ younger, I wanted to be an astronaut.
a) Is
b) Be
c) Was
d) Could
What number completes this series?
2, 3, 5, 7, 11, ___
a) 13
b) 15
c) 17
d) 22
Complete this equation by finding A.
A(3 + 4) = 21
a) 4
b) 5
c) 1
d) 3
If you want 12-month access to all the practice resources for this test, our partner TestPrep-Online.com offers a Family Membership.
Family Membership gives you access to all the TestPrep-Online resources for the next 12 months. You will also get two separate accounts, which can be very helpful if you have two children preparing for their tests.
Get a Family Membership with 12-month access
Which of the options below matches the three figures shown?
Which figure goes into the empty box?
How to Prepare for the 6th Grade CogAT Test
There are several ways you can undertake CogAT test grade 6 prep.
These include:
Step 1. Practice
Familiarity with the test structure and the type of questions that will be asked will help your child to be able to perform well.
The best way to achieve this is with consistent practice. While the test is not about learning and school-related knowledge, they can improve their cognitive ability through revision.
CogAT practice tests and CogAT sample questions is prep for the actual test.
CogAT test prep will improve your reasoning abilities, non-verbal reasoning skills, and problem-solving skills.
What this means in practice is that you should get your child to take full-length practice tests regularly and work on any areas that need improvement.
You might also find that giving your child access to Level 13/14 CogAT tests will actually help them realize that they are more capable than they might have thought, too.
Step 2. Improve Well-Being
Tests can be stressful, and it is normal for a student to be worried about them, especially when they need to perform to a certain level to be accepted to the gifted program.
One of the most important aspects of their success is self-care.
They need to get as much sleep as they can because it has been scientifically proven that sleep deprivation damages cognitive function.
They also need to be sure that they are not hungry or thirsty either while they are preparing or during the assessment itself.
Step 3. Imply the Importance of The Test
As CogAT tests tend to be taken every year, students may become blasé about their importance.
It is up to you to ensure that they understand what a difference getting a good score on this test can make to their educational experience so that they approach it with the right level of seriousness.
There is a fine line between getting a child motivated and worrying them. Just remind them that all you want is for them to try their best.
Step 4. Motivation
Practice and revision can be boring, even for the most talented students. If you are struggling to get your child to focus, you might want to consider offering some sort of reward system.
For younger test takers, this might have been a sticker chart; however, the Grade 6 CogAT takers are more likely to want things like extra screen time or some sort of video game.
However you reward your child, make sure it is relevant and timely so that they know what is expected of them.
Step 5. Learn Weaknesses and Get Extra Tuition
Not every child is strong in every aspect of cognitive ability, and it is perfectly normal to have weaknesses.
These will be highlighted through practice tests—the sections with the lower scores are more likely to be the weaker areas—and there are several ways that you can help your child to improve.
Revision at home could be enough to improve scores, or you may wish to hire a tutor to really push the scores higher.
The CogAT Test for 6th Grade is a cognitive abilities test often used in the American school system to identify students who might be suitable for entry to a gifted and talented program.
These tests do not assess learned knowledge, but they do assess skills that are related to academic achievement.
The CogAT test 6th Grade is challenging, and it can be difficult to pass with a high enough score to allow entry to a gifted program if the student has not prepared thoroughly.
For the best chance at achieving the right score, make sure that practice tests and revision are part of the preparation process.
There are many resources available online for practicing for the CogAT test Grade 6.
TestPrep-Online is a great starting point because each level of the test has both free and paid-for resources available to help your child prepare thoroughly and get the practice that they need for success.
The CogAT Test (6th Grade) is a 90-minute test, and the student will need to answer 176 questions at this time.
It is not possible to fail the CogAT Test 6th Grade. However, you might consider a lower score a fail because that usually means that the child will not be accepted onto the gifted program.
However, the teachers will still be able to use the results to monitor performance and achievement and produce lesson plans to help your child improve for next year.
You can get example questions for the CogAT Test 6th Grade at TestPrep-Online, which also feature worked samples, full-length practice tests and lots of helpful tips and tricks to help your child score as highly as possible.
The CogAT Test Grade 6 is used to assess students in the 6th Grade to see if they are suitable for entry into gifted programs. It is about cognitive ability rather than knowledge and things that they have learned in school.
It is a useful benchmark for teachers to ensure that children are achieving the standards that are expected based on their performance.
The CogAT Test 6th Grade is an important assessment because it can mean a student gets the special educational support that comes from being in a gifted program.
Passing the test is usually the route that a child needs to take to be accepted into the program, so they need to perform better than their peers in the assessment.
If you are unhappy with your child’s score, they can retake the test once, at least six months after the last attempt. If a student does not achieve the required score, they will usually be asked to take the next level of test in the next academic year.
The CogAT Test Grade 6 asks cognitive ability questions, focusing on verbal, quantitative and non-verbal aptitudes.
The questions mostly require things like pattern recognition, numerical ability and a wide vocabulary.
You can get a full guide for the CogAT Test 6th Grade at TestPrep-Online.
This includes a CogAT grade 6 sample, as well as 6th grade test questions, example questions showing the working out and the solutions and full-length practice tests, as well as tips and tricks to get the most out of the assessment.
Final Thoughts
The CogAT Test for 6th Grade is often used as part of the entry process for a gifted and talented program, and although it is all about cognitive ability rather than learned information, preparation, revision and practice are key to a good performance.
Parents who want to support their children in academic achievement should focus on ensuring that their child is both mentally and physically prepared for the assessment, making full use of the resources available.
