Grade guide
CogAT for 3rd grade: the switch to reading and timing
Third graders take CogAT Level 9, the biggest change in the whole test: children read the questions on their own, each subtest is timed at 10 minutes, and the verbal and quantitative questions switch from pictures to words and numbers.
Key takeaways
- Third graders take CogAT Level 9: they read the questions on their own, and each of the nine subtests has a 10-minute limit, well under a minute per question.
- Verbal subtests switch to written words (word analogies, sentences, word groups); quantitative ones to number pairs, missing-number equations and number rows.
- The nonverbal subtests keep their shape-based format, with harder rules such as a figure that turns and changes its shading in the same step.
- Teach your child to read the whole item and every choice, name the relationship in a short sentence, and make a best choice and move on when stuck.
- Practice each new format untimed first, add timed sets two to three weeks before the test, and keep the final week to short, easy review.
On this page
Level 9: what is new
Third graders take Level 9 of the CogAT®. The three batteries are the same as in the younger grades (Verbal, Quantitative and Nonverbal, three subtests each), but three things change at once:
- Your child reads. The teacher no longer reads each question aloud; children work through the questions on their own.
- There is a clock. Each subtest is timed at 10 minutes.
- Pictures become words and numbers. The verbal and quantitative subtests move from pictures to written words, number pairs, equations and rows of numbers. The nonverbal subtests keep their picture format, with harder rules.
If your child took the CogAT in 2nd grade, Level 9 will feel like a different test, even though it measures the same kinds of reasoning. Schools often use the CogAT to help identify students for gifted and talented programs; ask your school when and how it is given.
The nine subtests at Level 9
| Battery | Subtest | What your child does | Questions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Verbal | Verbal Analogies | The same idea with written words (A is to B as C is to ?). | 22 |
| Sentence Completion | A written sentence or question; the child picks the word that fits best. | 20 | |
| Verbal Classification | The same idea with written words. | 20 | |
| Quantitative | Number Analogies | Pairs of numbers follow a rule; the child finds the number that completes the last pair. | 18 |
| Number Puzzles | Short equations with a missing number (for example, ? + 5 = 14). | 16 | |
| Number Series | A row of numbers follows a rule; the child picks the number that comes next. | 18 | |
| Nonverbal | Figure Matrices | The same format with harder, combined changes. | 20 |
| Paper Folding | The same format with more folds and holes. | 16 | |
| Figure Classification | The same format with subtler rules. | 20 | |
| Total | 170 | ||
Verbal battery: now in words
Verbal Analogies become word analogies: puppy is to dog as kitten is to what? The answer is cat, and the relationship (“grows up to be”) is the same idea as the picture analogies of earlier grades. Sentence Completion is now a written sentence, and your child picks the word that fits it best. Verbal Classification gives three words that belong together, such as whisper, shout, mumble, and your child picks the word that belongs with them: murmur, not listen.
Eye is to glasses as hand is to…
- glassesChoice A
- spiderChoice B
- glovesChoice C
Show the answer
Answer: C. You wear glasses on your eyes and gloves on your hands. “Glasses” repeats the first pair, a common trap.
An original practice question from Thinkling, in the same format as the test. Not a real test item.
Quantitative battery: numbers on the page
Number Analogies show pairs of numbers that follow a rule, and your child completes the last pair: if 3 goes to 6 and 5 goes to 10, then 7 goes to 14. Number Puzzles are short equations with a missing number, like ? + 5 = 14. Number Series is a row of numbers with a rule, such as 2, 5, 8, 11, and your child picks what comes next.
Which number should replace the question mark?
- 9Choice A
- 11Choice B
- 14Choice C
Show the answer
Answer: A. Work backward: 14 − 5 = 9, and 9 + 5 = 14.
An original practice question from Thinkling, in the same format as the test. Not a real test item.
Nonverbal battery: same pictures, harder rules
Figure Matrices, Paper Folding and Figure Classification keep the shape-based format your child may know from earlier grades. At Level 9 the clock applies here too, and changes combine more often: a figure may turn and change its shading in the same step.
Reading carefully
For some third graders, the reading is a bigger hurdle than the reasoning. A quick reader may grab the first word that seems related; a slower reader may run short of time. Three habits help both:
- Read the whole item, then every choice. Watch for choices that are related to the words in the question, but in a different way. Only one choice has the same relationship.
- Name the relationship in a short sentence. “A puppy grows up to be a dog.” Then try each choice in the same sentence: “A kitten grows up to be a…”
- Grow vocabulary through talk. Opposites at dinner, “what category is that?” in the car and reading together all build the word knowledge the verbal battery relies on.
Pacing within 10 minutes
Ten minutes per subtest sounds generous until you look at the question counts in the table above: every subtest at Level 9 leaves well under a minute per question. Pacing is a skill, and it can be practiced calmly:
- Use a kitchen timer for short sets of practice questions so a clock feels normal.
- Teach a “don’t get stuck” rule: after a careful try, make the best choice and move on.
- Glance at the time once or twice during a set, not after every question.
- Sort rushed mistakes from “didn’t know” mistakes. They need different fixes: slowing down versus learning the format.
Add timing after your child is comfortable with a format. Timing a brand-new question type only adds stress.
The switch from pictures to words
A child who loved picture puzzles can feel thrown by a page of words. Bridge the gap by saying picture-style puzzles out loud first (“Bird is to nest as bee is to…?”), then writing a few on index cards, then reading them silently. The reasoning hasn’t changed; only the way it is presented has.
Thinkling helps with exactly this step: grades 3–5 get written verbal items, practiced in a daily 5-, 10- or 15-minute mission, and its practice tests follow the real format and order, one section per sitting, with no hints.
A prep timeline for third grade
- Several weeks before: confirm the date and form with your school. Do one practice test section at a time, untimed at first, to see which new formats need the most work. Focus daily practice there.
- Two to three weeks before: add timed sets, then one full practice test across a few sittings with 10-minute subtests.
- The week of the test: short, easy review only. Sleep and normal routines matter more than one more practice set.
- Test day: breakfast, a calm start and two reminders: read every choice, and don’t get stuck. See our test day tips for more.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 3rd grade CogAT timed?
Yes. From Level 9, which third graders take, each subtest is timed at 10 minutes. That is a change from Levels 5/6 to 8, where the teacher reads the questions aloud and paces the group. Practicing with a timer, once your child is comfortable with each format, helps the clock feel normal instead of scary.
Does my third grader need to read well for the CogAT?
Reading matters more at Level 9 than before, because children read the questions themselves and the verbal subtests use written words. Your child does not need to be an advanced reader, but reading every choice carefully and knowing a broad range of everyday words both help. Reading together and talking about word meanings is good preparation.
Are the 3rd grade nonverbal questions different?
The format stays the same: Figure Matrices, Paper Folding and Figure Classification use shapes at every level. What changes at Level 9 is the 10-minute limit per subtest and harder rules, such as two changes happening at once. If your child practiced these in earlier grades, that experience still counts.
My child was good at picture analogies. Will word analogies be easy?
The thinking is the same, but the new format can trip children up at first. With pictures, the relationship is right there to see; with words, a child has to read, imagine the meaning and then name the relationship. A few weeks of short practice with word analogies can bridge that gap without much fuss.
What should my child do when stuck on a question?
Teach a simple rule: give it a careful try, and if it still makes no sense, make the best choice and move on, so one question does not eat the time for the rest of the subtest. Practicing this at home with a timer makes it feel normal. Ask the teacher if you have questions about test-day instructions.