# How long is the CogAT test? > It depends on the grade. In kindergarten to 2nd grade, the CogAT is untimed: the teacher reads each question aloud and paces the group. From 3rd grade, each of the nine subtests is timed at 10 minutes, so the full test is 90 minutes of testing time, not counting directions. Source: https://www.thinklingapp.com/cogat/how-long/ · Thinkling parent guide · Updated 2026-10-18 ## Key takeaways - In K–2 (Levels 5/6 to 8), the CogAT is untimed: the teacher reads the questions aloud and sets the pace for the group. - From 3rd grade (Level 9 and up), each subtest is timed at 10 minutes: 30 minutes per battery and 90 minutes for all nine subtests. - Those times don’t include directions and practice items, and schools often spread the batteries over several sessions or days. - The full test grows from 118 questions at Level 5/6 to 176 at Levels 10 and 11, with 10 to 24 questions per subtest. - Schools give the CogAT on paper or online; the format is the school’s choice, so ask which one your child will take. ## Timing by grade at a glance How long the [CogAT®](https://www.thinklingapp.com/cogat/) takes depends on your child’s level, which usually follows their grade. The big change comes in 3rd grade, when the clock starts. | | Kindergarten to 2nd grade (Levels 5/6–8) | 3rd to 5th grade (Levels 9–11) | | --- | --- | --- | | Who reads the questions | The teacher, aloud | Your child | | Time limit per subtest | None; the teacher paces the group | 10 minutes | | One battery (3 subtests) | No set time | 30 minutes | | Full test (9 subtests) | No set time; ask your school | 90 minutes, plus directions and practice items | ## Kindergarten to 2nd grade: untimed and teacher-paced At Levels 5/6, 7 and 8, usually taken in [kindergarten](https://www.thinklingapp.com/cogat/kindergarten/), [1st grade](https://www.thinklingapp.com/cogat/1st-grade/) and [2nd grade](https://www.thinklingapp.com/cogat/2nd-grade/), the teacher reads each question aloud and children answer by choosing a picture. There is no clock on the subtests. Instead, the teacher sets the pace for the whole group, and children move through the questions together. That is why we don’t give a duration for these levels: the time depends on the group, the teacher and how the school schedules the sessions. If you want to know how long your child will be testing on a given day, ask your school. It can tell you how many sessions there will be and when. For a young child, what matters is not speed but focus: sitting with one task, hearing the whole question, looking at every picture and waiting calmly for the next one. ## 3rd grade and up: 10 minutes per subtest From Level 9, usually in [3rd grade](https://www.thinklingapp.com/cogat/3rd-grade/), children read the questions themselves and each subtest is timed at 10 minutes. The math is simple: - **One subtest:** 10 minutes. - **One battery** (Verbal, Quantitative or Nonverbal, three subtests each): 30 minutes. - **The full test** (three batteries, nine subtests): 90 minutes. Those are minutes of testing time only. Directions and practice items come on top, so the time in the room is longer. Schools often spread the batteries over several sessions or days instead of giving all 90 minutes at once, so ask your school how it plans the schedule. With 16 to 24 questions per subtest at Levels 9 to 11, 10 minutes leaves well under a minute per question. There is time to think, but not time to get stuck. ### What about the Screening Form? Some schools use the [CogAT Screening Form](https://www.thinklingapp.com/cogat/screener/) as a shorter first step. It has three subtests instead of nine: Verbal Analogies, Number Analogies and Figure Matrices. Fewer subtests make a shorter test, but schedules vary, so ask your school what to expect. ## How many questions are on the CogAT? The number of questions grows with each level, from 118 in all at Level 5/6 to 176 at Levels 10 and 11. Individual subtests range from 10 to 24 questions. Here is the full count for Forms 7 and 8: **Number of questions in each CogAT subtest by level (Form 7/8)** | Battery | Subtest | Level 5/6 | Level 7 | Level 8 | Level 9 | Level 10–11 | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Verbal | [Verbal Analogies](https://www.thinklingapp.com/cogat/verbal-analogies/) | 14 | 16 | 18 | 22 | 24 | | [Sentence Completion](https://www.thinklingapp.com/cogat/sentence-completion/) | 14 | 16 | 18 | 20 | 20 | | | [Verbal Classification](https://www.thinklingapp.com/cogat/verbal-classification/) | 14 | 16 | 18 | 20 | 20 | | | Verbal total | 42 | 48 | 54 | 62 | 64 | | | Quantitative | [Number Analogies](https://www.thinklingapp.com/cogat/number-analogies/) | 14 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 18 | | [Number Puzzles](https://www.thinklingapp.com/cogat/number-puzzles/) | 10 | 12 | 14 | 16 | 16 | | | [Number Series](https://www.thinklingapp.com/cogat/number-series/) | 14 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 18 | | | Quantitative total | 38 | 44 | 50 | 52 | 52 | | | Nonverbal | [Figure Matrices](https://www.thinklingapp.com/cogat/figure-matrices/) | 14 | 16 | 18 | 20 | 22 | | [Paper Folding](https://www.thinklingapp.com/cogat/paper-folding/) | 10 | 12 | 16 | 16 | 16 | | | [Figure Classification](https://www.thinklingapp.com/cogat/figure-classification/) | 14 | 16 | 18 | 20 | 22 | | | Nonverbal total | 38 | 44 | 52 | 56 | 60 | | | All nine subtests | 118 | 136 | 156 | 170 | 176 | | Two patterns stand out. At the younger levels, Number Puzzles and Paper Folding have the fewest questions. From Level 9, Verbal Analogies is the longest subtest, with 22 to 24 questions in the same 10 minutes as the others, so a steady pace matters most there. ## Paper or online? Schools give the CogAT on paper or online, and the choice is the school’s. Ask which format your child will take, then let practice feel similar: a pencil and printed questions for a paper test, or a tablet or computer for an online one. A quick tryout of the format is enough. If your child will test on paper, our [printable practice test](https://www.thinklingapp.com/cogat/printable-practice-test/) is an easy way to practice circling answers at a table. ## What this means for practice ### Kindergarten to 2nd grade: no timer Practice the way the real test works: questions read aloud, answers chosen from pictures, no clock. A timer only adds pressure at these levels. Build focus gradually instead, with short sessions on most days and, now and then, a practice section your child works through without help. ### 3rd to 5th grade: short timed sets Start each new format untimed, so your child learns how it works. Once it feels familiar, add short timed sets to build a feel for the pace, and agree on a simple rule: if a question is taking much longer than the others, make the best choice and move on. Then try one full [practice test](https://www.thinklingapp.com/cogat/practice-test/) with 10-minute subtests, one battery per sitting. Thinkling’s practice tests follow the real format and order, one section per sitting with no hints. For a week-by-week plan, see [how to prepare for the CogAT](https://www.thinklingapp.com/cogat/how-to-prepare/), and for the day itself, our [test day tips](https://www.thinklingapp.com/test-day-tips/). ## Frequently asked questions ### How long is the CogAT for kindergarten to 2nd grade? There is no set time limit. At Levels 5/6 to 8, usually taken in kindergarten to 2nd grade, the teacher reads every question aloud and paces the whole group, so the length depends on the class and on how the school schedules the sessions. Ask your school how many sessions there will be and when, rather than relying on an estimate. ### How long is the CogAT test for 3rd grade? At Level 9, usually taken in 3rd grade, each of the nine subtests is timed at 10 minutes. That makes 30 minutes for each battery and 90 minutes of testing time for the full test. Directions and practice items come on top of that, and many schools split the batteries across several sessions or days. ### Is the CogAT timed? Only from Level 9, usually 3rd grade, when each subtest has a 10-minute limit and children read the questions themselves. At Levels 5/6 to 8, for kindergarten to 2nd grade, the subtests are not timed: the teacher reads each question aloud and moves the group along together. Practice should follow the same rule, with no timer for K–2. ### Is the CogAT taken online or on paper? Either. Schools give the CogAT on paper or online, and which format to use is the school’s decision. Ask your child’s school which one they use, so you can make practice feel similar. If your child will test on a screen, some practice on a tablet or computer makes sense; for a paper test, practice marking answers with a pencil. ### How many questions are on the CogAT? It depends on the level. The full test has 118 questions at Level 5/6 (usually kindergarten), 136 at Level 7, 156 at Level 8, 170 at Level 9 and 176 at Levels 10 and 11. Each of the nine subtests has between 10 and 24 questions, and the shorter Screening Form has only three subtests. ### Is the CogAT given all in one day? Not always. Schools often spread the three batteries over several sessions or days, which keeps each sitting shorter and gives children a break between parts. The schedule is up to your school, so ask how many sessions there will be and on which days. Knowing the plan helps you keep bedtimes and mornings calm all week. --- CogAT® is a registered trademark of Riverside Assessments, LLC. OLSAT® and NNAT® are trademarks, in the US and/or other countries, of Pearson Education, Inc. or its affiliate(s). Other test names mentioned on this site (such as MAP Growth, the Iowa Assessments and the WISC-V) are trademarks of their respective owners. These trademark holders are not affiliated with, and do not sponsor or endorse, Thinkling. All questions are original.