Quantitative battery
CogAT Number Analogies, explained for parents
In a Number Analogies question, one amount changes into another by a rule, and your child applies the same rule to a new amount. In K–2 the amounts are pictures of objects; from 3rd grade they are pairs of numbers.
Key takeaways
- In K–2 (Levels 5/6 to 8) the amounts are pictures of objects with directions read aloud, so counting reliably and “one more” or “one fewer” matter most.
- From 3rd grade (Level 9) children complete pairs of numbers that follow the same rule, and the subtest is timed at 10 minutes.
- Common rules are add or take away, double or halve, the same amount of a different thing, and multiply or divide for older children.
- Test the rule on every pair, work out the answer before looking at the choices, and in pictures check both “How many?” and “What kind?”
- Number Analogies is the quantitative subtest on the CogAT Screening Form; snack piles and a “number machine” guessing game are easy home practice.
On this page
What a Number Analogies question looks like
Number Analogies works like a word analogy, but with amounts. Something changes in a pair (five carrots become six carrots, 8 becomes 10), and your child applies the same change to a new starting amount. Spotting the rule is the heart of it; the counting or arithmetic is only the last step.
Number Analogies is one of three subtests in the CogAT® Quantitative battery, along with Number Puzzles and Number Series. It is also on the shorter CogAT Screening Form, together with Verbal Analogies and Figure Matrices.
Kindergarten to 2nd grade: amounts in pictures
At Levels 5/6, 7 and 8, the amounts are shown as groups of objects, the teacher reads the directions aloud, and no reading is needed. The teacher sets the pace. In the sample below, 5 carrots become 6 carrots. What do 2 strawberries become?
Read aloud: “The first two pictures go together. Which picture goes with the strawberries in the same way?”
Show the answer
Answer: A. Five carrots became six carrots: one more of the same thing. Two strawberries become three strawberries. Three carrots has the right number but the wrong thing.
An original practice question from Thinkling, in the same format as the test. Not a real test item.
The rule is “one more of the same thing”, so 2 strawberries become 3 strawberries. Look at the wrong choices: 2 strawberries forgets the change, and 3 carrots has the right number of the wrong fruit. Both parts of the rule have to hold: how many and what kind.
3rd grade and up: number pairs
From Level 9 (usually 3rd grade), the pictures give way to numbers. Children see pairs of numbers that follow the same rule and choose the number that completes the last pair. The subtest is timed at 10 minutes.
Find the rule in the first two pairs. Which number completes the last pair?
- 16Choice A
- 17Choice B
- 18Choice C
Show the answer
Answer: C. Each number goes up by 2: 8 + 2 = 10 and 20 + 2 = 22, so 16 + 2 = 18.
An original practice question from Thinkling, in the same format as the test. Not a real test item.
Here 8 becomes 10 and 20 becomes 22. Both pairs go up by 2, so 16 becomes 18. Choosing 16 forgets the change, and 17 adds only 1. Checking the rule on both pairs is what makes the answer safe, because a rule that works on one pair can fail on the other.
What it trains
Number Analogies combines two skills: seeing a relationship and applying it. It is less about doing big calculations and more about asking “What happened here?” and then making the same thing happen again.
That kind of thinking shows up across school math, from “one more” and “one less” in kindergarten to doubling, halving and times tables later on. It is also the number version of the reasoning behind Verbal Analogies.
How many questions there are
The table shows the number of Number Analogies questions at each level of CogAT Form 7 and Form 8.
| Level | 5/6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10–11 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Usual grade | K | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th–5th |
| Questions | 14 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 18 |
| Timing | Read aloud, teacher-paced | 10 minutes | |||
Rules to look for
- Add or take away: one more, two fewer, add 2 (as in 8 → 10).
- Double or halve: 3 → 6 and 5 → 10, so 7 → 14.
- Same amount, different thing: 4 apples become 4 bananas.
- Multiply or divide, for older children: 2 → 6 and 4 → 12 (times 3), so 5 → 15.
- Two parts at once in pictures: the number changes and the kind of object stays the same or changes, as in the strawberry sample.
A simple routine for solving them
- Find the rule in the first pair. “It went up by 2.” For pictures, check both the number and the kind of object.
- Test the rule on the next pair. If 4 becomes 8, the rule could be “add 4” or “double”. A second pair, 6 becomes 12, shows it is “double”, because 6 + 4 would only be 10.
- Apply it to the last item. Work out the answer before looking at the choices.
- Find your answer among the choices. If it is not there, go back to step 1.
For K–2 picture questions, counting out loud while touching each object is a great habit. It catches miscounts, especially when objects sit close together.
Common mistakes and how to fix them
Right number, wrong object
In picture questions, a choice may have the right amount of the wrong thing, like 3 carrots instead of 3 strawberries. Teach a two-part check: “How many?” and “What kind?”
Trusting the first rule that works
If 4 becomes 8, a child might say “add 4” when the pattern is “double”. Testing the rule on every pair before answering fixes this.
Small arithmetic slips
From 3rd grade the subtest is timed, and rushing leads to slips like 16 + 2 = 17. A quick reverse check (does 18 − 2 give back 16?) takes only seconds.
Practice ideas for home
- Snack analogies: put 3 crackers in one pile and 4 crackers in another. Then put down 5 grapes and ask how many should go in the next pile.
- The number machine: your child says a number, you answer with that number plus 2 (or doubled), and your child guesses your secret rule.
- Swap roles: let your child be the machine while you guess. Inventing rules builds real understanding.
- Older children: write pairs like 6 → 3 and 10 → 5 on a whiteboard and ask for the rule and a new pair that follows it.
In Thinkling, Number Analogies is practiced in both formats, with a read-aloud voice for K–2. When an answer is wrong, the explanation uses pictures, voice and counting badges so your child can see the change, then tries again, and difficulty adapts as your child improves. The app also includes a CogAT Screening Form practice test. For more on when and how to use full-length practice, see CogAT practice tests.
Frequently asked questions
Is Number Analogies on the CogAT Screening Form?
Yes. The CogAT Screening Form uses three subtests, one from each battery: Verbal Analogies, Number Analogies and Figure Matrices. Some schools use it as a shorter first step. If your school gives the screener, Number Analogies is the only quantitative subtest your child will see. Ask your school or district which form they use.
What does my kindergartner need to know for Number Analogies?
At Levels 5/6 to 8 the amounts are shown as pictures of objects and the teacher reads the directions aloud. The key skills are counting small groups reliably and understanding ideas like “one more”, “one fewer” and “the same number”. Everyday counting with toys, snacks and stairs covers a lot of it.
What math helps a 3rd grader with number analogies?
Comfortable addition and subtraction help most, along with whatever facts your child is learning in school. The challenge is less the arithmetic and more spotting the rule, so practice should focus on asking “What changed?” and checking the rule on every pair. Accuracy matters more than speed at first; speed comes with familiarity.
How is Number Analogies different from Number Series?
Number Analogies gives pairs that follow one rule, such as 8 becomes 10 and 20 becomes 22, and asks your child to complete a new pair. Number Series gives one row that follows a pattern and asks what comes next. Both are about finding rules, but analogies focus on a single change while series focus on a sequence.
My child finds the rule but picks the wrong answer. What helps?
Usually a check step. In picture questions, ask “How many?” and “What kind?” before choosing. With numbers, have your child work out the answer first and then find it among the choices, rather than scanning choices that all look possible. A quick reverse check, such as 18 minus 2 gives back 16, catches many slips.