# CogAT scores, explained calmly

> The publisher turns your child’s CogAT answers into scores that compare them with children of the same age and the same grade: percentile ranks, stanines from 1 to 9, and Standard Age Scores, where the average is 100. Here is how to read them calmly.

Source: https://www.thinklingapp.com/cogat/scores/ · Thinkling parent guide · Updated 2026-10-18

## Key takeaways

- CogAT scores compare your child with children of the same age and with children in the same grade; the two can differ, and neither is the “real” one.
- A percentile rank shows where your child falls within that comparison group; it is not the percentage of questions answered correctly.
- Stanines sort scores into nine broad bands from 1 to 9, and the Standard Age Score compares children of the same age on a scale where the average is 100.
- Reports can show each battery (Verbal, Quantitative, Nonverbal) and a composite; start with the battery profile and think in ranges, not single points.
- How scores are used varies by school and district, so ask your school; no practice tool, Thinkling included, can predict a CogAT score or percentile.

## How scoring works

When your child finishes the [CogAT®](https://www.thinklingapp.com/cogat/), the answers go to the publisher for scoring. The starting point is a raw score: how many questions your child answered correctly. A raw score is hard to interpret on its own, because levels and subtests differ in length and difficulty, so the publisher converts it into scores that compare your child with other children.

Those comparisons are made in two ways:

- **By age:** your child compared with children of the same age.
- **By grade:** your child compared with children in the same grade.

Often the two tell a similar story, but they can differ, for example for a child who is young or old for their grade. Neither is the “real” one; they answer slightly different questions.

## The score types on a report

| Score | Compares your child with | How to read it |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Percentile rank | Children of the same age or the same grade | Higher means your child did better than more of that group |
| Stanine | Children of the same age or the same grade | Nine broad bands, from 1 (lowest) to 9 (highest) |
| Standard Age Score | Children of the same age | A scale where the average is 100 |

### Percentile rank

A percentile rank shows where your child’s performance falls within the comparison group. A higher percentile rank means your child scored higher than a larger share of that group. It is **not** the percentage of questions answered correctly, which is a common mix-up.

### Stanine

A stanine (short for “standard nine”) places a score in one of nine broad bands, from 1 at the low end to 9 at the high end. Because each band is wide, small differences in performance often land in the same stanine. Stanines are good for a quick, rough picture.

### Standard Age Score

The Standard Age Score (SAS) compares your child with children of the same age on a scale where the average is 100. A score above 100 is above the average for that age; a score below 100 is below it.

### Battery scores and the composite

Reports can show results for each of the three batteries (Verbal, Quantitative and Nonverbal) and a composite that brings them together. For parents, the battery scores are often the most useful part, because they show a profile: a child can be strong with shapes and patterns while still growing with words, or the other way around.

## How to read a report calmly

1. **Check what you are looking at.** Was it the full test or the shorter [Screening Form](https://www.thinklingapp.com/cogat/screener/)? Is this an age or a grade comparison? Which battery?
2. **Start with the batteries, not the composite.** Look for your child’s relative strengths before focusing on any single number.
3. **Think in ranges, not points.** A test captures one morning. A child who was tired, nervous or new to the format might score differently on another day.
4. **Don’t compare with siblings or friends.** Different ages, grades and test days make those comparisons misleading.
5. **Write down your questions** before you talk to the school, so the conversation stays focused.

Read the report on your own first, when you have a quiet moment. Your first reaction is easier to manage away from your child.

## What scores can and cannot tell you

CogAT scores describe how your child reasoned on test day in three areas, verbal, quantitative and nonverbal, compared with other children of the same age or grade. That is useful information, especially as one piece of a bigger picture.

Scores cannot tell you how hard your child works, how creative or kind they are, what they will achieve later, or what kind of student they will become. On their own, they also do not tell you what happens next; that depends on how your school uses them.

## Questions to ask your school

- Which scores do you look at: age or grade, specific batteries or the composite?
- Was this the full test or the Screening Form?
- What other information do you consider alongside the CogAT?
- Can I have a copy of the full score report, and is there someone who can walk me through it?
- What happens next, and are there any dates I should know about?
- Will my child have another chance to be considered in a later year?

Rules and decisions vary between schools and districts, so your school is the only reliable source for how scores are used where you live.

## Talking with your child

Children rarely need the numbers. What they need to hear is that you noticed their effort and that the result does not change how you see them. Something as simple as “You did your best thinking, and we’re proud of you” is enough. If a sibling or friend tested too, keep comparisons out of the conversation entirely.

## Where practice fits, and where it does not

Practice helps a child feel at home with the question formats, so the test day holds fewer surprises. It cannot tell you what score your child will get. Thinkling does not predict CogAT scores or percentiles. Its readiness estimate, in the grown-ups area, is an honest summary of how practice is going across question types; it is not a CogAT score or percentile and should never be read as one. For more on preparing without pressure, see our [practice test guide](https://www.thinklingapp.com/cogat/practice-test/) and [test day tips](https://www.thinklingapp.com/test-day-tips/).

## Frequently asked questions

### What is a good CogAT score?

There is no single “good” score. CogAT scores describe how a child compares with others of the same age or grade, and what matters depends on how your school uses them. On the Standard Age Score scale, the average is 100. For anything beyond that, such as program decisions, ask your school or district directly.

### What is the difference between a percentile rank and a stanine?

Both compare your child with others of the same age or grade. A percentile rank is a finer scale that shows where your child’s performance falls within that group. A stanine sorts scores into nine broad bands, from 1 to 9, so it gives a rougher picture. Neither one is the percentage of questions answered correctly.

### Why are my child’s age and grade scores different?

Age scores compare your child with children of the same age; grade scores compare them with children in the same grade. If your child is younger or older than many classmates, the two comparisons can come out differently. Both are legitimate views of the same test, so ask your school which one it looks at.

### Can a practice app predict my child’s CogAT score?

A practice tool cannot know what the publisher will report. Thinkling does not predict CogAT scores or percentiles. Its readiness estimate is an honest summary of how your child’s practice is going, and it is not a CogAT score or percentile. Use practice results to see which question types need work, not to forecast a number.

### Should I share CogAT scores with my child?

That is a family decision. Many families keep the numbers between adults, especially with young children, who can easily attach a number to themselves. A simple message such as “you did your best thinking, and we are proud of how hard you tried” is usually all a child needs to hear about the results.

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