Screening Form
The CogAT Screening Form, explained
The CogAT Screening Form is a shorter version of the test with three subtests, one from each battery: Verbal Analogies, Number Analogies and Figure Matrices. Some schools use it as a first step. Preparing means getting comfortable with those three formats.
Key takeaways
- The Screening Form keeps three of the nine CogAT subtests, Verbal Analogies, Number Analogies and Figure Matrices, and leaves out the other six.
- It is shorter, not easier: questions follow the full test’s rules, read aloud with pictures in K–2 and read alone with 10 minutes per subtest from 3rd grade.
- All three subtests are analogies: spot how two things are related, then apply the same relationship in pictures or words, amounts or numbers, and shapes.
- Ask your school whether your child takes the screener or the full test; if you can’t find out, practicing all nine question types covers both.
- Prepare by rotating the three subtests in short daily sessions, rehearsing once or twice without hints, and easing off in the last few days.
On this page
What the Screening Form is
The full CogAT® (Cognitive Abilities Test) has nine subtests in three batteries: Verbal, Quantitative and Nonverbal. The CogAT Screening Form keeps just three of them, one from each battery:
| Battery | Screening Form subtest | Kindergarten to 2nd grade | 3rd grade and up |
|---|---|---|---|
| Verbal | Verbal Analogies | Picture analogies, read aloud | Word analogies |
| Quantitative | Number Analogies | Pictures of amounts | Pairs of numbers |
| Nonverbal | Figure Matrices | Shapes that change | Shapes, with harder changes |
All three are analogies of a kind: two things are related in a certain way, and your child applies the same relationship to something new. The difference is only where the relationship lives: in pictures or words, in amounts or numbers, or in shapes.
How it differs from the full test
- Three subtests instead of nine. The screener leaves out Sentence Completion, Verbal Classification, Number Puzzles, Number Series, Paper Folding and Figure Classification.
- Shorter overall. Fewer subtests means less time spent testing.
- The same kinds of questions. At each grade, the three subtests follow the same rules as the full test: read aloud and picture-based for kindergarten to 2nd grade; read independently, with 10 minutes per subtest, from 3rd grade.
- A briefer look at each area. With one subtest per battery, it samples each kind of reasoning more briefly than the full test does.
Why a school might use it
Some schools use the Screening Form as a shorter first step. How a school uses it, which grades take it and what happens afterward all vary, so ask your school or district. Useful questions:
- Is my child taking the Screening Form or the full test?
- What happens after the screener, and could there be more testing?
- How and when will results be shared with families?
- Is there anything families should know before the testing day?
How to prepare for each subtest
Verbal Analogies
The core move is naming the relationship. For kindergarten to 2nd grade, play “goes with” using real things: a key goes with a lock, so what goes with a toothbrush? For grades 3–5, turn it into a sentence: “A page is part of a book; a petal is part of a…?” Have your child say the relationship before looking at the choices, then test each choice in the same sentence. The Verbal Analogies guide has more examples.
Read aloud: “Look at the first two pictures. They go together. Which picture goes with the mouse in the same way?”
Show the answer
Answer: A. A rabbit eats a carrot, so a mouse eats cheese. The carrot is a trap: it belongs to the first pair, not to the mouse.
An original practice question from Thinkling, in the same format as the test. Not a real test item.
Number Analogies
Here the relationship is a number rule. Younger children see pictures of amounts, such as two flowers that become four flowers; older children see pairs of numbers. Play “number machine” at home: you secretly pick a rule, your child feeds in numbers, you say what comes out, and they guess the rule. Encourage checking every pair, because more than one rule can fit a single pair (2 to 4 could be “add 2” or “double”). The Number Analogies guide covers the common rules.
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.
Figure Matrices
Two shapes change in a certain way, and your child makes the same change to a third shape. Teach a short checklist: shape, shading, size, number, direction, position. Ask “What changed?” and then “Did anything else change?” before looking at the answers. A quick game: draw a shape, draw it again with one change, and have your child copy the change onto a new shape. The Figure Matrices guide walks through common traps.
Not sure which form your child will take? Practice all nine question types. That covers both the full test and the screener, and the extra formats are good reasoning practice anyway.
Practicing for the screener
Because it is short, it is easy to over-focus on the Screening Form. Keep the same rhythm as any CogAT prep: a few minutes of practice on most days with mistakes explained, plus an occasional rehearsal under test conditions. A simple plan:
- Rotate the three subtests. One focus per day (analogies with words or pictures, then numbers, then shapes) keeps sessions short and every format fresh.
- Match your child’s grade. For kindergarten to 2nd grade, read the questions aloud and leave the clock out. For grades 3–5, add a 10-minute timer once a format feels comfortable.
- Rehearse once or twice. A practice run of all three subtests, without hints, shows which one needs the most attention.
- Ease off in the last few days. Light, familiar practice and good sleep matter more than extra questions.
Thinkling includes a CogAT Screening Form practice test alongside full practice tests in the real format, and daily practice of all nine question types. After the test, our guide to CogAT scores explains the reports in general terms, and the test day tips apply to the screener just the same.
Frequently asked questions
Which subtests are on the CogAT Screening Form?
Three: Verbal Analogies from the Verbal battery, Number Analogies from the Quantitative battery and Figure Matrices from the Nonverbal battery. The full CogAT has nine subtests, three in each battery. For kindergarten to 2nd grade the questions are read aloud and picture-based; from 3rd grade, children read on their own and each subtest is timed at 10 minutes.
Is the Screening Form easier than the full CogAT?
Not easier, just shorter. The three subtests are the same kinds of questions your child would see in the full test at their level. Because there are fewer subtests, it takes less time overall, but each question asks for the same careful reasoning, so preparation for those three formats looks the same.
How do I know if my child is taking the screener or the full test?
Ask your child’s teacher or the school office. Schools differ in which form they use, which grades they test and what happens afterward, so the school is the only reliable source. If you cannot find out in time, prepare for all nine subtests, which covers both possibilities without extra stress.
Should we only practice the three Screening Form subtests?
If you know your child is taking only the Screening Form, focusing on Verbal Analogies, Number Analogies and Figure Matrices makes sense. A little variety still helps: the other subtests build related reasoning skills and keep practice from feeling repetitive. If the full test might follow, practicing all nine is the safer plan.
Why are all three Screening Form subtests analogies?
Each one asks your child to spot how two things are related and apply the same relationship to something new, in words or pictures, in numbers or amounts, and in shapes. That makes analogy-style thinking the common thread. Practicing the habit of naming the relationship out loud helps with all three subtests at once.