Verbal battery
CogAT Sentence Completion, explained for parents
Sentence Completion checks how well your child understands language and uses what they know. In K–2 the teacher reads a question aloud and your child picks a picture; from 3rd grade your child reads a sentence with a missing word and chooses the word that fits.
Key takeaways
- In K–2 (Levels 5/6 to 8) the teacher reads each question aloud and your child picks a picture, with no reading needed and no clock.
- From 3rd grade (Level 9) children read a sentence with a missing word on their own and choose the word that fits best, with 10 minutes for the subtest.
- The skill is using context, not just vocabulary: listen or read to the very end, say the answer in your own words, then try each choice in the sentence.
- Small words like “not,” “first” and “most,” turn words like “but,” and cause words like “because” can flip the answer, so check them every time.
- Sentence Completion is not on the Screening Form; reading aloud together, riddles and pausing to guess the next word in a book are natural practice.
On this page
What a Sentence Completion question looks like
Sentence Completion is one of three subtests in the CogAT® Verbal battery, next to Verbal Analogies and Verbal Classification. It is the subtest that looks most like everyday language: a question or a sentence, and a set of answers, only one of which makes sense of it.
Kindergarten to 2nd grade: listen, then choose a picture
At Levels 5/6, 7 and 8, the teacher reads each question aloud and the answer choices are pictures. Your child does not need to read at all. The teacher paces the group, so there is no clock to watch. Questions draw on everyday words and ideas, like the practice question below.
Read aloud: “Which one makes honey?”
Show the answer
Answer: B. Bees make honey. The spider and the butterfly are small animals too, which is what makes them tempting.
An original practice question from Thinkling, in the same format as the test. Not a real test item.
The question is “Which one makes honey?” A spider, a bee and a butterfly are all small creatures that children often see in a garden, so the choices are close. Your child has to listen to the exact words and match them to what they know: bees make honey.
3rd grade and up: read and fill the blank
From Level 9 (usually 3rd grade), children read a sentence with a missing word on their own and choose the word that fits best. The subtest is timed at 10 minutes. Here is a made-up example in the same style:
Maya was so ______ after the long hike that she fell asleep in the car. (excited, tired, hungry)
Each word describes how someone might feel after a hike. Only “tired” explains falling asleep. The deciding clue sits in the second half of the sentence, so reading all the way to the end matters.
What it trains
Sentence Completion rewards careful listening in K–2 and careful reading from 3rd grade. Children need to hold the whole question in mind, notice small but important words, and connect them to what they know about the world.
Vocabulary helps, but the bigger skill is using context: working out which answer makes the sentence make sense, not just which word sounds nice or feels familiar.
How many questions there are
The table shows the number of Sentence Completion 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 | 20 | 20 |
| Timing | Read aloud, teacher-paced | 10 minutes | |||
Sentence Completion is not on the CogAT Screening Form, which uses only Verbal Analogies, Number Analogies and Figure Matrices.
Clues that help
These clues work in any listening or fill-in-the-blank question, and they are worth pointing out whenever they come up in conversation or reading:
- Small question words: “not”, “first”, “most”. One small word can flip the answer.
- Turn words: “but”, “although” and “instead” signal that the second part goes against the first. The soup smelled good, but it tasted ______.
- Cause words: “because”, “so” and “that’s why” signal that one part explains the other, as in the hike sentence.
- Describing words: “tiny”, “loud”, “soft” narrow the choices quickly.
- What things are for: knowing what everyday objects do. What do you use to cut paper? What keeps you dry in the rain?
A simple routine for solving them
- Listen or read to the very end. The deciding clue can be in the last few words.
- Say the answer in your own words first. “Something sleepy.” Then look for the choice that matches.
- Try each choice in the sentence. Read it back silently. Does it make sense, or does it only sound familiar?
- Check the small words. Did the question say “not”, “first” or “most”?
Reading aloud together every day, and stopping to talk about what new words mean, is the most natural Sentence Completion practice there is.
Common mistakes and how to fix them
Answering before the question ends
Young children often point as soon as they hear a familiar word. If the question were “Which one does not fly?”, an early answer would be wrong. At home, practice waiting until the question is finished. A playful “freeze until I say go” works well.
Picking something related that does not answer the question
In the sample, a butterfly visits flowers just like a bee, so it feels close. Teach your child to ask “Does that answer the question?” rather than “Is that connected?”
Ignoring the second half of a written sentence
Older children may fill the blank from the first few words. Have them read the full sentence with their chosen word in place before moving on.
Practice ideas for home
- Riddle time: “I’m thinking of something that keeps your feet warm and goes inside your shoes.” Take turns making riddles.
- Finish my sentence: start a sentence and pause: “It was raining, so I took my…”. Then try a turn word: “It was raining, but I didn’t need my…”.
- Book blanks: while reading a favorite book, pause before a word and let your child guess it from the story.
- Picture pointing: spread out toys or picture cards and ask questions like “Which one would you find in the ocean?”
Thinkling practices Sentence Completion in the same two formats: in K–2 a friendly voice reads every question aloud, so pre-readers can play alone, and in grades 3–5 the sentences are written. Each mistake is explained with pictures and voice before your child tries again. For more listening and thinking games, see our critical thinking activities and the 1st grade guide.
Frequently asked questions
Does my child need to read for CogAT Sentence Completion?
Not in kindergarten through 2nd grade. At Levels 5/6 to 8 the teacher reads each question aloud and the answers are pictures, so pre-readers can show what they understand. From Level 9, usually 3rd grade, children read the sentences themselves and choose the missing word, so reading comfort starts to matter.
How can I help my child with sentence completion at home?
Read together and talk about the story. Pause before a word and let your child guess it, then ask what gave it away. Play riddles that describe what something does or where it belongs. These habits build vocabulary and the skill of using clues in a sentence, which is what this subtest rewards, without any worksheets.
Is Sentence Completion on the CogAT Screening Form?
No. The Screening Form uses three subtests: Verbal Analogies, Number Analogies and Figure Matrices. Sentence Completion is part of the full Verbal battery, along with Verbal Analogies and Verbal Classification. Ask your school or district which form your child will take, since schools use the test in different ways.
My child knows lots of words but still misses these. Why?
Vocabulary is only part of the skill. Many misses come from answering before the question ends, overlooking a small word such as “not”, or choosing an answer that is related to the question instead of one that actually answers it. Slowing down, listening to the end and saying the answer in their own words first often helps more than learning new words.
What is the difference between Sentence Completion and Verbal Analogies?
Sentence Completion asks one question, and your child finds the answer that fits its meaning. Verbal Analogies gives a pair of things that go together and asks your child to complete a second pair with the same connection. The first is about understanding language in context; the second is about spotting a relationship and using it again.