# CogAT stanines, explained

> A stanine is a score from 1 to 9 that places your child in one of nine broad bands, compared with children of the same age (age stanine) or the same grade (grade stanine). On the CogAT, 9 is very high, 7–8 above average and 4–6 average.

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

## Key takeaways

- A stanine (“standard nine”) sorts scores into nine bands from 1 to 9, each covering a fixed slice of children of the same age or the same grade.
- Stanine 9 covers percentile ranks 96–99, stanine 8 covers 89–95, stanine 7 covers 77–88 and stanine 6 covers 60–76.
- CogAT describes stanine 9 as very high, 7–8 as above average, 4–6 as average, 2–3 as below average and 1 as very low.
- An age stanine compares your child with children of the same age and a grade stanine with children in the same grade, so the two can differ.
- Stanines are rough on purpose: small differences in performance usually land in the same band, which keeps one test morning in proportion.

## What a stanine is

“Stanine” is short for **standard nine**. It is a general statistics scale, used on [CogAT®](https://www.thinklingapp.com/cogat/) reports, that sorts scores into nine bands from 1 at the low end to 9 at the high end. After the publisher scores your child’s answers, each result is placed in one of those bands by comparing it with a group of other children: either children of the same age or children in the same grade.

Each band always holds the same slice of that comparison group: the middle bands hold the most children, and the bands at the two ends hold the fewest. Stanines are one of several score types on a report; our guide to [CogAT scores](https://www.thinklingapp.com/cogat/scores/) walks through the rest.

## The nine stanine bands

The table shows the percentile ranks each stanine covers, roughly what share of children falls into it, and the descriptor CogAT uses.

| Stanine | Percentile ranks | Share of children (about) | CogAT descriptor |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | 1–3 | 4% | Very low |
| 2 | 4–10 | 7% | Below average |
| 3 | 11–22 | 12% | Below average |
| 4 | 23–39 | 17% | Average |
| 5 | 40–59 | 20% | Average |
| 6 | 60–76 | 17% | Average |
| 7 | 77–88 | 12% | Above average |
| 8 | 89–95 | 7% | Above average |
| 9 | 96–99 | 4% | Very high |

Stanine 5 alone holds about one child in five, while stanines 1 and 9 each hold about one child in twenty-five. Stanines 4 to 6 together hold more than half of all children, which is why CogAT calls that whole stretch average.

## What stanines 9, 8, 7 and 6 mean

### Stanine 9: very high

The top band, covering percentile ranks 96 to 99. About 4 children in 100 land here. Your child’s score was equal to or higher than the scores of at least 96 percent of the comparison group.

### Stanine 8: above average

Percentile ranks 89 to 95, about 7 children in 100. This is a strong result, one step below the top band.

### Stanine 7: above average

Percentile ranks 77 to 88, about 12 children in 100. It is the first of the two above-average stanines.

### Stanine 6: the top of average

Percentile ranks 60 to 76, about 17 children in 100. CogAT labels it average, but your child’s score was still equal to or higher than the scores of most of the comparison group.

Below stanine 6, stanines 4 and 5 are also average, 2 and 3 are below average, and 1 is very low. A low stanine on one test is one morning’s result, not a verdict. If it surprises you, talk with your child’s teacher about what they see in class.

For what these bands mean for programs and next steps, see our guide to [what a good CogAT score is](https://www.thinklingapp.com/cogat/good-score/).

## Age stanine vs. grade stanine

CogAT reports can show two kinds of stanine:

- **Age stanine:** your child compared with children of the same age.
- **Grade stanine:** your child compared with children in the same grade.

For many children the two match. For a child who is young or old for their grade, they can differ, because each comparison uses a slightly different group of children. Neither one is the “true” score; your school decides which it looks at, so ask.

Age stanines also feed the [ability profile](https://www.thinklingapp.com/cogat/ability-profile/), a code such as 7A or 8B (V+). Its number is the median age stanine: the middle one of the three battery age stanines.

## Stanine, percentile rank and SAS

A CogAT report can describe the same performance in three ways, from roughest to finest:

- **Stanine:** nine bands, 1 to 9. Quick to read, deliberately broad.
- **Percentile rank:** 1 to 99, the percentage of the comparison group (same age or same grade) who scored at or below your child’s score. It is not the percentage of questions answered correctly.
- **Standard Age Score (SAS):** a scale with an average of 100 and a standard deviation of 16, reported from 50 to 160. It compares your child with children of the same age only. It is not an IQ score; our page on [the CogAT and IQ](https://www.thinklingapp.com/cogat/is-it-an-iq-test/) explains why.

Reports can show all three, so there is no need to convert between them yourself. Our [CogAT glossary](https://www.thinklingapp.com/cogat/glossary/) covers the other terms you may meet.

## Why stanines are rough on purpose

A single test morning is not precise. A child who slept badly, rushed one subtest or met an unfamiliar format might score a little differently on another day. Broad bands absorb those small swings, so a stanine gives a steadier picture than a single number.

The trade-off is the edges. A percentile rank of 77 and one of 88 share stanine 7, while 88 and 89 sit in different stanines even though they are almost the same. So when two battery stanines differ by one, treat it as a hint, not a firm gap.

Start with the three battery stanines, Verbal, Quantitative and Nonverbal, before the composite. The pattern across them usually tells you more than any single number.

## Reading your child’s stanines calmly

1. **Check the label.** Is it an age stanine or a grade stanine, and for which battery or the composite?
2. **Look for the pattern.** Even across the three batteries, or one higher or lower?
3. **Ask the school** which scores it uses and what happens next. Rules vary by district.
4. **Keep the numbers between adults.** Your child needs to hear that you are proud of their effort, not their stanine.

If you practice at home, keep the goal modest: familiar formats and a calm test day. Thinkling does not predict CogAT scores, stanines or percentiles; its readiness estimate is about practice only.

## Frequently asked questions

### What does a CogAT stanine of 9 mean?

Stanine 9 is the highest band on the scale. It covers percentile ranks 96 to 99, roughly the top 4 percent of children of the same age or grade, and CogAT describes it as very high. It tells you how your child reasoned on test day compared with peers. Whether it matters for a program depends on your school or district, so ask them.

### Is a CogAT stanine of 8 good?

Yes. Stanine 8 covers percentile ranks 89 to 95 and falls in CogAT’s above-average range, together with stanine 7. About 7 percent of children in the comparison group land in stanine 8, so your child’s score was equal to or higher than the scores of most of their age or grade peers. Look at the battery stanines too, since one area may stand out.

### What do CogAT stanines 6 and 7 mean?

Stanine 6 covers percentile ranks 60 to 76 and is the top of CogAT’s average range. Stanine 7 covers percentile ranks 77 to 88 and is the first above-average stanine. Both are solid results. The line between them is narrow, so a 6 in one battery and a 7 in another may reflect a small difference in performance rather than a real gap.

### What is the difference between an age stanine and a grade stanine?

An age stanine compares your child with children of the same age; a grade stanine compares them with children in the same grade. For most children the two are close, but a child who is young or old for their grade can get different stanines from the same test. Neither is more correct. Ask your school which one it looks at.

### What is an age percentile rank on a CogAT report?

It is the percentage of children of the same age who scored at or below your child’s score. An age percentile rank of 80, for example, means your child’s score was equal to or higher than the scores of 80 percent of same-age children. It is not the percentage of questions answered correctly, and it is a finer scale than the stanine.

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