# Gifted tests for kindergarten: what to expect > Depending on the school, a kindergarten gifted test may be the CogAT (Level 5/6), the OLSAT or the NNAT. On the CogAT, the teacher reads every question aloud and every answer is a picture, so no reading is needed. A few playful minutes of practice help a five-year-old feel comfortable. Source: https://www.thinklingapp.com/gifted-test-for-kindergarten/ · Thinkling parent guide · Updated 2026-10-18 ## Key takeaways - Depending on the school, kindergarten gifted testing may use the CogAT (Level 5/6), the OLSAT, the NNAT or another approach, so ask which one. - At CogAT Level 5/6, the teacher reads every question aloud, every answer is a picture, and there is no clock on each subtest. - The questions look like picture puzzles: pictures that go together, beads that follow a pattern, and shapes that change by a rule. - The most useful prep at five is listening to the whole direction, looking at every choice and marking one answer, in a few playful minutes a day. - A kindergarten result is a snapshot of one day; ask your school or district how results are used and what else they consider. ## Which test your kindergartner might take There is no single kindergarten gifted test. Schools and districts choose their own tests and their own process, and they usually look at several kinds of information, such as teacher observations and work samples, not only a test score. Tests you may hear about at this age include: - **The CogAT® (Cognitive Abilities Test) at [Level 5/6](https://www.thinklingapp.com/cogat/kindergarten/).** Three batteries, Verbal, Quantitative and Nonverbal, with three subtests each. The teacher reads every question aloud, the questions are picture-based, and there is no clock on each subtest: the teacher paces the group. Some schools start with the shorter CogAT Screening Form, which has three subtests. - **The [OLSAT®](https://www.thinklingapp.com/olsat/) (Otis-Lennon School Ability Test).** A Pearson test of verbal and nonverbal reasoning that some schools use for gifted screening. - **The [NNAT®](https://www.thinklingapp.com/nnat/) (Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test).** A Pearson test that is nonverbal only: every question is built from shapes and figures. For the CogAT, we can describe the kindergarten format with confidence. For the OLSAT and the NNAT, ask your school how the test is given at this age, including how directions are shared with the children. ## What the questions look like At this age, the questions look a lot like picture puzzles. Below are three original practice questions in the CogAT formats used in kindergarten to 2nd grade, one from each battery. They are not real test items, but they show the kind of thinking involved. ### Pictures that go together In [Verbal Analogies](https://www.thinklingapp.com/cogat/verbal-analogies/), two pictures go together in some way, like a bird and its nest. Your child finds the picture that goes with a third one in the same way. > **Sample question: Picture Analogies · K–2** > > Read aloud: “Look at the first two pictures. They go together. Which picture goes with the mouse in the same way?” > > Question: [rabbit] → [carrot] [mouse] → ? > > Choices: A) [cheese] · B) [carrot] · C) [books] > > **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. ### Patterns with amounts In [Number Series](https://www.thinklingapp.com/cogat/number-series/), the rods of a bead abacus follow a pattern, and your child picks the rod that comes next. There are no written sums; it is all about seeing amounts change. > **Sample question: Number Series (bead abacus) · K–2** > > Read aloud: “The beads on the abacus follow a pattern. Which rod comes next?” > > Question: ? > > Choices: A) (picture) · B) (picture) · C) (picture) > > **Answer: C.** Each rod has 2 more beads than the one before: 2, 4, 6, 8… so the next rod has 10. ### Shapes that change by a rule In [Figure Matrices](https://www.thinklingapp.com/cogat/figure-matrices/), one shape changes into another, and your child applies the same change to a new shape. This kind of shape thinking is also at the heart of nonverbal tests like the NNAT. > **Sample question: Figure Matrices · K–5** > > The plus sign changes in a certain way. Which answer shows the diamond changed in the same way? > > **Answer: C.** The outline gets thicker, so the thin diamond becomes a thick diamond. B is unchanged and A changes the line style in a different way. ## Helping a five-year-old feel comfortable For a kindergartner, the reasoning is only part of the job. The other part is the routine of a test: listening, waiting, choosing and moving on. That is where a parent can help most. ### Listening to the whole direction Play “do what I say” games with two steps: “Put the spoon in the cup, then hand me the red block.” Or read a short riddle and ask your child to keep their hands in their lap until you finish. The habit to build is hearing the whole question before pointing at an answer. ### Looking at every choice, then marking one answer Lay out a few toys and ask, “Which one would you take to the beach?” Before your child picks, have them touch each toy and say yes or no. Then practice marking one answer neatly. The CogAT can be given on paper or online, depending on the school, so ask the teacher how answers will be marked and turn that motion into a game. ### Trying their best, then moving on Some questions will feel easy and some tricky, and that is expected. Tell your child it is fine not to know every answer: they can make their best choice and get ready for the next one. Praise careful looking and trying, not right answers. ## A gentle prep plan 1. **Ask first.** Find out which test, which form and roughly when, so practice matches what your child will see. 2. **Play most days.** A few minutes of everyday games: sorting laundry by color, building patterns with blocks, or “which one doesn’t belong?” at the grocery store. 3. **Add short format practice.** A few questions of one kind at a time, in the same picture formats, so the test page feels familiar. Talk through mistakes calmly and try a similar question another day. 4. **Do one short rehearsal.** A week or two before, try a practice session that feels like the real thing, split into small parts with breaks. Treat it as a rehearsal, not a score. 5. **Keep the last days normal.** A regular bedtime, a familiar breakfast and a calm goodbye. Our [test day tips](https://www.thinklingapp.com/test-day-tips/) cover the details. Stop while your child is still enjoying it. Ending on a question they get right makes the next session easier to start. If you’d like help with step 3, Thinkling reads K–2 questions aloud in a friendly voice, so a pre-reader can practice alone in a daily mission of 5, 10 or 15 minutes. Its questions are original, in the same formats as the CogAT. ## What the results do and do not mean at this age A kindergarten test result describes how your child reasoned on one day compared with other children. On the CogAT, that comparison is with children of the same age and the same grade. It is useful information, especially as one part of a bigger picture. It is also a snapshot of a five-year-old, and five-year-olds can have very different mornings. A child who was tired, distracted or unsure what to do might do differently on another day. A result does not measure curiosity, creativity, kindness or effort, and it doesn’t decide what kind of learner your child will become. If you are wondering what “gifted” really means, our guide [Is my child gifted?](https://www.thinklingapp.com/is-my-child-gifted/) looks at how schools use the word. ## Ask your district Gifted program rules, cutoffs and testing dates vary from district to district, so your school or district is the only reliable source. Useful questions: - Are kindergartners tested for the gifted program, and when? - Which test is used, and is it the full test or a shorter screening version? - Will it be on paper or online, and in a group or one-on-one? - What other information is considered, such as teacher observations or work samples? - How and when are results shared, and is there another chance in a later grade? ## Frequently asked questions ### What test is used for gifted and talented in kindergarten? It depends on the school. Kindergarten gifted testing may use the CogAT at Level 5/6, the OLSAT, the NNAT or another approach, and schools usually look at other information too, such as teacher observations and work samples. Rules and timing vary by district, so the most reliable step is to ask your school which test your child will take and when. ### Does my kindergartner need to read for a gifted test? Not for the CogAT. At Level 5/6, the kindergarten level, the teacher reads every question aloud and every answer is a picture, so no reading is needed. The NNAT’s questions are built from shapes and figures rather than words. For the OLSAT, or any other test your school uses, ask how directions are given at this age. Good listening matters more than early reading. ### Is there a practice gifted test for kindergarten? Yes, in the sense that you can find practice questions written in the same formats, including the samples on this page and CogAT-style practice tests. They are original practice questions, not real test items. For a five-year-old, use a practice test as a short rehearsal of listening, looking and choosing, split into small parts with breaks, rather than as a score to worry about. ### How do I prepare my child for a kindergarten gifted test? Keep it short and playful. Ask the school which test your child will take, then spend a few minutes on most days on games that build listening, sorting, patterns and shape puzzles. Add a little practice in the real picture formats so the test feels familiar, and keep the last few days calm and normal. Praise effort and careful looking, not right answers. ### Can a kindergartner fail a gifted test? Not in the usual sense. A test like the CogAT reports how a child reasoned compared with other children of the same age or grade; it doesn’t give a pass or fail grade. What happens next depends on your school’s identification process, which usually looks at more than one kind of information. A result at five is one snapshot, so ask whether there are later chances to be considered. --- CogAT® is a registered trademark of Riverside Assessments, LLC. OLSAT® and NNAT® are trademarks, in the US and/or other countries, of Pearson Education, Inc. or its affiliate(s). Other test names mentioned on this site (such as MAP Growth, the Iowa Assessments and the WISC-V) are trademarks of their respective owners. These trademark holders are not affiliated with, and do not sponsor or endorse, Thinkling. All questions are original.