The CogAT Nonverbal Battery measures your child’s ability to reason with figures, shapes, and visual patterns. It is composed of three sections: Figure Matrices, Figure Classification, and Paper Folding.
In this guide, you’ll learn what to expect from the CogAT Nonverbal Battery, what skills it measures, and how its three subtests work.
We’ll also cover sample question types, timing, and practical ways to help your child prepare.
If your child is preparing for the CogAT, this guide will help you understand what to expect and how to support their preparation.
Do you have a question about the test or our practice packages? Email me at roman@giftedready.com. I'm here to help your child succeed!
The Nonverbal Battery of CogAT measures a child’s ability to reason with figures, shapes, and visual patterns. It includes three subtests: Figure Matrices, Paper Folding, and Figure Classification.
These tasks require students to recognize patterns, identify relationships, and work with visual information. The skills can support problem-solving in areas such as math and science.
The Nonverbal Battery can also be useful when evaluating students with different language backgrounds because its questions focus on visual and figural content rather than primarily on vocabulary or verbal reasoning.
The CogAT Nonverbal Battery includes three subtests. Each focuses on a different type of visual or spatial reasoning.
Figure Matrices questions show a set of figures with one part missing. Students identify the pattern or relationship and choose the figure that completes the matrix. These questions test pattern recognition, logical reasoning, and visual analysis.
The correct answer is 4.
In the top row, the left frame contains a triangle, a diagonal line, and two vertical lines. The right frame contains only the diagonal line.
The same relationship will hold for the bottom row.
The answer choice will contain only the two diagonal lines present in the bottom-left frame.
Therefore, answer choice 4 is the correct answer.
Paper Folding questions ask students to visualize a piece of paper being folded, punched, or cut and then determine what it will look like when unfolded. These questions test spatial visualization and mental manipulation.
The correct answer is 3.
Hence, the correct answer is 3.
Figure Classification questions show groups of figures that share a common rule. Students identify which figure belongs to a group based on characteristics such as shape, position, size, or shading. These questions test classification and pattern recognition.
The correct answer is 1.
In this question you can see that:
– All figures consist of three shapes: one black circle and two identical, big, white shapes, when one of them covers part of the other.
– The shape that covers part of the other shape is the shape that is closer to the circle.
In answer choice 1, the shape that covers the other shape is located next to the circle. Therefore, this is the correct answer.
Answer choices 3 and 4 are incorrect because the shape that covers the other is further away from the circle.
Answer choices 2 and 5 are incorrect because both shapes are the same distance from the circle.
Looking for more practice for your child? Visit the grade-specific practice tests below:
The number of questions on the CogAT Nonverbal Battery depends on the student’s CogAT level. The three subtests contain different numbers of questions.
| CogAT Level | Figure Matrices | Paper Folding | Figure Classification |
|---|---|---|---|
| Levels 5/6 | 14 | 10 | 14 |
| Level 7 | 16 | 12 | 16 |
| Level 8 | 18 | 14 | 18 |
| Level 9 | 20 | 16 | 20 |
| Levels 10 - 17/18 | 22 | 16 | 22 |
Overall, students answer 38 to 60 questions across the three Nonverbal subtests, depending on their level.
The time allowed for the CogAT Nonverbal Battery depends on the student’s level.
| CogAT Level | Figure Matrices | Paper Folding | Figure Classification | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Levels 5/6 | Not strictly timed | Not strictly timed | Not strictly timed | Not strictly timed |
| Level 8 | May be timed | May be timed | May be timed | May be timed |
| Levels 9 - 17/18 | 10 minutes | 10 minutes | 10 minutes | 30 minutes |
For the untimed levels, Riverside Insights provides estimated completion times, but students are not given a fixed time limit.
| Battery | Main Content | Examples of Reasoning |
|---|---|---|
| Verbal | Words and language | Verbal relationships and classification |
| Quantitative | Numbers and mathematical concepts | Number relationships and quantitative reasoning |
| Nonverbal | Figures and shapes | Spatial and figural reasoning |
Students can prepare for CogAT Nonverbal by becoming familiar with its question types and practicing visual reasoning skills.
No. The CogAT Nonverbal Battery is not an IQ test. It measures specific reasoning abilities using figures, shapes, and visual patterns. CogAT scores should not be interpreted as a direct measure of IQ.
The CogAT is given across kindergarten through Grade 12, with the test level matched to the student’s grade. The Nonverbal Battery is included at all CogAT levels, from 5/6 through 17/18.
If a student does not answer every question, the test is scored based on the questions they completed. Unanswered questions are not counted as correct. Students do not receive a separate penalty simply for not finishing all the questions.
Yes. The Nonverbal Battery contributes to the overall CogAT score when a student takes all three batteries. It also produces its own Nonverbal score, which can be compared with the student’s Verbal and Quantitative scores.
