Mind Power Enrichment and Experiential Learning (MEEL) Program prepares your child for The Cognitive Abilities Test™ (CogAT® Test), a group-administered aptitude test used by many school districts to qualify children for their gifted and talented programs. It is a multiple-choice assessment that measures reasoning and problem solving abilities in three key areas: 1) Verbal, 2) Math, and 3) Non-Verbal or Spatial. Contrary to common belief, the CogAT® is not an IQ or an achievement test, and can be prepared for.
MEEL help your child learn more about the test, including: (I) Sample Questions & Question Types (II) Format (III) Scoring (IV) Administration (V) Preparation
The Cognitive Abilities Test™ has 3 Batteries (or parts): The CogAT® consists of a verbal battery, quantitative battery, and nonverbal battery. Each battery is a separate section of the test containing 3 different types of questions that cover unique cognitive abilities and the main difference to note is that grades K-2 are picture-based, while grades 3-8 are text-based:
Verbal Battery: (I) Picture Analogies (II) Sentence Completion (III) Picture Classification
Quantitative Battery: (I) Number Analogies (II) Number Puzzles (III) Number Series
Non-Verbal Battery: (I) Figure Matrices (II) Paper Folding (III) Figure Classification
The test can be administered online or on paper. The test is a series of multiple-choice tests broken down into sections, also known as batteries. It has between 118 and 176 questions, depending on the level and students are generally given between 20-45 minutes per battery. It is important for a student or a parent to contact school or school district to get more information about the administration of the test.
The CogAT® measures both general and specific cognitive abilities and unlike standardized tests such as the SATs or ACTs, do not measure how much a student has learned. The general reasoning abilities measured by the CogAT® show the cognitive process and strategies that help a student learn new tasks or solve problems.
- Familiarizing your child with the test-taking process: This Prep course will help your child work with CogAT® practice questions that are similar to what they will encounter during the CogAT®.
- Success in academic & other areas: Reasoning abilities are central to academic success and the students that learn to think in the same terms that are measured on the CogAT® exam are better able to approach and address challenges and problems.
- Long term benefits in everyday life: The CogAT® practice questions can have long term benefits for your child that far outreach whether or not he or she is assigned to a gifted and talented program at school.
- Build analytical skills as well as problem solving abilities: Even if your child isn’t taking the test, reviewing these types of questions help build analytical skills as well as problem solving abilities. They are also very educational and are appropriate for summer learning and enrichment.
