The Verbal Battery is one of three sections found on the CogAT. Learn about the question types found in this section, try some free sample questions, and learn how Elm Academy can help your child be prepared for test day.
The CogAT, or Cognitive Abilities Test, is a multiple-choice assessment that is often used to assess students for gifted and talented programs. The CogAT consists of three sections, called batteries: the Nonverbal Battery, the Verbal Battery, and the Quantitative Battery.
The Verbal Battery is designed to assess a child’s verbal reasoning skills. For grades K-2 (Levels 5/6-8) , all questions are entirely picture-based, as reading and writing abilities are not tested in younger students. Sentence Completion questions will be read aloud by the instructor, and students will have to listen closely in order to answer the question. For grades 3 and up (Levels 9-17/18), all questions are in a more traditional verbal format.
The Verbal Battery contains three unique question types: Picture/Verbal Analogies, Picture/Verbal Classification, and Sentence Completion. Let’s take a look at each one in more detail below.
Picture Analogies questions are found on the CogAT for grades K-2. You will be presented a 2 x 2 matrix with two pictures in the top row, and one picture in the bottom row. Your child will have to figure out the relationship present in the top row, and then figure out what picture goes in the bottom row.
Verbal Analogies are simple comparisons between two words. You will be presented with a pair of words that go together in a certain way, followed by a single word. You will then have to figure out what word goes with the third word to complete the analogy.
Quick Tip : Don’t look at the answer choices. Do your best to figure out how the first pair goes together, and once you have figured that out, look at the answer choices to find the one that fits best.
CogAT 1st Grade Picture Analogies Free Sample" width="541" height="568" />
Answer: The correct answer is the snowflake. In the top row, the first picture is of a brick wall. The second picture is a single brick. Brick walls are made up of many bricks.
The bottom row should follow the same pattern. The first picture shows a snowman. The correct answer will be something that a snowman is made of, making the snowflake the right answer.
Decrease → Increase : Shallow →
Answer: The correct answer is deep. The first pair of words, decrease and increase, are opposites. The word decrease means to make something smaller, and the word increase means to make something larger.
The second pair of words should follow the same pattern. The first word is shallow, meaning the next word must have the opposite meaning, making deep the correct answer.
For detailed Picture/Verbal Analogies lessons and practice questions, check out our full CogAT courses.
Picture Classification questions are found on the CogAT for grades K-2. These questions will present you with three pictures. You will have to figure out how they go together, and then pick a picture from the answer choices that also goes together with them.
Verbal Classification questions are found on the CogAT for grades 3 and up. These questions will present you with three words. You will have to figure out how they go together, and then pick a word from the answer choices that also goes together with them.
Quick Tip: Once you have figured out what the three words have in common, be sure to pick a word that goes together with them, and not a word that describes the three. For example, if the three words are apple, orange, and banana, the word fruit would be incorrect, as this is a word that describes the three original words, but does not go together with them. The correct answer would be another fruit, such as pear or mango.
CogAT 1st Grade Picture Classification Free Sample" width="750" height="373" />
Answer: The correct answer is the shark. These are all animals that live in the water.
The three words in the top row are like each other in some way. Which word from the choices below goes best with the words in the top row?
Root Branch Leaf
Answer: The correct answer is trunk. The three words in the top row are all parts of a tree, so the correct answer must also be a part of a tree. The word tree is incorrect since it is not itself a part of a tree.
For detailed Picture/Verbal Classification lessons and practice questions, check out our full CogAT courses.
For grades K-2, Sentence Completion questions will test your child’s abilities to listen carefully and follow instructions. Your child will only see the answer choices in front of them, and the teacher will read the question aloud. It’s important that they pay attention, because they won’t be able to answer the questions correctly without understanding the instructions.
For grades 3 and up, Sentence Completion questions are standard fill in the blank questions. Your child will be presented with sentences that will be missing one or two words, and they will have to choose the correct word(s) from the answer choices to complete the sentence.
Quick Tip: For students in grades K-2, it’s important to listen for key directional words like next to, above, below, and behind. Hearing these important words will be the difference between answering a question right or getting it wrong.
For students in grades 3 and up, look for linking words, such as and, but, although, and however. These words will often link together two parts of a longer sentence, and will give you a better idea for what the missing word will be.
