CCSD Gifted & CogAT — Parent FAQs
Key dates for CCSD families
- October 5–7, 2026: Districtwide CogAT for Grades 1 and 3 - Make-up testing is October 8–9.
- September 29–October 2, 2026: Districtwide Iowa Assessment for Grades 3 and 5 - Make-ups are October 5–9.
- August 3–September 11, 2026: Gifted Assessment Window 1 - Gifted assessment window for Grades 1–5.
- November 11–December 11, 2026: Gifted Assessment Window 2 - Gifted assessment window for Grades 1–5.
- April 21–May 7, 2027: Gifted Assessment Window 3 - Gifted assessment window for Grades K–5.
Dates above are from CCSD's official 2026–27 Elementary School District-wide Testing Calendar. Always check with your child’s school or gifted counselor for exact dates and test details.
Who Takes the CogAT?
All Grade 1 and Grade 3 students participate in districtwide CogAT each fall.
CogAT measures verbal, quantitative, and nonverbal reasoning and is used to identify strengths and possible support needs.
At the elementary level, Grade 5 students take Iowa rather than districtwide CogAT in 2026–27.
Students in any grade may receive additional gifted assessment if referred and approved for evaluation.
How Gifted Screening and Referral Work
Referrals may come from teachers, parents, students, or systemwide testing. Each school's local eligibility committee reviews available data and determines whether further gifted assessment is appropriate.
Students are evaluated in four areas: mental ability, achievement, creativity, and motivation. CogAT can provide mental-ability evidence; Iowa and other approved achievement measures can provide achievement evidence.
For more information, visit the CCSD Advanced Learning page.
How Is Gifted Eligibility Determined?
Georgia gifted eligibility is based on multiple measures rather than CogAT alone. CCSD uses two pathways:
- Option A: qualifying mental ability plus qualifying achievement.
- Mental ability under Option A: 99th percentile for K–2 or 96th percentile for Grades 3–12 on a composite mental-ability score.
- Achievement under Option A: 90th percentile in total battery, total reading, or total mathematics.
- Option B: qualifying evidence in at least three of four areas — mental ability, achievement, creativity, and motivation.
- Under Option B, mental ability is 96th percentile on an approved component or composite score; the other areas generally require 90th-percentile/90-percent evidence.
What Happens if My Child Qualifies?
- Elementary Target/resource classes for identified gifted students.
- Advanced Content reading/ELA and mathematics at most elementary schools.
- Cluster grouping and collaborative teaching models, depending on the school.
- Gifted services emphasize critical and creative thinking, higher-order reasoning, research, and advanced/accelerated academics.
What Does CogAT Measure?
- Verbal reasoning: relationships among words and ideas
- Quantitative reasoning: number relationships, patterns, and mathematical problem-solving
- Nonverbal reasoning: figure patterns, matrices, classification, and spatial thinking
CogAT Testing Format
The CogAT assesses your child's cognitive development in three key areas: verbal, quantitative, and non-verbal abilities. Rather than focusing on academic knowledge, it evaluates reasoning skills that your child uses to solve problems and think critically.
Note: There are some variances in the testing format for students in grades 3 and up. If your child is in grades 3–5, click on the Level 3–5 tab below to learn more about the test format for those grades.
This section assesses your child's ability to understand and use language. It includes the following three sections:
Picture Analogies
Picture Classification
Sentence Completion
Which CogAT level should my child prepare for?
The CogAT level for each grade is determined by the school district. Based on recommendations from Riverside Insights, the following table shows typical CogAT levels for CCSD grades involved in districtwide CogAT administration:
| Grade | CogAT Level |
|---|---|
| Grade I | Level 7 |
| Grade III | Level 9 |
| Grade VII | Level 13 |
Students in other grades may still take CogAT if referred and approved for gifted evaluation. Please confirm the correct CogAT level for your child with CCSD or your child's school before beginning preparation.
How to Prepare for CCSD CogAT Testing
Help your child prepare for the CogAT by building broad reasoning skills rather than memorizing a single question type. For Cobb families, this is especially relevant before the October Grade 1 and Grade 3 CogAT.
- Practice verbal, quantitative, and nonverbal reasoning formats rather than memorizing answers.
- Use age-appropriate analogies, classifications, number patterns, matrices, and visual-spatial puzzles.
- Review missed questions so your child understands the reasoning behind the correct answer.
- Use occasional timed practice to build familiarity, reasoning fluency, pacing, and confidence.
- Continue strengthening broader analytical and problem-solving skills, because gifted eligibility also includes achievement and other measures.
Practicing daily or every other day makes test-taking second nature to your child
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Test Preparation Journey
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Learning about the types of questions that are asked in the test.
Learning
Knowing how to approach the question and what makes an answer correct.
Proficiency
Improving speed to make sure the test is completed in time.
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AceGiftedTest helps students become comfortable with the verbal, quantitative, and nonverbal reasoning formats measured by CogAT. Students receive unlimited full-length practice tests, detailed explanations, video tutorials, AI assistance, and personalized practice focused on individual weak areas. For Cobb families, this is especially relevant before the October Grade 1 and Grade 3 CogAT. Practice can build familiarity, reasoning fluency, pacing, and confidence while also strengthening broader analytical and problem-solving skills. CogAT preparation can improve familiarity and confidence, but CCSD gifted eligibility is based on multiple measures. No preparation program can guarantee gifted identification.
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Quick FAQs
Does Cobb County use CogAT? Yes. The 2026–27 district calendar lists CogAT for Grades 1 and 3 in elementary school and Grade 7 in middle school.
When is elementary CogAT testing? October 5–7, 2026, with make-ups October 8–9.
Does Grade 5 take CogAT? Not as a districtwide fall assessment in 2026–27. Grade 5 takes the Iowa Assessment.
Does a high CogAT score automatically qualify a student? No. Gifted eligibility is based on Georgia's multiple-measure criteria.
Can parents refer a child? Yes. Parent referrals are allowed and are reviewed by the school's local eligibility committee.
Help your child prepare for CCSD testing
AceGiftedTest offers CogAT-style practice across verbal, quantitative, and nonverbal sections so students build familiarity with question formats before CCSD CogAT testing.
Get started with AceGiftedTestCognitive Abilities Test™ (CogAT®) is a registered trademark of Riverside Assessments, LLC. AceGiftedTest and its parent, Lumina Ed, are not affiliated with Riverside Insights, nor is the content on this site promoted or endorsed by Riverside or its affiliates.
AceGiftedTest and its parent company, Lumina Ed, are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Cobb County School District (CCSD). Gifted identification, Advanced Learning/Target services, CogAT and Iowa testing, and related policies are set by CCSD and the Georgia Department of Education and may change each school year. Families should verify details with their child's school and on official CCSD websites.