GCPS Gifted & CogAT — Parent FAQs
Key dates for GCPS families
- September 2026 (expected): Districtwide CogAT administration - CogAT administered to students in Grades 1, 2, 5, and 8 near the beginning of the school year, usually over three school mornings.
- Late August–November 2026: Broader beginning-of-year assessment window - Schools may use a broader beginning-of-year window for students referred for gifted evaluation or for students who need additional assessment data.
- After CogAT results are available: Review of scores and eligibility evidence - Schools review CogAT scores together with achievement, creativity, and motivation evidence to decide whether a student meets Georgia gifted-eligibility requirements.
- January 2027 referral cycle: Second elementary gifted-referral cycle - Elementary schools begin a second gifted-referral cycle for Grades 1–5. Kindergarten referrals begin in January.
GCPS has not yet published the precise dates for testing. Always confirm exact test dates and other testing information directly with your child’s school or gifted counselor.
Who Takes the CogAT?
GCPS administers CogAT to students in Grades 1, 2, 5, and 8.
CogAT contains verbal, quantitative, and nonverbal sections; each section generally takes about 30–45 minutes.
Districtwide CogAT administration provides instructional information and may also help identify students for gifted referral.
Additional CogAT testing may occur when a referred student needs a current mental-abilities score.
How Does the Gifted Referral Process Work?
A referral may come from a teacher, parent, peer, or systemwide assessment results. Each school's local gifted referral team reviews the available information and decides whether the student should move forward to a formal evaluation.
At the elementary level, referral cycles generally begin in August and January for Grades 1–5; kindergarten referrals begin in January. Schools first review achievement information such as i-Ready results. Parent consent is obtained before additional gifted assessments are administered.
For more information, visit the GCPS Gifted Assessment page.
How Is Gifted Eligibility Determined?
Georgia requires students to qualify through multiple areas rather than through CogAT alone. GCPS evaluates four areas and a student must meet the required standard in at least three:
| Area (common evidence) | Published criterion |
|---|---|
| Mental ability (CogAT) | 96th percentile or higher in one area |
| Achievement (i-Ready Reading or Mathematics) | 90th percentile or higher |
| Creativity (Gifted Evaluation Scale, creativity test, or portfolio) | 90th percentile or higher |
| Motivation (Gifted Evaluation Scale or portfolio) | 90th percentile or higher |
Schools may use different approved measures within each area. The complete evaluation can take much of the school year, and families are notified when the eligibility review is complete.
What Happens if My Child Qualifies?
FOCUS elementary services: Students receive advanced learning experiences that extend the district's Academic Knowledge and Skills standards and develop higher-level thinking and problem-solving.
Service models: Schools may use resource classes, advanced-content or content-replacement instruction, cluster grouping, and other approved gifted-delivery models.
Later grades: The gifted program is called PROBE in middle school and includes gifted education and QUEST options in high school.
What Does the CogAT Measure?
The CogAT measures how students reason and solve unfamiliar problems in three areas:
- Verbal reasoning: word relationships, analogies, classification, and verbal problem-solving
- Quantitative reasoning: number relationships, patterns, and mathematical problem-solving
- Nonverbal reasoning: figure patterns, matrices, classification, and spatial reasoning
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 GCPS grades involved in districtwide CogAT administration:
| Grade | CogAT Level |
|---|---|
| Grade I | Level 7 |
| Grade II | Level 8 |
| Grade V | Level 11 |
| Grade VIII | Level 14 |
Please confirm the correct CogAT level for your child with GCPS or your child's school before beginning preparation.
How to Prepare for GCPS CogAT Testing
Help your child prepare for the CogAT by building broad reasoning skills rather than memorizing a single question type.
- Practice verbal, quantitative, and nonverbal reasoning 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 attention, pacing, and confidence.
- Continue strengthening reading and mathematics because gifted eligibility also includes achievement evidence.
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Quick FAQs
Does Gwinnett County use CogAT? Yes. GCPS administers CogAT in Grades 1, 2, 5, and 8 and may use it as part of gifted identification.
Is CogAT itself the gifted eligibility test? It is the mental-abilities measure, but gifted eligibility requires evidence across multiple areas.
Does every student who takes CogAT enter gifted evaluation? No. Districtwide CogAT testing and formal gifted referral are related but separate processes.
When is CogAT administered in 2026–27? GCPS typically gives CogAT in September, often across three consecutive school mornings. The exact 2026–27 dates have not yet been posted publicly, so families should verify the schedule with their school.
Can parents refer their child? Yes. Parents, teachers, peers, and systemwide testing results may initiate a referral.
What is the elementary gifted program called? The elementary gifted program is called FOCUS.
Official GCPS resources
Last reviewed: 2026-08-04
Help your child prepare for GCPS testing
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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 Gwinnett County Public Schools (GCPS). Gifted identification, FOCUS/PROBE/QUEST services, CogAT screening, and related policies are set by GCPS and the Georgia Department of Education and may change each school year. Families should verify details with their child's school and on official GCPS websites.