AACPS Advanced Learner & CogAT — Parent FAQs
Key dates for AACPS families
- Fall 2026: Grade 2 universal advanced learner screening - All Grade 2 students participate in universal advanced learner screening that includes CogAT and other district data.
- After CogAT results are available: Multiple-measure review of student needs - Schools review CogAT with achievement, classroom, and teacher-observation evidence to determine the student's advanced learning needs.
- Spring 2027: Identification and service recommendations - Families receive information about identification and the services recommended for the following school year.
AACPS has not posted a specific CogAT testing window. Please contact your child’s school or gifted counselor directly for exact dates and other testing information.
Who Takes the CogAT?
Grade 2 students participate in districtwide universal screening.
Students in other grades may be reviewed when current data suggests advanced learning needs or when additional assessment information is required.
Families should confirm school-specific testing arrangements, accommodations, and participation procedures.
How Does AACPS Use CogAT?
CogAT provides information about how students reason with verbal, quantitative, and nonverbal material. AACPS considers these results alongside academic achievement, classroom work, teacher observations, and other available evidence.
The purpose of screening is not simply to rank students. It is to identify children whose instructional needs may require advanced content, faster pacing, greater complexity, or different opportunities to demonstrate learning.
For more information, visit the AACPS Universal Screening Process.
How Does Identification Work?
AACPS uses a multiple-measure review. School teams examine the student's pattern of strengths and determine whether the student requires advanced learner services and in which academic areas those services are needed.
- Cognitive ability data, including CogAT
- Reading and mathematics achievement information
- Classroom performance and work samples
- Teacher observations and evidence of advanced learning behaviors
- Additional information when a student's profile requires further review
What Happens if My Child Is Identified?
- Elementary advanced learner services: Students may receive differentiated or accelerated instruction, flexible grouping, enrichment, and advanced learning tasks matched to their strengths.
- Primary Talent Development: In the primary grades, AACPS also emphasizes developing potential through challenging thinking, problem-solving, and talent-development experiences.
- Ongoing review: Student needs are monitored over time, and instructional placement can be adjusted as new evidence becomes available.
What Does the CogAT Measure?
The CogAT measures how students reason and solve unfamiliar problems in three areas:
- 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 the typical CogAT level for AACPS Grade 2 universal screening:
| Grade | CogAT Level |
|---|---|
| Grade II | Level 8 |
Please confirm the correct CogAT level for your child with AACPS or your child's school before beginning preparation.
How to Prepare for AACPS CogAT Screening
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 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 classroom reading and mathematics because AACPS uses multiple measures.
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Quick FAQs
Does Anne Arundel County Public Schools use CogAT? Yes. AACPS uses CogAT as part of Grade 2 universal advanced learner screening.
Does every Grade 2 student take CogAT? Grade 2 is the district's universal screening point. Families should confirm school-specific participation details.
Is CogAT the only factor in identification? No. AACPS reviews ability, achievement, classroom performance, teacher observations, and other evidence.
When is CogAT administered in 2026–27? AACPS has not posted a clearly accessible public districtwide window. Contact the school for exact dates.
Are services provided only in a separate gifted classroom? No. Many advanced learner services are delivered through differentiation, grouping, enrichment, and acceleration within the student's school.
Official AACPS resources
- AACPS — Advanced Learner Programs (ALPs)
- AACPS — Advanced Learning Family Handbook
- AACPS — Universal Screening Process
Last reviewed: 2026-08-04
Help your child prepare for AACPS testing
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AceGiftedTest and its parent company, Lumina Ed, are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Anne Arundel County Public Schools (AACPS). Advanced Learner Programs identification, CogAT screening, Primary Talent Development, and related policies are set by AACPS and may change each school year. Families should verify details with their child's school and on official AACPS websites.