Bellevue School District Gifted & CogAT Testing — Parent FAQs
Key dates for Bellevue SD families
- September 6–October 5, 2026: Applications open - Applications are open for BSD students in Grades 1 and 3–11 and eligible private/home-school students in Grades 1–11. Deadline: October 5 at 4:00 PM.
- Early November 2026–early March 2027: BSD student testing - Enrolled BSD students test during the school day at their school. Optional Saturday testing may be available.
- Early to mid-December 2026: Private and home-school testing - Eligible private- and home-school students complete district testing.
- End of April 2027: Grade 2 and Grade 5 decisions - Grade 2 and Grade 5 identification decisions are expected.
- End of June 2027: Kindergarten decisions - Kindergarten decisions are expected for services beginning in Grade 1.
Exact dates vary by school. Always verify test dates and important information with your child’s school or the district’s Advanced Learning office.
Who Is Screened or Tested?
All enrolled kindergarten and Grade 2 students are screened automatically; families do not apply.
All Grade 2 students take the CogAT Screening Form. Selected students then take the remaining CogAT subtests.
All Grade 5 students undergo a data review. Selected students may be invited to take CogAT, and parents may also apply.
Families of BSD students in Grades 1 and 3–11 may apply for winter testing.
How Does Identification Work?
Bellevue's Multidisciplinary Team reviews cognitive and academic evidence, which may include CogAT, i-Ready or Iowa achievement results, Smarter Balanced scores, report cards, and classroom information.
Students may qualify for Domain-Specific Services in literacy or mathematics, or for Centered Services across multiple subjects. Appeals are accepted after the final decision.
For more information, visit the Bellevue SD Advanced Learning — Identification.
What Happens if My Child Is Identified?
Domain-Specific Services: Students remain at their current school and receive differentiated instruction and extensions in the identified subject.
Centered Services: Students may attend a designated Advanced Learning site with similarly advanced peers. Elementary classes generally use standards one grade above level in core subjects, with greater depth, complexity, and pace.
What Does the CogAT Measure?
The CogAT measures how students reason and solve unfamiliar problems in three areas:
- Verbal reasoning: analogies, sentence completion, and classification
- Quantitative reasoning: number analogies, number puzzles, and number series
- Nonverbal reasoning: figure matrices, paper folding, and figure classification
Bellevue administers CogAT on a computer. Testing is proctor-paced and audio-led; students use headphones and answer on a touchscreen.
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?
Bellevue’s published CogAT levels match the student’s current grade. Use the level below when practicing:
| Grade | CogAT Level |
|---|---|
| Kindergarten | Level 7 |
| Grades 1–2 | Level 8 |
| Grade 3 | Level 9 |
| Grade 4 | Level 10 |
| Grade 5 | Level 11 |
| Grades 6–11 | Levels 12–17 |
Please confirm the correct CogAT level for your child with Bellevue School District or your child’s school before beginning preparation.
How to Prepare for Bellevue CogAT Testing
- Practice verbal, quantitative, and nonverbal reasoning rather than memorizing answers.
- Use the CogAT level that matches your child's current grade.
- Review missed questions so your child understands the reasoning behind the answer.
- Use occasional timed practice to build pacing, attention, and confidence.
Practicing daily or every other day makes test-taking second nature to your child
More
Tests
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Test Preparation Journey
Familiarization
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.
Start practicing today!
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Quick FAQs
Does Bellevue use CogAT? Yes. CogAT is used in Advanced Learning screening and assessment, including universal Grade 2 screening.
Do kindergarten and Grade 2 families apply? No. BSD automatically screens all enrolled kindergarten and Grade 2 students.
Does every Grade 5 student take CogAT? No. All Grade 5 students undergo data review; selected students take CogAT, and parents may also apply.
Is CogAT the only factor? No. Bellevue reviews cognitive testing together with achievement and classroom data.
When will my child test? Most enrolled students test at school from early November 2026 through early March 2027; exact dates are emailed about two weeks beforehand.
Official Bellevue SD resources
Last reviewed: 2026-07-24
Help your child prepare for Bellevue SD testing
AceGiftedTest offers CogAT-style practice across verbal, quantitative, and nonverbal sections so students build familiarity with question formats before Bellevue CogAT test day.
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 Bellevue School District (BSD). CogAT testing dates, Advanced Learning identification procedures, application windows, and placement decisions are set by Bellevue School District and may change each school year. Families should verify details with their child’s school or the Advanced Learning office.