Gifted & talented · Checked November 2, 2026

CogAT vs NNAT vs OLSAT vs NGAT

Many US districts screen for gifted programs with one of these four tests. They look alike on a score report, all centered on 100, but they measure different things, take different amounts of time and are not interchangeable. Here they are side by side, from each publisher's own documents.

Quick answer

What is the difference between the CogAT, NNAT, OLSAT and NGAT?

The CogAT tests verbal, quantitative and nonverbal reasoning in three batteries. The NNAT3 is one 30 minute test of shape puzzles only. The OLSAT 8 reports a verbal and a nonverbal half. The NGAT is three short online tests, verbal (with pictures), nonverbal and quantitative. All score around an average of 100, but the scores are not interchangeable.

Source: Riverside CogAT, Pearson NNAT3, Pearson OLSAT 8 and MHS NGAT · Updated

The four tests side by side

FeatureCogATNNAT3OLSAT 8NGAT
PublisherRiverside InsightsPearsonPearsonMHS
What it measuresVerbal, quantitative and nonverbal reasoning, as three batteries (nine subtests)Nonverbal reasoning only: shape and pattern puzzlesVerbal and nonverbal reasoning; number reasoning counts in the nonverbal halfThree separate tests: Verbal, Nonverbal and Quantitative
GradesK to 12K to 12K to 12About K to 9 (ages 5:2 to 14:9)
Testing timeUntimed in K to 2; 90 minutes (10 per subtest) from grade 330 minutes (35 to 45 with directions)Untimed, 75 minutes at mostAbout 30 to 35 minutes per test
Reading needed?No in K to 2 (pictures); yes from grade 3NoVerbal items such as antonyms from grade 3No: the Verbal test uses pictures
How it is givenIn groups at schoolPaper or online, in groupsPaper K to 12, online from grade 2Online, in groups, with video directions
Main scoreStandard Age Score (SAS)Naglieri Ability Index (NAI)School Ability Index (SAI)Standard score
Score scaleAverage 100, SD 16Average 100, SD 16, range 40 to 160Average 100, SD 16Average 100, SD 15
A score of 130 is about97th percentile97th percentile (Pearson table)97th percentile98th percentile

On a phone, scroll the table sideways. Sources: Riverside CogAT testing time, CogAT score guide, NNAT3 manual, Pearson OLSAT 8, MHS NGAT brochure. The NGAT 98th percentile figure is worked out from its standard deviation of 15.

Same 130, different meaning

Every one of these tests reports a score centered on 100, so a 130 looks the same on any report. It is not. The CogAT, NNAT3 and OLSAT 8 spread their scores with a standard deviation of 16; the NGAT uses 15. So 130 is about the 97th percentile on the first three and about the 98th on the NGAT.

Even between tests with the same scale, the comparison groups and the skills measured differ. A child can score 125 on the CogAT and 135 on the NNAT in the same year without anything being wrong: the NNAT measures only shape reasoning, and the CogAT adds words and numbers. When a district uses two tests, it sets a rule for each.

CogAT scores explained →SAS, stanines and ability profiles like 8B (Q-).NNAT scores explained →Pearson's NAI table and the 2026-27 norms change.OLSAT scores explained →SAI, age vs grade percentiles, cluster ratings.NGAT explained →The three tests, local norms and the districts using it.

Which test does your district use?

The district picks the test, so the choice is not yours. A few large districts, each checked on the district's own site:

Montgomery County, MD (MCPS)CogAT in grades 2 and 4Fairfax County, VA (FCPS)NGAT online in grades 2 to 7; paper CogAT for children who need paperSeattle Public SchoolsNGAT in grade 1St. Louis Public SchoolsNNAT3 for every grade 2 childOklahoma City Public SchoolsNNAT3 in grade 1, plus unidentified grade 6 and new studentsFort Worth ISD, TXNNAT3 for every first graderNew York CityNo test at all: nominations, interviews and report cards

More districts with their testing windows and referral deadlines: gifted testing dates 2026-27.

What each test feels like to a child

CogAT

A full CogAT is long. In kindergarten to grade 2 it is all pictures, read aloud where needed, and untimed. From grade 3 it is nine timed subtests of 10 minutes each, including verbal analogies and sentence completion. Riverside

NNAT3

One sitting of 48 shape puzzles in blue and yellow, with no words or numbers: 30 minutes of testing, about 35 to 45 with directions. Pearson

OLSAT 8

A mix of listening, word, arithmetic, picture and shape questions, with number series and number matrices from grade 3. Untimed, with a 75 minute cap. Pearson

NGAT

Up to three short online tests of about 30 to 35 minutes, with directions given by an animated video. The Verbal test uses pictures, not reading. Its authors say no test preparation is needed. MHS, authors

Try five questions in the shared format

Shape reasoning appears on all four tests. No account needed; these are our own CogAT-style questions, not real test items.

Loading sample questions…

Questions parents ask

What is the difference between the CogAT and the NNAT?
The CogAT is three batteries, Verbal, Quantitative and Nonverbal, with nine subtests, and runs 90 timed minutes from grade 3. The NNAT3 is one 30 minute test of shape puzzles with no words or numbers. Both report a score with an average of 100 and a standard deviation of 16, but against separate norms, so a score on one does not convert to the other. The CogAT Nonverbal battery is the part most like the NNAT.
Is the NNAT easier than the CogAT?
Neither is easier in general; they test different things. A child who reasons well with shapes but reads slowly or is still learning English often shows more on the NNAT. A child strong with words and numbers may show more on the CogAT, which has Verbal and Quantitative batteries the NNAT lacks.
What is the difference between the CogAT and the OLSAT?
The CogAT reports three batteries (Verbal, Quantitative, Nonverbal) and a composite. The OLSAT 8 reports two halves, Verbal and Nonverbal, plus a total, with number reasoning counted in the Nonverbal half. The CogAT is timed from grade 3 (90 minutes); the OLSAT is untimed with a 75 minute maximum. Both use an average of 100 and a standard deviation of 16.
Are the NNAT and the NGAT the same test?
No. Both are by Jack Naglieri, but the NNAT3 is one nonverbal test published by Pearson, while the NGAT is three separate tests (Verbal, Nonverbal and Quantitative) published by MHS. The NGAT is online only and its standard score uses a standard deviation of 15, not 16.
Can I compare a CogAT score with an NGAT score?
Not directly. They measure different things against different national samples, and the scales differ: the CogAT uses a standard deviation of 16, the NGAT 15. A 130 is about the 97th percentile on the CogAT and about the 98th on the NGAT. Compare percentiles, and only as a rough guide.
Which gifted test does my district use?
Your district's gifted or advanced academics page will say. Large districts differ: Montgomery County, MD gives the CogAT, Fairfax County and Seattle use the NGAT, and St. Louis, Oklahoma City and Fort Worth use the NNAT3. New York City no longer tests at all.
Should my child prepare differently for each test?
Only in which question types to look at. All four include nonverbal shape reasoning, so figure matrices help across the board. The CogAT and NGAT add verbal and quantitative tests, and the OLSAT adds verbal items. The NGAT authors say no test preparation is needed. A few practice questions mostly help a child understand the format so the score reflects reasoning.
Which test is best for English learners?
The NNAT3 uses the least language: Pearson says it needs no spoken or written language. The NGAT Verbal test uses pictures, and the CogAT is picture-based in K to 2. From grade 3 the CogAT Verbal battery and the OLSAT verbal items need reading in English.

Practice for the test your district gives

Short practice in the CogAT, NNAT and OLSAT question types, with every wrong answer explained. For the NGAT, see our guide.

CogAT practice →NNAT practiceOLSAT practiceNGAT guide