Gifted & talented · Naglieri General Ability Tests · Checked October 16, 2026

The NGAT test, explained for parents

A gifted test from MHS that some districts now use for screening. Here is what the three NGAT tests look like, how they differ from the NNAT and CogAT, which districts say they use it, and what preparation makes sense.

What the NGAT is

The Naglieri General Ability Tests, by Jack A. Naglieri, Dina Brulles and Kimberly Lansdowne, are published by MHS. They are three separate tests that a district can give on their own or together. Each takes about 30 to 35 minutes, is given online to a group, and starts with animated video directions so children do not need to understand spoken instructions. MHS says the tests are designed to reduce the influence of culture, language, economic background and academic knowledge.

Naglieri–Verbal

The child sees six pictures and picks the one that does not share the verbal concept the other five have in common. The words are in the child's head, not on the screen.

Naglieri–Nonverbal

Questions about visual relationships and patterns, built from color, sequence and orientation. The child picks which of five answer choices best completes the pattern.

Naglieri–Quantitative

The child reasons with mathematical relationships shown with numbers and shapes, and picks which of five answer choices completes the pattern. There are no word problems.

Sources: MHS NGAT page and MHS NGAT brochure. Norms cover ages 5 years 2 months to 14 years 9 months (national grade norms K-6, local K-9).

NGAT vs NNAT vs CogAT

NGATNNAT3CogAT
PublisherMHSPearsonRiverside Insights
What it measuresVerbal, nonverbal and quantitative ability, as three separate testsNonverbal ability only, one testVerbal, quantitative and nonverbal reasoning
GradesK-9 (age norms 5 years 2 months to 14 years 9 months)K-12K-12
TimeAbout 30-35 minutes per test30 minutesNot stated on the publisher page we checked
FormatOnline, group-administered; directions given by animated videoOnline or paper-pencil, group-administered, 48 multiple-choice itemsNot stated on the publisher page we checked

Sources: MHS, Pearson NNAT3, Riverside Insights CogAT. The NNAT and the NGAT share an author, which is why they are easy to mix up.

Districts that use the NGAT

Each district below names the NGAT on its own website, and each row links to that page. Districts change plans, so confirm the dates there.

Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD, TX

All kindergarten and grade 5 students (universal screening)

  • Fall semester, once per school year

The district asks families to avoid any test preparation, including study guides or practice materials.

District page

Rockwall ISD, TX

All grade 2 and grade 4 students; kindergarten too

  • Grades 2 and 4: fall semester
  • Kindergarten: January

District page

Beaverton School District, OR

All grade 3 (Nonverbal), grade 4 (Verbal) and grade 5 (Quantitative) students

  • 2026-27: the weeks of October 5 - November 10
  • NGAT is the only test the district uses in 2026-27

District page

Maricopa Unified School District, AZ

Grades K-1 and 3-12 by testing window; all grade 2 students in winter

  • Fall window: August 24-28, 2026
  • Grade 2 universal testing: January 19-20, 2027
  • Spring window: February 8-12, 2027

Gifted means scoring at or above the 97th percentile on a state board approved test. Students may test once per school year.

District page

More screening dates by district: gifted testing dates 2026-27.

How to prepare

Check your district's view first. Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD asks families to avoid test preparation, including study guides and practice materials. If your district says the same, respect it.

Make the format familiar, not the answers. The NGAT has no content to study. What can cost a child time is not knowing what an odd-one-out or complete-the-pattern question wants. A few untimed examples of that kind of reasoning, talked through together, take that surprise away.

Practice everyday reasoning. Sorting pictures by what they have in common, spotting what comes next in a pattern of shapes, and noticing number patterns all use the same thinking the three tests look at.

Look after the basics. The tests are online and about 30 minutes each, so a rested child who is comfortable with a mouse or tablet is the main thing you can control.

Questions parents ask

What is the NGAT?
NGAT is the common name for the Naglieri General Ability Tests from MHS: three separate tests, Naglieri–Verbal, Naglieri–Nonverbal and Naglieri–Quantitative. Each takes about 30 to 35 minutes. Districts can give one, two or all three, and when more than one is given a combined score can be produced. MHS says the tests are designed to reduce the influence of culture, language, economic background and academic knowledge.
Is the NGAT the same as the NNAT?
No. Both carry Jack Naglieri's name, but the NNAT3 (Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test, Third Edition) is a single nonverbal test published by Pearson. The NGAT is a newer set of three tests from MHS that adds verbal and quantitative tests alongside a nonverbal one.
How is the NGAT different from the CogAT?
Both look at verbal, quantitative and nonverbal reasoning. The difference is in the design: the NGAT gives directions by animated video and builds its verbal test from pictures, so a child does not need to read or understand spoken English directions to show what they can do. The CogAT is published by Riverside Insights.
What grades take the NGAT?
MHS norms the tests for ages 5 years 2 months to 14 years 9 months, roughly kindergarten through grade 9. Which grade is tested is up to the district: Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD screens kindergarten and grade 5, Rockwall ISD grades 2 and 4 (plus kindergarten), Beaverton grades 3, 4 and 5, and Maricopa USD all grade 2 students.
What score qualifies for gifted on the NGAT?
The district decides, not MHS. Maricopa USD, for example, defines gifted as scoring at or above the 97th percentile on a state board approved test. Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD reports standard scores with a mean of 100 and a standard deviation of 15, then reviews students before a committee makes the final decision.
Should my child practice for the NGAT?
Some districts say no. Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD asks families to avoid test preparation, including study guides or practice materials, because it can inflate scores. What is reasonable everywhere is making sure the format is not a surprise: a child who has never seen an odd-one-out or pattern question loses time just working out what to do.
Does iMasterly have NGAT practice questions?
No. We do not have NGAT-specific questions, and we do not copy MHS items. Our related nonverbal practice, such as figure matrices and NNAT-style pattern questions, uses some of the same kinds of reasoning, but it is not the NGAT.
Which districts use the NGAT?
On their own websites, Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD and Rockwall ISD in Texas, Beaverton School District in Oregon and Maricopa Unified School District in Arizona all name the NGAT. Other districts may use it too, so check your district's gifted and talented page.

Related nonverbal practice

We do not have NGAT-specific practice questions. Our nonverbal reasoning practice covers some of the same kinds of thinking, such as completing a pattern and finding the odd one out, with every answer explained. It is not the NGAT.

NNAT practice →Figure matricesFigure classification