How to Help Your Child Prepare for CogAT?

Schools are a part of a systematic education system where one lesson is taught to everyone in an age bracket. That is why our schools fail to accommodate all the students with the same ease. Every child is different and has a different learning curve. A universal teaching method cannot help all the students in the same way.

Some students grasp things faster while others might catch up slowly. Although learning together is a great idea for cultivating social skills, children also need individual attention to thrive.

Sometimes we depend on our schools completely and forget some significant aspects of learning. There are ways in which you can attempt to understand how much your child is learning from school. CogAT is one such exam that allows parents to develop a deeper understanding of their children’s conceptual clarity. But what is CogAT?

CogAT or Cognitive Ability Test is a specialized exam that helps parents and educators know if students have a conceptual understanding of subjects that they are taught.

As the name suggests this test helps in assessing the cognitive abilities of the students. It is a standardized test with different levels. Every level has a fixed question paper, unlike a map test  where the standard of difficulty increases every time a child answers a question correctly.

The level which your child will appear for depends on his age and grade. For instance- if your child is in kindergarten, he will give a level 5 or 6 exam – which is the starting level. However, you can also consult with your child’s school to decide the level he/she is competent for appearing.

The scores are based on one’s personal average and a comparative analysis of the student’s
performance concerning others. This score helps parents and teachers understand if their child has any special qualities and can qualify for any gifted papers. Or whether your child needs some extra aid to cope up with their peers

Although CogAT is the reflection of students’ cognitive development, some amount of preparation before the test is also significant. This is because the CogAT test prep is also a great learning experience. The results show an accurate depiction of the current academic status of students, but the preparation process also sheds light on the student’s weaknesses and strengths.

But are you wondering how to help your child prepare for CogAT? Here’s what can help:

Understanding the paper: One of the first steps to prepare for any exam is understanding the paper structure. This will help them look at it categorically and start preparation accordingly.

This will also help them understand the marking structure. The CogAT paper is divided into three parts: Quantitative, verbal, and nonverbal. Understanding this structure will help them take the next step accordingly. So, make sure that your child understands the paper structure well.

Worksheets: No exam preparation is complete without worksheets. That is why finding relevant worksheets to practice is vital. As these competitive tests are timed, practicing sample papers can help improve your speed and efficiency. So keep in mind that just solving the questions wouldn’t do; solving them quickly is also important.

Practice is the key to ace the CogAT test and it also shapes our brain in a particular way. Acing a standardized test helps children gain confidence and do better in future tests.

Professional Help: Whatever is taught in school is restricted to a specific pattern. They have a set curriculum and teachers rarely overstep their duties to accommodate different learning requirements . That is why when a child is taking a standardized test, they should take professional help.

This will help them achieve clarity in concepts they feel clouded in. Moreover, they will also understand the best way to cope with the overburdening pressure of exams.

CogAT or any standardized test is bound to create a lot of anxiety. Parents don’t know the best way to deal with them. But professionals who deal with different children everyday know-how to navigate vulnerable situations like these.

That is why it is for the best to leave the matter up to them.

But besides all the technical help your child receives, the main thing is mind play. It is all about confidence and performing well at the moment. That is why talk to your child. Make them understand that it is just a test and it is not a big deal.

It is a common misconception that CogAT is an intelligence measuring test. That is highly wrong. CogAT majorly reflects what is missing on the tutor’s part rather than the child’s. Besides that, even if the teacher is teaching all right, this test also reflects children’s natural strengths. It also sheds light on what areas need work.