COOP Test Preparation

The COOP Test contains seven different sections with varying time limits (from 15 minutes to an hour):

1. Sequences: Students are asked to analyze a sequence of objects (such as figures or numbers) and continue the established pattern based on the rule or principle underlying it.
2. Analogies: Students are asked to understand the established relationship among picture pairs and then apply that relationship to incomplete picture pairs.
3. Quantitative Reasoning: This section measures quantitative aptitude, and, therefore, it does not test concepts learned in school. Instead, this section utilizes questions like weight figures, number analogies, and shaded grids
4. Verbal Reasoning - Words: Students are asked to solve verbal problems by applying deductive reasoning, discerning underlying relationships, and inferring established patterns between the words presented.
5. Verbal Reasoning - Context: Students are asked to solve verbal problems by drawing logical conclusions based on the information given.
6. Mathematics: This section directly assesses a student's understanding of mathematical concepts and draws upon material learned in the classroom, such as geometry, probability, and functions.
7. Reading and Language Arts: Students are asked to analyze a given passage and answer questions measuring their reading comprehension, vocabulary, and language expression.

Earning a high score on the COOP test is highly important, as schools use students' scores to compare applicants as well as grant scholarships. Also, while each school has a different passing requirement, earning a high score is a surefire way to surpass the other applicants as well as the passing threshold of each school.

Schools also review academic records from 6th-8th grades, so while the COOP test plays an important role in the Catholic high school admissions process, it is not the only factor.

The COOP test has several types of scores:

• Scale Scores – Scale scores are created by identifying the average number of correct responses by a group of students and then comparing the average with groups that scored above and below it. Your child's score is then compared with the averages of a similar group of students who took the same COOP test. It is important to note that since the averages are section based, earning the same score in two sections does not reflect the same level of performance.
• Percentiles – The scale score is then compared with the scores of a group of similar students to derive the percentile score. This score tells you how many students scored above or below your child's score.
  
  • National Percentile – Compares your child's scores to other eighth graders across the country.
  • Local Percentile – Compares your child's scores to other eighth graders who have applied for admission to any of the Catholic high schools in the Diocese of Paterson and the Archdiocese of Newark. 
• Total Battery Score – This score is a weighted average of the Ability Scale Score (weighted average of the aptitude sections of the test) and the Achievement Scale Score (weighted average of the reading, language, and math scaled scores).