CogAT Verbal Battery: Question Types Explained

Learn all about the Cogat Verbal Battery, which is made up of the following question types: Sentence Completion, Verbal/Picture Classification, and Verbal/Picture Analogies.

CogAT Verbal Questions
Less Content
  • 493 total questions, comprised of:
    • Two full-length CogAT practice tests: simulate the actual test
    • Three nonverbal CogAT drills: one figure matrices drill, one figure classification drill, and one paper-folding drill
    • Three quantitative CogAT drills: one number analogies drill, one number series drill, and one number puzzles drill
    • Three verbal CogAT drills: one verbal analogies drill, one verbal classification drill, and one sentence completion drill
    • Two challenge CogAT drills: contain super-hard questions from all CogAT sections
  • 427 additional Math Enrichment questions in various topics (computation, sequences, word problems etc.)
  • Thorough explanations for all questions
  • Study guide with helpful solving tips, covering all CogAT topics
  • Score reports to track your child's progress
  • Quick and friendly customer support
  • Secured payment and 6-month license
Total

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CogAT Verbal-Overview

The CogAT Verbal Battery is used to assess a student’s vocabulary, efficiency and verbal memory, ability to determine word relationships, and the ability to comprehend ideas. The CogAT Verbal test is comprised of three sub-tests. For lower levels, these sub-tests are: Sentence Completion, Picture Classification, and Picture Analogies. For higher levels, these three sub-tests are: Sentence Completion, Verbal Classification, and Verbal Analogies. These three sub-tests combined make up the CogAT Verbal score.

It is important to be familiar with the different sub-tests and batteries of the CogAT. This includes understanding the different questions, the proper logic that should be applied when approaching the questions, and the mistakes most frequently made when solving such questions.

You should also be familiar with the scoring method, norms, uses, and the overall content of the test to avoid being surprised.

Below you will find sample questions of the CogAT verbal battery. These questions reflect the expected level of difficulty for the test. You can also find more sample questions in our website, as well as an explanation about the non-verbal battery and the quantitative battery. 


Number of Items by Level & Section

Verbal BatteryLevel 5/6Level 7Level 8Level 9Level 10-18
Sentence Completion1416182020
Picture/Verbal Classification1416182020
Picture/Verbal Analogies1416182224

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With this membership, you will be able to create up to six separate practice accounts. This way, you can give each student an account of their own in which they can practice independently for their upcoming exam.


CogAT Sentence Completion

For Levels 5 - 8, the teacher reads a sentence aloud, with a word missing, and then the students select a picture that best completes the sentence. In Levels 9 and up, a sentence with a missing word is provided to the students and the students must select the word that completes the sentence. Below, you can see an example of a Sentence Completion question from a Level 9 CogAT test:

Sentence Completion Sample Question

Fill in the blank:

Sentence Completion

Correct!

Wrong

Wrong

Wrong

Wrong

View Explanation

The correct answer is A (damp, which means slightly wet).

Andrew put the shirt back in the clothes dryer because it was still damp.


CogAT Verbal Classification

In Levels 9 and up, the student is provided with three words that are in some way alike. They need to choose a word from the answer choices that is like the other three words. Below, you can see an example of a Verbal Classification question from the CogAT Test:

Verbal Classification Sample Question

Which word is like these three:

Verbal classification

Wrong

Correct!

Wrong

Wrong

Wrong

View Explanation

The correct answer is B (green).

The first three words are all colors, therefore, the correct answer must also be a color.


CogAT Picture Classification

For Levels 5 - 8, the student is provided with three pictures that are in some way alike. They need to select a picture from the answer choices the picture that is like the other three.

Below, you can see an example of a Picture Classification question from the CogAT test:

Picture Classification Sample Question

Which picture is like these three:

Picture classification

Correct!

Wrong

Wrong

View Explanation

The correct answer is answer A.

Look at the top row. All the items in the top row are things that appear naturally in the sky.

The correct answer should be a similar item. The airplane and the kite are incorrect because although they appear in the sky, they are man-made and not a part of nature.

Therefore, the rainbow is the best possible answer and is the correct choice.


CogAT Picture Analogies

For Levels 5 - 8, three pictures are provided. The first two images go together and the third image goes with one of the answer choices (also pictures), which the student needs to determine. Below, you can see an example of a picture Analogy question from the CogAT test:

Picture Analogies Sample Question

Which of these four pictures goes in the missing space?

Picture Analogies

Wrong

Correct!

Wrong

Wrong

View Explanation

The correct answer is B.

Police officers use police cars as transportation vehicles, just as astronauts use spaceships as transportation vehicles.


CogAT Verbal Analogies

In Levels 9 and up, three words are provided. The first two words go together and the third word goes with one of the answer choices (also words), which the student needs to determine. Below, you can see an example of a Verbal Analogy question from the CogAT test:

Verbal Analogies Sample Question

Complete the analogy:

sage → wisdom : expert → 

A. herb
B. experience
C. training
D. smart
E. savvy

Wrong

Correct!

Wrong

Wrong

Wrong

View Explanation

The correct answer is: experience.

sage is a person who has acquired wisdom, like an expert is a person who has acquired experience.
'Training' is not a correct answer because it is the process people undergo in order to become sages or experts, and not what they have acquired when they have finally become a sage or an expert.


How to Prepare For the CogAT Test?

Our practice packs often include study guides that summarize the different or most challenging topics of the tests explained in a succinct way. You also have a recommended way of approaching our practice packs. This could be either by starting with the full-length simulation, and then continuing to enrichment questions or challenging questions.

Just remember that this is our recommendation, but it is perfectly fine if your child is comfortable studying in a different way. All of our questions include thorough explanations so make sure your child goes over the explanations even if they got the question correctly. 

You can take our test as many times as you want to help you track your progress. You can also revisit the study guides to brush up on different topics. Ideally, you should start with two weeks in advance so that you have enough time to review all the questions and understand the test entirely.

Learn more about the different types of CogAT questions


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