The NNAT2 Test Basics
February 19th, 2013

What you need to know about the Naglieri Non-verbal Ability Test

Parents who wish to better understand what their children will be expected to do when fall rolls around and intelligence assessment exams are conducted at school should familiarize themselves with the basic of the NNAT2 test, as it is among the most prominently used assessment exams in the nation today. The exam is widely used to screen children for entry to gifted and talented (or “G&T”) programs.

The NNAT2 test is the most recent version of the Naglieri Non-verbal Ability Test, or NNAT, an intelligence quotient exam that measures non-verbal reasoning skills. The exam is so widely used today due to its unbiased format and the fact that children of all social, economic, racial, ethnic and even primary language groups are able to perform equally well on the exam due to its assessment approach and question structures.

The NNAT2 test is specifically structured to measure children’s non-verbal reasoning abilities through questions that appear in graphic or image formats. There are questions that require children to recognize patterns, while other NNAT2 test sections cover spatial and other non-verbal thinking skills.

As with most tests, children will do better on the NNAT if they have gone through some practice questions beforehand. There are many places online to get access to practice questions and other activities that will help your child prepare for the Naglieri Non-verbal Ability Test, and there are also helpful books that can suggest activities to help your child get ready to take the test.

It can be helpful to do some activities that are designed to be fun, so that your child doesn’t feel like he’s doing test prep or homework. Explore the concepts measured on the test and incorporate them into your everyday conversations and activities with your child. This will not only get him ready for the test, it will also prepare him for school and, more broadly, for life!