Fairfax County AAP Program

posted by Karen Quinn, The Testing Mom - October 6th, 2014

The Fairfax County AAP, or Advanced Academic Programs, is the gifted and talented program for Fairfax County, in Northern Virginia.

Testing for Fairfax County AAP consists of a mix of the CogAT® test and the NNAT® test. Fairfax County Public Schools does not share publicly which version of the CogAT test they use for AAP admissions (that is, whether they use Form 6 or Form 7). Student comments from last year make us think they used Form 7 last year. That doesn’t guarantee, however, that they will use the same test this year. As a result, we recommend that parents use practice questions for both the Form 6 and Form 7 when preparing their child for the AAP test, if at all possible. If you’re crunched for time, work with practice questions for Form 7 first and then move on to Form 6 if you have enough time.

For the NNAT test, the important thing is to begin with easy questions and work your way up to more difficult questions. The NNAT test builds on itself, so if your child start with questions below their grade level, they’ll be well-prepared for more difficult material.

More information on the AAP program can be found at this Fairfax County Public Schools page.

The Fairfax County AAP is a very competitive program, so it’s best to start preparing early. If you know that your child will be applying for admission to the AAP, begin practicing weeks or even months in advance, if you’re able. Use workbooks, online questions, and any other sources that improve the skills your child will need to do his or her best on the AAP exam.

Cognitive Abilities Test™ (CogAT®) is a registered trademark of Riverside Publishing, a Houghton Mifflin Company, or their affiliate(s), or their licensors. TestingMom.com is not affiliated with nor related to Houghton Mifflin Company or its affiliates (“Houghton Mifflin”). Houghton Mifflin does not sponsor or endorse any TestingMom.com product, nor have TestingMom.com products or services been reviewed, certified, or approved by Houghton Mifflin. Trademarks referring to specific test providers are used by TestingMom.com for nominative purposes only and such trademarks are solely the property of their respective owners.

NNAT-2® and Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test® and Raven’s Standard Progressive Matrices™ are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Pearson Education, Inc or its affiliate(s), or their licensors. TestingMom.com is not affiliated with nor related to Pearson Education, Inc or its affiliates (“Pearson”). Pearson does not sponsor or endorse any TestingMom.com product, nor have TestingMom.com products or services been reviewed, certified, or approved by Pearson. Trademarks referring to specific test providers are used by TestingMom.com for nominative purposes only and such trademarks are solely the property of their respective owners.