Is the CogAT Test Something New?

posted by Karen Quinn, The Testing Mom - September 7th, 2011

Many parents of elementary and high school students may believe that the assessment tests and standardized IQ and abilities tests, like the CogAT, which their children are subject to are something new, having come about in just the last few years. Though it’s true that the CogAT Test and similar exams have undergone revisions throughout the years, making the newest renditions of these exams uniquely modern in their design and conceptual processes, the idea of Cognitive Abilities Tests, and indeed, the CogAT itself, are not new.

Odds are that many parents took the CogAT or a similar assessment test when they were young, as well. The CogAT Test, which was typically called the CAT in past decades, is not a new tool for determining student IQ, abilities and skills. It has been in use for years though it may have been adjusted somewhat with the passing of the years.