The CogAT Exam Doesn’t Reflect My Child’s Abilities

posted by Karen Quinn, The Testing Mom - October 26th, 2011

While the CogAT exam is widely regarded as a very reliable method of determining a student’s cognitive abilities, there are instances in which a very bright student will produce a surprisingly low CogAT exam score. This is understandably very frustrating for the student, parents and teachers involved. However, there are reasons why a bright student may score poorly on the CogAT exam.

Anxiety is the main culprit when an intelligent, or even a gifted, student does poorly on the CogAT exam. When a student puts too much pressure on themselves, or when parents or teachers inadvertently add stress to the test-taking experience, scores nearly always drop. This anxiety can show itself in a number of score-damaging ways, such as poor concentration, over-thinking, or even panic. Talk to your child about how he was feeling about the test, and if anxiety seems to be a factor, ask about re-testing. Most schools will accommodate a student who was genuinely impaired by anxiety.