CogAT Scores Explained: A Parent's Guide
SAS, percentiles, stanines, and ability profiles like 9A or 7B(V+) — what your child's score report actually says, in plain English.
Your child's CogAT report can look like alphabet soup: an SAS of 118, an APR of 87, a stanine of 7, a profile of 7B(V+). This guide walks through each number, how they relate, and what ranges gifted programs typically look for.
How CogAT scoring works
Scoring happens in three steps. The raw score (questions answered correctly) is converted to a Universal Scale Score, which is then normed against other children to produce the numbers you actually see: the Standard Age Score (SAS), percentile ranks, and stanines. Your child receives these for each of the three batteries — Verbal, Quantitative, Nonverbal — plus a composite.
Standard Age Score (SAS)
The SAS compares your child to other children of the same age on a scale from 50 to 160, where 100 is exactly average and the standard deviation is 16. Here's how SAS maps to percentiles and stanines:
| SAS | Approx. age percentile | Stanine |
|---|---|---|
| 132 | 98th | 9 |
| 128 | 96th | 9 |
| 124 | 93th | 8 |
| 120 | 89th | 8 |
| 116 | 84th | 7 |
| 112 | 77th | 7 |
| 108 | 69th | 6 |
| 104 | 60th | 6 |
| 100 | 50th | 5 |
| 96 | 40th | 5 |
| 92 | 31th | 4 |
| 88 | 23th | 4 |
| 84 | 16th | 3 |
Percentile ranks: APR, GPR, and LPR
A percentile rank says what share of peers scored at or below your child. Reports typically show three: the Age Percentile Rank (APR) against same-age children nationally, the Grade Percentile Rank (GPR) against same-grade children nationally, and the Local Percentile Rank (LPR) against children in your own district. These can differ meaningfully — an LPR of 82 in a high-performing district might correspond to an APR of 90+. Gifted programs most often key on the APR.
Stanines
A stanine ("standard nine") compresses percentiles into a 1–9 scale — coarse, but it's the number schools quote most:
| Stanine | Percentile range | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 9 | 96–99 | Very high |
| 8 | 89–95 | Above average — high |
| 7 | 77–88 | Above average |
| 6 | 60–76 | Slightly above average |
| 5 | 40–59 | Average |
| 4 | 23–39 | Slightly below average |
| 3 | 11–22 | Below average |
| 2 | 4–10 | Well below average |
| 1 | 1–3 | Very low |
Ability profiles: what 9A or 7B(V+) means
The profile combines an overall level with a pattern across the three batteries. The digit is your child's median stanine; the letter describes the shape:
| Letter | Pattern |
|---|---|
| A | All three battery scores are roughly even (An A profile like 9A means uniformly high). |
| B | One battery is notably aBove or Below the others — shown as B(V+), B(Q−), etc. |
| C | A Contrast: one clear strength AND one clear weakness, e.g. C(V+ Q−). |
| E | An Extreme version of B or C — the gap between batteries is very large (24+ SAS points). |
So 9A = very high and even across all three batteries; 7B(V+) = above average overall with Verbal a relative strength; 8C(Q+ N−) = high overall, strong quantitatively, relatively weaker nonverbally. Profiles matter because two children with the same composite can have very different learning patterns — and because a single weak battery can pull a composite below a program cutoff.
What score qualifies for gifted programs?
There is no national cutoff — each district sets its own. That said, the most common patterns are: a composite or single-battery score at the 95th–98th percentile (SAS roughly 125–132); some districts use stanine 8–9; many use the shorter CogAT Screener first and invite high scorers to the full battery. Some accept a qualifying score on any one battery; others require the composite.
If your child scored close to the cutoff
A few points below a cutoff is not a verdict — it's within the test's normal measurement error, and format familiarity moves scores meaningfully, especially for young children who've never seen figure matrices or paper-folding puzzles. Most districts re-screen annually. The highest-leverage preparation is simply practicing the nine question types until they feel routine.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good CogAT score?
It depends on the goal. SAS 100 is exactly average. For gifted-program screening, most districts look for scores in the 95th–98th percentile range (SAS roughly 125–132), on the composite or on individual batteries. There is no universal cutoff — always check your district's published criteria.
What does a CogAT ability profile like 9B(V+) mean?
The number (1–9) is the child's median stanine across the three batteries. The letter describes the pattern: A = even, B = one relative strength or weakness, C = one strength and one weakness, E = extreme differences. 9B(V+) means very high overall with Verbal as a relative strength.
Is the CogAT an IQ test?
No. The CogAT measures learned reasoning skills in verbal, quantitative, and nonverbal domains. Scores correlate with IQ measures, but it is designed to reflect reasoning abilities that develop with experience — which is also why familiarity with the question formats helps.
What is the highest possible CogAT score?
The Standard Age Score (SAS) scale runs from 50 to 160, with a mean of 100. An SAS of 160 is the maximum, but scores above the mid-140s are rare (well beyond the 99th percentile).
Can my child retake the CogAT?
Most districts test annually or at specific screening grades, and many allow re-testing the following year. A child who misses a cutoff by a few points often qualifies on the next attempt, especially once comfortable with the question formats.
Do CogAT percentiles compare my child to their class?
Score reports usually show three percentile ranks: Age (APR) compares to children the same age nationally, Grade (GPR) compares to the same grade nationally, and Local (LPR) compares within your district. Gifted programs most often use age percentiles.