Free CogAT-style practice questions
The CogAT (Cognitive Abilities Test), published by Riverside Insights, measures verbal, quantitative and nonverbal reasoning. The puzzles below are our own, written to practice those three kinds of thinking. They are not official CogAT questions.
Updated October 29, 2026
Three kinds of reasoning, and where to practice each
- Verbal: seeing how two things go together, and sorting things into groups (Picture pairs, Odd one out).
- Quantitative: number rules and balancing amounts (Number trains, Number puzzles).
- Nonverbal: shape patterns, grids, folding and turning (Patterns, Shape grids, Shape pairs, Paper folding, Turn it).
Sample questions with answers
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C: tractor. Each person goes with the thing they use for their job.
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C: violin. The others are all bugs.
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A: 24. Each number is 3 more than the one before.
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C: 7. The same shapes are the same number. Share the total out equally.
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C: a orange star. Each row has every shape once. Each row keeps the same color.
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C: a shape. Turn it in your head. A flipped shape can never match by turning.
More practice, every day
Owl Thinkers has ten kinds of these puzzles at five levels, read aloud, with levels that follow your child. It is free and needs no account.
Questions parents ask
Are these real CogAT questions?
No. Every puzzle here is original, made by our own puzzle maker and checked so each has exactly one right answer. CogAT questions belong to Riverside Insights.
What grades take the CogAT?
Riverside Insights offers the CogAT for kindergarten through grade 12. Schools choose when to give it, often for gifted and talented programs, so ask your school which level and month they use.
Should my child cram for it?
We don't recommend it, and we make no claim about scores. Short, playful practice helps a child feel calm with new kinds of puzzles; the rest is up to how they think on the day.
How is this different from a practice test?
A practice test is a one-time sample. Owl Thinkers is a daily game: six puzzles a round, a level for each skill, and a grown-ups page that shows which kinds of thinking are growing.
Sources
Read on October 29, 2026. If something here is out of date, write to hello@owltestprep.com and we will fix it.
Keep reading
Owl Test Prep is independent. CogAT is a trademark of Riverside Insights, which does not endorse this site. Our puzzles are original and are not taken from any test.