Baltimore County Public Schools calls this area Advanced Academics/GT. In elementary school, every student is screened twice: at the end of 2nd grade and again in 5th grade. The 2nd grade screening decides who is identified as GT for 3rd grade math and reading.
How the CogAT is used
The district's screening guidance uses CogAT Age Percentile Ranks (APR) from the grade 2 administration:
| CogAT result | What BCPS does with it |
|---|---|
| Verbal APR 90 or above | Identified GT and recommended for grade 3 GT reading (ELA) opportunities |
| Quantitative APR 90 or above | Identified GT and recommended for Grade 3 Advanced Mathematics |
| Nonverbal APR 90 or above | Very strong evidence, weighed with other data |
| APR 85 to 89 | Strong evidence |
| APR 80 to 84 | Moderate evidence |
A score below 90 does not rule a child out. The guidance says no single data point excludes a student from consideration.
What else the team looks at
The Review and Referral Team builds a profile from many sources, including STAR reading and math percentiles, report card grades, classroom and unit assessments, math challenge tasks, advanced reading work, teacher surveys and a parent survey. For STAR, the guidance treats scores above the 95th percentile as very strong evidence and the 90th to 94th as strong. Teams are told to consider local norms, meaning how a student compares with classmates in the same building.
The parent survey is optional. The district says a missing parent survey will not hurt any student's recommendation.
Questions Baltimore County parents should ask
- When will 2nd graders at our school take the CogAT this year?
- When will the parent survey come home, and how do I return it?
- Which data points were strongest and weakest for my child?
- If we disagree with the recommendation, how do we file an appeal before May 15?
- How does the team review students again in grades 3 and 4?
Our broader questions to ask your school guide can help you prepare for that conversation.
How to prepare, calmly
Because the CogAT is one piece of a larger profile, steady classwork matters as much as test day. For the CogAT itself, a 2nd grader benefits from seeing the question formats before test day: 10 to 15 minutes a day, plus at least two full timed practice tests so the pacing is familiar. Practice teaches your child what the questions look like and gives them ways to approach and think through them, so test day feels familiar instead of surprising.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a single gifted test day in Baltimore County?
No. At the end of 2nd grade a school team reviews every student using the CogAT and many other data points, such as STAR scores, grades, class work and surveys.
What CogAT score matters in Baltimore County?
An Age Percentile Rank of 90 or above on the Verbal section leads to GT identification for reading, and 90 or above on the Quantitative section leads to Grade 3 Advanced Mathematics.
Does a CogAT score below 90 rule my child out?
No. The district's guidance says a score below 90 does not automatically exclude a student, and no single data point excludes a student from consideration.
When do Baltimore County families find out?
Schools notify families of placement recommendations for all 2nd graders by May 1.
Can we appeal a BCPS GT recommendation?
Yes. Appeals must reach the Office of Advanced Academics by May 15 to be processed for August placement.
Does GateBuddy offer CogAT practice for Baltimore County families?
Not yet. GateBuddy currently offers NNAT practice. CogAT practice is planned; join the waitlist on this page to be notified when it launches.
Be first to know when CogAT prep launches.
GateBuddy is building CogAT practice next. Join the waitlist and we will email you the day it is ready, plus GateBuddy’s existing NNAT® guides in the meantime if your family is weighing more than one district or test.
Join the waitlist- BCPS: Advanced Academics/GT Student Identification
- BCPS: Advanced Academics/Gifted and Talented Identification
- BCPS: How to Analyze Data and Complete the Universal Screening Spreadsheet (2025), the CogAT and STAR ranges
- BCPS: Universal Screening Grade 2
- BCPS: Timeline for Elementary Advanced Academics, the May 1 and May 15 dates
- BCPS: Office of Advanced Academics, 443-809-4330
- GateBuddy: NNAT® vs CogAT® vs OLSAT®