The nine CogAT® question types for 2nd grade.

The three batteries

1. Verbal: Picture Analogies, Sentence Completion, and Picture Classification.
2. Quantitative: Number Analogies, Number Puzzles, and Number Series.
3. Nonverbal: Figure Matrices, Paper Folding, and Figure Classification.

Each battery gets its own score, and the three combine into a composite. Our guide to CogAT® scores explains how they are reported.

Verbal battery

1. Picture Analogies

Verbal battery · 18 questions. Two pictures go together in some way. The child finds the picture that goes with a third picture in the same way.

Example: A bird goes with a nest. A bee goes with... a hive.

Common mistake: Picking something that simply goes with the third picture (a bee and a flower) instead of using the same relationship as the first pair (where it lives).

2. Sentence Completion

Verbal battery · 18 questions. The teacher reads a short sentence or question aloud, and the child picks the picture that fits best. It is the only subtest that uses spoken language, and some schools leave it out.

Example: “Which one would you use to cut paper?” The child picks the scissors.

Common mistake: Choosing an answer before the teacher finishes the sentence. Practice listening all the way to the end.

3. Picture Classification

Verbal battery · 18 questions. Three pictures are alike in some way. The child picks the picture that belongs with them.

Example: An apple, a banana, and grapes. Which belongs: a carrot, a pear, or bread? The pear, because the group is fruit.

Common mistake: Grouping by how things look (round, the same size) instead of what they are or what they are used for.

Quantitative battery

4. Number Analogies

Quantitative battery · 18 questions. Pairs of pictures show a change in amount. The child applies the same change to a new picture.

Example: Two apples become four apples. Three stars become... six stars, because the amount doubles.

Common mistake: Using a rule that works for one pair (add two) when a different rule (double it) is the one that fits every pair.

5. Number Puzzles

Quantitative battery · 14 questions. Short number sentences with one number missing. The child finds the number that makes both sides equal.

Example: ? + 2 = 5. The child picks 3, because 3 + 2 makes 5.

Common mistake: Working only one side. Figure out what one side equals first, then find the missing number on the other side.

6. Number Series

Quantitative battery · 18 questions. Beads on a string follow a pattern. The child picks what comes next.

Example: One bead, two beads, three beads, ... four beads.

Common mistake: Looking only at the last two groups. The rule has to work for the whole string.

Nonverbal battery

7. Figure Matrices

Nonverbal battery · 18 questions. A grid of shapes changes from one box to the next. The child finds the shape that completes the grid.

Example: A small circle becomes a large circle. A small square becomes... a large square.

Common mistake: Changing two things (size and shading) when only one thing changed in the example.

8. Paper Folding

Nonverbal battery · 16 questions. A piece of paper is folded, and a hole is punched through it. The child picks what the paper looks like when it is unfolded.

Example: A square is folded in half and one hole is punched near the fold. Unfolded, it has two holes, mirrored across the fold line.

Common mistake: Forgetting that the hole goes through every layer, so unfolding makes more holes than were punched.

9. Figure Classification

Nonverbal battery · 18 questions. Three figures are alike in some way. The child picks the figure that belongs with them.

Example: Three shapes that each have three sides. The answer is the only other shape with three sides.

Common mistake: Matching the shading or size, which can differ, instead of the rule all three share.

Which question types are hardest?

It depends on the child. Paper Folding and Number Puzzles are often the least familiar at first, because nothing in everyday schoolwork looks like them. The best way to find out is to try each type and watch which ones slow your child down.

How to prepare effectively for the CogAT®

1. Learn the format first, and talk through the rule after every question. Ask your child what stayed the same and what changed, so the idea carries over to the next question. GateBuddy shows an explanation after every answer, and your child can tap Listen to hear the question and the explanation read aloud.
2. Practice 10 to 15 minutes a day, for as long as you can. Reasoning skills build like a muscle, a little at a time. A few weeks of practice helps, but months of short, steady sessions help more, so start as early as you can. GateBuddy’s short practice sets fit on a school night.
3. Spend extra time on the weakest battery. Most children find one of the three parts harder than the others. GateBuddy’s practice adapts to your child’s answers and keeps verbal, quantitative, and nonverbal progress side by side, so you can see where to focus.
4. Take full practice tests: at least two, and more is better. A full test teaches your child to keep going through nine subtests over more than one sitting, the way test day works. Every GateBuddy plan includes eight complete practice tests for the 2nd grade CogAT®, with progress saved between sections. Take several along the way, and save the last two for the final few weeks as a dress rehearsal.

Our CogAT® preparation guide turns these steps into a week-by-week plan.