Verbal Battery
CogAT Picture/Verbal Analogies, Explained
Your child sees a pair that goes together, then completes a second pair with the same relationship. In early grades the pairs are pictures; later they become words. The skill being measured is seeing the relationship, not knowing the objects.
A worked example
Example: Bird goes with nest. Bee goes with — ? (flower, hive, wing, honey)
Show the answer and reasoning
Answer: hive
First name the relationship in a sentence: a bird LIVES IN a nest. Then apply the same sentence: a bee lives in a hive. Flower and honey are related to bees, but not by the same relationship — that's the trap.
An original Archer Anthem illustration of the format — on the assessment these appear as pictures for young test-takers.
Common mistakes
- Picking an answer merely associated with the third item instead of matching the relationship
- Rushing past the first pair without naming how it connects
Parent tip: Practice the sentence frame "__ goes with __ because…" — once a child can say the relationship aloud, the format is theirs.
The other CogAT subtests
Start from the beginning: the CogAT parent's guide · NNAT vs CogAT
CogAT practice books
Get free printable practice samples
Sample pages from our practice books by email — see the question style before you buy anything.
Get free samplesNNAT® (Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test®) is a registered trademark of Pearson Education, Inc. CogAT® (Cognitive Abilities Test™) is a registered trademark of Riverside Assessments, LLC. Neither Pearson nor Riverside is affiliated with, nor do they endorse, Archer Anthem. Archer Anthem materials are independent practice resources in the style of these assessments.