CogAT Level 9 (Grade 3) Guide: Book A

My son does not test well. In fact, he has been diagnosed with anxiety and taking tests is one of his biggest triggers. Often he knows the material, but mentally freezes during a test. We knew he would be able to enter the program at school next year, he just needed some practice and confidence for taking the entrance test. We tried this book in order to prepare him. Working with him at home about a month before the test. Unlike some other reviewers, it was a not a fun exercise for him. As expected, the first few sessions sitting down, even starting with the simplest things and not spending too much time with it, was difficult. And that's the point. The more we worked with him, the more he felt comfortable. Had we not purchased this book and prepared him, he would have given up on the test and not even complete it. I am happy to report that when it came time to take the real test, he never complained and did his best. He even passed and was accepted into the program.

Was a little skeptical about the book with the reviews but it was a helpful book as my 3rd grader prepared for Gifted and Talented exam conducted by School District. The book was harder than the actual exam but I don't quite agree with some of the explanations and some of the answers. The paper folding were harder than a normal exam for 3rd grade but it did help my daughter prepare well.

It struck me that the questions seemed to be drafted as more challenging than they need to be for preparation. Some simply don't make sense at all. I was seeking to familiarize my child with the exam format, not to discourage them with the hardest style challenge questions available. I also utilized another review book and it seemed better aligned with what the test would actually look like. One good aspect of this book (the one being reviewed here) is that it provides explanations for all answers; and I do believe that is helpful. If you have already used other study guides and are looking for something more challenging - this is probably a good choice.

My daughter loves this book. I don't have to force her to study for the COGAT. She goes to this book by choice. She doesn't want to put it down. I think it'd be hard to pass the COGAT test without looking at a test-prep book ahead of time. Now my daughter gets the hang of the style of questions, and she gets all the answers right on these test questions. ( There is an answer key provided in the back of the book, so you can double check your answers after you take the tests. There are explanations to help explain each question, too. )

In a book that only holds one test, there are too many logically problematic questions and/or misprints. For a section with 20 problems, one or two errors are enough to spoil the exercise. It has to be edited heavily to become useful. The review of question types/sections is useful, but even there, there are many unclear explanations. Going through everything with my son was useful, but I think it hurt his confidence in the testing methodology.

Great book. I wish there would be more practice test in the book.

My daughter practiced with this book and got 95% on this test. My other 2 children have used other cogat books available on Amazon and they did not get over 80%. The book helped her see a variety of problems with different level of difficulties ranging from easy to difficult. I recommend this book for any parents trying to get their child in an advanced program.

The verbal battery didn't really help my son. The quantitative and nonverbal sections helped him a lot in his CogAt tests.

Great