Understand the test.
Plain-language guides for parents navigating gifted and ability testing — what the tests measure, how to compare them, and how to practice calmly.
Start here.
Each guide keeps the language direct and the sources visible, so you can make sense of test prep without turning it into a second job.
What Is the CogAT? A Parent's Guide to the Cognitive Abilities Test
What the CogAT measures, how scores are reported, and how districts use the test differently.
Read → GuideThe NGAT in Fairfax County: A Parent's Guide to Naglieri Gifted Screening
What the NGAT measures, how FCPS uses it in AAP screening, how scores work, and how to prepare calmly.
Read → GuideMCPS gifted screening, GT identification, and CES: what parents can verify
Official-source guide to MCPS GT identification, CES review, CogAT, MAP, and what changes by school year.
Read → GuidePGCPS TAG screening: what parents can verify
Official-source guide to PGCPS TAG screening, OLSAT, CogAT, nomination, and what families should confirm.
Read → GuideMAP scores explained: RIT, percentiles, and what districts decide
How to read MAP Growth RIT scores and percentiles without treating them as universal gifted cutoffs.
Read → GuideFirst Grader Bored at School? A Calm Enrichment Ladder
How to define the mismatch, talk with the teacher, add reasoning-rich enrichment at home, and decide whether gifted screening belongs in the conversation.
Read → GuideWhat is the NGAT, exactly?
A plain-language guide to the Naglieri General Ability Tests — what they measure, how they're scored, and what they mean for gifted and AAP screening.
Read → ComparisonNGAT vs CogAT: the differences
Two of the most common ability tests, side by side — how they differ in design, language load, and scoring, and what each one asks of your child.
Read → How to useHow to practice without anxiety
What the research actually says about preparing a young child calmly — short sessions, familiarity over drilling, and why a relaxed test-taker does better.
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