Score report guide
CogAT Ability Profile Explained
The ability profile is the short code on the report — something like 9A or 6B (V+). It is the most useful line on the whole report and the least explained. Enter yours below.
How the code is built
The number (1–9)
The median stanine across the three batteries — the middle score of the three. It tells you the overall level of reasoning ability compared with children of the same age.
The letter (A, B, C or E)
The pattern. Whether the three batteries agree with each other, or one stands apart, or they contrast sharply.
The brackets (V, Q, N with + or −)
Which battery stands apart, and in which direction. V is Verbal, Q is Quantitative, N is Nonverbal. A plus is a relative strength, a minus a relative weakness — always relative to the child's own other scores.
The four profile patterns
A — All three about the same
Verbal, Quantitative and Nonverbal came out at roughly the same level. Roughly a third of students test this way. It says nothing about how high or low the scores are — only that they agree with each other, so the median stanine tells you the level.
B — One battery above or below
One battery sits apart from the other two, either above or below them. This is the most common pattern, seen in roughly 40% of students. The letter in brackets tells you which battery it is and which direction it went.
C — Contrasting strength and weakness
One battery is a relative strength and another is a relative weakness, so the scores contrast rather than simply spreading out. This pattern is worth paying attention to, because a child who reasons far better in one mode than another often needs teaching that plays to it.
E — Extreme difference
The gap between the highest and lowest battery is large — commonly cited as 24 or more SAS points. An E profile is the strongest signal on the report that a child's reasoning is genuinely uneven, and it is the one most worth discussing with the school.
What each battery marker means
The markers that appear with B and E profiles, where a single battery stands apart.
Contrasting combinations (C and E profiles)
When a profile shows both a strength and a weakness, two markers appear together.
Common questions
What does the number in a CogAT profile mean?
It is the median stanine across the three batteries — the middle of the three scores, on a 1 to 9 scale. A 9 is very high, 5 is average, and 1 to 3 is below average. It tells you the overall level; the letter tells you the shape.
What is the difference between a C profile and an E profile?
Both mean the scores are uneven. A C profile means one area is a relative strength while another is a relative weakness at the same time. An E profile means the gap is extreme — commonly cited as 24 or more SAS points between the highest and lowest battery.
Is a minus sign on the profile bad?
No. The plus and minus signs are relative to the child's own other scores, not to other children. A child can score above average in all three areas and still have a minus on one of them, simply because the other two were higher.
Which profile is most common?
The B profile, where one battery sits above or below the other two, is the most common pattern at roughly 40% of students. About a third of students get an A profile, where all three batteries land at about the same level.
Looking for the numbers instead? The CogAT score chart converts between SAS, percentile and stanine.
CogAT® is a registered trademark of Riverside Assessments, LLC, which neither sponsors nor endorses this site. All practice questions are original and do not reproduce actual CogAT test items. Profile definitions follow Riverside's published descriptions; the exact rules for assigning a letter are Riverside's own. Always read alongside your child's official report.