The Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test (NNAT) is a gifted screening test used by school districts across the United States. Unlike many gifted tests, the NNAT requires no reading, writing, or math knowledge — making it one of the fairest measures of reasoning ability for children from diverse language backgrounds.
Here's what the test looks like, how it's scored, and what you can do to help your child prepare.
What Is the NNAT?
The NNAT is a 48-question, 30-minute test composed entirely of geometric shapes and visual patterns. All questions are multiple choice with pictures only — no words appear anywhere on the test. Children answer by pointing to or circling the picture they believe is correct.
The test has seven levels (A through G), each designed for a different grade range:
- Level A: Kindergarten
- Level B: Grade 1
- Level C: Grade 2
- Level D: Grade 3
- Level E: Grades 4–5
- Level F: Grades 6–7
- Level G: Grades 8–12
The Four Question Types
1. Pattern Completion
A large shape or pattern is shown with a piece missing, like a puzzle. The child must choose which answer option correctly fills the empty space. Used mainly in lower levels (A–C).
2. Reasoning by Analogy
Two shapes are shown with a relationship between them (e.g., one is larger, or one has an added element). A third shape is shown, and the child must apply the same relationship to find the fourth. Like a visual "A is to B as C is to ___."
3. Serial Reasoning
A 3×3 grid of shapes where the bottom-right cell is empty. The shapes follow a rule across rows and down columns. The child must figure out what shape belongs in the missing cell. This is the most common question type on upper-level tests.
4. Spatial Visualization
The child must mentally fold, rotate, or combine shapes to predict what a new shape would look like. This is the hardest type and only appears on upper-level tests (E and above).
How the NNAT Is Scored
Raw scores (number of correct answers) are converted to a Naglieri Ability Index (NAI), which works like an IQ scale: mean of 100, standard deviation of 15. This score is compared to national age-based norms.
Most gifted programs require an NAI at or above the 95th percentile (roughly NAI 124+) for qualification. Some districts set the bar at the 90th percentile (NAI ~119). Always verify your district's specific cutoff.
5 Effective Prep Strategies
- Do tangram puzzles daily. Physical tangram sets (a set of 7 geometric pieces) build shape rotation and fitting skills directly. 10 minutes per day is enough.
- Practice matrix puzzles. Draw a 3×3 grid on paper. Fill 8 of the 9 cells with shapes that follow a rule (color changes, size changes, shape rotates). Ask your child to complete the missing cell and explain the rule.
- Work on visual analogies together. Describe the relationship between two shapes and ask your child to apply it. "This square gets a dot added — what happens to this circle?"
- Play folding games. For older children: take a piece of paper, fold it twice, cut a shape out of the folded corner, and ask your child to predict the result before opening. Then open together and compare.
- Keep practice sessions short. 15 minutes per day is ideal for 4–6 weeks before the test. Visual-spatial fatigue sets in quickly — pushing longer diminishes returns.
What Not to Worry About
Because the NNAT requires no reading or math knowledge, there's no vocabulary to study, no arithmetic to drill, and no English language skills that matter. If your child struggles with school subjects but has strong visual and spatial instincts, the NNAT can reveal ability that other tests miss.
Don't spend time on verbal analogies or number sequences — those are CogAT skills, not NNAT skills. Focus all your prep energy on the visual question types described above.
Practice Free
Try our free NNAT practice questions and build nonverbal reasoning skills.
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