CogAT Grade 3 key terms

A comparison that shows how two pairs of words are related in the same way, such as hand is to glove as foot is to sock. Analogies test whether you can find the hidden rule linking ideas.

The link that connects two words, such as part to whole, worker to tool, or young to adult. Naming the link helps you pick the answer that fits the same pattern.

A group of things that share a common feature, such as fruits, tools, or animals. Sorting words into categories is the first step in many verbal and nonverbal puzzles.

The task of grouping items that belong together and setting aside the item that does not fit. In verbal items you classify words; in nonverbal items you classify pictures or shapes.

The item in a set that does not share the feature the other items share. Finding it means testing each item against a possible rule until one fails to fit.

A word that means nearly the same thing as another word, such as big and large. Synonym questions ask you to choose the word closest in meaning.

A word that means the opposite of another word, such as hot and cold. Antonym questions ask you to choose the word that reverses the meaning of the given word.

What a word stands for, including its everyday sense and the way it is used in a sentence. Choosing the right answer depends on knowing meaning, not just how a word sounds.

A question in which one or two words are missing from a sentence and you choose the words that make the whole sentence sensible. Read the whole sentence before choosing.

A hint inside a sentence that helps you figure out a word you do not already know. Nearby words may show the meaning through an example, an opposite, or a description.

A relationship in which one thing is a piece of a larger thing, such as petal to flower. This is one of the most common links used in analogy puzzles.

A relationship in which a larger thing is named first and one of its pieces second, such as tree to branch. It is the reverse of the part-to-whole link.

The job or use of an object, such as a pencil is for writing. Function links appear often in analogies, where two objects do similar jobs in different settings.

A series of items arranged in a set order, such as first, next, and last. In verbal items, sequence may mean the order of events in a story or the order of letters.

A list of numbers that changes by a rule, such as adding 3 each time or doubling. Your job is to find the rule and use it to predict the next number.

The hidden instruction that decides how a pattern works, such as add 5, or rotate a shape a quarter turn. Finding the rule lets you predict what comes next.

The result you get when you add numbers together. For example, the sum of 7 and 8 is 15. Word problems often ask for a sum of two or more amounts.

The result you get when you subtract one number from another. For example, the difference between 12 and 5 is 7. It also means how much larger one amount is than another.

The result you get when you multiply numbers together. For example, the product of 4 and 6 is 24. It can be found by adding a number to itself a set number of times.

A number sentence that states two amounts are equal, shown with an equals sign. Some number puzzles give you a partly filled equation and ask you to find the missing value.

A value left out of a number sentence or pattern that you must supply. You find it by using the rule or by working backward from the answer.

The value a digit has because of its position in a number. In 347, the 3 means 300 because it sits in the hundreds place, while the 7 means 7 ones.

Any one of the symbols 0 through 9 used to write numbers. The number 508 is made of three digits, and puzzles may ask how digits change position.

Even numbers can be split into two equal whole groups, such as 4 or 10. Odd numbers leave one left over, such as 3 or 7. This split is a common sorting rule.

A quantity used to count, measure, or label. Number puzzles may ask you to compare, order, or combine numbers using the clues given in the question.

A repeated arrangement of shapes, colors, numbers, or letters that follows a rule. Once you name the rule, you can tell what belongs in the next or empty spot.

A drawn shape or picture used in a puzzle. Figures may be combined, folded, rotated, or compared, and each figure usually has a clear outline or set of parts.

The outline or form of a figure, such as a circle, triangle, or square. Shape puzzles may ask you to match, combine, or split shapes to form a new one.

Turning a figure around a point without flipping it, like the hands of a clock. A rotated shape keeps its size and form but changes which way it faces.

A flipped copy of a figure, as if seen in a mirror. A reflection reverses left and right, so it is not the same as a rotation unless the shape is symmetric.

Sliding a figure to a new place without turning or flipping it. The figure keeps the same size, form, and facing direction; only its position changes.

A balanced arrangement in which one half of a figure matches the other half when folded along a line. A figure may have more than one line of symmetry.

A grid of figures in which each row and column follows a rule, and one cell is empty. You find the missing figure by spotting what changes across rows and down columns.

A puzzle in which a sheet is folded, holes are punched, and you decide how the holes look when the paper is opened flat. Each fold doubles the pattern of holes.

The step in a folding puzzle where holes are cut through the folded paper. Working backward from the fold lines tells you where the matching holes appear when unfolded.

Joining two or more separate figures to make one new figure. The parts may touch, overlap, or fit together, and the answer must use every piece exactly once.

A picture comparison in which the first pair of figures shows a change, and you apply the same change to a second figure. The rule might be a rotation, a color swap, or an added part.

A feature of a figure that can change, such as size, color, number of sides, or shading. Tracking attributes one at a time is the main method for solving matrix puzzles.