CogAT Nonverbal key terms

A comparison stating that one pair of things relates in the same way as a second pair, as in 'hand is to glove as foot is to shoe'. The task is to identify the matching relationship.

A task that presents several items belonging to one category plus one item that does not, and asks the test taker to identify the outsider. Success depends on spotting the shared attribute.

A verbal item in which one or two words are missing from a short sentence and the test taker chooses the option that makes the sentence read sensibly and grammatically.

Knowledge of what a word denotes, including shades of sense among near-synonyms. Verbal items often require choosing the option closest in meaning to a target word.

A word that means nearly the same thing as another word, such as 'begin' and 'start'. Recognizing synonyms helps when an item asks which option matches a given word's sense.

A word that expresses the opposite of another word, such as 'expand' and 'shrink'. Items may ask for the opposite, or use opposites inside an analogy relationship.

The link connecting two words or pictures, such as part-to-whole, cause-to-effect, or category-to-member. Naming the relationship precisely is the core skill in analogy items.

Information elsewhere in a sentence that hints at the meaning of an unfamiliar or missing word. Using context clues lets a test taker answer without knowing every word in advance.

A small difference in meaning, tone, or strength between words that are otherwise similar. Items with several plausible options usually turn on this fine distinction.

A fixed phrase whose meaning cannot be worked out from its individual words, such as 'spill the beans' for revealing a secret. Idioms occasionally appear in verbal reasoning items.

A group of things sharing a defining feature, such as tools, mammals, or vehicles. Naming the category that contains a set of items is a common first step in verbal classification.

A property or characteristic of an item, such as color, size, function, or material. Comparing attributes is how test takers decide which items belong together and which differ.

A sequence of numbers that follows a rule, with the test taker supplying the next term. Rules may involve adding, multiplying, alternating operations, or growing differences.

A list of numbers in which each term changes by the same amount, such as 4, 7, 10, 13. Spotting a constant difference is often the first rule to test.

A list of numbers in which each term is multiplied by the same factor, such as 2, 6, 18, 54. The multiplier may be a whole number or a fraction.

The result of subtracting one number from another. Writing out the differences between consecutive terms often reveals the hidden rule in a number series.

A comparison of two quantities by division, showing how many times one contains the other. Ratio items ask the test taker to keep the same proportional relationship between pairs.

A statement that two ratios are equal, such as 3 to 4 as 9 to 12. Solving a proportion means finding the missing value that keeps the relationship constant.

A mathematical statement that two expressions are equal, often containing an unknown value shown by a letter or symbol. Balancing both sides is the standard solving method.

A quantity in a problem whose value is not stated and must be found, often represented by a symbol such as a square or letter. Locating the unknown guides the solving strategy.

A mathematical process such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division. Items may show operations with symbols substituted for numbers, requiring rule inference.

A repeating or rule-governed arrangement of numbers, shapes, or symbols. Recognizing the rule and predicting what comes next is central to quantitative and nonverbal items.

An ordered list of items in which position matters. Sequences may be numeric, pictorial, or symbolic, and the task is usually to continue or complete the order.

Finding an approximate answer by rounding or reasoning about size rather than calculating exactly. Estimation saves time when answer choices are far apart.

A grid of figures arranged in rows and columns, with one cell empty. The test taker picks the figure that completes the underlying rule across rows and columns.

A row of pictures that changes step by step according to a rule, with the test taker choosing the picture that comes next. Changes may involve rotation, counting, or shading.

A nonverbal item showing several figures that share a feature plus one that does not. The test taker selects the figure that fails to fit the shared rule.

An item describing a sheet folded one or more times and then punched, asking which pattern of holes appears when it is unfolded. The answer follows from mirror symmetry across each fold line.

Turning a figure around a fixed point by a given angle without flipping it. Rotated figures keep their handedness, so a clockwise turn never produces a mirror image.

Flipping a figure across a line so that it appears as a mirror image. Reflections reverse handedness, which distinguishes them from rotations of the same figure.

Any change applied to a figure, including sliding, turning, flipping, resizing, or recoloring. Naming the transformation is the key step in many nonverbal items.

Sliding a figure to a new position without turning or flipping it. Orientation and shape stay identical, which helps rule out options that were rotated instead.

The property of a figure that looks unchanged when folded along a line or turned partway around. Symmetry lines and axes predict how punched or folded shapes appear.

The consistent principle governing how figures change across a series or matrix, such as adding one side each step. Identifying the rule lets the test taker predict the missing figure.

A nonverbal item in the form A relates to B as C relates to a missing figure. The test taker must identify the visual change from A to B and apply it to C.

Placing one figure on top of another so that overlapping parts combine or cancel. Items may ask which combined shape results from merging two given figures.

Tallying a visual feature such as sides, corners, dots, or shaded regions. Many matrix and series rules are numeric, so counting is a reliable first check.

The item in a set that lacks the shared feature the others have. Finding the common attribute of the majority is the fastest route to the answer.