CogAT® Releases Post-Pandemic Norms; Nation's Largest Sample Sets New Bar for Research-Backed Ability Assessment

Grounded in data from more than 2.8 million assessments, updated age- and grade-based norms offer the nation's largest and most representative sample to enable fair and accurate ability assessment

ITASCA, Ill., Aug. 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Riverside Insights, developer of many of the most widely used K-12 assessments, including Woodcock-Johnson V (WJ V), Iowa Assessments™, and DESSA, today announced the release of new, 2024 post-pandemic norms for its Cognitive Abilities Test™ (CogAT®).  With growing momentum around universal screening policies, the latest CogAT release will equip districts to bring the nation's largest and most representative sample to bear on district decision-making.

"In ability testing, norms aren't just a formality—they are the foundation of fair, unbiased decision-making," said Dr. Joni Lakin, CogAT author and Professor of Educational Research at the University of Alabama College of Education. "While some tests rely on samples of just a few thousand students, CogAT research is grounded in gold-standard psychometric practices and 2.8 million assessment instances—providing unmatched statistical power to ensure educators make fair and confident decisions about student ability."

First introduced in 1968, the CogAT normative data now spans diverse geographic regions, school types, and student populations to provide the most equitable and accurate comparisons available for Gifted and Talented identification. CogAT's latest norms also account for changes in student learning environments and demographics since the COVID-19 pandemic to provide a more accurate baseline for today's learners.

Improved Accuracy; Mitigating Risk of Bias

"National norms are expected in ability assessments—but the quality of those norms is critical," said Vanessa Hill, Gifted Education Coordinator at Amphitheater Public Schools. "Without rigorous, representative norms, districts risk inaccurate comparisons that can lead to biases in Gifted and Talented identification and Multilingual Learner placement."

The breadth and diversity of its sample, coupled with the assessments longstanding psychometric validity, now enable CogAT users to utilize local norming capabilities to tailor decision-making to their unique student populations. In addition to local norming, CogAT is the only ability assessment that enables district leaders to utilize scaled scores and age-based comparisons with scientific rigor. Critical features of the CogAT include: 

• Nation's largest, most diverse norm sample: 2.8 million assessments
  
  
• Robust age-based comparisons: Updated age norms for ages 4 years, 11 months to 21 years, 7 months facilitate meaningful developmental comparisons of student ability.
  
  
• Stronger local norms: Based on scaled scores and age – not just grade-level estimates.
  
  
• Actionable insights: Data to support instruction and student growth, not just identification.
  
  
• Proven impact: Studies show that the use of CogAT as a universal screener can significantly increase the identification of students from historically underrepresented backgrounds

Commitment to Excellence and Access for All

The new Post-Pandemic Norms launch alongside additional CogAT enhancements, including Shortened Directions, which provide students greater flexibility for pacing, answer selection, and navigation, reducing test time by up to 10 minutes.

For more information, visit www.riversideinsights.com/CogAT.

About Riverside Insights
For nearly a century, Riverside Insights has created research-backed assessments that empower educators with the insights needed to understand each student's strengths and challenges. From identifying overlooked needs to navigating complex learner profiles, our best-in-class assessments—like Woodcock-Johnson V (WJ V) and Cognitive Abilities Test™ (CogAT®)—deliver actionable data that help educators transform student trajectories and meet the evolving needs of today's learners.

SOURCE Riverside Insights