Expert Guide to Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test Scores
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NNAT score report
The Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test measures problem-solving and reasoning abilities with nonlinguistic test questions, meaning your child will answer questions relating to figures, shapes, symbols, and patterns.
The most recent version of the test is the NNAT2. The test is often used to evaluate students for admission into gifted programs and is considered to be rather difficult.
Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test scores provide you with detailed information that can allow you to interpret your child’s strengths and weaknesses and help you understand how to improve if you plan to take the test again.
Of course, this information isn’t useful to you if you don’t understand how to read the fairly complex score report. We’ll help you understand how to interpret your child’s score, how to determine if her score is “good,” and how to help your child achieve a high score.
How Do You Interpret NNAT Score Reports?
On the NNAT, the raw score is simply the total number of questions answered correctly. Since there are 48 questions on the NNAT, the maximum raw score possible is a 48. The raw score alone does not give you much information about your child’s ability and potential giftedness.
The scaled score converts your child’s raw score to a consistent scale. You are then provided with the Naglieri Ability Index (NAI), which is perhaps the most helpful measurement of your child’s intellect. The NAI is a normalized standard score that compares your child to other students in the same age group. The average NAI is a 100, while the maximum is a 160. The scores are normalized so that 68% of test-takers score in the 84-116 range.
The other very helpful measurement of your child’s ability is the percentile rank. The percentile rank is a number ranging from 1-99 that compares your student to a national sample of other students in his age group. For example, if your child scores in the 91st percentile, he scored as well or higher than 91% of students his age in the nation.
The other numbers provided on the NNAT score report are less informative for parents and can be confusing.
Briefly, the NCE is your child’s Normal Curved Equivalence, which measures where your student falls on a normal curve. It is based on percentiles 1-99 and has a mean of 50. This number is not particularly helpful unless you intend to compare your child’s score to other test instruments or across multiple test administrations.
You will also see a stanine score ranging from 1-9. The mean stanine score is a 5, with a score of 1-3 being below average, 4-6 average, and 7-9 above average. Of course, this is not a very specific measurement, as a single stanine score can represent a wide range of test scores.
What is a “Good” NNAT Score?
A “good” NNAT score depends on context, but here we’ll define “good” as a score that will qualify your child for admission to a gifted program. Qualifying scores vary according to the school district.
The NNAT is a notoriously difficult test, so most districts require scores in the 92nd or 93rd percentile.
Other districts will consider students beginning in the 85th percentile who have a strong academic history, good work samples, and excellent feedback from teachers.
Still others only look at students in the 96th percentile or above. The best approach is always to call your school district or local school to ask about qualifying scores.
How to Get a Good Score on the NNAT
Understanding Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test scores is one thing, but knowing how to actually achieve a high score is another. With all questions involving shapes, figures, and patterns, the NNAT is an especially unique test. For this reason, it is essential to have your child practice the question types in order to build familiarity and confidence. To get you started, we have an in-depth guide to the NNAT, including sample questions.
There are four types of questions on the NNAT: pattern completion, reasoning by analogy, serial reasoning, and spatial visualization. Let’s take a quick look at each question type.
Pattern Completion- Children identify patterns and supply the missing pieces.
Reasoning by Analogy- Students are asked to recognize relationships among geometric shapes.
Serial Reasoning- Your child will be asked to recognize sequences involving shapes.
Spatial Visualization- Questions focus on the ability to imagine how two or more objects would look if combined.
You can purchase your child workbooks that focus on shapes and patterns, but the easiest way to prepare for unusual questions like these is to simply practice answering them.
Initially, allow your child to work on practice questions with no time constraints. As he becomes more adept at answering the questions, begin timing him to more accurately mirror testing conditions.
We also recommend having your child take a few full-length practice tests to build focus and stamina, as well as to get a feel for the pacing of the test.
It’s also important to teach your child general test-taking strategies, such as using process of elimination by crossing out obviously wrong answers.
Remind your child that he can write in the test booklet as much as he wants, including drawing or mapping out questions in order to solve them.
Lastly, help your child build confidence, and ease test anxiety as much as possible.
When Do Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test Scores Come Out?
Test administration dates vary by school district, but you can typically expect to receive your child’s score report about two months after the test.
Around this time, you will likely also find out if your child qualifies for your district’s gifted program. In some districts, additional information such as student work or feedback from teachers may be required.
Now that you’ve mastered Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test Scores and how to earn a good one, start practicing to give your child the best possible chance of success.
We recommend beginning practice sessions at least 3-4 months in advance for best results.
To get started download some free practice questions by clicking the button below.
