“How can I prepare my child for taking the NNAT and NNAT2?” The best way to prepare a child for the NNAT or NNAT2 is to be sure he or she is rested, feeling well, not hungry or thirsty, and not overly anxious. Taking the NNAT is fun for many children because the test is made up of diagrams not reading and math questions. Help your child understand that the best thing they can do is try their best. They should not spend too much time on any one question but not rush through the questions either. Encourage your daughter or son to look at all the answer options carefully before making a selection.

“What is an average score on an ability test?”

The NNAT2 yields a score based on the number of questions the student got correct in relation to others the same age. This score is called the NAI score and is mathematically set to have a mean of 100 regardless of the age of the student or which form of the test they took. That means that the average score for a student of any age is 100. The scores are also set so that 68% of students in the general population earn a score between 84 and 116.“If a child earns a percentile rank of 50 on the NNAT2, does that mean the child only got half of the questions correct on the test?”

No, a percentile rank of 50 on the NNAT and NNAT2 means that a child scored at the 50th percentile rank. This score does not mean that a child answered 50% of the questions right or wrong. The score means that the student did as well as or better than 50 percent of other students who took the same test. A percentile rank of 50 means the child got as many questions right as a child who got a NAI score of 100.“Because the NNAT and NNAT2 are described as “nonverbal” measures, does that mean that they measure only a portion of ability?”

No, the NNAT and NNAT2 are nonverbal measures of general ability; not measures of nonverbal ability. In fact, most people misunderstand what it means when we say a nonverbal test was given. The term nonverbal is a description of the kinds of questions not the kind of thinking. A nonverbal test can certainly involve words the child says to him or her self (e.g., “The top left row has a blue circle and the top right has a yellow circle.” “The bottom left row has a blue square…so a yellow square goes here at the bottom right.”). Remember the NNAT and NNAT2 are nonverbal measures of general ability.

“Because the NNAT and NNAT2 are described as “nonverbal” measures, does that mean that they measure only a portion of ability?”

No, the NNAT and NNAT2 are nonverbal measures of general ability; not measures of nonverbal ability. In fact, most people misunderstand what it means when we say a nonverbal test was given. The term nonverbal is a description of the kinds of questions not the kind of thinking. A nonverbal test can certainly involve words the child says to him or her self (e.g., “The top left row has a blue circle and the top right has a yellow circle.” “The bottom left row has a blue square…so a yellow square goes here at the bottom right.”). Remember the NNAT and NNAT2 are nonverbal measures of general ability. “Is a highly verbal child going to do poorly on the NNAT and NNAT2 because they are nonverbal tests?”

No, it is not likely that will happen. Children who are high in verbal skills are often high in general ability and the NNAT and NNAT2 scores will show that. The advantage of using a nonverbal test is that children who are low in verbal skills can still do well on a nonverbal measure of ability like the NNAT and NNAT2.“Is the NNAT and NNAT2 designed only for English Language Learners?”

No, it is designed for all children, but the test is especially useful for children who are learning English or those with limited academic skills because it measures ability without requiring, for example, reading, knowledge of words, or mathematics. The NNAT and NNAT2 are strongly related to many academic skills because the ability to do well on a nonverbal test is the same ability that helps children learn.

Introduction to the Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test — Second Edition (NNAT2)