Free Online NNAT Kindergarten Test Preparation: Practice NNAT Level A Sample Questions & Tips – 2025
If you have a child entering kindergarten, you may be preparing them to take the NNAT Kindergarten Test. This article will provide you with everything you need to know about what the test is and how to prepare for it.
What Is the NNAT Kindergarten Test?
The Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test (NNAT) is a diagnostic test used to admit children in kindergarten through 12th grade into gifted and talented programs. If you have a child who is preparing to go to kindergarten, is enrolled in Pre-K, or is already in kindergarten, they will be taking the NNAT Level A Exam. This test will be nonverbal and is designed to test their pattern recognition and special-reasoning skills. Your child will not be expected to use a bubble sheet to answer the questions until they are in 1st or 2nd grade, so you will not need to worry about that. In order to prepare for this test, you will want to have your child practice online test questions and practice exams. These will help them become oriented with the test structure and allow them to learn how to answer questions.
What Are the NNAT Kindergarten Test Sections?
Unlike the other NNAT Tests, the NNAT Level A for kindergarteners will only be made up of two sections, rather than four. Your child will be tested on their ability to identify patterns within given shapes and figures. The NNAT Level A (Kindergarten) will include 48 questions split into the following sections:
Pattern Completion
During this section of the test, your child will be presented with a shape or figure that includes a specific design. A small portion of the figure will be removed, and your child will be asked to look through the answers and identify which answer includes the missing piece. The shapes could have very simple designs, such as a solid color, or could include patterns.
Reasoning by Analogy
This portion of the test will include a row of shapes that are related in some way. Your child will be asked to look through the answers that are provided and choose a shape that shares the same pattern as the top row. The shapes you may see on this part of the exam could include shapes that are shrinking in size, or shapes that have different colored backgrounds but the same internal pattern.
How to Read NNAT Kindergarten Score Reports?
The NNAT Level A test for kindergarteners will be scored based on the child’s age, not their school grade. Your child’s test will be evaluated using three different methods, which will be reflected in their final score. The NNAT Level A test score report will include the following three sections:
- Raw Score: In the simplest terms, the raw score will just be the number of questions that were answered correctly. For example, if your child answered 35 out of 48 questions correctly, their raw score would be 35/48.
- Naglieri Ability Index (NAI): The raw score will then be converted into the NAI score. This is where your child’s raw score will be compared with other children’s scores that are in the same age bracket. The highest score your child could receive is a 160, but most children receive a score around 100. It is also important to note that NAI scores are normalized, meaning that 68% of students will receive a score between 84-116.
- Percentile Rank: Your child’s score is then compared with other children nationwide who are within a 3-month age range. The Percentile Rank ranges from 1 to 99%, so your child will receive a percentile somewhere within that range. For example, if your child receives an 80% percentile rank, this means that they scored the same or higher than 80% of children in their age-range nationwide.
You will usually receive your child’s scores in the mail two months after the completion of the test. Unfortunately, each school will have their own requirements for their gifted and talented programs. You will need to check with your school district to verify their scoring requirements. Some schools may have a lower requirement and may accept any child who has scored in the 80th percentile or higher, while others may be more competitive and require your child to score in the 95th percentile or higher.
NNAT Kindergarten Test Tips
- Practice together and practice often. Some children experience test anxiety when it comes time to take important exams. Help your child overcome this fear by familiarizing them with practice exams. These practice exams will boost their confidence and will ensure they do not become overwhelmed with test anxiety.
- It is okay to guess if you do not know the answer. If your child is taking the NNAT3 exam and they are not sure of the answer, they are allowed to guess. Although the official recommendation is that the child should skip the question and not answer it if they do not know the answer, the exam is only scored based off of the questions that were answered correctly, not how many were answered wrong. This means that there is no penalty for answering questions wrong.
- Become familiar with bubble sheets. Although your child will not be expected to record their answers on a bubble sheet, this does not mean they should not practice with one. Once they enter 1st or 2nd grade, they will likely be expected to start using bubble sheets. It is important to teach your child early on how to utilize theses bubble sheets so that they are prepared in the case they ever need to use one.
How to Prepare for the NNAT Kindergarten Test?
The best way to prepare for the NNAT Kindergarten Test is by using online materials and practicing with your child. It is important to help them recognize what questions they will be asked and assist them if they do not understand the question. The more you practice with them, the more confident they will feel when it comes time to take the test by themselves.
In order for your child to score high on the exam and be admitted into the gifted and talented program, they need to prepare in advance by studying and taking online practice exams. The best practice exams include answers with explanations. These explanations will clarify why the question needs to be responded to in a certain way and teach you about the right ways to answer questions. Everyone wants their child to do well on the NNAT Kindergarten test and to receive as high of a score as possible. Give your child the best chances for doing well by using practice exams and going over the material with them.
NNAT Kindergarten Test Sample Questions:
Pattern Completion Example 1:
Look at the pattern in the orange triangle. A piece of it has been removed. To complete the pattern, choose the piece below the pattern that goes where the question mark is. Which of the following answer options completes the design?
Explanation: The triangle is monotone orange, therefore the part which has been removed must be the same color as the triangle. The only answer choice that conforms to these requirements is answer choice D. It is helpful to use colors to see that they stay consistent throughout the entire picture and missing section. You can also use process of elimination to remove answer choices that are incorrect.
Pattern Completion Example 2:
Look at the pattern in the green-purple circle. A piece of it has been removed. To complete the pattern, choose the piece below the pattern that goes where the question mark is. Which of the following answer options completes the design?
Explanation: The circle has been diagonally divided into equal parts; half green, half purple. Therefore, the part which has been removed must be half green and half purple too and halved diagonally. The only answer choice that conforms to these requirements is answer choice B. It is helpful to use colors to see that they stay consistent throughout the entire picture and missing section. You can also use process of elimination to remove answer choices that are incorrect.
Reasoning by Analogy Example 1:
Look at the figures below. They are related in some way. Choose a figure from the answer row that corresponds to the figure on the bottom in the same way as the figures on top correspond to each other.
Explanation: Look at the top row. You can see there are two small red triangles each halved by a thin black line, which goes from the tip of the triangle all the way to the bottom. Now, look at the bottom row. There is one blue triangle also halved by a line. The only answer choice that conforms to these requirements is answer choice D. The triangle in option D is also blue and has a black line from the tip to the bottom, hence this choice will complete the analogy of 2 red and 2 blue triangles.
Reasoning by Analogy Example 2:
Look at the figures below. They are related in some way. Choose a figure from the answer row that corresponds to the figure on the bottom in the same way as the figures on top correspond to each other.
Explanation: Look at the top row. You can see there are two yellow boxes. One of them has a large, blue rectangle inside and the other one has a small, blue rectangle inside. Now, look at the bottom row. There is one big, blue circle inside a yellow box, therefore, following the analogy on the top row, the fourth box should have a small blue circle inside a yellow box. The only answer choice that conforms to these requirements is answer choice A.