GiftedRoute CogAT practice for the whole family
Finding your test date

CogAT testing dates vary by district — here's how to find yours

We don't publish a list of specific testing dates here. Every district sets its own schedule, and those schedules change every year — a date that was accurate last fall may be weeks off this year. Publishing a list we can't keep current would do more harm than good. Instead, this page explains where to find authoritative dates and how to use that information to build a prep plan.

Why there's no single calendar

Why CogAT dates differ from district to district

CogAT testing for gifted-program identification is administered by individual school districts, not by the test maker. Each district decides when to test, which grades to test, and how to fit testing into the school calendar. A district in one city might test in October; a neighboring district might test in January. Both might shift by several weeks from one year to the next depending on staffing, enrollment windows, and state reporting deadlines.

The authoritative sources

How to find your district's current testing dates

Your district's gifted or highly capable program page
Most districts publish their referral and testing timeline on the district website under a heading like "Highly Capable," "Gifted Education," or "Talented and Gifted." Search your district's name plus "highly capable" or "gifted testing dates." This is the most reliable source because the district owns it and updates it each year.
Your school's office or counselor
The school counselor or front office usually knows the referral deadline and testing date before they appear on the district website. If you're within a few months of when you expect testing to happen and the website hasn't been updated, call or email the school directly.
Last year's date as a rough anchor
If you can find when your district tested last year — often mentioned in local parent groups or last year's district newsletter — that gives you a rough anchor. Most districts test within a few weeks of the same time each year. Don't use this to set a hard start date for prep, but it can tell you which season to watch for.
The district's enrollment or registration calendar
Gifted-program placement decisions are often tied to enrollment deadlines for the following school year. Working backward from those deadlines can help you estimate when testing needs to happen.
Planning around the date

How to build a prep plan once you have the date

GiftedRoute's 10-week program is designed to be run exactly once — starting 10 weeks before the test and finishing the week it happens. When you find your district's testing date, count back 10 weeks on a calendar and mark that as your start date. The program runs Monday through Sunday with a short lesson each weekday and a parent-run mock test in Week 4 and Week 8.

If you find the date and you have fewer than 10 weeks, start at the week that corresponds to where you are. The program adapts — it's better to cover weeks 4–10 than to skip the program entirely.

If you find the date and you have more than 10 weeks, use the extra time for free practice. The practice mode draws fresh questions every session and doesn't follow the weekly plan — it's useful for keeping the habit active before you officially start the 10-week route.

GiftedRoute does not publish district-specific testing dates, and we are not affiliated with or endorsed by any school district. All date information must be verified directly with your district — school calendars change every year.
Also on this site
What is the CogAT?
A plain-language explanation of the test structure, the three batteries, how levels work, and what the scores mean.
Gifted program admissions — how it works
What HICAP and highly capable programs are, how the referral and CogAT testing process works, and what actually helps with preparation.

Once you have the date, GiftedRoute's 10-week program gives you the structure.

Start practicing free