The CCAT in Canada: what parents should know about gifted screening

If your child goes to school in Canada, the gifted screening test is most likely the CCAT (Canadian Cognitive Abilities Test), the Canadian version of the US CogAT. Here is what it measures, how screening usually works, and an important point many prep websites leave out: what your board says about preparation.

What is the CCAT?

The CCAT-7 is a group reasoning test with the same three areas as the CogAT: verbal (pictures and words), quantitative (numbers) and nonverbal (shapes). Each battery takes about 30 minutes. It looks at reasoning, not at what was taught in class.

How gifted screening works in Canada

Each board sets its own process. Many screen every student in one grade: for example the Toronto District School Board screens all Grade 3 students with the CCAT-7; some other Ontario boards screen in Grade 4.
Students with high screening results are usually reviewed further: teacher rating scales, and in some boards an individual assessment by a psychologist (for example the WISC-V).
Identification is then decided by a board committee (in Ontario, the IPRC).

What boards say about preparation

This is important: some boards ask families not to prepare children for the screening test. The Toronto District School Board, for example, says the CCAT-7 is meant to show how children handle new tasks, that no advance preparation or practice is permitted, and that results can be invalidated if a child has been prepared.

We respect that. If your board has a rule like this, do not use test-specific practice before the screening. Check your own board's gifted or special education page for its current rules.

Building thinking skills without "test prep"

Puzzles, building blocks, tangrams, mazes and logic games
Board and card games that involve patterns, counting and strategy
Talking about "why": how two things are alike, how they are different
Reading together and asking open questions about the story

These everyday activities build reasoning for school and for life, whatever any test says.

Where Brainosaur fits

Brainosaur is a reasoning adventure game with picture, number and shape puzzles in the style of US gifted screeners. It is a good fit for families in the US, for independent schools and private enrichment programs that welcome practice, and for children who simply love puzzles. If your Canadian board does not allow preparation for its screening, please follow your board's rules.

CCAT is published by Nelson; CogAT® is a registered trademark of Riverside Assessments, LLC. Brainosaur is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by Nelson, Riverside or any school board, and it cannot guarantee a test result.

Frequently asked questions

Is the CCAT the same as the CogAT?

The CCAT is the Canadian adaptation of the CogAT, with the same verbal, quantitative and nonverbal areas and Canadian norms.

In which grade is the CCAT given?

It depends on the board. Toronto (TDSB) screens all Grade 3 students; other boards may screen in another grade. Check your board's website.

Can I prepare my child for the CCAT?

Some boards, including the TDSB, do not permit preparation for their screening and may invalidate results. Follow your own board's rules.

Updated: 2026-10-28 · Tamakala Games