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Naglieri General Ability Test (NNAT3)

Screen Shot 2020-12-30 at 1.50.58 PMThe Naglieri General Ability Test (NNAT) test is a nonverbal measure of general ability that yields a norm-based score, helpful in identifying students with the potential for advanced scholastic achievement.  Explore the accordion below to learn more about the assessment.

 

Who participates in NNAT3?

All 1st grade students.

Any 9th grade student without an abilities score.

When is the assessment?

Fall 2025

Practice Links

The publisher does not have practice items as students have a chance to practice the assessment during the testing session.

Understanding Scores

NNAT3 results, like those from any test, should be interpreted in light of the student’s background, including classroom performance, social-emotional skills, motivation, and language skills. The NNAT3 has a variety of educational applications. It is a nonverbal measure of general ability that predicts scholastic achievement and is well suited to assessing groups of students with diverse backgrounds and characteristics. The NNAT3 has ample ceiling for use in identifying gifted students, but it covers the full range of ability and therefore can also be useful in flagging students with low ability who may face difficulties in schoolwork. Furthermore, when used in conjunction with information about academic achievement, the NNAT3 can provide a broader picture of students who are struggling academically and identify students who may have learning problems, whose academic difficulties may be due to learning problems or limited English proficiency, or who may have had inadequate opportunity to learn. These groups of students are likely to do more poorly on tests that require verbal and quantitative knowledge than one that is nonverbal, making a test like the NNAT3 a good choice for accurate assessment.

Resources Based on Results

If needed, please discuss your student’s results with your student’s teacher.

NNAT3 Parent Score Report Cover Letter

APS Logo
Office of Academics
2110 Washington Boulevard, Arlington, Virginia 22204

Dear Parents/Guardians:

This fall, your student took the Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test (NNAT3), which measures general ability without requiring reading, writing, or speaking. Students solve problems by analyzing relationships among geometric shapes.The student report is under Documents in ParentVUE. Scores Explained:

  • Naglieri Ability Index: Compares your student’s overall ability to others who took the test.
  • Percentile Rank: Shows how your student performed compared to a national sample of peers. For example, a 75th percentile score means your student performed as well as or better than 75% of students.

This test is not pass/fail and provides just one piece of information about your student’s abilities. It’s used alongside other data to guide instructional decisions.

If you have questions, please contact your student’s school. You may also visit the APS Assessment page at https://www.apsva.us/assessment/.

Sincerely,

Lisa Pellegrino
Director of Assessment
703-228-6155

Cheryl McCullough
Director of Advanced Academic and Talent Development
703-228-6160