A Meta-Analytic Evaluation: Investigating Evidence for the Validity of the Cognitive Abilities Test.

This article presents a meta-analytic evaluation of the Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT), a widely used standardized tool for identifying gifted students, focusing on its concurrent validity with other gifted identification instruments. Analyzing 24 studies with 33 effect sizes and over 36,000 participants, the study found a moderate to high average correlation (r = .63) between CogAT scores and other measures, with no significant difference between CogAT6 and CogAT7 versions. Moderator analyses revealed that authorship by test developer Lohman and publication type influenced effect sizes, while the type of comparison instrument did not significantly affect correlations. The findings support using CogAT alongside additional tools for more equitable and comprehensive gifted identification, especially considering variability across populations and the need to address underrepresentation in gifted education.