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Home/Historical IQ Tests/NNAT
1996–98 · JACK A. NAGLIERI · 9 SOURCES

Could shapes fix who gets called gifted?

A group test built from matrix puzzles, with minimal spoken instructions, promoted as a fairer way to find gifted children from groups that are usually missed. Whether it works has been argued over since 2005.2,1

See what 0.42 means →Cite this page

Thirty years of one matrix series

The publisher describes the NNAT3 as the latest in a series of related instruments spanning thirty years, all by Naglieri.2

1985Matrix Analogies TestsA Short Form and an Expanded Form, from The Psychological Corporation.2
1997NNAT Multilevel FormThe matrix tests became the Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test.2
1998Individual FormAn individually given version.8
2007NNAT2The second edition, group-administered, with an online version as well.8
2016–18NNAT3For Levels E–G, a re-norming of the NNAT2 with the same items; only the norms are new.4
1996, 1997 OR 1998?Our archive timeline says 1996, and one database record dates the NNAT to 1996. The publisher's manuals date the NNAT Multilevel Form to 1997, and Wikipedia says the Individual Form came out in 1998. The NNAT2 is dated 2007 and also 2008.5,2,8

Abstract shapes and almost no words

The items use abstract shapes and figures: completing patterns, reasoning by analogy and following a series. The aim is to depend as little as possible on language, cultural knowledge or schooling.9 Like other nonverbal ability tests, it is meant to assess ability independently of linguistic and cultural background.8

The publisher calls it a good predictor of academic achievement, with enough ceiling to identify gifted students.4

Pattern completion
Reasoning by analogy
Serial reasoning
The kinds of reasoning described for its items9
EXPLORE · A RISK RATIO OF 0.42

Better, but not equal

A meta-analysis found the NNAT identified more students of color than other nonverbal tests. Even so, those students were still identified at 0.42 times the rate of other students.1 Set up a fictional school and see what that ratio means for the gifted programme.

Illustrative arithmetic for a pool of 100 identified students. Only the 0.42 figure comes from the research.

Share of the school40%
Share of gifted places22%
Underrepresented groupsOther students

A claim, a rebuttal, and a meta-analysis

2003
Naglieri and FordA large study suggested the NNAT could help identify gifted students from diverse backgrounds, including English language learners.1
2005
Lohman's critiqueDavid Lohman, co-author of the CogAT, criticised the study's methods and sample. Naglieri and Ford replied.1
Later
Mexican American ELL studyConcluded that a figural screening test such as the NNAT2, without other changes to selection, won't fix minority underrepresentation.5
Later
Poverty and SESResearchers tested the manual's claim that the NNAT is fair and unbiased for minority students, looking at socioeconomic status.6
Meta-analysis
Who wrote the study matteredCorrelations between the NNAT and other measures were high when Naglieri was an author of the study. The NNAT identified more students of color than other nonverbal tests, yet they remained underrepresented.1
Today
Still popularA popular group-administered intelligence test in the United States.7

References

  1. [1]A meta-analytic evaluation of the Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test: exploring its validity evidence and effectiveness in equitably identifying gifted students. Gifted Child Quarterly. ResearchGate.researchgate.net
  2. [2]Naglieri, J. A. NNAT3 Manual, Levels A–D (2018). NCS Pearson (PDF).pearsonassessments.com
  3. [3]Naglieri, J. A., & Ford, D. Y. (2003). Addressing underrepresentation of gifted minority children using the NNAT. Gifted Child Quarterly, 47(2). SAGE Journals.journals.sagepub.com
  4. [4]Naglieri, J. A. NNAT3 Manual, Levels E–G (2016). NCS Pearson (PDF).pearsonassessments.com
  5. [5]An analysis of the reliability and validity of the NNAT with English language learner (ELL) Mexican American children. ResearchGate record (dated 1996 in its metadata).researchgate.net
  6. [6]Socioeconomic status effects on using the NNAT to identify the gifted/talented. ResearchGate.researchgate.net
  7. [7]Addressing underrepresentation of gifted minority children using the NNAT (record with later citing literature). ResearchGate.researchgate.net
  8. [8]Wikipedia contributors. Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test (accessed 30 Sept 2026).en.wikipedia.org
  9. [9]Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test. Grokipedia (2026).grokipedia.com
HOW TO CITE THIS PAGE
What's Your IQ. (2026). Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test (NNAT). In Historical IQ Tests Archive. Retrieved September 30, 2026, from /en/historical-iq-tests/nnat-1996
EDITORIAL RECORD
First published2026
Last reviewed30 September 2026
Sources9, all from visible search results
Open questionsFirst publication year (1996/97/98); NNAT2 2007 vs 2008; years of the later studies
Canonical URLwhats-your-iq.com/en/historical-iq-tests/nnat-1996

Related historical tests

The matrix original1936
Raven's Progressive Matrices

Raven's test set the matrix format the NNAT builds on. Both try to measure reasoning with as little language as possible.

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The same hope, earlier1949
Cattell Culture Fair Intelligence Test

Cattell also tried to strip out language and culture. The NNAT research shows how hard it is to make that deliver fair outcomes in practice.

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The rival and the critic1968
Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT)

Lohman, the CogAT's author, led the criticism of the NNAT. The CogAT combines verbal, quantitative and nonverbal batteries, where the NNAT is nonverbal only.

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Also used for gifted screening1967
Otis-Lennon School Ability Test

Another group test used to admit children to gifted programmes. Unlike the NNAT, it includes verbal and quantitative items.

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Naglieri's earlier research1983
K-ABC

Naglieri studied the K-ABC and its smaller group differences. Fairness through processing and nonverbal tasks runs through his later work.

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Matrices for younger children1947
Raven's Coloured Progressive Matrices

The coloured version brought matrices to children aged 5 to 11. The NNAT also starts in kindergarten.

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Part of the Historical IQ Tests Archive. Editorial content under CC BY-SA 4.0. NNAT is a registered mark of its publisher; the matrix in the hero is decorative and not a test item.
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