NNAT3 Cheat Sheet 2026

The 30 highest-yield NNAT3 facts, distilled from real exam questions. Print it, save it as a PDF, or study it here — free, no sign-up.

1. How should a school psychologist interpret an NNAT3 NAI of 100? → The student performed exactly at the population mean for their age
2. When practicing for the NNAT3, which type of warm-up exercise is most beneficial before a timed practice session? → Solving a few simple pattern completion puzzles
3. Which NNAT3 score type is most useful for comparing a student's performance across different test administrations or to other standardized tests? → Naglieri Ability Index (standard score)
4. Which of the following would NOT be found on the NNAT3? → A sentence completion task
5. In Reasoning by Analogy items on the NNAT3, the relationship shown in the top row must be applied to the: → Bottom-right cell (the missing cell)
6. In a pattern grid, each shape rotates 90° clockwise with each step. If a shape points right in step 1, which direction does it point in step 4? → Right
7. When the NNAT3 is administered online, what tool do younger students typically use to select answers? → Mouse or touch screen
8. If a student's Nonverbal Ability Index (NAI) is 130, this score falls approximately how many standard deviations above the mean? → 2 SD
9. A student's NNAT3 result shows stanine 7. Which descriptor best fits this performance level? → Above average
10. A student is retested on the NNAT3 six months after an initial administration. Which factor most likely accounts for a higher score on retest? → Practice effects combined with natural cognitive maturation
11. A matrix row shows: striped circle, striped square, striped triangle. The next row shows plain versions of each. What rule governs the rows? → The fill pattern changes but the shapes stay the same
12. What is the purpose of the practice items included at the beginning of each NNAT3 level? → To familiarize students with the item format before scored items begin
13. A right triangle with legs of equal length is reflected across its vertical leg. What shape is formed by the two triangles together? → Square
14. In a 3×3 matrix, shading moves one cell to the right each row: row 1 shades column 1, row 2 shades column 2. Which cell is shaded in row 3? → Column 3
15. A district uses NNAT3 scores to identify students for gifted services. Which score type provides the most defensible single-number criterion? → Naglieri Ability Index
16. In what situation may an NNAT3 examiner provide a second opportunity to take the test (a retest)? → When documented testing irregularities may have compromised the student's score
17. In a pattern sequence, shapes get lighter in shade each step: black, dark gray, gray, ___. What comes next? → Light gray
18. A Reasoning by Analogy item shows a large dark triangle paired with a small dark triangle, and a large dark circle paired with ___. What completes the analogy? → A small dark circle
19. Which NNAT3 task type asks students to determine what a piece of paper looks like when unfolded after being punched with holes? → Spatial Visualization
20. Which NNAT3 level corresponds to grades 7–9? → Level F
21. A researcher finds that NNAT3 scores predict mathematics achievement even after controlling for verbal IQ. This finding is best explained by the shared role of: → Spatial and fluid reasoning in both mathematical and nonverbal problem-solving
22. What does a Naglieri Ability Index (NAI) of 100 signify? → Performance exactly at the national average for the age group
23. Which factor does NOT influence how an NNAT3 raw score is converted to a Naglieri Ability Index? → The student's classroom grades
24. Which score allows an NNAT3 user to see how a student performed relative to others born in the same year? → Age percentile rank
25. The NNAT3 is considered 'culture-fair' primarily because it: → Uses geometric shapes rather than culturally specific images or language
26. What should an examiner record on the Examiner's Record Form following each NNAT3 administration? → Any irregularities, accommodations used, and the exact start and stop times
27. A Figure Classification item shows three figures with horizontal stripes and one figure with vertical stripes. What attribute distinguishes the odd figure? → Orientation of the internal line pattern
28. When a student asks the examiner to repeat the directions during the NNAT3, what is the correct response? → Read the directions verbatim one more time
29. The NNAT3 is designed to be administered without verbal instructions beyond pointing. Which population is most directly served by this design feature? → Students with hearing impairments or limited English proficiency
30. Which Cattell-Horn-Carroll (CHC) broad ability is most directly measured by all four NNAT3 task types? → Gf – Fluid Intelligence