Cognitive and Educational Assessment

What is a Cognitive and Educational Assessment?

A cognitive and educational assessment is a comprehensive individual assessment that involves gathering information from parents/ caregivers, and teachers on academic performance and collaborating and confirming this information with an individual’s performance on a standardised I.Q. assessment and an assessment of academic achievement. The goal of a cognitive and educational assessment is to obtain an accurate profile of the individual’s intellectual functioning, thinking and reasoning skills, and academic strengths and weaknesses to assist in developing learning strategies and recommendations.

A cognitive and educational assessment is comprised of at least two types of testing; cognitive and educational testing.

1. Cognitive testing assesses abilities such as:

• Verbal Comprehension – verbal reasoning and conceptualisation, thinking with words and expressing thoughts in words
• Perceptual Reasoning – visual perceptual reasoning and skills in solving non-verbal problems
• Working Memory – short-term auditory memory, attention, and concentration
• Processing Speed – visual short-term memory and speed of mental and motor processing

2. Educational tests measure academic skills such as:

• Reading – comprehension and decoding
• Written expression
• Spelling
• Mathematics – operations and reasoning
• Listening comprehension
• Oral expressive skills
• Academic fluency – speed of reading, writing and calculating

How can a Cognitive and Educational Assessment help my child ?

Cognitive and educational assessment will help to clarify an individual’s educational needs by evaluating their learning aptitudes, academic skills and other factors that may influence their academic success. Cognitive and educational assessment is also able to:

• Determine an individual’s intellectual functioning
• Detect learning difficulties
• Establish giftedness
• Provide relevant information for children entering school for the first time ( School Health Screening )

At the conclusion of the cognitive and educational assessment, a written report detailing the results and recommendations, is provided during a feedback session with a qualified specialist assessor.

What are Exam Access Arrangements?

Schools that practise British Curriculum have examinations done at the British Council Nigeria. Children with Special Needs may at times need their exam conditions reasonably adjusted in order for them to do better. In such a case the school can request for an exam access arrangement.