Welcome!
In general, posters on this board may value accurate test results and view each as a single measure or snapshot of the child at a point in time, lending insight for planning to address the child's ongoing educational needs.
Therefore the type of
test prep which is
broadly endorsed is simply that which strives to
ensure the child is functioning at a high level: well rested, well fed, etc.
A second level of test prep which many
agree with would be the free online demo or sample questions posted online on the specific test company's website. Free practice tests online, offered by the testing company, are generally considered
becoming acquainted with the test and are not considered to be gaming the system. Individuals most often aware of free practice tests online may be those who are educators, have an older child in the system, volunteer at school, research extensively online, join forums, and/or socialize with other parents having an older child in the system. Those who may be unaware of practice tests online may be those learning the ropes as they shepherd their first child through the system, those who do not join committees, participate in forums, research online, socialize with other parents, or volunteer in the classroom.
A level of test prep which may be
broadly rejected as giving a falsely inflated result (generally not sustainable or supported by the child's ongoing progress/performance/achievement) is the test prep available from commercial companies at a price. This may be regarded by some as
unethical, cheating, and/or gaming the system. Some may associate this type of test prep with the often negatively regarded concepts of tiger parenting, vanity parenting, hothousing, and trophy kids. There are other threads which discuss these concepts.
There are other threads which discuss the relative merits (pros and cons) of CogAt testing.
Wishing you all the best.
