Cognitive preferences of 177 able, science-oriented high school students who participated in a secondary science training program at the University of Iowa in the summer were studied. A Biology Cognitive Preference Test (BCPT) was administered, in which 20 items required ranking and 20 items required rating on a four-point scale. The items were also categorized under different biological topics. Statistical analyses revealed that the students had a very high preference for Questioning (Q), high preference for Principles (P), and low preference for Recall (R). There were no significant relationships between cognitive preferences and most of the background variables (sex, year in high school, general achievement, achievement in high school biology, hobby, etc.), which may be attributed to the homogeneity of the sample. (Author/CS)