Countdown for the NYC Gifted and Talented Test Has Begun

posted by Karen Quinn, The Testing Mom - November 2nd, 2014

The NYC Gifted and Talented test will be here in less than 3 months, and parents have precious little time to prepare. The test has seemingly gotten more and more competitive with each passing year, with children often needing to score in the 99th percentile just to have a chance at a seat in the program.

The NYC Gifted and Talented test is made up of questions from the Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test ® (NNAT ® Test) and the Otis-Lennon School Ability Test ® (OLSAT ® Test). The NYC Gifted and Talented test is made up of 48 questions from the NNAT test and 30 verbal questions for the OLSAT test. The questions for the NNAT test include questions in the subcategories of pattern completion, reasoning by analogy, serial reasoning, and spatial visualization. The questions for the OLSAT test include questions in the subtests of following directions, aural reasoning, and arithmetic reasoning. The two tests are given back-to-back with limited breaks for children to stretch their legs or go to the bathroom. It’s important to note that parents can’t be in the room when the child takes the test, so it’s crucial that you get your child used to the idea of being away from you. If your child is shy or has separation anxiety, you need to start getting them used to separating now so that they don’t panic in the testing room.

Children who earn a score in the 99th percentile of the NYC Gifted and Talented test are placed first. Many children in NYC make this cut, so at that point their names are put into a lottery and the lucky “winners” will be able to get a seat in the program. Under the city’s sibling preference system, a child who earns a score in or above the 97 th percentile has an advantage over students who don’t have a sibling in the program.

NNAT®-2 and Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test® and Raven’s Standard Progressive Matrices™ are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Pearson Education, Inc or its affiliate(s), or their licensors. TestingMom.com is not affiliated with nor related to Pearson Education, Inc or its affiliates (“Pearson”). Pearson does not sponsor or endorse any TestingMom.com product, nor have TestingMom.com products or services been reviewed, certified, or approved by Pearson. Trademarks referring to specific test providers are used by TestingMom.com for nominative purposes only and such trademarks are solely the property of their respective owners.

OLSAT® – Otis-Lennon School Ability Test®, Eighth Edition® is a registered trademark of Pearson Education, Inc or its affiliate(s), or their licensors. TestingMom.com is not affiliated with nor related to Pearson Education, Inc or its affiliates (“Pearson”). Pearson does not sponsor or endorse any TestingMom.com product, nor have TestingMom.com products or services been reviewed, certified, or approved by Pearson. Trademarks referring to specific test providers are used by TestingMom.com for nominative purposes only and such trademarks are solely the property of their respective owners.