NYC Gifted & Talented Testing

NYC Gifted & Talented Testing: What Parents Need to Know

(updated June 15, 2026)

For years, New York City families eagerly awaited announcements about Gifted & Talented testing dates. While NYC’s gifted admissions process has changed significantly since this article was originally published in 2011, one thing remains the same: parents want to understand how to help their children demonstrate their abilities and access advanced learning opportunities.

At the time, NYC students seeking admission to Gifted & Talented programs took assessments such as the OLSAT® (Otis-Lennon School Ability Test) and BSRA® (Bracken School Readiness Assessment). These tests measured a combination of reasoning, verbal, listening, and school-readiness skills and were used to determine eligibility for gifted programs across the city.

One aspect many parents found surprising was the length of the testing experience. Young children were expected to maintain focus, listen carefully, follow directions, and answer a large number of questions during the assessment. Success often depended not only on a child’s academic abilities but also on their stamina, attention, and confidence in a testing environment.

Today, NYC has transitioned away from the former citywide OLSAT and BSRA admissions process. However, many competitive gifted, accelerated, and selective academic programs still evaluate skills such as:

• Verbal reasoning
• Nonverbal reasoning
• Critical thinking
• Problem solving
• Listening skills
• Reading readiness
• Mathematics readiness
• Attention and focus

These foundational abilities continue to play an important role in advanced academic placement decisions.

Building Skills That Last Beyond Testing

Whether your child is preparing for a gifted screening, private school admissions assessment, cognitive abilities test, or academic enrichment program, the best preparation focuses on developing strong thinking skills rather than memorizing answers.

Parents can support their children by:

• Reading together every day
• Encouraging problem-solving activities
• Playing logic and reasoning games
• Building vocabulary through conversation
• Practicing listening and following multi-step directions
• Gradually increasing attention span and test stamina

These skills benefit children not only during assessments but throughout their academic careers.

How TestingMom Can Help

TestingMom provides families with practice questions, tutoring, enrichment activities, and expert guidance designed to build the reasoning and academic skills commonly assessed by gifted and talented programs.

Our goal is simple: help children feel confident, prepared, and ready to demonstrate their true potential.

While testing programs and admissions requirements may change over time, a child’s ability to think critically, solve problems, and learn confidently will always matter.