My child is taking the Stanford-Binet® to qualify for Hunter College Elementary. I have heard that the tests are scored according to age and kids may have a slight advantage by taking the test in certain months vs. others. Can you advise me on when my child should take the test?

For the Stanford-Binet®, younger children are compared to kids within a two-month range. So for a three to four-year-old it would be:

3 years 0 months through 3 years 1 month
3.2 – 3.3
3.4 – 3.5
3.6 – 3.7
3.8 – 3.9
3.10 – 3.11

4 years 0 months through 4 years 1 month
4.2 – 4.3
4.4 – 4.5
4.6 – 4.7
4.8 – 4.9
4.10 – 4.11

At age 5, the age band widens:

5 years 0 months through 5 years 3 months
5.4 – 5.7
5.8 – 5.11
6.0 – 6.3
6.4 – 6.7
6.8 – 6.11…and so on.

Ideally, when your 3 – 4 year-old child is tested, he would be at the older age of the 2-month band. So schedule him at a time when he is closer to 4.3 or 4.5. For a child over 5, you’d want her to be tested at the higher end of the band as well, so close to 5.7 or 5.11.