NYC G&T FAQ

• About the NYC Gifted & Talented Test
• Registering My Child
• NYC Gifted & Talented Test Prep
• Test Content and Format
• NYC G&T Scoring
• Related Gifted & Talented Tests

A: The NYC Gifted & Talented Test is an assessment used to identify gifted children in New York. The assessment is administered by the New York City Department of Education to 4-7 year-olds in order to determine eligibility for New York City G&T schools and programs. The test is comprised of two equally weighted sections taken from two other gifted assessments: a verbal section from the Otis-Lennon School Ability Test - 8th Edition (OLSAT), and a nonverbal section from the Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test- 2nd edition (NNAT).

A: When it comes to registering your child for the G&T Test, there is one clear advantage, and that is an understanding of what his or her mental capacity is. The test is specifically designed to give a comprehensive view of your child’s abilities and potential. By having your child take the test, you are given an opportunity to better understand his or her academic level from an objective standpoint. It is important to emphasize that many students who meet the G&T requirements do not get accepted to the program, as placing is limited. Regardless, your gain from the test remains the same, as you learn your child’s true abilities, and can know exactly where to set the bar for him or her in the future.

A: The NYC Gifted & Talented Test can be taken in other languages for children for whom English is not their mother tongue. The request to take the test in another language must be made on the Request for Testing (RFT) form upon registration for the test. The test is offered in the following languages:

• Arabic
• Bengali
• Chinese (Cantonese and Mandarin)
• French
• Haitian Creole
• Korean
• Russian
• Spanish
• Urdu

A: The NYC Gifted & Talented Test is administered for all levels throughout January, depending on the school administering the test. Score reports are mailed out at the beginning of April. If your child qualifies, you will receive an application with your score report, which asks you to rank your preferences of schools and programs available for your child. Applications are due mid to late April and admissions decisions and are sent out in the mail in late May. 

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A: The test is currently administered to students who are 4-7 years old, for admissions into gifted programs for kindergarten through 3rd grade. The difficulty of the tests increases from one age group to the next. At TestPrep-Online, we offer grade-specific study packs to help prepare your child.

A: The test is comprised of two sections: a verbal section, taken from the OLSAT-8; and a nonverbal section, consisting of the NNAT2 in its entirety. Though the nonverbal section contains more questions, it does not count more than the verbal section. Each section is weighted equally, accounting for half of the child’s score.

The verbal section contains three different question types from the OLSAT: Following Directions, Aural Reasoning, and Arithmetic Reasoning. Read more about the verbal question types on the OLSAT.

The NNAT2 contains four question types: Pattern Completion, Reasoning by Analogy, Serial Reasoning, and Spatial Visualization. However, not every test level includes all four question types. Level A contains only Pattern Completion and Reasoning by Analogy questions; Level B contains Pattern Completion, Reasoning by Analogy, and Serial Reasoning questions; and Level C contains all four question types. Read more about NNAT question types.

A: In total, the NYC Gifted & Talented Test has 78 questions. The nonverbal section is made up of the NNAT2 in its entirety, which is a total of 48 questions. The verbal section consists of the entire OLSAT verbal section, which is 30 questions. The test takes approximately one hour to complete.

A: No. The verbal section contains OLSAT verbal items which are read aloud. These specific questions are designed to test a child's ability to follow directions, and therefore do not allow a proctor to repeat questions.

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A: The OLSAT and NNAT sections are graded separately, then combined to form a composite score. In previous years, the NNAT carried more weight, accounting for 65% of the overall score. Now, the two sections are weighted equally, each counting for half of a student's overall score.

The composite score your child receives is an overall percentile score. This score is calculated by first finding the individual raw scores of each test. The raw score is the total number of questions answered correctly. The maximum NNAT raw score is thus 48, and the maximum OLSAT raw score is 30. The raw scores are then converted to individual percentile ranks for each test, which are then combined to determine the overall percentile rank. This overall percentile rank is the score gifted schools and programs will look at when assessing gifted children. Read more about how the NYC Gifted & Talented Assessment is scored.

A: There are two general types of gifted programs in New York City: citywide programs, and district programs. Citywide programs serve all five boroughs. To be eligible for citywide programs, your child would need to score in the 97th percentile or higher. To be eligible for district programs, your child would need to score in the 90th percentile or higher. However, increased competition levels may affect these cutoff scores. In recent years, only students who scored in the 99th percentile were accepted to citywide programs. These programs also take other factors into account when admitting students, such as sibling priority and "zoned district", meaning the district you are placed in for elementary school.

A: Scores are sent out by mail in early April for the January and February testing dates. If your child qualifies, you will also receive an application with your score report, where you can list your preferences for schools and programs your child is eligible for. 

A: You will be able to see your child's exam. The Department of Education requires that you make an appointment first, and they have very strict rules for exam review. You get only ten minutes to look over the test, and are not allowed to write anything down about the test. You also may not touch or photograph the exam. Reviewing the exam, even in this limited format, could be extremely helpful in understanding where exactly your child may need improvement for future testing.

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A: In order to register to take the NYC Gifted & Talented Test, you must first submit a Request for Testing (RFT) form two months in advance (beginning of November). RFT forms can be submitted online or in person at your child’s school (if they attend public school) or to a local Enrollment Office (if they attend a private school or do not currently attend school). The forms cannot be submitted via mail.

Students who are already enrolled in gifted schools may also submit an RFT form if they wish to transfer from a district program to a citywide program. However, if they take the test and do not qualify for the citywide program, their score will not affect their standing in their current district program. 

A: For children who are not currently enrolled in an NYC public school, NYC Gifted & Talented testing takes place during the weekend. When you submit an RFT form online, you will be given several options of available dates and school locations to choose from.

For children who are currently enrolled in an NYC public school, the school will administer the test during the school day. Parents will be notified 48 hours in advance of the test date.

A: The NYC Department of Education is willing to work with parents whose children were sick on the test day. However, considering the amount of children taking the test, they do not guarantee that your child’s test will be rescheduled. Contact the Office of Assessment Service Desk the Monday after your registered test date to reschedule.

A: The number of available seats in gifted programs varies each year. Schools will announce if there are seats available before applications are due. The number of eligible students typically outnumbers the seats available in gifted schools.
Siblings of current students have priority over non-siblings. Siblings who qualify are placed first, followed by qualifying non-siblings. This means that, for a citywide program, siblings above the 97th percentile are placed first, followed by non-siblings above the 97th percentile. Sibling priority applies only to applicants who have siblings who are currently enrolled in the school. If you wish to have more than one child enrolled in the same school, list that school as your top priority. Siblings in different grades applying concurrently will be treated as separate applicants. However, siblings in the same grade, such as twins or triplets, will be placed in the same program as long as each qualifies for admission.

A: If you think your child is gifted, attending a gifted program or school could be an extremely beneficial experience for him or her. Gifted programs are designed to cater to the specific academic, social, and emotional needs of gifted children. Classes are taught at a faster pace and at a higher level, in an environment where students are consistently surrounded by other gifted children. This can make a huge difference in a gifted child's educational experience.

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A: Like any other test, the NYC G&T has its own specific attributes and conventions. No matter how bright or gifted your child is, not understanding these conventions and not being familiar with the testing format can harm his or her overall score.
To avoid your child receiving a grade that does not accurately reflect his or her capabilities, it is important to be as prepared as possible.

A: Competition for NYC gifted programs is at an all-time high, so it is important that your child be as ready as possible for test day. At TestPrep-Online, we offer top grade test prep material with comprehensive study packs to ensure your child is prepared. These study packs include full-length, realistic practice tests, five NNAT video tutorials, hundreds of practice questions, and helpful study guides, designed to give you realistic examples of the actual NYC G&T Test. It is also important to remember to present the practice material in the same manner the real questions will be presented on the actual test. For levels one and Pre-K, for instance, parents should read the questions out loud to their children.  

A: Motivating young children to study can be a difficult task. At TestPrep-Online, we understand how frustrating it can be to keep your children engaged and focused. For this reason, we have included parent manuals in each of our study packs, which include different games and activities to strengthen the skills needed to excel on both the NNAT and OLSAT sections of the NYC Gifted & Talented Test. In addition, our test prep material is child-friendly and is designed to keep your child motivated colorful artwork and an easy-to-use online format.

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A: The Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test (NNAT) and Otis-Lennon School Ability Test (OLSAT) are gifted assessments used across the country to identify gifted children. Both are widely used as admissions requirements for gifted programs and schools. Read more about the NNAT and the OLSAT.

A: There have been several changes in the NYC Gifted & Talented Test over the past few years. The inclusion of the NNAT, for example, is a relatively recent development. The NNAT replaced the Bracken School Readiness Assessment (BSRA), which had been used together with the OLSAT, in 2012. Since 2013, the primary change in NYC G&T testing has been in the scoring.

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