Free practice questions, answer explanations, and study guides — for gifted tests, IQ assessments, and private school admissions.
Test Catalog
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Getting Started
Three steps are all it takes. Each child's preparation looks different — but the path is the same.
Find your child's test in the catalog above — or use our test selector below if you are not sure which test your district or school uses. Each test page explains what to expect and how scoring works.
Each test has 50 free practice questions in the actual format your child will see — no paywalls to start. Work through a few each day rather than cramming. Consistent short sessions build skills faster than long single sittings.
Every test has a comprehensive study guide covering test structure, score interpretation, preparation timelines, and strategies for different age groups. Use it alongside practice to understand not just what the answers are, but why.
Test Selector
Different districts and schools use different tests. Here is a quick guide to the most common scenarios.
Most public school gifted screenings use the CogAT or NNAT. Some districts use the OLSAT (especially New York City, where OLSAT + NNAT together determine G&T placement). Check with your district's gifted office for the specific test they administer.
If your child's school gives the same test to all students 2–3 times per year to track progress, it is almost certainly the MAP (Measures of Academic Progress) by NWEA, or the ITBS (Iowa Test of Basic Skills). MAP is the most widely used growth assessment in the United States today, administered in over 9,500 schools.
Independent schools use the ISEE (administered by ERB) or the SSAT. The ISEE is accepted by over 1,200 schools; the SSAT by a partly overlapping set. Some schools accept both — check each school's admissions page, as preferences vary. Selective NYC schools such as Dalton, Collegiate, and Spence require one or the other.
Individual intelligence assessments conducted by licensed psychologists use the WISC-V (ages 6–16), WPPSI-IV (ages 2.5–7), or Stanford-Binet 5. These are not administered in schools — they require a private evaluation. They are often used when parents or teachers suspect twice-exceptionality (gifted + learning difference).
New York City's specialized high schools (Stuyvesant, Bronx Science, Brooklyn Tech, and others) use the SHSAT. Boston's exam schools (Boston Latin, O'Bryant) use the ISEE. Chicago's selective enrollment schools use a separate composite score. Always confirm the exact exam with the school or district — these programs can change their test requirements.
Real Talk
We want to be honest with you. Research consistently shows that preparation improves test performance — but the mechanism matters, and so does honest expectation-setting.
Standardized tests feel unfamiliar to children who have never seen them. Preparation removes that unfamiliarity. A child who has practiced 50 verbal analogy questions is no longer spending cognitive resources figuring out what the question is asking — they can spend all of it on the actual reasoning. This format familiarity effect is real and measurable, and it is the most reliable benefit of test prep.
Beyond format, targeted practice strengthens specific reasoning skills — pattern recognition, quantitative relationships, vocabulary — that the tests measure. These are genuine cognitive skills that improve with practice. A child who works through 200 number pattern questions over 6 weeks becomes genuinely better at spotting patterns, not just better at test-taking tricks.
Test preparation cannot permanently elevate a score beyond a child's actual reasoning level. A child who is performing at the 60th percentile for their age will not reach the 95th percentile in 4 weeks of practice — and more importantly, trying to force that outcome causes anxiety and burnout that can damage a child's relationship with learning.
Tests like the CogAT, NNAT, and WISC are designed to measure reasoning ability — not taught knowledge. They are harder to "game" than content-based tests precisely because the answer cannot be memorized. The most honest description of what we help with: your child will perform closer to their actual ceiling, with less wasted score due to format confusion or test anxiety.
The goal of preparation is to ensure your child's score reflects their actual ability — not more, not less. If your child practices, is well-rested, and understands the format, you will have done everything in your power. The score that results is your child's honest score, and that is the information you actually need.
A gifted program that is the right fit will show up in the scores. A child who misses a threshold by a small margin but prepares genuinely is very close to that threshold — not failing. Different districts and programs set different thresholds, and many excellent paths exist for children who do not qualify for a specific program in a specific testing window.
Why Free?
Private tutors charge $80–$200/hour. Paid platforms charge $30–$100/month. That's a significant barrier for most families — and it shouldn't be.
With advances in AI, we can now create comprehensive, high-quality practice materials at a fraction of the cost. This technology should open doors, not create new paywalls.
OpenKidsPrep is funded by passion, not profit. As a mother in tech, I built this because I know how much these tests matter — and I wanted every parent to have the same access, regardless of budget.
FAQ
Free Study Guide
Expert tips, sample questions, and a study schedule for your child's specific test — PDF delivered to your inbox, completely free.