By The OpenKidsPrep Editorial Team
Your child just took the NNAT and you received a score report with an NAI of 122 and a percentile rank of 93. What does that mean? Is it good enough for the gifted program? This guide explains exactly how NNAT scores work — and what numbers you actually need.
What Is the NAI (Naglieri Ability Index)?
The Naglieri Ability Index (NAI) is the primary score from the NNAT. It is a standard score scaled so that:
- The mean (average) is 100
- The standard deviation is 15
- Scores typically range from about 60 to 140
This means roughly 68% of children nationally score between 85 and 115. The NAI is age-normed — your child's raw score (number of correct answers) is compared to other children of the same age, not the same grade. Two children in the same grade but different months apart in age can receive different NAIs from the same raw score.
The NAI is sometimes confused with the older "Nonverbal Ability Score" (NAS) terminology from earlier NNAT versions. If you see either term on a score report, they refer to the same standard-score concept.
NAI Score Band Reference Table
Here is how NAI scores map to descriptive classifications and approximate percentile ranges:
| NAI Range | Classification | Percentile Range |
|---|---|---|
| 130 and above | Very Superior | 98th and above |
| 120–129 | Superior | 91st–97th |
| 115–119 | Above Average (High) | 84th–90th |
| 85–114 | Average | 16th–82nd |
| 70–84 | Below Average | 2nd–14th |
| Below 70 | Well Below Average | Below 2nd |
Note that these are approximate ranges. The exact percentile for any given NAI score also depends on the age norms used by your district and the NNAT edition (NNAT-3 is the current version).
What Does an NAI of 120, 125, or 130 Mean at Each Grade?
Because the NNAT is normed by age rather than grade, the same NAI carries the same percentile regardless of grade level. What changes across grades is the difficulty of the questions and the number of raw-score points needed to reach a given NAI.
As a rough guide across grades K–8:
| NAI Score | Approx. Percentile | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| 120 | ~91st | Top 9% of same-age peers nationally |
| 125 | ~95th | Top 5% — meets standard gifted cutoff in most districts |
| 128 | ~97th | Top 3% — qualifies for many selective gifted programs |
| 130 | ~98th | Top 2% — highly selective programs, NYC Citywide G&T threshold range |
| 132 | ~98th–99th | Top 1–2% — highest tier selective programs |
Typical Gifted Program Cutoffs
Every district sets its own cutoff, but most fall into one of two tiers:
Standard Gifted Cutoff — 95th Percentile (NAI ~125)
The majority of district gifted programs nationwide use the 95th percentile as their threshold. At this cutoff, roughly 1 in 20 children qualifies based on the NNAT alone.
Highly Selective Programs — 97th–99th Percentile (NAI 128–132+)
Magnet schools, specialized programs, and large urban districts often require the 97th or 99th percentile. These are the hardest gifted placements to earn through the NNAT alone.
Always confirm your district's specific published cutoff. Some districts use the NNAT as one component in a composite score (with a verbal or achievement test), which can shift the effective threshold significantly.
NYC Specifically: How NNAT Combines with OLSAT
New York City's Gifted & Talented (G&T) program does not use the NNAT score in isolation. NYC historically calculates a composite percentile by weighting the NNAT at approximately 75% and the OLSAT (Otis-Lennon School Ability Test) at approximately 25%, though this ratio has shifted in different testing years — always check the DOE's current guidelines before the testing window.
The composite percentile determines which program tier a child qualifies for:
| NYC G&T Tier | Composite Percentile Needed |
|---|---|
| Citywide programs (Anderson, NEST+m, etc.) | Typically 97th–99th percentile |
| District gifted programs | Typically 90th–95th percentile |
Because the NNAT carries more weight in the NYC composite, a very high NNAT score (NAI 130+) can compensate for a lower OLSAT score, and vice versa. A child who scores at the 99th percentile on the NNAT but the 80th on the OLSAT would have a composite around the 96th percentile under a 75/25 split.
High Nonverbal, Lower Verbal: What It Means for Gifted Placement
A child who scores very high on the NNAT but average on verbal tests (like the OLSAT or CogAT Verbal battery) shows a nonverbal strength profile. This is common in:
- Children who are English Language Learners (ELL) or bilingual
- Children with dyslexia or other language-processing differences
- Children whose strength lies in spatial and visual reasoning rather than word-based reasoning
For gifted placement, the practical effect depends entirely on the district. If the program uses only the NNAT, a high nonverbal score is all that matters. If the program uses a composite including verbal scores, the nonverbal strength is partially offset by the lower verbal score.
Importantly, a high NAI on the NNAT is a valid measure of reasoning ability. If your child scores in the superior range on the NNAT but not on verbal tests, consider advocating for programs that emphasize spatial and scientific reasoning, where nonverbal ability is particularly relevant.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the highest possible NAI score on the NNAT?
The NNAT NAI scale does not have a hard ceiling in the same way IQ tests do, but in practice scores above 145–150 are extremely rare and often not reported. Score reports from most districts show scores on a roughly 60–145 scale. A perfect or near-perfect raw score at any given age will typically produce an NAI in the 130–140 range, depending on the level and the specific normative sample.
Does a higher grade mean a lower NAI for the same raw score?
Yes, in a sense — but it is not really about grade, it is about age. Because the NNAT is age-normed, an older child who answers the same number of questions correctly will generally receive a lower NAI than a younger child who answered the same number correctly, because older children are held to a higher expectation. Within a grade, a child who is younger (say, with a September birthday in a grade where December is the median birthday) may have a slightly easier time reaching a high NAI.
My child scored at the 89th percentile. Are they close to the gifted cutoff?
The 89th percentile (roughly NAI 118–119) is genuinely strong — your child outperformed nearly 9 out of 10 same-age peers nationally. Most standard gifted cutoffs are at the 95th percentile (NAI ~125), so there is a meaningful gap. However, some districts set their cutoff lower (90th percentile), in which case your child may be right at the threshold. Check your specific district's published cutoff before drawing conclusions.
Can the NAI score change if my child retakes the NNAT?
Yes. Scores can change meaningfully between test administrations, both up and down, due to normal measurement error (the NNAT's standard error of measurement is typically around 4–5 NAI points) and real changes in skill. Targeted practice on visual pattern reasoning can help. Many districts allow retesting after one year. Some highly competitive programs average the two scores; others take the higher.
What is the difference between a percentile rank and a percentage correct?
A percentile rank tells you how your child compared to other children, not how many questions they got right. A child at the 90th percentile scored higher than 90% of same-age peers nationally — they did not necessarily answer 90% of questions correctly. In fact, on a difficult upper-level NNAT, a child might answer 65% of questions correctly and still land at the 90th percentile, because that same score is above most children their age.