By The OpenKidsPrep Editorial Team
The NYC Gifted & Talented program is one of the most competitive gifted admissions processes in the country. Seats in citywide programs are extremely limited, and scoring requirements are high. This guide explains the full process — what tests are used, what scores are required, and how to prepare your child effectively.
Note on the 2024–2025 process: NYC has periodically restructured its G&T admissions process. Always verify the current year's requirements directly with the NYC DOE before preparing. The information below reflects how the program has historically operated using OLSAT and NNAT scores.
How the NYC G&T Program Works
NYC's Gifted & Talented program operates at two tiers:
- District gifted programs: Located in select schools across each community school district. Children must score at or above the 90th percentile on the combined assessment to be eligible.
- Citywide gifted programs: The most selective — including Anderson School and Nest+m. Children must score at or above the 97th percentile. Admissions are extremely competitive.
Children are tested in the spring of their pre-K or Kindergarten year (for entry in fall). The qualifying score is based on a composite of the OLSAT and NNAT scores.
The Two Tests Used
OLSAT (Otis-Lennon School Ability Test): Tests verbal and nonverbal reasoning through following directions, aural reasoning, arithmetic reasoning, logical selection, and figural reasoning. For young children (pre-K testing), the OLSAT is largely oral — the tester reads questions aloud.
NNAT (Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test): Tests spatial and visual reasoning using geometric shapes only. Completely language-free, making it an equitable measure across language backgrounds.
The scores from both tests are combined into a single composite percentile rank used for placement decisions.
What Score Do You Need?
- District G&T programs: 90th percentile or above on the composite score
- Citywide G&T programs: 97th percentile or above (roughly the top 3% nationally)
Citywide program seats are extremely limited. Even children who score at the 95th percentile — which would qualify for gifted programs in most other U.S. cities — do not qualify for NYC's citywide seats. The testing pool in NYC skews heavily toward prepared children, making the effective competition even steeper.
Week-by-Week Prep Plan (6 Weeks)
Week 1–2: OLSAT Verbal Reasoning
- Practice following multi-step verbal directions: "Point to the blue circle that is above the red square."
- Work on verbal analogies appropriate to your child's age
- Do "what doesn't belong" category exercises: "Banana, apple, carrot, peach — which doesn't belong?"
Week 3–4: NNAT Visual Patterns
- Pattern matrix practice: 2×2 and 3×3 grids of shapes with rules across rows and columns
- Pattern completion: shapes with pieces missing (like a puzzle)
- Physical spatial play: tangrams, pattern blocks, shape sorting
Week 5–6: Mixed Practice & Test-Taking Skills
- Alternate between OLSAT-style and NNAT-style questions each session
- Practice choosing an answer and moving on (young children tend to fixate)
- Simulate a "quiet test" environment: sit at a table, no distractions, pencil and paper
What Not to Do
- Don't teach test anxiety. Children who are told "this test is very important" score lower on average. Keep the framing positive and playful.
- Don't over-practice. 15–20 minutes per day is optimal for 4–6 year olds. More is counterproductive.
- Don't skip the OLSAT. Many parents focus only on spatial puzzles (NNAT) and underestimate the OLSAT verbal component, which is equally weighted.
Practice Free
Try our free OLSAT practice questions — verbal reasoning and figural reasoning, no signup required.
Start OLSAT practice →NYC Gifted and Talented: What Happens After the Score
Once NYC G&T scores are released, families face a multi-step process that extends well beyond the test result. A score at or above the 90th percentile composite qualifies for district programs; a score at or above the 97th percentile qualifies for the four citywide programs. But qualifying is not the same as receiving a placement — the number of seats is limited, and in competitive boroughs, many qualifying families do not receive their preferred program.
District G&T programs are assigned based on geographic eligibility and program availability. Families with qualifying scores submit a ranked list of preferences, and seats are allocated accordingly. In some districts, the demand for seats far exceeds supply even among qualifying families. Understanding the specific programs available in your district — their locations, specializations, and historical seat availability — is essential before rankings are submitted.
For the four citywide programs (Anderson School, NEST+m, Brooklyn School of Inquiry, and TAG Young Scholars), placement is based purely on composite score rank. There are no interviews, portfolios, or teacher recommendations. This makes the test score the sole differentiating factor for these programs. Families who are targeting citywide programs should understand that the effective cutoff is often higher than the published 97th percentile threshold — in high-demand years, many 97th-percentile families do not receive citywide placements because higher-scoring families fill available seats first.
The scores are valid for one year. A child who qualifies but does not receive a preferred placement can reapply in subsequent years, but must retake the test — previous scores are not carried forward. Some families choose to defer a placement offer and retest the following year if they believe their child was not fully ready or if their preferred program did not have availability.