OLSAT Level A and B Prep: What Kindergartners Face (and How to Help)

OLSAT Levels A and B are the youngest versions of the Otis-Lennon School Ability Test, designed for children who are entering kindergarten or completing first grade. Most parents are surprised to learn that a 4- or 5-year-old is expected to reason through verbal analogies and spatial patterns — but the test format for these ages is carefully adapted to use pictures, oral delivery, and simple multiple-choice responses that young children can manage without reading ability.

OLSAT Level Breakdown for Young Grades

The OLSAT uses age norms, not just grade norms, so the level assignment depends on when your child was born relative to the testing window:

For NYC's Gifted and Talented program, most applicants take Level A (if they are applying for preK programs) or Level A/B (if applying for kindergarten). The DOE administers the test to 4- and 5-year-olds who have not yet started kindergarten or are completing their first year.

Question Types on Level A

Level A questions fall into two broad categories — Verbal and Nonverbal — and all are delivered orally by a trained test administrator. Your child looks at a picture page in a test booklet and points to or circles their answer. They do not read any text.

Verbal Section: Aural Reasoning

The administrator reads a sentence or brief scenario aloud and the child selects the picture that best answers the question. This type of question tests listening comprehension plus reasoning — the child must hold the question in working memory while scanning four answer pictures.

Example structure (not actual test content): "I have four legs and I live in a house with people. Which picture shows what I am?" The child selects from four images showing various animals or objects. The reasoning demands go beyond vocabulary — the child must eliminate wrong choices based on logical criteria.

Verbal Section: Following Directions

The administrator describes a specific arrangement of objects or gives a multi-step instruction. The child must identify the picture that matches those directions precisely. These questions test both listening comprehension and the ability to mentally process spatial and relational language (above, below, left of, next to, more than).

Verbal Section: Picture Classification

The child sees three pictures that share a property and must choose a fourth picture from the answer choices that belongs to the same group. This tests categorical thinking — a foundational reasoning skill. Unlike the aural questions, classification questions are primarily visual, with the administrator providing minimal verbal cues.

Nonverbal Section: Picture Analogies

These are relationship-based questions presented in a 2x2 grid: "Item A is to Item B as Item C is to ___?" The child must identify the relationship between the first pair and apply it to the second pair. At Level A, relationships are concrete (big/small, dark/light, one/many) rather than abstract.

Nonverbal Section: Figural Reasoning

These questions use geometric shapes and patterns. The child might see a row of shapes that change according to a rule (size increases, orientation rotates, shading alternates) and must select what comes next. At Level A, patterns are simple — typically one changing variable — but young children who have not been exposed to pattern work often find these questions surprising.

Why Level A Is Harder Than It Looks

The challenge of Level A for young children is not the complexity of any single question type — it is the combination of demands happening simultaneously. When a child hears an aural reasoning question, they must:

• Listen carefully and hold the question in working memory
• Understand all the vocabulary in the question
• Scan four pictures and evaluate each one against the criteria
• Inhibit the impulse to point to the first appealing picture
• Mark their answer and shift attention to the next question

For a 4-year-old, this cognitive juggling act is genuinely demanding — not because the questions are conceptually difficult for a bright child, but because the test format itself requires sustained focus and working memory that many young children are still developing.

Additionally, young children often struggle with the concept of choosing the "best" answer. They may see partial merit in multiple options and need practice understanding that only one answer is correct.

What Level B Adds

Level B (ages 6–7) builds on Level A by introducing greater complexity in each question type:

• Verbal analogies become more abstract: Relationships may involve function (a brush is to paint as a pen is to ___), part-to-whole (a petal is to a flower as a brick is to ___), or degree (warm is to hot as cool is to ___).
• Classification groups become less obvious: At Level A, a group might be "things you eat." At Level B, a group might be "things that can be both big and small depending on context" — requiring more sophisticated categorical thinking.
• Figural series become longer: Instead of a 3-element pattern, children see 5-element patterns with two variables changing simultaneously (shape rotates AND shading changes).
• Some printed words appear: Level B begins introducing a limited amount of text in the answer areas, preparing children for the fully reading-based format of Level C and above.

Skills to Build at Home

The most effective preparation for Level A and B is not drilling practice questions — it is deliberately building the underlying reasoning skills that the test measures. These activities feel like play but directly target what the OLSAT tests:

Vocabulary and Listening Comprehension

• Read aloud daily and ask inferential questions: After each page, ask "Why do you think she did that?" or "What do you think will happen next?" This builds the listening comprehension and verbal reasoning that aural questions demand.
• Introduce precise relational vocabulary: Practice words like above, below, between, beside, before, after, more than, fewer than. Many Level A direction-following questions hinge on whether children know these terms precisely.
• Play 20 Questions: This classic game builds the ability to categorize by properties — exactly what picture classification tasks require.

Classification and Categorical Thinking

• "What doesn't belong?" games: Show your child a set of 4 household objects and ask which one doesn't belong — then ask them to explain why. The explanation is as important as the answer; it builds metacognitive awareness of categories.
• Sorting games: Have your child sort toys, kitchen items, or picture cards by multiple attributes: first by color, then by size, then by function. Multi-attribute sorting builds the cognitive flexibility Level B classification demands.
• Talk about categories explicitly: When you see animals, vehicles, or food, discuss what makes something belong to a group. "Why is a whale a mammal even though it lives in water?"

Pattern Recognition and Figural Reasoning

• Shape sorting and pattern tiles: Wooden pattern blocks let children physically manipulate shapes and explore rotation, reflection, and symmetry — the spatial concepts that underlie figural series questions.
• AB/ABC pattern games: Create simple patterns with colored blocks or stickers and have your child predict what comes next. Gradually increase complexity (AABB, ABBC, size-and-color combinations).
• Puzzle work: Jigsaw puzzles build spatial reasoning. For Level A prep specifically, puzzles with geometric or repeating visual patterns are especially useful.

Analogy Thinking

• Relationship language: Introduce the concept of "A is to B as C is to D" through everyday examples: "A puppy is a baby dog — what is a baby cat called? A kitten. A puppy is to a dog as a kitten is to a cat." Saying the analogy structure aloud helps young children internalize the format before they encounter it on paper.
• Function analogies: "What do we do with a fork? Eat. What do we do with a pencil? Write. A fork is for eating the way a pencil is for ___." Functional analogy practice directly prepares children for Level B's more abstract analogy questions.

Sample Question Description: What an Aural Reasoning Question Feels Like

To help you understand what your child will experience, here is a description of the general format of an aural reasoning question (not actual OLSAT content):

Your child sits across from a test administrator at a small table. The administrator places a booklet open to a page with four pictures arranged in a row. The administrator reads aloud: "One of these pictures shows something that belongs to you but other people use it more than you do." Your child must consider all four pictures and select the one that best matches the description. The answer requires not just knowing what each object is, but reasoning about ownership and use — a fairly abstract concept for a 5-year-old to reason through in real time while listening.

The question is read only once. Your child cannot ask for a repeat. This is why listening comprehension practice — and practice staying calm when you're not sure — are both important parts of preparation.

8-Week Preparation Schedule (10 Minutes Per Day)

Consistency over intensity: 10 minutes daily for 8 weeks produces better outcomes than weekend cramming sessions. Here is a structured progression:

NYC Testing Timeline for PreK and K Applications

For families in New York City using the OLSAT as part of the Gifted and Talented application process, here is the typical annual timeline:

• September–October: NYC DOE opens G&T registration for the upcoming school year. Families apply online through the DOE portal.
• November–December: Registered families receive testing appointment letters (mailed or available in the portal).
• Late January–mid February: OLSAT and NNAT testing takes place at DOE testing sites across the five boroughs. Children are tested one-on-one with a trained proctor for Level A, or in small groups for older levels.
• March–April: Score reports are released to families through the DOE portal or mailed to the home address on file.
• April–May: Program offers are sent. Families have a short window (typically 2 weeks) to accept or decline.
• May–June: Waitlist movement occurs as families accept or decline offers.

Check the NYC DOE website each fall for the exact dates for the current cycle, as timelines shift by a few weeks from year to year.

Day-of Tips for Very Young Test-Takers

• Prioritize sleep: Young children's working memory and attention are dramatically affected by sleep. Ensure your child has a full night's sleep (10–11 hours for ages 4–5) before the test.
• Eat a protein-rich breakfast: Avoid sugary cereals or juice that cause blood sugar spikes and crashes. Eggs, yogurt, or oatmeal with fruit sustain attention better through a 30–45 minute test session.
• Arrive early: Give yourself 20 minutes of buffer time. Arriving rushed or late creates anxiety that is almost impossible for young children to recover from during the test.
• Do not review material the morning of: Last-minute cramming increases anxiety without improving performance. A calm, pleasant morning is more valuable than a final vocabulary drill.
• Brief your child about the format: Tell them in simple terms: "You'll sit at a table with a grown-up. They'll read questions to you and you'll point to the answer in a book. There's no wrong or right — just do your best thinking." Children who know what to expect are far less anxious than those who don't.
• Let the proctor do their job: Trust that the test administrator is trained to work with young children. Do not coach from the doorway or linger if you make your child anxious by being present.