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Gifted Test Grades Pre-K–12

Free OLSAT Practice Test

The Otis-Lennon School Ability Test (OLSAT) measures abstract thinking and reasoning for learning new material. It's the primary gifted screening test for New York City's Gifted & Talented program and dozens of other districts nationwide.

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Grades Pre-K–12
Grade Range
21 Question Types
Test Sections
60–75 min
Test Duration
Stanine Score
Score Format

All Resources

Everything You Need to Prepare

Practice Questions
50 free questions
Skill Boosters
5 key terms
Study Guide
On this page
Books
2 study guides
Articles
2 guides

Test Structure

What the OLSAT Covers

The OLSAT tests both verbal and nonverbal reasoning across 21 question types. Understanding the breakdown helps you focus your child's preparation on the areas that matter most.

Verbal Section

Tests following directions, aural reasoning, arithmetic reasoning, and logical selection. Verbal questions account for roughly half the test.

Nonverbal Section

Uses figural analogies, series, and classification with geometric shapes. No reading required for this section.

NYC G&T Levels

OLSAT runs in levels A–G by grade. Level A is for pre-K/kindergarten. NYC uses OLSAT alongside NNAT for its gifted screening.

Study Strategy

Prep Tips for Parents

1
Read aloud together daily

Verbal OLSAT demands strong listening comprehension. Read to your child and ask "what came first?", "why did that happen?" after each page.

2
Practice direction-following

Give multi-step instructions: "put your left hand on your head, then point to something blue." This directly mirrors OLSAT's Following Directions questions.

3
Work on word relationships

"What do apple, orange, banana have in common?" and "which doesn't belong: cat, dog, rose, fish?" Verbal classification is a core OLSAT skill.

4
Do arithmetic word problems

OLSAT arithmetic reasoning is logic, not calculation: "If there are 5 birds and 2 fly away, how many are left?" Work through these verbally.

5
Time your practice

The OLSAT is timed and test anxiety is real. Practice answering questions under mild time pressure so test day doesn't feel unfamiliar.

Study Materials

Recommended Books

Handpicked study guides to complement your online practice. Affiliate links — we earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

OLSAT Test Prep Book

OLSAT Practice Test: Level A and Level B Prep

Practice for pre-K through 2nd grade OLSAT levels. Includes verbal and nonverbal sections with parent score guides.

NYC Gifted Test Prep Book

NYC Gifted and Talented Test Prep Workbook

Combines OLSAT and NNAT prep specifically for NYC G&T. Includes actual-format practice tests for both tests.

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See How You Do

Sample Question Verbal

Which word does NOT belong with the others?

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Learn More

OLSAT Articles

NYC Guide

NYC Gifted & Talented Test: The Complete OLSAT Prep Guide

Everything NYC parents need: how the G&T program works, how OLSAT scores, and a week-by-week prep plan.

Read article → Score Guide

OLSAT Levels A Through G Explained: Which Test Does Your Child Take?

The OLSAT has 7 different levels by grade. Learn which level your child faces and what score qualifies for gifted.

Read article →

View all articles →

Common Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the OLSAT?

The Otis-Lennon School Ability Test measures abstract thinking, verbal reasoning, and nonverbal reasoning. It's one of the oldest school ability tests in the U.S., most famously used by NYC's Gifted & Talented program.

What districts use the OLSAT?

New York City, Nassau County, and dozens of other districts use the OLSAT for gifted screening. Check your district's website to confirm which test your school administers.

What is a good OLSAT score?

OLSAT results are reported as stanines (1–9). Stanine 7, 8, or 9 is above average. Most NYC gifted programs require a combined OLSAT/NNAT score at the 97th percentile or above.

What age does NYC test for G&T?

NYC tests pre-K (age 4) and kindergarten (age 5) for its Citywide Gifted Programs. Testing happens January–February for the following school year.

How is the OLSAT scored?

Raw scores convert to School Ability Indexes (SAI) then to stanines. NYC reports a composite percentile combining OLSAT and NNAT scores.

Practice

Sample OLSAT Questions

The OLSAT has 21 question types split between Verbal and Nonverbal sections. These examples show the five most frequently tested types.

Verbal – Aural Reasoning"Mary is taller than Sue. Sue is taller than Ann. Who is shortest?" Show answer ▾

✓ Answer: Ann

Aural Reasoning questions are read aloud to the child — they do not see the text. The test-taker must hold the logic in working memory and reason through it. Practicing multi-step logic chains verbally is the most direct preparation: "A is bigger than B, B is bigger than C, which is smallest?"

Verbal – Following Directions"Circle the second letter in the word CAT, then underline the first number that is even: 3, 7, 4, 9." Show answer ▾

✓ Circle A; underline 4

Following Directions is unique to the OLSAT among gifted tests. It tests the ability to process multi-step oral instructions and execute them precisely. Practice giving your child two- and three-step instructions during daily life — "get your jacket, put it on the chair by the door, then come back" — and gradually increase complexity.

Verbal – ClassificationWhich word does not belong? Apple, Orange, Carrot, Banana Show answer ▾

✓ Carrot — it is a vegetable, not a fruit

Verbal Classification asks children to find the category that unites most items, then identify the outlier. The trap is that multiple groupings are sometimes possible — "carrot is also orange like the others." Train your child to find the most precise category, not the first one that fits.

Nonverbal – Figural AnalogySquare : triangle :: circle : ___ (the square has a line through it; the triangle has a line through it...) Show answer ▾

✓ Circle with a line through it

Figural Analogies follow the same A:B::C:D structure as verbal analogies, but with shapes. The relationship here is "shape with a bisecting line." Identify all attributes that changed from A to B (none — same modification was applied), then apply that same modification to C. These questions appear on both the OLSAT and NNAT.

Nonverbal – Number Series2, 4, 8, 16, ___ Show answer ▾

✓ 32 — each number doubles

Number Series tests pattern recognition using numbers rather than shapes. The rule can be additive (+3, +5, +7…), multiplicative (×2), or alternating (two interlocked sequences). Always check at least three steps before committing to a rule — many children correctly identify the first step but miss that the rule itself changes.

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Score Guide

Understanding OLSAT Scores

The OLSAT reports a School Ability Index (SAI) with a mean of 100 and standard deviation of 16. NYC G&T programs use a combined OLSAT + NNAT composite score converted to a percentile.

100
Average SAI (50th percentile)
116+
Above average (84th percentile)
90th+
NYC District G&T threshold
97th+
NYC Citywide G&T threshold

In New York City, OLSAT and NNAT scores are combined equally into a composite score that determines eligibility. The 90th percentile composite qualifies for district gifted programs; the 97th percentile composite qualifies for the four citywide gifted programs (Anderson, NEST+m, TAG, and the Brooklyn School of Inquiry). Cutoff scores fluctuate each year based on the applicant pool — the 97th percentile one year may correspond to a slightly different raw score the next.

Outside NYC, most districts set their OLSAT gifted threshold between the 90th and 96th percentile. Always confirm with your district's gifted office — some use the OLSAT SAI directly, others use the national percentile rank (NPR) converted from it.