Columbia Public Schools gifted testing and NNAT® guide.

EEE is Columbia Public Schools' Early Elementary Enrichment program, its name for gifted services at this grade band. Getting a child into EEE runs through two separate tests, not one, which surprises families who expect a single test and a single result.

This guide is written for Columbia, Missouri parents who want to understand both steps, what score moves a child from Step 1 to Step 2, and how to prepare for the part that actually uses visual reasoning: the NNAT3.

What Columbia says about its two-step identification process

Step 1 is universal: every kindergartner and 2nd grader in the district takes the NNAT3, the Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test, in March. It is a nonverbal reasoning test built around visual patterns rather than reading or math, and it takes about 30 minutes. The district converts the raw score to a Naglieri Ability Index, or NAI, where 100 is average and 160 is the maximum. Students scoring in the high 80s to 90th percentile range on that score advance to Step 2.

Step 2 is individual: the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, Fifth Edition, or WISC-V, administered one-on-one at the student's school, typically taking about an hour. Columbia's own page states its criteria for entry into EEE is a base score of 120, calculated using the General Ability Index from the WISC-V.

Both steps have to happen for a student to be identified. A strong NNAT3 score only earns a WISC-V appointment; it is the WISC-V result, not the NNAT3 percentile, that determines final EEE eligibility.

At the NNAT3's kindergarten and 2nd grade level, students see Pattern Completion, Reasoning by Analogy, Serial Reasoning, and Spatial Visualization questions: find what changes, what stays the same, and which answer follows the same visual rule. For a parent-friendly walkthrough of those four formats, see our guide to the four NNAT® question types.

Why the WISC-V step is the one that actually decides eligibility

It is easy for a family to treat the NNAT3 as the real test, since it is the one every student takes and the one a child can meaningfully prepare for. But Columbia's own criteria make the WISC-V the deciding assessment: a student who advances past Step 1 still needs a General Ability Index base score of 120 on the WISC-V to enter EEE.

That has a practical consequence for how a family should think about preparation. NNAT3 familiarity can help a 2nd grader clear Step 1 calmly, which is the part GateBuddy's practice addresses. The WISC-V itself is an individually administered clinical assessment; Columbia's page does not suggest, and this guide does not suggest, that it can or should be specifically prepped for.

Questions Columbia parents should ask

1. Has my child's class completed the March NNAT3 screening yet?
2. If my child advances to Step 2, when will the WISC-V be scheduled, and where?
3. What NNAT3 percentile range does Columbia currently treat as advancing to Step 2?
4. If my child doesn't qualify this year, is there a later re-screening opportunity?
5. If we're new to the district mid-year, does the fall testing cycle apply to us?
6. What EEE services are available at our child's school once identified?

Our broader questions to ask your school guide can help you turn those into one clear conversation with the office or program contact.

How to prepare without adding pressure

The best preparation for a 2nd grader is short, consistent, and calm. Start with format familiarity: show the child the kinds of visual tasks they might see, then talk through the thinking after each question. A useful explanation should name the rule, not just reveal the answer.

If your child has not seen the NNAT® before, start with a short session rather than a full-length test. Then add complete timed practice only after the format feels familiar. Our guide to how to prepare for the NNAT® gives a simple structure for that progression.