LAUSD GATE and OLSAT-8 guide.

Los Angeles Unified identifies gifted students through its Gifted/Talented Programs office in seven categories. The 2nd grade OLSAT-8 (Otis-Lennon School Ability Test, Eighth Edition, Level C) is the universal screener, and it identifies students in the High Achievement Ability category. LAUSD describes the OLSAT-8 as an achievement test, not an intellectual test, and says it cannot identify a child as highly gifted.

What LAUSD says about identification

The OLSAT-8 is given online, at school, by the classroom teacher. It has 60 questions, is timed, is usually split into two sittings, and takes about 82 minutes in all. Questions are read aloud to students. Scores are based on the child's age, not grade.

For 2024-25, LAUSD's qualifying rule was an age percentile rank of 95 or above on the total, the verbal, or the nonverbal score. A total score of 90 to 94 also qualifies for students with meal code 1, 2 or 5. Once identified in LAUSD, a student stays identified through graduation.

Parents do not need to do anything for their child to take part. The school sends a letter; you sign and return it only if you want to opt out.

The OLSAT-8's nonverbal section, with figure analogies, pattern matrices and series, is the part closest in style to the NNAT®. The verbal section, following directions and verbal and arithmetic reasoning, is not covered by NNAT practice.

LAUSD's rule on pre-exposure

This is the detail most families miss. LAUSD lists students who have previously taken the OLSAT-8 or "have been pre-exposed" as exempt from the test. The district also has every 2nd grader take an official Pearson practice test online before testing. Students may take it as many times as they want, should get as much help as they need, and the district says it will not invalidate results.

So the safest practice is the official one your school gives. At home, keep to general skills: listening to and following multi-step directions, picture and shape puzzles, and patience with a long sitting. Avoid anything sold as real OLSAT-8 questions. If you do use general puzzle practice, 10 to 15 minutes a day is plenty, and at least two full timed practice sessions help with the 82-minute length. Practice teaches your child what the questions look like and gives them ways to approach and think through them, so test day feels familiar instead of surprising.

Other routes to identification

A 2nd grader who does not qualify on the OLSAT-8 is not out. A teacher, parent, family member, community member or peer can refer a student through the school's GATE coordinator, and students can be tested once by an LAUSD GATE psychologist for the Intellectual Ability category, the only category that can lead to a highly gifted designation. From 5th grade, students can also be identified automatically from state test results and grades.

Questions LAUSD parents should ask

1. What date will our school give the OLSAT-8, and when is the make-up?
2. When will my child take the official practice test at school?
3. Are the qualifying scores the same this year as in 2024-25?
4. When will results arrive, and how do I get a copy?
5. If my child does not qualify, how do I request a referral for Intellectual Ability testing?
6. What GATE services does our school offer once a child is identified?

Our broader questions to ask your school guide can help you turn those into one clear conversation with your school's GATE coordinator.