Gifted & talented · 2026-27 school year · Checked October 15, 2026

Gifted testing dates 2026-27 by district

When each district tests, who gets tested, and when referrals are due. Every row comes from the district's own website and links to it, so you can check the date yourself before planning around it.

The dates

Districts change dates during the year. If a date matters to you, open the district link and confirm it.

Fairfax County, VA (FCPS)

Nationally normed ability test (not named on the page)

All grade 2; grades 3 to 7 with no score on file

  • Ability testing: October 2026
  • Referrals due: December 15, 2026
  • Second testing window: March 2027 (central screening only)
  • Appeals due: January 5, 2027

District page · FCPS testing and timeline page. FCPS notes all dates are pending school board approval.

Montgomery County, MD (MCPS)

CogAT

Grades 2 and 4, students not already identified

  • Grade 4: December 7 to 9
  • Grade 2: December 14 to 16

District page · MCPS Accelerated and Enriched Instruction page, updated September 15, 2026. The page does not print the year next to the dates.

Houston ISD, TX

G/T testing (test not named on the page)

All grade 2; grades 5 and 8 above the 80th percentile on beginning-of-year NWEA; others by request, PK4 to 12

  • Registration closed: September 25, 2026
  • Testing: October 5 to 23, 2026
  • Make-ups: October 26 to 30, 2026
  • Results: December, with the School Choice window

District page · HISD campus page (Windsor Village) on the Houston ISD site.

Fort Bend ISD, TX

CogAT

Referred students in grades K to 11; all grade 2 screened separately in the fall

  • Referral window: August 11 to September 30, 2026
  • Testing: November 2 to 13, 2026 (all grades except 2)
  • Grade 2 universal screener: fall semester

District page · Fort Bend ISD Gifted & Talented fall evaluation page (2026-27 fall referrals).

Beaverton School District, OR

NGAT only in 2026-27

Grade 3 Nonverbal, grade 4 Verbal, grade 5 Quantitative

  • Testing: weeks of October 5 to November 10

District page · Beaverton campus page (Sato Elementary TAG) on the district site.

New York City (NYC Public Schools)

No test

Kindergarten: pre-K teacher nomination or DOE interview. Grades 1 to 4: report card grades

  • Kindergarten applications: December 9, 2026 to January 22, 2027
  • Kindergarten offers: March 30, 2027
  • Grades 1 to 4 applications: April 19 to May 7, 2027
  • Grades 1 to 4 offers: June 10, 2027

District page · NYC Public Schools Gifted and Talented page, for fall 2027 admission.

Reading the table

Universal screening versus referral. Some districts test every child in a grade (grade 2 in Fairfax County, Houston ISD and Fort Bend ISD this year). Others test only children who are referred by a parent or teacher, so the referral deadline is the date that matters.

Not every district names the test. Where the district page names it, we list it. Where it does not, we say so rather than guess. If your district uses the CogAT, our CogAT grade 2 page shows what the test looks like at that level.

Missing districts. We also looked at Frisco, Cy-Fair, Plano and Rockwall ISDs, Forsyth County and Denver, but could not read current 2026-27 dates on their official pages, so they are not listed. We will add districts as their dates are published.

Questions parents ask

Which districts are on this page?
Only districts whose 2026-27 gifted testing dates we could read on the district's own website, checked October 15, 2026. Each row links the page we used. We left out districts whose official pages were missing, out of date or did not give dates, rather than copy dates from prep sites.
My district is not listed. Where do I find its dates?
Search your district site for "gifted and talented", "advanced academics" or "GT identification". The referral window and testing dates are usually on the same page, and many districts post a yearly calendar there. If you cannot find it, the school counselor or the district gifted office can tell you.
Which test will my child take?
It depends on the district. Montgomery County, MD and Fort Bend ISD name the CogAT, Beaverton uses the NGAT for 2026-27, and Fairfax County and Houston ISD do not name the test on the pages we used. New York City no longer uses a test at all.
Why does grade 2 come up so often?
Several large districts screen every grade 2 child: Fairfax County, Houston ISD and Fort Bend ISD all list universal grade 2 testing this year, and Montgomery County, MD tests grade 2 students who are not already identified. Our CogAT grade 2 page covers what that test looks like at Level 8.
Does a referral deadline matter if my child is tested anyway?
It can. In Fairfax County, for example, grade 2 children who are not Universal Screener candidates need a referral by December 15, 2026 to be screened. Check whether your district screens automatically or needs a parent or teacher referral.

Know the format before test day

Practice for the question types on the CogAT, NNAT and OLSAT, with every wrong answer explained.

CogAT practice →NNAT practiceOLSAT practiceNGAT guide