Gifted & talented · NNAT3 · Checked November 2, 2026

NNAT scores, explained for parents

The NNAT3 report gives a Naglieri Ability Index, a percentile and a stanine. Here is what each one means, with the conversion table from Pearson's own manual, the norms change for 2026-27, and what three districts actually do with the score.

What is a good NNAT score?

An NAI of 100 is exactly average for your child's age. Pearson counts stanines 7 to 9 (NAI 112 and up) as above average. Pearson's manual uses the 95th percentile (NAI 126) as its example of a gifted cutoff, but each district sets its own, and some use the NNAT only as a first screen.

The numbers on the report

Naglieri Ability Index (NAI)

The main score. It runs from 40 to 160 with an average of 100 and a standard deviation of 16. About two thirds of children score between 84 and 116, and about 95% between 68 and 132. It compares your child with children of the same age, not the same class.

Percentile rank

The share of same-age children in Pearson's national sample who scored at or below your child. It is not the percent of questions answered correctly. The steps are uneven: going from the 90th to the 95th takes far more than going from the 50th to the 55th.

Stanine

The same result in nine wide bands. Pearson reads 1 to 3 as below average, 4 to 6 as average and 7 to 9 as above average.

Scaled score and NCE

Some reports also show these. The scaled score puts every level on one ladder, so it is useful for tracking growth or comparing children who took different levels. The normal curve equivalent (NCE) is another version of the NAI, centered on 50.

NAI to percentile: Pearson's table

NAI	Percentile	Stanine
135 to 160	99th	9
132 to 134	98th	9
130 to 131	97th	9
128 to 129	96th	9
126 to 127	95th	8
125	94th	8
120	89th	8
116	84th	7
110	73rd	6
100	50th	5
90	27th	4

Selected rows from the conversion table in the NNAT3 manual, Levels A to D (Appendix C). Pearson notes the relationship is the same at every age and level that manual covers, kindergarten to grade 4.

New norms in 2026-27

Pearson has released new NNAT3 norms. Its New Norms FAQ says that for the 2026-27 school year each district can use either the new norms or the previous set. The test, the questions and the way it is given have not changed. What can change is the conversion from raw score to NAI and percentile, because your child is now compared with a newer national group.

If you are comparing a score from this year with one from an earlier year, or with a sibling's, ask your district which norms the report uses. A different number does not by itself mean your child did better or worse.

How precise is one NNAT score?

Every test score carries some error. Pearson publishes the standard error of measurement for the lower levels in NAI points:

Level	Standard error (NAI points)
A (kindergarten)	about 5.5
B (grade 1)	about 5.5
C (grade 2)	about 6.4
D (grade 3)	about 7.1
D (grade 4)	about 6.6

Source: Pearson NNAT3 Lower Levels standard errors. In practice, a grade 2 child who scores 124 could score a few points higher or lower on another day. That is why a score a point or two under a cutoff is worth a conversation with the school, and why most districts look at more than one piece of evidence.

What districts do with the score

There is no national NNAT cutoff. Three districts that test a whole grade with the NNAT3, each checked on the district's own site on November 2, 2026:

Oklahoma City Public Schools

All first graders, sixth graders not yet identified, and students new to the district take the NNAT3. A score at the 97th percentile or higher (NAI 130 and up) identifies a child as gifted; a mix of test scores and recommendations can also qualify. District page

St. Louis Public Schools

Every grade 2 child takes the NNAT3 as a universal screener. An NAI of 110 (73rd percentile) or more leads to further evaluation; eligibility then needs the 90th percentile on an individual intelligence test and the 80th percentile on a norm-referenced reading or math test. District page

Fort Worth ISD, Texas

All first graders take the 30 minute NNAT3 online, along with referred students. It is one data point: a campus committee also weighs MAP scores, teacher and parent feedback and student work. District page

Your district's gifted page has the rule that applies to your child. Testing windows and referral deadlines for large districts are on our gifted testing dates 2026-27 page.

Levels by grade

The level follows the grade, but the score is normed by age. Pearson lists the ages each lower level is valid for, which matters when a child is tested out of level:

Level	Grade	Valid ages (years:months)
A	Kindergarten	4:0 to 7:11
B	Grade 1	5:0 to 9:11
C	Grade 2	6:0 to 10:11
D	Grades 3 and 4	7:0 to 11:11
E	Grades 5 and 6	—
F	Grades 7 to 9	—
G	Grades 10 to 12	—

Sources: NNAT3 manual, Levels A to D, Table 1.1; Pearson NNAT3 page for Levels E to G. Every level has 48 questions and 30 minutes of testing time, about 35 to 45 minutes with directions.

Try five NNAT-style questions

No account needed. They are our own questions in the NNAT format, not real NNAT items.

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Questions parents ask

What is a good NNAT score?

An NAI of 100 is exactly average for the child's age, and Pearson's manual counts stanines 7 to 9 as above average, which starts at an NAI of 112. Pearson's manual uses the 95th percentile (NAI 126) as its example of a gifted cutoff, but the real cutoff is set by each district. Oklahoma City, for example, identifies children at the 97th percentile (NAI 130), while St. Louis uses NAI 110 only to decide who gets a closer look.

What does an NAI of 130 mean on the NNAT?

In Pearson's conversion table an NAI of 130 or 131 is the 97th percentile and stanine 9: the child scored as well as or better than 97% of children the same age in the national sample. Pearson's Levels A to D manual says the conversion is the same at every age and level it covers, so 130 means the same thing in kindergarten as in grade 4.

Is the NNAT score an IQ score?

No. The NAI looks like an IQ number because it is centered on 100, but it comes from a 30 minute group test of shape puzzles given in school. Its spread is also different: the NAI has a standard deviation of 16, where the Wechsler IQ tests use 15. Florida, for example, requires an individually given intelligence test for gifted eligibility; there a group test like the NNAT can lead to a referral for that evaluation but cannot replace it.

Why did my child's NNAT score change from last year?

Three ordinary reasons. Every test score carries some measurement error: Pearson puts it at about 5.5 to 7 NAI points for the lower levels. Children are compared with others of the same age, so the comparison group moves as they grow. And for 2026-27 Pearson released new NNAT3 norms; districts may use either the new or the previous norms, and the FAQ says norm-referenced scores may change even though the child's performance did not.

What is the difference between the NAI and the percentile?

The NAI is the standard score, from 40 to 160. The percentile rank is the share of same-age children in the national sample who scored at or below it. They always line up the same way: NAI 116 is the 84th percentile and NAI 100 is the 50th. The percentile tops out at 99, which covers every NAI from 135 to 160, so at the very top the NAI shows differences the percentile cannot.

Is the 99th percentile the same as getting 99% right?

No. Pearson's manual warns about exactly this mix-up. The percentile compares your child with other children the same age; it says nothing about the share of the 48 questions answered correctly.

Which NNAT level does my child take?

The level follows the grade: Level A in kindergarten, B in grade 1, C in grade 2, D in grades 3 and 4, E in grades 5 and 6, F in grades 7 to 9 and G in grades 10 to 12. Scores are then normed by age, not grade.

Can my child retake the NNAT?

Pearson says the test can be given once or twice in a school year, and Levels A to D have two forms. Whether a retest is offered, and which score counts, is a district decision, so ask your gifted coordinator.

Sources, read on November 2, 2026: Pearson NNAT3 manual, Levels A to D; NNAT3 standard errors; NNAT3 New Norms FAQ; Pearson NNAT3 product page; and the Oklahoma City, St. Louis and Fort Worth district pages linked above. iMasterly is not affiliated with Pearson.

Know the format before test day

The NNAT is 30 minutes of shape puzzles in four types. A few practice sets take away the surprise, so the score reflects reasoning, not confusion about the format.

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