Otis-Lennon School Ability Test · Pearson · Pre-kindergarten to grade 12

OLSAT practice on the reasoning half, question by question

The OLSAT pairs a verbal half with a nonverbal one, and it is the nonverbal clusters, figural and pictorial reasoning, where an unfamiliar format costs a child the most time. The samples below come from the same engine as our full practice tests. No account needed.

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No account needed for these. They come from the same engine as our full practice tests.

What the OLSAT is made of

The school ability test used for gifted admission in many districts.

Verbal

Verbal comprehension and verbal reasoning. Younger levels are read aloud; older levels put more of the load on reading.

Nonverbal

Pictorial reasoning, figural reasoning and quantitative reasoning. This is the half where format familiarity pays off most.

The question types you can practise here

Figural reasoning

Matrix items where a rule runs across and another runs down, and the missing figure has to satisfy both.

Figural classification

Which figure belongs with the group, once you have worked out what the group has in common.

Pictorial reasoning

The younger-level format: the first two pictures go together, and the child finds the picture that goes with the third the same way.

How OLSAT scores work

The OLSAT reports a School Ability Index, a normalised score comparing a child with others of the same age, alongside percentile ranks and stanines.

School Ability Index (SAI)mean 100Age-normed, so the comparison group is children of the same age rather than the same class.
Reported alongsidepercentile ranks and staninesVerbal, nonverbal and total scores are reported separately.
Structureverbal half and nonverbal halfThe nonverbal half covers pictorial, figural and quantitative reasoning.
Levelsby grade, pre-K upwardsQuestion count and timing rise with the level.

District thresholds differ and are revised, so check this year's rules with your own district. One place the OLSAT no longer counts is New York City: it once weighted the OLSAT alongside the NNAT, but NYC gifted admission now uses no test at all.

Format notes worth knowing

OLSAT 8 is the current edition

Published by Pearson, OLSAT 8 reports the School Ability Index. Research comparing it with the NNAT found NAI scores correlate more closely with the OLSAT nonverbal and total scores than with the verbal score, which is what you would expect from a nonverbal measure.

Younger levels are read aloud

At pre-K and the early grades the questions are administered orally with pictures, so the test is not gated on reading. Reading load increases with level.

Half of it is not nonverbal

Unlike the NNAT, a large part of the OLSAT is verbal. Practising only figures leaves half the test unprepared, which is worth knowing before choosing where to spend time.

Published by Pearson. We are not affiliated with them, and these practice questions are our own.

Questions parents ask

What is the OLSAT?
The Otis-Lennon School Ability Test, published by Pearson and currently in its eighth edition, measures verbal and nonverbal reasoning from pre-kindergarten through grade 12. It is widely used for gifted and talented admission and is often given alongside or instead of the NNAT.
What is on the OLSAT?
Two halves. The verbal half covers verbal comprehension and verbal reasoning. The nonverbal half covers pictorial reasoning, figural reasoning and quantitative reasoning. Younger levels lean on pictures and are read aloud; older levels add more text and number work.
How is the OLSAT scored?
It reports a School Ability Index with a mean of 100, normed against children of the same age, along with percentile ranks and stanines. Verbal, nonverbal and total scores are reported separately, so a child can look quite different across the two halves.
What OLSAT score is needed for gifted programmes?
There is no single answer. Each district sets its own threshold, often in the 90th percentile and above, sometimes combined with other measures. Check the current year's criteria directly with your district rather than relying on a published cutoff. New York City no longer uses the OLSAT or any other test for gifted admission: kindergarten is by pre-K teacher nomination or a Department of Education interview, and grades 1 to 4 are by report card grades.
How long is the OLSAT?
It varies by level, generally around an hour including instructions, with the number of questions rising with grade. The exact count and timing follow the level a child sits, which is set by their grade.
What is the difference between the OLSAT and the NNAT?
The NNAT is entirely nonverbal. The OLSAT is half verbal. A child who reasons well with shapes but reads slowly will usually show stronger on the NNAT, and districts that use both are deliberately measuring two different things. New York City used to combine them for gifted admission but no longer uses either test.
Which OLSAT level will my child sit?
Levels are assigned by grade, starting at pre-kindergarten. The format shifts with the level: the youngest children answer orally with pictures, and reading load increases as the levels go up.
Can you practise for the OLSAT?
The verbal half rewards vocabulary and comfort with analogies, both of which build slowly through reading. The nonverbal half rewards format familiarity, which builds in an afternoon. If time is short, the nonverbal half is where practice pays back fastest.
Is the OLSAT an IQ test?
No. It is a group-administered school ability test. It reports ability relative to age peers and is used for placement decisions, but it is not an individually administered IQ assessment and should not be read as one.
My child got a high nonverbal score and a low verbal score. What does that mean?
Usually that reasoning is ahead of reading, which is common in younger children and in children learning English. It is worth raising with the teacher, because the two halves being far apart often explains classroom patterns that a single total score hides.

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