Gifted & talented · OLSAT 8 · Checked November 2, 2026

OLSAT scores, explained for parents

An OLSAT report shows a School Ability Index, two kinds of percentile, stanines, a Verbal and a Nonverbal score and a row of cluster ratings. Here is what each one means, from Pearson's own documents, and which numbers matter most.

What is a good OLSAT score?

A School Ability Index (SAI) of 100 is exactly average for your child's age. With a standard deviation of 16, 116 is about the 84th percentile and 132 about the 98th. There is no national OLSAT cutoff: your district decides the cutoff it needs and whether Verbal, Nonverbal or Total counts.

The numbers on the report

School Ability Index (SAI)

The main score: average 100, standard deviation 16, comparing your child with children of the same age. It is reported for Verbal, Nonverbal and Total.

Percentile rank, by age and by grade

The share of the comparison group who scored at or below your child. Pearson reports one against children of the same age and one against children in the same grade, so the two can differ for a child who is young or old for the class. It is never the percent of questions answered correctly.

Stanine

The same result in nine wide bands, average 5. Stanines 1 to 3 are below average, 4 to 6 average and 7 to 9 above average.

Cluster ratings

Some reports rate each cluster of question types Below Average, Average or Above Average, with the number of questions possible, attempted and correct. Use these to see where your child was strong, not as scores to compare with cutoffs.

SAI to percentile, roughly

SAI	Age percentile	What it means
100	about 50th	Exactly typical for the age
108	about 69th	Average range
116	about 84th	One standard deviation above average
120	about 89th	Above average
124	about 93rd	Above average
128	about 96th	Well above average
132	about 98th	Two standard deviations above average
136	about 99th	Very high

Worked out from the normal curve with average 100 and standard deviation 16. Your child's report prints the exact percentile from Pearson's norms tables, which can differ by a point.

Verbal and Nonverbal: what each half covers

The OLSAT 8 reports two halves and a total. Pearson groups the question types into five clusters. Quantitative reasoning counts in the Nonverbal half.

Verbal Comprehension · Verbal · All levels

Following directions (K to grade 2); antonyms, sentence completion and sentence arrangement (grade 3 up)

Verbal Reasoning · Verbal · All levels

Aural reasoning (K to 2) and arithmetic reasoning (all); logical selection, word/letter matrix, verbal analogies and classification (grade 3 up); inference (grade 4 up)

Pictorial Reasoning · Nonverbal · K to grade 2

Picture classification and picture analogies; picture series in kindergarten only

Figural Reasoning · Nonverbal · All levels

Figural analogies, pattern matrix and figural series; figural classification up to grade 3

Quantitative Reasoning · Nonverbal · Grade 3 up

Number series, numeric inference and number matrix

Source: Pearson OLSAT 8 scope and sequence. The question types change at Level D (grade 3), so practice should match your child's level.

Levels by grade

One form, seven levels. The level follows the grade, and Pearson norms the results in fall and spring by both age and grade, from a national sample of 40,000 students.

Level	Grade	How it is given
A	Kindergarten	Paper
B	Grade 1	Paper
C	Grade 2	Paper or online
D	Grade 3	Paper or online
E	Grades 4 and 5	Paper or online
F	Grades 6 to 8	Paper or online
G	Grades 9 to 12	Paper or online

Source: Pearson OLSAT 8 page. The test is untimed with a maximum of 75 minutes, varying by level.

What gifted programs do with it

There is no national OLSAT cutoff. Districts choose the score that counts (Verbal, Nonverbal or Total, SAI or percentile), the threshold, and what else they weigh, such as achievement tests, grades or teacher input. Florida, for example, requires an individually given IQ test for eligibility, so there an OLSAT score can support a referral but cannot replace the individual test.

New York City once used the OLSAT for gifted admission, but it no longer tests at all: see our NYC Gifted & Talented guide. For testing windows and referral deadlines in other large districts, see gifted testing dates 2026-27.

If the school also gave the Stanford 10, the report can include an Achievement/Ability Comparison (AAC): High means your child's achievement is in the top 23% of children with the same measured ability, Middle the middle 54%, Low the bottom 23%.

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Questions parents ask

What is a good OLSAT score?

A School Ability Index (SAI) of 100 is exactly average for the child's age. The SAI has a standard deviation of 16, so 116 is about the 84th percentile and 132 about the 98th. There is no national OLSAT cutoff: your district decides which score counts, the percentile it needs and what other evidence it weighs.

What is the difference between the age and grade percentile on the OLSAT?

Pearson reports percentiles two ways. The age percentile compares your child with children of the same age; the grade percentile compares with children in the same grade. A child who is young for the grade often has a higher age percentile than grade percentile, and an older child the reverse. The SAI itself is always age-based.

What does an OLSAT SAI of 130 mean?

It is just under two standard deviations above the average of 100, which works out to about the 97th percentile for the child's age. The exact percentile comes from Pearson's norms tables and is printed on the report next to the SAI.

Why are the Verbal and Nonverbal scores so different?

They measure different things. Verbal covers following directions, vocabulary and verbal reasoning; Nonverbal covers picture, figure and, from grade 3, number reasoning. A child still learning English, or a strong reader who finds shape puzzles new, can show a big gap. That gap is useful information. Each district decides whether Verbal, Nonverbal or Total is the score that counts.

Is the OLSAT an IQ test?

No. It is a group test of school ability given in class. The SAI is centered on 100 like an IQ score, but with a standard deviation of 16, and it is meant to show how ready a child is for school learning. Florida, for example, requires an individual IQ test for gifted eligibility, so there a group test like the OLSAT is a screen, not the final answer.

How long is the OLSAT and is it timed?

Pearson lists the OLSAT 8 as untimed with a maximum of 75 minutes, varying by level. Kindergarten to grade 1 take it on paper; from grade 2 it can be given on paper or online.

Does New York City still use the OLSAT for gifted and talented?

No. NYC no longer uses any test for gifted and talented admission: kindergarten is by pre-K teacher nomination or an interview, and grades 1 to 4 are by report card grades.

What is the AAC score on my child's report?

If the school gave the OLSAT together with the Stanford 10 achievement test, the report can show an Achievement/Ability Comparison. It compares your child's achievement with children who have the same measured school ability: High means the top 23% of that group, Middle the middle 54%, and Low the bottom 23%.

Sources, read on November 2, 2026: Pearson OLSAT 8 page; Pearson OLSAT 8 overview brochure; Stanford 10 and OLSAT 8 student report key (Pearson's report legend, as published by Abeka Testing). iMasterly is not affiliated with Pearson.

Know the format before test day

Practice in the OLSAT question types, with every wrong answer explained, so the score reflects reasoning rather than surprise.

OLSAT practice →NNAT scores CogAT scores