In almost all situations, a student cannot be classified as gifted without taking an appropriate test. This testing allows the school, parents and student to recognize the specific areas the student is gifted in, which then allows for proper steps to be taken in the education of the student. There are two tests that are most commonly used to assess gifted students:
Otis-Lennon School Ability Test (OLSAT)
The OLSAT tests cognitive abilities that relate to success in school, including verbal, quantitative and spatial reasoning ability. The test is multiple choice and taken on paper. It produces verbal and nonverbal scores and an overall score. Testing is most often done in groups. The OLSAT is published by Pearson Education, Inc. Besides being used to identify gifted students, the OLSAT is also used to mark year-to-year achievement.
Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT)
The CogAT is also administered in groups and is used to test reasoning and problem solving skills through using verbal, quantitative and nonverbal test questions. The CogAT is specifically designed to help with student placement decisions, such as those made for gifted students. The test can be taken on paper or online with scoring by hand or online, respectively. The CogAT is authored by Dr. David Lohman.
An Important Note
These tests are most often used for school aged children. Those students being tested before kindergarten may use a different form of each test. In many cases, alternative forms of testing, such as teacher recommendations and portfolios, are used instead.
Testing is an important aspect of determining whether a student is gifted or not. It provides a fair and concrete way to asses a student that prevents any allegations or fear of bias. These two tests, the OLSAT and the CogAT, have been used for many years as the most successful ways to identify truly gifted students.
