I have seen mention in a couple of GT resources the importance of doing a national talent search test. What is your opinion on these tests? Have you had your child tested? Why or why not?

DS8 would qualify for the EXPLORE test this year. I do have one hesitation in that DS has issues with a drop off in working memory and processing speed when faced with a time constraint. I am concerned that a lower score this year could hurt him in the future...

Thanks!

Our experience: DD(now)14 has taken the Explore and ACT through Belin-Blank and has taken the ACT and SAT for Johns Hopkins University - Center for Talented Youth (JHU-CTY). In my opinion the tests provided valuable information in filling out the picture of where our daughter was/is at. Combined with IQ testing and school achievement tests, we have been able to confirm, with hard evidence, what our gut was telling us about her talents.

I wouldn't hesitate doing a test over concerns the score may hinder your son. A bad score will keep him out of the talent search, but so will no score (ie not taking the test). And if he bombs the test this year, and aces it next, the talent search will only really care about the second score.

Also, if you don't share the score(s) outside of the talent search, there is no way it will be a hindrance anywhere else.

Best of luck,
--S.F.

Talent searches provide useful data points and I wouldn't worry about low scores since you have the option of sharing or not. All three of my kids have done SCAT, while two of them did Explore in 3rd & 4th grades, and one of them did SAT in 6th grade.

My kids took the SCAT in 2nd grade for the CTY (Johns Hopkins) talent search. We used their SCAT scores in advocating for math acceleration (to supplement the school's own testing) and it definitely helped.