My only experience with the OLSAT is anecdotal, so please take this with a grain of salt.
I teach at a magnet school, and we look at OLSAT scores when our kids apply. We don't have a cutoff, but I always look at them when I'm reviewing an application. Having said that, I have taught kids with high OLSAT scores who I thought were clearly gifted (based on classroom experiences). I've had others who were in GATE because of OLSAT scores, and I've questioned whether they're gifted. I've got one this year, in fact. She struggles daily in my class, and there's no way she's gifted.
To sum it up, the OLSAT is a school ability test and not an IQ test, so there will surely be some cases where the OLSAT scores overestimate or underestimate a kid's abilities. My DD9 will take the OLSAT in the spring, and I'm hoping it will qualify her for GATE services. DD9 did not pass screening with the NNAT (nonverbal only), but she's highly verbal and probably gifted. The school system will not give individual IQ tests for those who don't pass screening.
It's unfortunate that schools have to use screening instruments such as these, but they simply can't afford to give an IQ test to too many kids. What's worse is that some systems (like ours) won't accept private testing.
I hope that you have a good outcome with the OLSAT. If not, fight it with scores in hand.
