Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Identification, Testing & Assessment OLSAT and Gifted...or not?

With the schools, it seems to come down to economics; that is, although the best recommended use of OLSAT and CogAT is probably ONLY as a screener to catch ADDITIONAL gifted children (who were not caught by other, additonal screening devices), it is sometimes (and I would argue probably erroneously) used as a CRITERIA for programming. Group tests are definitely cheaper to use than individual IQ tests, but are generally thought to be less accurate:

http://www.hoagiesgifted.org/tests_tell_us.htm

My son took the OLSAT this year as well. His scores were: Total SAI: 114, 119 Verbal and 105 Nonverbal -> definitely not exceptional.
DS scored much higher on an individual screening test, and I believe he just doesn't perform well in a group setting. In our case, our DS isn't gifted based on the WISC-V, but if I were you, I would definitely request additional screening. Since your DS's math and reading are above grade level, and you believe he needs additional challenges in school, it doesn't hurt to have him evaluated.

But it is still a screener. It is just that your district is using a screener to qualify kids for the program, and not a proper IQ assessment. But that doesn't make the actual test any more than a screener. It is still a screener, regardless of how your district is using it, not an IQ test.