Approach

Bright Kids contracted tutors are experienced aiding students preparing for the OLSAT for entry into Gifted and Talented programs in 6th grade at various districts in Queens and Brooklyn.

Our process for the OLSAT begins with an initial assessment to identify children’s strengths and skills that need development and to create a personalized curriculum. We carefully pair our clients up with a contracted tutor who specializes in working with children, and who can most effectively work with the student based on the assessment recommendations. We also offer OLSAT Mock Tests for 6th grade entry to track progress and to see how children will perform in a simulated test environment.

For those seeking a more structured, budget friendly option, Bright Kids offers OLSAT Level E Classes in the fall. You can learn more about our OLSAT Level E Class on our Test Prep Classes page.

Families outside of New York City, and/or those who are planning to tutor at home in New York City, are encouraged to view our top rated OLSAT Preparation Guide and OLSAT Practice Tests.

About the test

The OTIS-Lennon School Ability Test, Eighth Edition, (OLSAT) is designed to measure verbal, quantitative, and figural reasoning skills that are most closely related to scholastic achievement. Tasks such as detecting likenesses and differences, recalling words and numbers, defining words, following directions, classifying, establishing sequence, solving arithmetic problems and completing analogies are included, because they have been shown to be valid measures of an individual’s ability to reason logically.

These abilities are measured through performance on antonyms, sentence completion, sentence arrangement, arithmetic reasoning, logical selection, word/letter matrix, verbal analogies, verbal classification, inference, figural analogies, pattern matrices, figure series, number series, numeric inference, and number matrices.

The 5th and 6th Grade entry test is comprised of 72 multiple questions and children must complete the test in 40 minutes. The test is administered in a group.

Timing

In our practice, children generally begin preparing a few months before their test date. The skill set necessary to succeed on the OLSAT is not innate in most children. Giving children enough time to prepare is a great way to boost their confidence so that they can perform to the best of their ability on test day.

FAQ

When is the test given?

In New York City, Kindergarten to 3rd grade entry test is given in the January-February before they will be starting a new school. The 6th grade entry level test varies based on the district, so look at the DOE’s website for the latest information.

How long is the test?

There are 40 questions on the Kindergarten entry test and 60 questions on 1st Grade through 3rd Grade entry tests. The 6th Grade entry test is 72 questions. The BSRA is 85 questions. Depending on age group, tests take anywhere from 45 minute to over an hour.

My child is taking the Kindergarten entry test. Will he have to bubble the answers?

No. Children entering Kindergarten will only need to point to the answer.

Is the test given in a group?

All OLSAT tests are given in a group, except those children entering Kindergarten, for which the test will be administered one-on-one.

Are other factors considered when entering gifted and talented programs?

The combined OLSAT and BSRA score is the only determining factor for admissions into Gifted and Talented schools.

When do I start preparation?

The OLSAT is a hard test, so we recommend steady work over a period of several months. Signing up for an assessment is the best way to find out how much work your child needs in order to do well on the test.