NYC G&T Test Level B (1st Grade) Online Preparation & Tips – 2025

What Is the NYC Level B Test?

The NYC Level B Test is administered to 1st graders in New York City in order to identify children that could benefit from a gifted and talented program. This type of test is considered an aptitude assessment that is made up of multiple-choice questions with material taken from two larger aptitude tests. The Verbal Section will include questions found on the Otis-Lennon School Ability Test (OLSAT), and the Nonverbal Section will include questions found on the Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test (NNAT). Additionally, NYC gifted and talented program openings are extremely coveted and hard to be accepted into. Most schools require students to score within the top percentile before children will even be considered for a specialized program.

What Are NYC Level B’s Test Sections?

The NYC Level B test includes 30 verbal questions and 48 nonverbal questions, with a total of 78 questions. Each section of this exam will have their scores weighted equally, regardless of the amount of questions that are completed. The questions and their instructions will be read aloud to the students by a designated teacher or test proctor, because students in 1st grade are not expected to be able to read. Additionally, the questions will only be read out loud once, and students will have approximately one hour to complete both sections of the NYC Level B Test.

Verbal Section

• Arithmetic Reasoning: 1st graders will need to utilize numerical reasoning to predict outcomes of pictures. This is accomplished by inferring relationships among numerical pictures in order to infer a numerical outcome.
• Aural Reasoning: 1st graders will need to be able to understand and identify similar characteristics among pictures. The 1st graders will visualize how a specific pattern that runs among the pictures can be used to create a bigger picture.
• Following Directions: 1st graders will listen as a test proctor or teacher reads to the students a list of directions. The 1st graders will be instructed to choose a single picture from the answers that follows the set of directions. Words in this section may include “below,” “above,” or “next to.”

Nonverbal Section

• Serial Reasoning: 1st graders will need to understand how a series of shapes are related in order to answer questions involving serial reasoning.
• Reasoning by Analogy: 1st graders are responsible for recognizing relationships among geometric shapes, and using those relationships to complete an analogy.
• Pattern Completion: 1st graders will need to finish a pattern by understanding the similarities among the patterns and choosing an answer that best completes the overall pattern.

How to Read NYC Level B’s Score Report

The Level B version of the NYC aptitude test will include several scores listed on the score report. The raw score is the number of correct answers tallied together from both test sections. Once that score has been determined, it is compared with other 1st graders in NYC. The scores will be ranked and converted into a normal curve equivalent (NCE). The NCE is further converted into a normalized percentage shown on a scale from 1 – 99, which is used to determine eligibility for a NYC gifted and talented program.

NYC Level B Test Tips

1. Make studying time fun for your child. Sometimes it is better to avoid telling your child that they will be studying for a test. Instead, approach studying time as a game where your child is responsible for solving a variety of puzzles. This will allow your child to believe that they are playing a game rather than preparing for something in school. This may also help alleviate any stress associated with test taking, as the more emphasis that is placed on scoring well on a test could lead to your child developing test anxiety.
2. Try to prepare early in advance. Many schools avoid telling parents that their child will be taking an aptitude test until one or two weeks before. However, if you know that your child’s school has repeatedly used ability tests, then it is safe to assume that your child will also have to take one. You can start preparing your child for these tests a couple of weeks out by introducing them to practice exams found online.

How to Prepare for the NYC Level B Test?

The NYC Level B Test requires students to answer questions taken from two larder aptitude tests. This means that the questions could cover a wide range of topics, and most likely includes information that your child was not taught in school. Specialized learning programs in NYC are extremely competitive and require ample preparation. The easiest way to accomplish this is through the use of practice exams, example questions, and study guides that can be found online. Even more important is the inclusion of explanations at the completion of practice exams. Explanations are a great tool for understanding what a question is asking and the best ways to answer them. 1st graders that prepare with online practice exams will have a leg up on their peers and will have a higher chance of scoring well on the NYC Level B Test.