# OLSAT test guide for parents > The OLSAT is the Otis-Lennon School Ability Test, a Pearson test of verbal and nonverbal reasoning that some schools use for gifted screening. Preparing for it looks a lot like CogAT prep: short, playful practice with words, shapes and patterns. Source: https://www.thinklingapp.com/olsat/ · Thinkling parent guide · Updated 2026-10-18 ## Key takeaways - The OLSAT, published by Pearson, covers two broad kinds of thinking, verbal and nonverbal reasoning, and some schools use it in gifted screening. - Its length, format, directions and how results are used depend on the version and the school, so ask your school or district early. - Verbal reasoning is thinking with words and ideas; nonverbal reasoning is thinking with shapes, figures and patterns, where small details change the answer. - The two tests are separate, but CogAT-style practice with analogies, classification and series builds the same habits and carries over well. - Keep prep short and calm: five to ten minutes a few days a week, mixing word and shape puzzles, asking “How did you know?” and treating mistakes as clues. ## The basics The OLSAT® is the Otis-Lennon School Ability Test. It is published by Pearson and looks at two broad kinds of thinking: verbal reasoning and nonverbal reasoning. Some schools use it as part of screening for gifted programs. If you have already read about the [CogAT®](https://www.thinklingapp.com/cogat/), the idea will feel familiar. Both are reasoning tests, so the most useful preparation builds thinking habits (noticing, comparing, explaining) rather than drilling facts. Many practical details depend on the version your child takes and on how your school gives it: how many questions there are, how long it lasts, how directions are given and how results are used. We don’t guess at those here. Your school or district is the right source, and it is worth asking early. ## The kinds of reasoning involved The two areas the OLSAT covers are broad, so it helps to know what each one means in everyday terms. The descriptions below are general; they are not copies of real test questions. ### Verbal reasoning Verbal reasoning is thinking with words and ideas. It includes understanding exactly what a question is asking, seeing how two words or ideas are related, noticing which idea does not belong with the others, and following a short chain of logic to a conclusion. Young children build these skills mostly by listening and talking, long before they read fluently. Everyday conversations that ask “why?” and “how are these alike?” are real preparation. ### Nonverbal reasoning Nonverbal reasoning is thinking with shapes, figures and patterns instead of words. It includes spotting how a figure changes, working out what comes next in a series, and finding the piece that completes a pattern. It rewards slow, careful looking, because a small detail such as shading or direction can change the answer. ## How OLSAT prep overlaps with CogAT prep The CogAT has three batteries (verbal, quantitative and nonverbal) with three subtests each. Several of those subtests practice the same kinds of thinking the OLSAT involves, so CogAT-style practice carries over well: - **Seeing relationships:** [Verbal Analogies](https://www.thinklingapp.com/cogat/verbal-analogies/) (“bird is to nest as bee is to…?”) and [Figure Matrices](https://www.thinklingapp.com/cogat/figure-matrices/) (the same idea with shapes) both train a child to find a rule and apply it to something new. - **Finding what belongs:** [Verbal Classification](https://www.thinklingapp.com/cogat/verbal-classification/) and [Figure Classification](https://www.thinklingapp.com/cogat/figure-classification/) ask what a group has in common, a core skill in both verbal and nonverbal reasoning. - **Spotting what comes next:** [Number Series](https://www.thinklingapp.com/cogat/number-series/) builds the habit of looking for a step that repeats, which also helps with a series of shapes. - **Listening carefully:** in kindergarten to 2nd grade, CogAT questions are read aloud by the teacher, so children practice hearing the whole question before choosing. That habit helps on any test. The two tests are not the same, and their formats differ. For a side-by-side view, see [CogAT vs. OLSAT](https://www.thinklingapp.com/cogat-vs-olsat/). If your school uses a picture-only test instead, our [NNAT® guide](https://www.thinklingapp.com/nnat/) covers that one. ## Practical prep tips 1. **Ask the school first.** Confirm which test your child will take, when, and how it will be given. It is the single most useful thing you can do, and it keeps you from preparing for the wrong thing. 2. **Keep sessions short.** Five to ten minutes, a few days a week, works better than a long weekend session. Stop while your child is still enjoying it. 3. **Ask “how did you know?”** When your child answers, right or wrong, ask them to explain. Saying the rule out loud makes it clearer and shows you where the thinking went off track. 4. **Mix words and shapes.** Alternate a word puzzle with a shape puzzle so neither kind of reasoning gets left out. 5. **Practice listening once.** Give a two-step direction one time only (“Touch the red block, then the one next to it”) and see whether your child can follow it without a repeat. 6. **Treat mistakes as clues.** A wrong answer tells you what to practice next. Look at it together calmly, then try a similar one another day. 7. **Keep it in proportion.** One test is one snapshot. A rested, relaxed child shows their thinking best. Screen-free games build the same habits. Our list of [logic games for kids](https://www.thinklingapp.com/logic-games-for-kids/) has ideas that take two minutes to set up. ## What Thinkling covers Thinkling is primarily a CogAT prep app: it practices all nine CogAT question types in the real formats. It also includes OLSAT-style practice with pattern completion, figure series and matrices. Every question is original, so none of it is a real test item, and the app does not predict scores. If your child is taking the OLSAT, think of that practice as support for the overlapping reasoning skills, and rely on your school for anything specific to the test itself. In the last few days before any test, the same calm routine helps most: normal sleep, a familiar breakfast and no last-minute cramming. ## Frequently asked questions ### What does OLSAT stand for? OLSAT stands for the Otis-Lennon School Ability Test, published by Pearson. It looks at verbal and nonverbal reasoning, and some schools use it as part of screening for gifted programs. Details such as its length, its format and how results are used depend on the version and the school, so ask your school or district for specifics. ### Is the OLSAT the same as the CogAT? No, they are two separate reasoning tests. The CogAT is organized into three batteries (verbal, quantitative and nonverbal) with nine subtests in total, while the OLSAT covers verbal and nonverbal reasoning. The thinking skills overlap a lot, so practice with analogies, sorting into groups and patterns supports either one. ### How do I find out if my child is taking the OLSAT? Ask your child’s teacher, the school office or your district’s gifted program contact. Useful questions are which test will be used, the date, how it will be given, whether your child needs to bring anything, and how results are shared with families. Rules and timelines vary from district to district, so the school is the best source. ### Can my child practice for the OLSAT at home? Yes, in the sense of building the reasoning habits the test involves. Short, playful practice with word relationships, sorting, patterns and shapes helps a child feel at home with this kind of thinking. Any practice questions you use will be original ones in similar styles rather than real test items, and that is fine: the habits are what carry over. ### Does Thinkling include OLSAT practice? Thinkling includes OLSAT-style practice with pattern completion, figure series and matrices. It is primarily a CogAT prep app covering all nine CogAT question types, so it does not cover everything the OLSAT may include. Every question is an original practice question, not a real test item, and the app does not predict test scores. --- CogAT® is a registered trademark of Riverside Assessments, LLC. OLSAT® and NNAT® are trademarks, in the US and/or other countries, of Pearson Education, Inc. or its affiliate(s). Other test names mentioned on this site (such as MAP Growth, the Iowa Assessments and the WISC-V) are trademarks of their respective owners. These trademark holders are not affiliated with, and do not sponsor or endorse, Thinkling. All questions are original.