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PGCPS · TAG screening

PGCPS TAG screening: what parents can verify.

A source-grounded guide to what PGCPS officially says about Talented and Gifted screening, which tests are named, and what not to treat as a final placement rule.

Last checked: June 22, 2026

Process clarity

How screening works

Program name

PGCPS calls this TAG.

  • PGCPS uses the name Talented and Gifted (TAG).
  • The official TAG page is the source to use for identification and screening information.
  • Families should confirm student-specific questions through the school TAG Coordinator or middle-school counselor.
Source: PGCPS TAG page
Ability tests

Which tests PGCPS names.

  • PGCPS states that Grade 1 universal screening uses OLSAT.
  • PGCPS states that Grade 4 universal screening uses CogAT.
  • PGCPS states that new registrants in Grades 2-3 use OLSAT and new registrants in Grade 5 use CogAT.
  • PGCPS states that new registrants in Grades 6-7 use OLSAT.
  • PGCPS states that Grade 8 does not participate in TAG identification.
Source: PGCPS TAG page
Review factors

What the TAG review considers.

  • PGCPS lists cognitive ability test data as a review factor.
  • PGCPS lists achievement data as a review factor.
  • PGCPS lists a teacher checklist of gifted characteristics and report-card grades as review factors.
Source: PGCPS TAG page
Nomination

How referral enters the process.

  • PGCPS states that parents and teachers may nominate a student by January 15.
  • PGCPS states that school TAG coordinators screen students scoring at or above the 81st percentile on the cognitive ability assessment.
  • That percentile language should be described as a screening trigger, not as a standalone final placement decision.
Source: PGCPS TAG page
Dates

Where PGCPS posts windows.

  • PGCPS posts year-specific testing, lottery, and placement dates on its TAG Important Dates page.
  • Because those dates belong to a placement cycle, families should confirm the current cycle before acting.
  • The safest public guidance is to link the official Important Dates page rather than treating old dates as evergreen.
Source: PGCPS Important Dates
What varies

What we will not pretend to know

PGCPS publishes some process facts, but families should not turn a screening trigger into a final placement rule.

  • PGCPS does not publish the OLSAT level or form on the official TAG page reviewed here, so confirm specifics with the school TAG Coordinator instead of relying on secondhand numbers online.
  • The 81st percentile language is a screening trigger for TAG Coordinator review, not a placement decision by itself.
  • TAG Center lottery odds, waitlist odds, and future-year dates can change by cycle; use PGCPS’s current Important Dates page.
  • Grade-specific test form details should come from PGCPS or the school, rather than assumptions based on the test name.
What you can control

Keep preparation calm and finite.

You cannot control the current cycle, lottery mechanics, or unpublished test form. You can help your child get comfortable with reasoning formats and practice calmly in short sessions.

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Verbal and quantitative reasoning items with worked explanations.

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FAQ

Parent questions

What is the official PGCPS program name?

PGCPS uses the name Talented and Gifted (TAG) for this program area.

Which ability tests does PGCPS list?

PGCPS states that Grade 1 uses OLSAT and Grade 4 uses CogAT for universal screening; new registrants in Grades 2-3 and Grades 6-7 use OLSAT, Grade 5 uses CogAT, and Grade 8 does not participate in TAG identification.

Does the 81st percentile decide TAG placement by itself?

No. PGCPS describes at/above the 81st percentile on the cognitive ability assessment as a school TAG coordinator screening trigger, not as a standalone final placement decision.

Does PGCPS publish the OLSAT level or form?

The official TAG page reviewed here names OLSAT but does not state an OLSAT level or form, so families should confirm specifics with the school TAG Coordinator rather than infer one from grade alone.

Last checked

June 22, 2026

PGCPS TAG details, dates, and student-specific next steps should be confirmed through the official PGCPS TAG pages and your school TAG Coordinator or middle-school counselor.

Related guides

Keep the district pages distinct.

FCPS FCPS AAP / NGAT guide

Fairfax County uses a separate AAP process and different official pages.

 MCPS MCPS GT and CES guide

Montgomery County separates GT identification from CES admission.

 National test CogAT guide

Publisher-level CogAT information, separate from district placement rules.
Sources

Official sources used

  1. PGCPS — TAG Identification and Screening
  2. PGCPS — TAG Important Dates

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