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: October 14, 2026
PGCPS publishes some process facts, but families should not turn a screening trigger into a final placement rule.
You cannot control the current cycle, lottery mechanics, or unpublished test form.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.
Verbal and quantitative reasoning items with worked explanations.
Reasoning practice Practice LabInteractive nonverbal, classification, analogy, and pattern reasoning.
Math fluency Math practiceFinite math skill practice without timers or pressure.
PGCPS uses the name Talented and Gifted (TAG) for this program area.
All Grade 1 students take the OLSAT and all Grade 4 students not already identified take the CogAT. Newcomers are tested too: Grade 2 with the OLSAT and Grade 5 with the CogAT. For Grade 3 newcomers the two PGCPS pages disagree (checked October 14, 2026): the TAG screening page says OLSAT, and the 2026-27 dates calendar says CogAT, November 16 to December 15. Ask the school TAG Coordinator which applies. Grades 6 and 7 are screened from existing test data, with an OLSAT added only if needed.
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.
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.
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.
OLSAT® is a trademark of NCS Pearson, Inc.; CogAT® is a trademark of Riverside Assessments, LLC (Riverside Insights). These names are used here only to identify the tests. Reasonwell Press is independent and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, sponsored by or licensed by these publishers or the tests' authors, who were not involved in our materials. Our practice items are original, not actual test questions, and do not guarantee any score or placement.