Accepted Tests for 13 and Older
The application deadline for the 2026-27 school year has passed. The 2027-28 application will be available in the fall. Application and testing requirement updates will be posted at the end of the summer.
Please see our Eligibility Criteria and How to Apply for important information pertaining to application requirements. Applicants only need to submit one of the accepted tests.
The published testing criteria were established in consultation with national academic talent search organizations and other professionals in gifted education and are updated every year.
Full time applicants who are 13 and older
Applicants who are 13 years of age or older at the time of application may submit scores from one of the following:
- ACT
- Differential Ability Scales - Second Edition Normative Update (DAS-II NU School Age)
- Kaufman Test of Educational Achievement - 3rd Edition (KTEA-3)
- Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT)
- Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scales - Fifth Edition (SB5)
- Wechsler Individual Achievement Test - Fourth Edition (WIAT-IV)
- Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children - Fifth Edition (WISC-V)
- Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Achievement - Fourth or Fifth Edition (WJ-IV Ach or WJ-V Ach)
- Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Cognitive Abilities - Fourth Edition (WJ-IV Cog)
Accepted test score requirements for full time applicatns who are 13 and older
ACT Assessment (ACT)
Administered within the past three years. All applicants can submit this testing.
Full time applicants must provide scores that meet or exceed at least three out of the five scores of those indicated in the following table with their age-based grade. We do not accept superscores.
| ACT | Grade 6 | Grade 7 | Grade 8 | Grade 9 | Grade 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| English | 28 | 31 | 33 | 35 | 36 |
| Math | 27 | 30 | 33 | 34 | 35 |
| Reading | 30 | 32 | 33 | 35 | 36 |
| Science Reasoning | 25 | 28 | 32 | 34 | 35 |
| Composite | 27 | 29 | 32 | 34 | 35 |
The Davidson Institute has partnered with Northwestern University’s Center for Talent Development (CTD) to offer the opportunity to take a proctored, practice version of this test. More information and registration.
Differential Ability Scales - Second Edition Normative Update (DAS-II NU School Age)
Administered within the past five years. Only applicants 13 and older can submit this testing.
Standard score 145+ on at least one of the following:
- Verbal Ability
- Nonverbal Reasoning
- General Conceptual Ability
- Special Nonverbal Composite
Kaufman Test of Educational Achievement - 3rd Edition (KTEA-3)
Administered within the past five years. All full time applicants and single course applicants who are 13 and older can submit this testing.
Standard score 145+ on at least two of the following:
- Reading Composite
- Math Composite
- Written Language Composite
- Comprehensive Achievement Composite
Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT)
Administered within the past three years. All applicants can submit this testing.
Applicants must provide scores that meet or exceed at least two of the scores indicated in the following table with their age-based grade. We do not accept superscores.
| SAT | Grade 6 | Grade 7 | Grade 8 | Grade 9 | Grade 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RW | 630 | 670 | 700 | 750 | 780 |
| Math | 650 | 700 | 740 | 770 | 800 |
| Total | 1280 | 1370 | 1440 | 1520 | 1580 |
The Davidson Institute has partnered with Northwestern University’s Center for Talent Development (CTD) to offer the opportunity to take a proctored, practice version of this test. More information and registration.
Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scales - Fifth Edition (SB5)
Administered within the past five years. Only applicants 13 and older can submit this testing.
Standard score 145+ on at least one of the following:
- Verbal
- Nonverbal
- Full Scale
Wechsler Individual Achievement Test - Fourth Edition (WIAT-IV)
Administered within the past five years. All full time applicants and single course applicants who are 13 and older can submit this testing.
Standard score 145+ on at least two of the following:
- Total Reading Composite
- Mathematics Composite
- Written Expression Composite
- Total Achievement Composite
Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children - Fifth Edition (WISC-V)
Administered within the past five years. Only applicants 13 and older can submit this testing.
Standard score 145+ on at least one of the following:
- Full Scale IQ Score (FSIQ)
- General Ability Index (GAI)
- Expanded General Ability Index (EGAI)
- Nonverbal Index (NVI)
- Verbal Expanded Crystallized Index (VECI)
- Expanded Fluid Index (EFI)
OR at least two of the following:
- Verbal Comprehension (VCI)
- Visual Spatial (VSI)
- Fluid Reasoning (FRI)
- Quantitative Reasoning (QRI)
- Working Memory Index (WMI)
Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Achievement - Fourth or Fifth Edition (WJ-IV Ach or WJ-V Ach)
Administered within the past five years. All full time applicants and single course applicants who are 13 and older can submit this testing.
Standard score 145+ on at least two of the following:
- Broad Reading
- Broad Math
- Broad Written Language
- Total Achievement
Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Cognitive Abilities - Fourth Edition (WJ-IV Cog)
Administered within the past five years. Only applicants 13 and older can submit this testing.
Standard score 145+ on General Intellectual Ability (GIA)
Single course applicants who are 13 and older
Single course applicants must submit a qualifying score on a test in the subject area for which they are applying.
For example, applicants who are applying for an English course and are submitting an SAT test as a part of the application must meet the minimum score requirement in the EBRW category. Meeting the minimum score in Math or Total is not considered a qualifying score if the applicant is applying for a single course in English.
Applicants who are 13 years of age or older at the time of application may submit scores from one of the following:
- ACT
- Differential Ability Scales - Second Edition Normative Update (DAS-II NU School Age)
- Kaufman Test of Educational Achievement - 3rd Edition (KTEA-3)
- Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT)
- Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scales - Fifth Edition (SB5)
- Wechsler Individual Achievement Test - Fourth Edition (WIAT-IV)
- Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children - Fifth Edition (WISC-V)
- Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Achievement - Fourth or Fifth Edition (WJ-IV Ach or WJ-V Ach)
- Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Cognitive Abilities - Fourth Edition (WJ-IV Cog)
Accepted Tests
ACT Assessment (ACT)
Administered within the past three years. All applicants can submit this testing.
Single course applicants must submit a qualifying score in the subject area for which they are applying. We do not accept superscores.
| ACT | Grade 6 | Grade 7 | Grade 8 | Grade 9 | Grade 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| English | 28 | 31 | 33 | 35 | 36 |
| Math | 27 | 30 | 33 | 34 | 35 |
| Reading | 30 | 32 | 33 | 35 | 36 |
| Science Reasoning | 25 | 28 | 32 | 34 | 35 |
| Composite | 27 | 29 | 32 | 34 | 35 |
The Davidson Institute has partnered with Northwestern University’s Center for Talent Development (CTD) to offer the opportunity to take a proctored, practice version of this test. More information and registration.
Differential Ability Scales - Second Edition Normative Update (DAS-II NU School Age)
Administered within the past five years. Only applicants 13 and older can submit this testing.
Standard score 145+ on at least one of the following:
- Verbal Ability
- Nonverbal Reasoning
- General Conceptual Ability
- Special Nonverbal Composite
Kaufman Test of Educational Achievement - 3rd Edition (KTEA-3)
Administered within the past five years. All full time applicants and single course applicants who are 13 and older can submit this testing.
Standard score 145+ on at least two of the following:
- Reading Composite
- Math Composite
- Written Language Composite
- Comprehensive Achievement Composite
Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT)
Administered within the past three years. All applicants can submit this testing.
Single course applicants must submit a qualifying score in the subject area for which they are applying. We do not accept superscores.
| SAT | Grade 6 | Grade 7 | Grade 8 | Grade 9 | Grade 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RW | 630 | 670 | 700 | 750 | 780 |
| Math | 650 | 700 | 740 | 770 | 800 |
| Total | 1280 | 1370 | 1440 | 1520 | 1580 |
The Davidson Institute has partnered with Northwestern University’s Center for Talent Development (CTD) to offer the opportunity to take a proctored, practice version of this test. More information and registration.
Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scales - Fifth Edition (SB5)
Administered within the past five years. Only applicants 13 and older can submit this testing.
Standard score 145+ on at least one of the following:
- Verbal
- Nonverbal
- Full Scale
Wechsler Individual Achievement Test - Fourth Edition (WIAT-IV)
Administered within the past five years. All full time applicants and single course applicants who are 13 and older can submit this testing.
Standard score 145+ on at least two of the following:
- Total Reading Composite
- Mathematics Composite
- Written Expression Composite
- Total Achievement Composite
Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children - Fifth Edition (WISC-V)
Administered within the past five years. Only applicants 13 and older can submit this testing.
Standard score 145+ on at least one of the following:
- Full Scale IQ Score (FSIQ)
- General Ability Index (GAI)
- Expanded General Ability Index (EGAI)
- Nonverbal Index (NVI)
- Verbal Expanded Crystallized Index (VECI)
- Expanded Fluid Index (EFI)
OR at least two of the following:
- Verbal Comprehension (VCI)
- Visual Spatial (VSI)
- Fluid Reasoning (FRI)
- Quantitative Reasoning (QRI)
- Working Memory Index (WMI)
Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Achievement - Fourth or Fifth Edition (WJ-IV Ach or WJ-V Ach)
Administered within the past five years. All full time applicants and single course applicants who are 13 and older can submit this testing.
Standard score 145+ on at least two of the following:
- Broad Reading
- Broad Math
- Broad Written Language
- Total Achievement
Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Cognitive Abilities - Fourth Edition (WJ-IV Cog)
Administered within the past five years. Only applicants 13 and older can submit this testing.
Standard score 145+ on General Intellectual Ability (GIA)
General Testing Submission Requirements
Full time applicants who are 12 and younger
Please review the accepted tests page for 12 and younger page.
Applicants who have previously applied and were declined admission
Applicants who were declined admission and wish to reapply must complete the current online application and are required to create a new application and upload updated testing and/or grade reports.