CTYOnline programs are designed for academically gifted students in grades Pre K - 12. Eligibility for admission is based on the student's performance on one of several specific tests depending on the student's grade in school. See Eligibility Guidelines and Qualifying Scores for CTYOnline for the qualifying tests and scores that determine for which programs and courses a student is eligible to enroll.
Eligibility testing for students between Grades 2 - 8 is generally arranged by CTY Talent Search during the academic year while the Diagnostic and Counseling Center arranges for eligibility testing during the summer. Students who wish to test after September 15th should register through CTY Talent Search, which identifies, assesses, and recognizes gifted students with exceptional mathematical and/or verbal reasoning abilities during the academic year. CTY Talent Search begins accepting applications from academically gifted students after September 1st. CTY focuses on challenging academically gifted students in their areas of strength, not on remedial studies. Students who excel in the mathematical reasoning portion of the qualifying test become eligible to take courses in math, science, or computer science. Those who achieve qualifying scores on the verbal (or reading) portion of the above grade test become eligible to take writing, humanities, social science, or foreign language courses. If you already have the student's scores for SCAT, College Board SAT, or ACT, use the convenient CTY Eligibility Assessment form to find out which programs and courses the student may take. (Those who took the PLUS test in earlier years should check PLUS news.) Grades Pre K - 1
Grades 2 - 6
Grades 7 and Above
PSAT for Grades 9 to 12 Academically gifted students in grades Pre K - 6 become eligible for CTYOnline distance education math courses by achieving qualifying scores on the assessments shown below. Once admitted, they may continue to enroll in distance math courses for which they are eligible until the end of the 2nd grade (if they qualified by one of the qualifying tests for Grades Pre K - 1), or until the end of 7th grade (if they qualified by SCAT scores). By the end of 7th grade, students must have qualifying ACT or College Board SAT scores to continue enrolling in CTYOnline. Academically gifted students should participate in the CTY Talent Search to take the SCAT during grades 2 though 6 or to take the ACT or College Board SAT in the 7th or 8th grade. CTYOnline offers challenging math courses to academically gifted students beginning in Pre-Kindergarten. Children below 2nd grade (who are too young to take the SCAT through CTY Talent Search) must have qualifying scores on any one of the following tests to be eligible to enroll in CTYOnline courses: - WISC-IV, WPPSI-III, Stanford-Binet V: Full Scale, Verbal, OR Performance/Perceptual Reasoning/Nonverbal composite score 127 or higher
- CogAT: Verbal, Nonverbal, Quantitative, OR Composite Score 97th percentile or higher
- KeyMath: Total Score 97th percentile or higher
- Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Achievement - III, WIAT-II, or K-TEA: math composite 97th percentile or higher.
These tests are available from most private practice child psychologists and parents often ask their pediatricians for a referral. In addition, many parents contact the CTY Diagnostic and Counseling Center (dcc@jhu.edu) to arrange for DCC to provide the appropriate testing.
Academically gifted students in grades 2 - 6 take the School and College Abilities Test (SCAT) to qualify for CTY programs. This computerized above-grade level test is offered through CTY Talent Search during the school year and through the CTY Diagnostic and Counseling Center during the summer months. For more information about SCAT testing during the summer and to print out the necessary form, please visit here. Grades
K - 6 | | | | | 2 | 435 SCAT Quantitative | 430 SCAT Verbal | | 3 | 440 SCAT Quantitative | 435 SCAT Verbal | | 4 | 450 SCAT Quantitative | 440 SCAT Verbal | | 5 | 465 SCAT Quantitative | 450 SCAT Verbal | | 6 | 475 SCAT Quantitative | 455 SCAT Verbal |
By the end of grade 7, academically gifted students must have qualifying scores on the ACT or College Board SAT to continue enrolling in CTYOnline distance courses. Students should register for CTY Talent Search and take the ACT or SAT during the 7th grade so their scores will be available by the end of grade 7. At this time, only the ACT Reading, SAT Verbal (prior to 3/05), or SAT Critical Reading score (3/05 or later) will be considered for CTY humanities course eligibility. Grades
7 and above | | | | | | | | | 7 | 430 SAT-M or
16 ACT-M |
400 STB and 380 SAT-M or
400 STB and 15 ACT-M
| 410 SAT-CR/V or
15 ACT-R | | 8 |
480 SAT-M or
18 ACT-M
| 400 STB and 430 SAT-M or
400 STB and 16 ACT-M | 460 SAT-CR/V or
18 ACT-R | | 9 |
530 SAT-M or
20 ACT-M | 400 STB and 480 SAT-M or
400 STB and 18 ACT-M | 510 SAT-CR/V or
21 ACT-R | | 10 |
580 SAT-M or
23 ACT-M | 400 STB and 530 SAT-M or
400 STB and 20 ACT-M | 560 SAT-CR/V or
24 ACT-R | | 11 |
630 SAT-M or
25 ACT-M | 400 STB and 580 SAT-M or
400 STB and 22 ACT-M | 610 SAT-CR/V or
27 ACT-R | | 12 |
630 SAT-M or
25 ACT-M
| 400 STB and 580 SAT-M or
400 STB and 22 ACT-M | 610 SAT-CR/V or
27 ACT-R | | Key | M = Math, CR = Critical Reading (tested 3/05 or later), V = Verbal (tested prior to 3/05); R = Reading | |
Official PSAT scores may be submitted for academically gifted students in grades 9 - 12 only. | | | | 9 | >=53 PSAT-M | >=51 PSAT-V | | 10 | >=58 PSAT-M | >=56 PSAT-V | | 11 | >=63 PSAT-M | >=61 PSAT-V | | 12 | >=68 PSAT-M | >=66 PSAT-V | | * Note: there is no STB option for students who take the PSAT |
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