Districts / IL
Chicago Public Schools: gifted testing
Selective Enrollment Elementary: Regional Gifted Centers and Classical programs
Grades K-8Families apply through GoCPS in the fall. Regional Gifted Center applicants take a reasoning test (verbal and nonverbal subscores, used for tiebreakers); Classical applicants take a math and reading achievement test. CPS does not publish the test names or minimum scores. Kindergarten testing is one-on-one; grades 1-8 test in groups on paper.
| Test | Grades | Who | When | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CPS reasoning test (Regional Gifted Centers; name not published) | K, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 | Parents opt in | Typically October through January or early February; exact dates in the GoCPS portal | source |
| CPS achievement test (Classical programs; name not published) | K, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 | Parents opt in | Typically October through January or early February; exact dates in the GoCPS portal | source |
Published criteria
- No minimum test score is published. Grades 5-8 applicants need a prior-year GPA of 3.0 or better for Classical and Regional Gifted Centers. No retakes are allowed for the same school year. source
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District information is compiled from public sources and may be incomplete, out of date or wrong. GiftedCub is not affiliated with Chicago Public Schools. Confirm testing windows, deadlines, eligibility criteria and cutoffs directly with the district or school before relying on them. GiftedCub is not responsible for missed deadlines or decisions based on this information.
- Selective Enrollment Admissions Testing (GoCPS) (checked 2026-10-23)
- ZIP codes for Chicago in Cook County (finder only) (checked 2026-10-23)