Gifted & Talented and NYS Test Prep in Flushing, Queens

Elementary school is where the NYC admissions path starts. Gifted & Talented placement, the state tests in grades 3 to 8, the Hunter exam in 6th grade and the SHSAT in 8th all reward the same things: reading above grade level, writing clearly, and math a year or two ahead. ABCMath's grade 3 to 5 program has taught exactly that in Flushing since 1996.

Who this program is for

• 3rd and 4th graders starting the state tests, or whose families want a G&T placement in the upper grades. See our 3rd & 4th grade class.
• 5th graders whose spring NYS ELA and Math scores decide whether they can sit the Hunter exam the following January. See 5th grade.
• Students already in a G&T program who need the work to stay challenging.

How G&T admissions and the state tests work

NYC's Gifted & Talented programs no longer use a separate admissions test. For kindergarten, pre-K teachers evaluate children when a family adds a G&T program to the kindergarten application. For grades 1 to 4, a student is eligible if the most recent report card shows grades of 3 or 4 (or the equivalent) in math, reading and writing, with no 1 in any marking period in the core subjects. Offers for the Fall 2027 upper-grade cycle are due on June 10, 2027. (Source: NYC Public Schools, Gifted & Talented.)

The NYS ELA and Math tests are separate. They are given every spring to grades 3 through 8. Their results are used by schools, by middle-school screened programs, and by Hunter College High School, which sets minimum 5th grade scores to qualify for its exam. (Source: Hunter College High School eligibility.)

In practice this means report card grades open the G&T door, and state test scores open the Hunter door. Our classes are built to deliver both.

What we teach

English

• Reading comprehension with fiction and non-fiction passages above grade level
• Weekly vocabulary and spelling
• Writing every week: paragraphs in 3rd grade, structured essays by 5th, marked and returned
• Grammar and conventions, the part of the ELA test most children lose points on

Math

• Number sense, place value and operations with multi-digit numbers
• Fractions, decimals and percents, taught early and revisited often
• Word problems and multi-step reasoning in the format the state test uses
• Geometry, measurement and data
• Pre-algebra for 5th graders who are ready for it

Test practice

Timed practice sections in the state-test format, with the question types reviewed in class so children learn how to show their work the way the rubric expects.

How the classes run

• Weekend classes in person at 43-55 Kissena Blvd or 140-22 Beech Ave in Flushing.
• Live online classes for families outside Flushing.
• Weekday online tutoring, an hour of math and an hour of English each week, for homework help and extra practice. See weekday online tutoring.

Why ABCMath

• NYS-certified teachers who know the state standards, with TAs in every class.
• 30 years in Flushing and more than 5,000 students, many of whom started with us in 3rd or 4th grade and went on to Hunter, the specialized high schools and top colleges.
• One continuous program: grades 3 to 5 lead into 6th grade Hunter prep and 7th & 8th grade SHSAT prep without changing schools or teachers.

Frequently asked questions