The IQ assessment is an initial screening step to help determine whether Nueva may be a good match for your child. It offers a "snapshot" of your child's cognitive skills at a given point in time, along with insight into how they approach different types of tasks. 

If your child has a documented learning difference that may affect standardized testing, please contact the administering psychologist to discuss accommodations before the assessment is scheduled. 

Our experience has shown that students who score around 130 (98th percentile) or above on the Full Scale Wechsler IQ Score tend to thrive in Nueva's program. We encourage every family to submit their child's results, regardless of score — this allows us to thoughtfully assess eligibility and offer clear guidance on next steps.

For applicants who are eligible to continue in our process, the IQ assessment results are only one part of the picture. The Admissions Committee considers a child's full profile — developmental readiness, language exposure, academic skills, motivation, curiosity, social intelligence, resilience, and creative thinking. These attributes are assessed through many aspects of the admissions process, including the Activity Session and recommendation forms submitted by a child's current school. 

After careful review, if we determine your child is not eligible to continue based on their results, we will withdraw their application from consideration. This is specific to the current application year and will not affect their eligibility to apply in future years — many families reapply in later grades. 

No. You can have your child take the IQ assessment before they apply. Families will need to delegate a form in Ravenna authorizing the administering psychologist to upload the results and narrative report directly to us through the Ravenna system.

Please still provide the administering psychologist with the Submission Guidelines for Psychologists form, which outlines the required components of the report.

In addition, you must also authorize the release of results to Nueva. You can do this either by giving the administering psychologist the IQ Assessment Guidelines and Release Form for Families, or by signing a release form provided by the psychologist.

Once we receive the IQ assessment results, we will follow up with your family regarding your child's eligibility to move forward in the admissions process.

Yes. To request financial assistance for the Wechsler IQ assessment, complete and submit the Application for IQ Assessment Financial Assistance Voucher. To qualify, you must first submit your Family Information Form and demonstrate financial need. 

We strongly recommend not scheduling your child's assessment until you have been notified of your voucher eligibility, as a reimbursement will not be provided. 

Please note: Voucher-eligible families must also agree to have the administering psychologist submit results directly to Nueva. Psychologists will not accept the voucher or begin the assessment without this agreement in place. Vouchers are valid only with psychologists on our Psychologist Resource List.

Visit our Affording a Nueva Education page to learn more about our financial assistance program. 

IQ assessment results for students applying to grades preK–8 must be submitted by Tuesday, January 5, 2027. 

We recommend having your child assessed as soon as they reach the age requirement. Submitting results earlier gives you more flexibility in scheduling the remaining steps in the application process. 

Kindergarten and Middle School (grades 5–8) families who submit the Family Information Form and in-range IQ assessment results by November 3, 2027 are guaranteed an opportunity for an in-person Activity Session. 

For Round II pre-kindergarten applicants, IQ assessment results must be received by Tuesday, March 16, 2027. 

We recommend children be at least 4 years old to take a version of the assessment that yields more information. However, children can be as young as 3 years 10 months old to take another version of the Wechsler IQ assessment for our process. The Wechsler scores adjust for age and are based on your child's birth date, as well as extensive studies of children in the same age range. 

As one would expect, there is variation in the ability of young children to perform and focus on tasks. Some young children may not be ready to sit for an hour for the assessment. For multilingual children with a primary language other than English, an assessment at a younger age may under-represent a child's cognitive abilities. If you are unsure of your child's readiness, feel free to contact our Admissions Office for more information. 

For applicants to kindergarten through grade 8, we strongly recommend they take the IQ assessment the summer prior to applying to Nueva (June–August) or by mid-November to allow time to fully participate in all aspects of the admissions process. 

It depends. While we prefer children be 4 years old when assessed, the minimum age for the WPPSI-IV (IQ assessment) is 3 years and 10 months. If your child is age-eligible and takes the assessment by January 5, 2027, they will be considered in Round I of the pre-kindergarten admissions process. Alternatively, you can wait until your child turns 4, in which case they'll be considered in Round II of the pre-kindergarten admissions process. 

If your child's birthday falls between March 6 and May 16, they may only apply during Round II. IQ assessment results for our Round II process are due March 16, 2027, though all other application materials are still due January 5, 2027. Keep in mind: if your child takes the assessment after January 5 and their scores are not in the range Nueva requires to continue in the admissions process, they'll need to wait 12 months before retaking it — meaning they won't be eligible to apply for kindergarten the following year either.

A portion of the pre-kindergarten class is offered enrollment in early March (Round I), with the remainder notified in late March (Round II). Students who receive wait pool letters in March will be reconsidered in Round II.

If your child turns 4 after May 16, 2027, they are not eligible for our pre-kindergarten program due to age requirements and the timing of age-eligible test dates relative to our admissions and enrollment deadlines. We hope you'll return next year, when your child can apply to our kindergarten program. 

We provide a Psychologist Resource List of licensed psychologists in our area. This list is not an endorsement of these psychologists nor a comprehensive list for the Bay Area. We accept reports from any licensed psychologist, including those practicing out of state or internationally. Be sure the psychologist you choose administers the WPPSI-IV for children under 6 years old, or the WISC-V for children over 6 years old – older versions or other IQ assessments will not be accepted. 

Please read the IQ Assessment Guidelines and Release Form for Families, then print, sign, and submit it to the administering psychologist, along with the Submission Guidelines for Psychologists form. 

IQ assessment results must be submitted by the administering psychologist.

In Ravenna, delegate the Wechsler Submission Form to your psychologist by entering their email address. They will then receive an email with a link to complete the form and upload the report.

You must authorize the release of results to Nueva. You can do this by either providing the administering psychologist with the IQ Assessment Guidelines and Release Form for Families, or by signing a release form provided by the psychologist.

The IQ assessment is unique: any preparation or exposure to the materials beforehand will invalidate your child's scores. Children who have been coached or shown assessment content typically behave in ways that clearly reveal this exposure. If this happens, the results will be considered invalid, and the application will be withdrawn from our admissions process. The child will also need to wait a full year before retaking the assessment. 

We understand that families want to help their children do their best. But coaching or prepping for this assessment leads to inaccurate results, which can ultimately place a child in a learning environment that doesn't fully support their academic or social-emotional needs. 

Rest assured, each section of the assessment begins with sample questions to help your child understand the task. The best way to support your child is simple: help them get a good night's sleep, eat a nourishing meal or snack, and know what to expect. Let them know they'll be meeting someone who wants to hear their ideas and will guide them through some problem—solving activities. Some questions will be too hard to answer — that's expected, since the assessment covers a wide age range. Your child isn't expected to know everything, just to try their best. 

With young children especially, we encourage parents to downplay the idea of a “test.” Instead, frame it as time with an adult's undivided attention, doing tasks and helping with important jobs — a chance to share what they know. 

The psychologists will help your child feel relaxed and engaged.

We strongly recommend parents avoid discussing the assessment results with young children, since they lack the context to process that information.

The WPPSI-IV (for children under 6) takes approximately one hour to complete.

The WISC-V (for children 6 and older) takes approximately two hours and includes a break, if needed.

If your chiId's results fall outside our target range and they are not eligible to continue in the Nueva admissions process this year, they must wait 12 months before retaking the assessment. 

If your child recently had an educational assessment elsewhere, check whether you already have Wechsler results before scheduling a new one. 

How long results stay valid: Results are valid for two consecutive admissions seasons. Each new season begins June 1. 

For example: 

If your child was assessed in May 2025, results are valid through the 2025–26 season, but not for 2026–27. 

If your child was assessed in June 2025, results are valid through the 2026–27 season, but not for 2027–28. 

If your child's results are still within the valid window, you may submit them. The admissions Office may request or recommend an additional assessment if needed. 

If you have any questions regarding previous assessments, contact us at admissions@nuevaschool.org.

Primary instruction at Nueva is in English, so all students are expected to be fluent in spoken English before joining our community. Because of this, the entire admissions process, including the IQ assessment, is conducted in English. 

If your child’s first language is not English, it is important to share this with the psychologist before the assessment. 

This does not change how the assessment is administered, scored, or what it covers, but it helps the psychologist interpret the results. Instructions are given in English, and results are based on a child's age and normed on a monolingual English-speaking population.

If you have any questions about the process as it relates to your child's linguistic background, please contact the Admissions Office at admissions@nuevaschool.org.

If your child is even slightly sick, we encourage you to reschedule the appointment. It is important that your child feels healthy and well for the assessment, since it cannot be retaken within a calendar year. Their condition could worsen during the assessment, or they may be contagious and put others at risk.

This is one more reason we recommend having your child assessed as soon as they are age-eligible. It builds in time to reschedule if needed, without running into application deadlines.