Identification of mathematically gifted children in New Zealand

A popular way of identifying mathematically gifted children in New Zealand is to select those ranked at or above the 90th percentile on a mathematics multiple-choice test, the Progressive Achievement Test (PAT). Giftedness in mathematics can properly be defined as the ability to solve difficult mathematical problems. We therefore compared the performance of sixty-six children on a published problem-solving test and the PAT. Receiver Operating Characteristic analysis showed that, independent of any chosen percentile, the PAT's accuracy at identifying mathematically gifted children was 78 per cent. Such a degree of accuracy will lead to many mathematically gifted children being overlooked, or many being mistakenly identified as gifted. Use of the PAT for this purpose is therefore not recommended.