The placement in a gifted program in the state of Georgia is decided at the local school system level. Each school system sets guidelines which adhere to, but are more specific than Georgia's Criteria.Students may be eligible for the program in the ways that are outlined by Georgia's criteria.

Automatic referrals happen if a student has scored at the 99th percentile (for grades K-2) or the 96th percentile (for grades 3-12) on the composite or full scale score of a standardized test of mental ability. Otherwise, the students are referred by faculty, peers, self, or any responsible person who has knowledge of the student's abilities.