An evaluation is usually conducted by a psychologist or other similar professional. Some schools have licensed staff who conduct evaluations (public schools and private schools both often have psychologists who work for the school and who conduct evaluations of students, especially in the elementary and middle school levels), while some schools ask students to be evaluated outside of school. Evaluators try to create a safe, comfortable environment and establish a rapport with a student so that they can make the child feel at ease and get a good read on the student.

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The evaluator will usually start with an intelligence test such as the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC). First developed in the late 1940s, this test is now in its fifth version (from 2014) and is known as the WISC-V. This version of the WISC evaluation is available as both a paper-and-pencil format and as a digital format on what is called Q-interactive®. Studies show that the WISC–V delivers more flexibility in assessment as well as more content. This new version gives a more comprehensive snapshot of a child's abilities than its previous versions. Some of the more notable improvements make it easier and faster to identify the issues a student faces and better helps identify learning solutions for the student.

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Though the validity of intelligence tests has been hotly debated, they are still used to generate four main sub-scores: a verbal comprehension score, a perceptual reasoning score, a working memory score, and a processing speed score. A discrepancy between or among these scores is notable and may be indicative of a child's strengths and weaknesses. For example, a child may score higher in one domain, such as verbal comprehension, and lower in another, indicating why he or she tends to struggle in certain areas.

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The evaluation, which may last several hours (with some tests administered over several days) may also include achievement tests such as the Woodcock Johnson. Such tests measure to what degree students have mastered academic skills in areas such as reading, math, writing, and other areas. A discrepancy between intelligence tests and achievement tests may also indicate a specific type of learning issue. Evaluations may also include tests of other cognitive functions, such as memory, language, executive functions (which refer to the ability to plan, organize, and carry out one's tasks), attention, and other functions. In addition, the testing may include some basic psychological assessments.