Instruments, procedures, and criteria for the screening of Mayan students in Yucatan, Mexico are depicted and evaluated by analyzing the results of their use on 242 students in five different regions of Yucatan. These 242, 8th grade students were selected from a pool of 1,530 potentially gifted students. Participants responded to a variety of standardized and non-standardized tests and underwent an additional qualitative assessment through interviews and observations. Results of this study demonstrate diverse difficulties in screening gifted Yucatec Mayan students arising from the lack of valid and pertinent standardized tests and the lack of teachers' understanding regarding the concept of giftedness. Of the 242 evaluated students, evaluators identified only 21 students as gifted; these students were later registered to receive eventual attention in a state project. Challenges regarding the screening, misidentification and management of gifted Mayan students are discussed in light of this experience. (Contains 1 figure.)