CAT4 Level A
Level A is usually taken by children in Year 4 (Grade 3 in American and IB schools). Its scores are standardised for ages 7 years 6 months to 9 years 11 months. Usually sat by children in Year 4. A school testing for Year 5 entry early in the year may also use it.
- Usual year group
- Year 4 in England and Wales, P5 in Scotland, Year 5 (P5) in Northern Ireland
- Ages covered by the scores
- 7 years 6 months to 9 years 11 months
- Test time
- 72 minutes of timed sections, usually in three parts
What Level A includes
Like every level from A to G, Level A has all eight question types. The question types stay the same as children move up; the words, numbers and figures get harder.
| Battery | Question type | Section time |
|---|---|---|
| Non-verbal | Figure classification | 10 minutes |
| Non-verbal | Figure matrices | 10 minutes |
| Verbal | Verbal classification | 8 minutes |
| Verbal | Verbal analogies | 8 minutes |
| Quantitative | Number analogies | 10 minutes |
| Quantitative | Number series | 8 minutes |
| Spatial | Figure analysis (paper folding) | 9 minutes |
| Spatial | Figure recognition (hidden shapes) | 9 minutes |
How Merlin Practice pitches Level A
The first level with all eight question types. Words are everyday ones and number work stays with simple facts.
Our questions are original and written to feel like the right level of challenge for Year 4. They are not GL Assessment's questions, and our results are practice feedback, not CAT4 scores.
Check with your school
Schools choose the level, and sometimes use the one above or below the usual match, for example when testing at the very end of a school year or for a selective intake. If you know your child's test date, ask the school which level they will take and how the results are used.