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CAT4 Level E

Level E is usually taken by children in Year 8 (Grade 7 in American and IB schools). Its scores are standardised for ages 11 years 6 months to 13 years 11 months. Usually sat by children in Year 8, so it often appears in tests for Year 8 or Year 9 places.

Usual year group
Year 8 in England and Wales, S2 in Scotland, Year 9 (Form 2) in Northern Ireland
Ages covered by the scores
11 years 6 months to 13 years 11 months
Test time
72 minutes of timed sections, usually in three parts

What Level E includes

Like every level from A to G, Level E has all eight question types. The question types stay the same as children move up; the words, numbers and figures get harder.

CAT4 sections at Levels A to G in test order
BatteryQuestion typeSection time
Non-verbalFigure classification10 minutes
Non-verbalFigure matrices10 minutes
VerbalVerbal classification8 minutes
VerbalVerbal analogies8 minutes
QuantitativeNumber analogies10 minutes
QuantitativeNumber series8 minutes
SpatialFigure analysis (paper folding)9 minutes
SpatialFigure recognition (hidden shapes)9 minutes

How Merlin Practice pitches Level E

The hardest launch level: denser hidden-shape designs, diagonal folds and less familiar words.

Our questions are original and written to feel like the right level of challenge for Year 8. 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.