What is the CAT4 test?

What the CAT4 is

CAT4 stands for Cognitive Abilities Test, fourth edition. It is published by GL Assessment and measures reasoning: how well a child works with words, numbers, shapes and mental images. It does not test what has been taught in a particular curriculum, which is why international schools find it useful for children arriving from different systems.

Children usually take it on screen at school, with a timer for each section. It is multiple choice throughout.

The four batteries

The test has four parts, called batteries. From Level A upwards each battery has two short tests, so there are eight question types in all. Each question has five answer options.

• Verbal reasoning: verbal classification and verbal analogies.
• Quantitative reasoning: number analogies and number series.
• Non-verbal reasoning: figure classification and figure matrices.
• Spatial ability: figure analysis (paper folding) and figure recognition (hidden shapes).

Levels and ages

There are several levels, each pitched at an age group. In GL Assessment's guidance, Level A is usually taken in Year 4, Level B in Year 5, and so on up to Level G in Year 11 and above. Younger children may take Level X, Y or Pre-A, which have fewer tests.

Schools sometimes use the level above or below the usual one, for example for a selective intake or when testing at the end of the summer term. If you are not sure which level your child will take, ask the school.

How long it takes

In the digital version at Levels A to G, each test has a fixed time of between 8 and 10 minutes, counted down on screen. GL Assessment's guidance lists 72 minutes of test time in total, usually split into three parts of about 40 minutes each including instructions and practice questions. Schools decide how to schedule the parts, so your child may sit them on one day or across several.

Before each test there are worked examples and untimed practice questions, so the first questions your child meets are always explained.

What schools get back

Schools receive a standard age score for each battery, where 100 is average for the child's age, along with stanines and percentile ranks. The report also shows whether a child leans towards verbal or spatial thinking. Our guide to CAT4 scores explains each of these in plain English.

Schools use the results for setting, for planning support and, in many international schools, as part of admissions. How much weight a school gives to the CAT4 varies, so ask how it fits alongside reports and interviews.

Should your child prepare?

GL Assessment says children do not need to prepare, and the test is built so that knowledge plays as small a part as possible. What practice can do is remove surprise: a child who has seen a folded-paper question before will spend the timed minutes thinking, not puzzling over what is being asked.

A sensible approach is a few short sessions spread over two or three weeks: try each question type untimed with explanations, then a couple of timed sets so the pace feels normal. Sleep and a calm morning matter more than last-minute cramming.