The Cognitive Abilities Test fourth edition (known as CAT4) is designed to help schools understand students’ abilities and how to develop them. The CAT4 helps identify individual students’ strengths and weaknesses while also monitoring the performance of groups of students. It is administered throughout the UK and Ireland to students aged 6 to 17.
The CAT4 has four different parts: Verbal Reasoning, Quantitative Reasoning, Non-Verbal Reasoning, and Spatial Ability. It is designed to measure cognitive reasoning skills while demanding little reading comprehension and arithmetical skills, thus making the test less biased towards native speakers. The CAT4’s reliability was confirmed by Cronbach’s Alpha formula.
CAT4 has both paper-based and computer-based versions, which each take approximately two hours to complete. Every battery of questions has between 8 to 10 minutes to answer. Students are allowed to solve the questions in any order they’d like from the same battery but can only answer questions from one battery at a time.
Here is some detailing about the type of questions covered in CAT4. The questions in the test are multiple-choice questions:
The CAT Congitive Test is Ireland and UK's most widely used reasoning skills test for pupils in the ages seven and older. It was standardised for Ireland, in a new Irish version, for students ages ten and a half to approximately seventeen.
As is the case in the UK, the CAT4 gives teachers insight of groups and individual study needs, helps pinpoint underachievement and uncover gifted students. Furthermore, the CAT4 reports give teachers the opportunity to strategize their lessons, on the basis of students’ strengths and weaknesses identified on the test.
Schools use the CAT4 to adjust the learning experience to student-group and individual needs. Teachers gain insight to subjects that students find difficult and can support them in the proper way. Moreover, CAT4 questions require reasoning skills other than relying on mathematical or strong verbal skills, thus allowing students with a language barrier or dyslexia do well.
CAT4, as the name suggests, is a cognitive test and as such measure skills that are also being tested in gifted children programs. The CAT4 informative reports helps teachers identify those gifted children and support their studying in an environment that will further foster their abilities.
An additional value the CAT4 has is identifying students who are having difficulties. Due to its unique structure, students who receive low scores in the CAT4 reports often do so for a reason. The reports allow the teachers to check if the child randomly guessed questions or if he/she has a difficulty with a certain subject.
This Cognitive Ability Test has a unique question format and strict time limitation, making it seem daunting to many students. Practicing prior to the exam can help the student feel more comfortable and at ease with both CAT4’s testing format and its expectations.
Practicing with CAT4 sample questions and explanations allows students to familiarize themselves with the test and gives them the confidence needed to succeed. Properly preparing also has the advantage of recognizing strengths and weaknesses and functioning without stress under time constraints.
TestPrep-Online’s CAT4 Level E PrepPack includes tutorials, practice tests, study guides, tips, detailed explanations, and examples for learning strategies.
Looking for other levels? Have a look at our CogAT Packs.
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