CAT4 Test: Questions & Answers

The CAT4 test is the UK & Ireland most widely used reasoning ability assessment test, designed to help schools understand students' abilities and develop them. It is administered throughout the UK and Ireland and by many international schools worldwide to students aged 6 to 17.

Developed and delivered by GL-Assessment, based on years of thorough research, this edition of the CAT4 test helps identify individual students' strengths and weaknesses while also monitoring the performance of groups of students.

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. Cronbach's Alpha formula confirmed the CAT4's reliability.

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A "good" Cognitive Abilities Test CAT4 score is subjective and depends on the context in which the test is being used, including the specific goals for assessment and the benchmarks set by the school or educational authority. The CAT4 test results are typically reported as Standard Age Scores (SAS), percentile ranks, and stanines, providing a comprehensive view of a student ability relative to others of the same age.

Here's a brief overview of how to interpret these scores:

• Standard Age Scores (SAS): The average score is set at 100, with most students scoring between 85 and 115. Scores above 115 are considered above average, and scores below 85 are considered below average.
• Percentile Ranks: These indicate the percentage of students in the norm group who scored below a particular student. For example, a percentile rank of 70 means the student scored better than 70% of students in the norm group.
• Stanines: These are derived from percentile ranks and range from 1 to 9, with 5 being average. Scores of 7 to 9 are considered above average, 4 to 6 are average, and 1 to 3 are below average.

In general, a "good" CAT4 test score might be considered one that falls within the above-average range (SAS above 115, percentile ranks above 75, stanines 7-9). 

The Cognitive Abilities Test CAT4 is designed to measure cognitive abilities, not academic achievement, so it's challenging in the sense that it tests reasoning skills in various areas. However, since it assesses inherent abilities rather than learned knowledge, it's not "hard" in the traditional sense of requiring study or memorization. Some students might find certain sections more difficult based on their individual strengths and weaknesses.

GL-Assessment administers the CAT4 test in 10 different test levels, with each level aimed at other age groups. The following table presents all test levels and their matching target year group and age range:

Except for the three lowest test levels (X, Y, & Pre-A), which are designed for very young children and thus administered in a different format and structure, the content of each of the higher levels (A to G) is similar in terms of format and question types. The main distinction between them is in their increasing difficulty level, which corresponds to the overlapping configuration of target year groups.

GL Assessment's CAT4 test has both paper-based and computer-based versions; each takes approximately two hours to complete. The primary test levels (A-G) have four different batteries, with each containing two subsections​.

The test is administered in three parts, each divided into two or three short tests:

Students are allowed to solve the questions from the same battery in any order they'd like but can only answer questions from one battery at a time.

Schools use the CAT4 to adjust the learning experience to student-group and individual needs. As a result, teachers gain insight into subjects that students find difficult and can adequately support them. Moreover, CAT4 exam questions require reasoning skills other than relying on mathematical or verbal solid skills, thus allowing students with a language barrier or dyslexia to do well.

CAT4, as the name suggests, is a cognitive test, and as such, it measures skills that are also being tested in gifted children's programs. The informative reports help teachers identify those talented 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. For example, the reports allow the teachers to check if the child randomly guessed questions or had difficulty with a specific subject.  

As in many cognitive assessments, the CAT4 Test has specific recurring patterns, and getting familiar with these patterns increases the chances to score higher.

In addition to getting familiar with the test's patterns, enriching vocabulary can help score high on the verbal analogies and verbal classification sections. Moreover, enriching your vocabulary is possible within a relatively short time and can even be fun.

Lastly, remember that the test day is usually accompanied by anxiety, impacting the student's performance on the test. Getting familiar with the CAT4's content and format and practicing under the same time limit as in the real test is likely to reduce anxiety and impact the student's performance. Hence, the results of the test will more accurately reflect the ability of the student.

Practicing with CAT4 Practice Tests and explanations allows students to familiarize themselves with the test and gives them the confidence to succeed. Properly preparing also has the advantage of recognizing strengths and weaknesses and functioning without stress under time constraints.