- CAT4 Scores Gifted and Talented Testing
- What are the CAT4 Test Batteries?
- What is the Verbal Reasoning Battery?
- What is the Quantitative Reasoning Battery?
- What is the Nonverbal Reasoning Battery?
- What is the Spatial Ability Battery?
- Prepare for the CAT4 with TestPrep Online
CAT4 Scores Gifted and Talented Testing
The Cognitive Abilities Test’s fourth edition (CAT4) aims to measure academic needs and potential.
The CAT4 is comprised of four batteries: verbal, non-verbal, quantitative, and spatial ability. The CAT4 results are used to aid individual and group teaching. Therefore, the CAT4 offers individual and group reports, as well as reports for teachers, parents, and students. Find out more about CAT4 Score reports.
What are the CAT4 Test Batteries?
• Verbal Reasoning Battery: Focuses on the ability to reason with words representing either objects or concepts, rather than focusing on the physical properties of the words (for example, the alphabetical order of the letters). Two subsections: Verbal Classification and Verbal Analogies.
• Quantitative Reasoning Battery: Measures reasoning with numbers which have a numerical value/concept. Two subsections: Number Analogies and Number Series.
• Non-verbal Reasoning Battery: Focuses on shapes and appearance (outline, shape etc.). Two subsections: Figure Classification and Figure Matrices.
• Spatial Ability Battery: Similar to previous battery, measures 3-dimensional perception. Two subsections: Figure Analysis and Figure Recognition
What is the Verbal Reasoning Battery?
The Verbal Reasoning battery includes two subsections - Verbal Classification and Verbal Analogies.
Verbal Classification questions present three words, and five answer choices. The student must choose the word from the answer choices with the same meaning as the three given words.
Verbal Analogy questions present students with three words in the format of “A → B : C→ ____”, with A, B and C representing given words.
In each question, the words A and B relate to each other in a specific way. Student must identify this relation, and apply it to word C by selecting the fourth word from five given answer choices that is best suited.
Unlike many other forms of gifted and talented testing, the CAT4 does not focus on either reading skills or vocabulary use but rather the student’s ability to demonstrate reasoning skills through the use of words.
What is the Quantitative Reasoning Battery?
The Quantitative Reasoning Battery is comprised of Number Analogy questions and Number Series questions. It requires basic arithmetical skills and relies on minimal mathematical knowledge. This battery aims to assess pupils’ skill to find mathematical relations between numbers, in a similar way as the Verbal Reasoning Battery.
Number Analogy questions, like Verbal Analogy questions, are presented in the format of “A → B : C→ ____”. Although, in this case, A, B and C are given numbers. The first two numbers (A and B) share a mathematical connection. The student must deduce that connection and find an answer choice, out of the five given numbers, which shares the same connection with the third number presented (C).
Number Series questions present a series of numbers with a certain progression rule. The student must figure out the rule and choose an answer choice, out of five given options, which fits the same rule as the last number of the series.
What is the Nonverbal Reasoning Battery?
The Non-Verbal Reasoning Battery questions use shapes, other than words or numbers, to measure students’ ability to reason and think with non-verbal material, such as shapes or matrices. This battery is split into Figure Classification questions and Figure Matrices questions.
Figure Classification questions require recognizing a connection among three given shapes and choosing one of the five answer choices that shares that connection. The connection can be a conceptual link or a shared characteristic that the given shapes have in common.
Figure Matrices questions present a matrix comprised of four boxes. Each of the two boxes in the top row contains a shape, while only the first box in the bottom row is filled. The fourth is left empty. The boxes in the top row share a connection, which the students are asked to recognize and apply to the in the bottom row by choosing the correct answer choice to fill the empty box.
What is the Spatial Ability Battery?
The Spatial Ability Battery assesses the pupils’ ability to hold an image in their mind and manipulate it. It has Figure Analysis and Figure Recognition questions.
Figure Analysis questions show pictures depicting paper folded several times and then punched with holes. The five answer choices contain unfolded papers with punched holes. The student is asked to determine which of the answer choices is the final product of the folding in the pictures.
Figure Recognition questions present a singular shape. The answer choices are five complex designs. The students must identify which answer choice contains the presented shape (the same size and features).
Prepare for the CAT4 with TestPrep Online
CAT4 has unique types of questions that are different from the regular curriculum-based questions. Practicing with similar questions is the best way to get ready. To help your child prepare, TestPrep-Online offers practice packs for the CAT4 Level A, Level B, Level C, Level D, Level E, Level F, and Level G, all including study guides, tutorials, and hundreds of practice questions.
Need practice for another level? Explore our CogAT Practice Packs.
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