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If your child is taking the CAT4 test, this guide will help you and your child understand what to expect.
Read on to:
Find out why schools use the CAT4
Understand the format and structure of the CAT4
Learn how the CAT4 is scored
Discover how to help your child prepare
Plus, sign up for Atom's free CAT4 course – including video lessons and CAT4 practice papers!
What is the CAT4?
CAT4 stands for Cognitive Abilities Test (4th Edition). It's created by GL Assessment – one of the UK's leading exam providers, including for the 11 plus.
The CAT4 is a non-adaptive test, meaning that every child answers the same set of questions in the same order during the test, regardless of their individual performance. It aims to reveal a child’s hidden potential by assessing their reasoning ability.
It is also a standardised test, which means the exam is designed and administered with strict consistency, where all children take the same questions under the same conditions and are marked in the same way. This enables reliable comparison of performance, as the test is standardised on around 25,000 children in the UK and Ireland.
What is the CAT4 used for?
Schools use CAT4 tests for a range of purposes. Unlike exams such as SATs or GCSEs, which focus on what has been taught in the classroom, CAT4 is designed to show how children think and approach problems. It looks at reasoning skills across different areas to give an indication of how a child might learn and progress.
The test results can highlight strengths that may not always be obvious in lessons, point out areas where extra support could help, and guide schools in setting learning targets or deciding on the most suitable teaching groups.
CAT4 is used by schools to:
Assess candidates' as part of a selective school entrance exam
Stream students into sets based on academic ability
Provide an indicator for national tests and exams (e.g. setting predicted grades for GCSEs)
It also helps teachers:
Evaluate their students' academic abilities and potential
Identify students' strengths to see who might benefit from extra challenge
Identify which students might benefit from extra support
Identify learning strategies for individual students
Support students' transition from primary to secondary school
What are the CAT4 levels?
The CAT4 test has 10 available levels which are aimed at different age groups. The content in each level is appropriate for that age group.
The most commonly used levels are A–G. If your child is taking the CAT4 as an 11 plus exam, they will likely take Level C or Level D.
Try Atom's free CAT4 course
Is your child taking a CAT4 test? Atom's free CAT4 course is here to help them feel confident! Your child will master tricky topics, refine exam skills, and practise CAT4-style questions.
Structure of the CAT4
The CAT4 test is a timed assessment of 72 minutes, taken under exam conditions. It's available to schools as both a paper-based and online test.
Children will be assessed through multiple-choice questions across four 'batteries':
Verbal reasoning
Quantitative reasoning
Non-verbal reasoning
Spatial reasoning
Let's take a look at some example CAT4 questions for each section.
Part 1
The first section of the CAT4 test assesses non-verbal reasoning. This involves solving problems and identifying patterns using pictures and diagrams. Many selective schools include 11 plus non-verbal reasoning as part of their Year 7 selection process.
In the CAT4, non-verbal reasoning is assessed through:
Figure classification - 10 minutes (available on Atom Home)
Figure matrices - 10 minutes (available on Atom Home)
Children are not allowed to use any additional resources such as a pencil or scrap paper in this section.
Figure classification
Figure classification tests your child's ability to understand, analyse and recognise visual information and patterns.
They will see a pair or a group of shapes which are similar in some way. They will then need to select one of five options that matches the group based on a shared characteristic.
Answer: E. In the example pair, a large black shape has a smaller white version of the same shape overlapping it. Option E follows the same pattern: a large black circle with a smaller white circle overlapping it.
Figure matrices
In figure matrices questions, your child will be tested on their ability to recognise changes between shapes. They will need to show their understanding by applying the same changes to other shapes.
They will see a matrix consisting of several shapes. One piece of the matrix will be missing. They will need to identify how the shapes change within the matrix to identify the missing piece from the options provided.
Answer: C. Each row follows a pattern where the circle colour changes (black → white → grey) and the background corner shading rotates (grey → black → hatched). In the top row, the missing shape must be a grey circle with a grey shaded corner, which matches option C.
Part 2
The second part of the CAT4 test assesses verbal reasoning and quantitative reasoning.
Verbal reasoning tests how we think and solve problems using written information. Many grammar and private schools include 11 plus verbal reasoning as part of their Year 7 entry process.
Quantitative reasoning is designed to test maths skills and involves processing patterns using numbers.
Part 2 of the CAT4 test consists of three individually-timed sections:
Verbal classification - 8 minutes (available on Atom Home)
Verbal analogies - 8 minutes (available on Atom Home)
Number analogies - 10 minutes (available on Atom Home)
Children are not allowed to use any additional resources in this section.
Verbal classification
In the verbal classification test, children will see a group of words. They will need to select two words which have the most closely associated meaning.
Answer: C (prove) and E (open). Ticket, label and tag are closely linked because they are items you attach to something to give information. Prove and open are different because they describe actions, not objects.
Verbal analogies
In the verbal analogies test, your child needs to work out the relationship between a pair of words. They are given two sets of options in brackets and must choose one word from each set to complete the sentence.
Answer: C (solve) and F (break). We solve a puzzle and we break a code. This keeps the same verb–noun relationship in both parts of the sentence.
Number analogies
In this type of question, your child will see pairs of numbers. The first number is linked to the second by a rule. A number will be missing in the final pair, and your child needs to work out the rule that connects the first number to the second in the completed pairs to use it to find the missing number.
Unlike the previous tests, your child will be allowed a pencil and paper for working out in this section.
Answer: B (60) The same rule links each pair: multiply the first number by 12.
Part 3
The third and final part of the CAT4 test involves more quantitative reasoning questions and tests spatial ability. This is a skill which involves transforming visual images in the mind. It's commonly used in STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering and maths).
There are three shorter timed sections:
Number series - 8 minutes (available on Atom Home)
Figure analysis - 9 minutes (available on Atom Home)
Figure recognition - 9 minutes (available on Atom Home)
Your child will be allowed a pencil and paper for rough working out in the number series section, but not for figure analysis or figure recognition.
Number series
Your child will see a sequence of numbers which are linked by a rule. They need to analyse the numbers to work out the rule, then apply it to find the missing numbers in the sequence.
Answer: A (36). The sequence increases by 7 each time, so the missing number is 36.
Figure analysis
In the figure analysis test, your child will see an image of a square that has been folded and had holes punched out of it. They will need to visualise how the square would look if it was unfolded, and select the correct square from five options.
Answer: B. When unfolded, the cuts repeat across the folds, making six circles in two rows and three triangles down the right side - just like option B.
Figure recognition
Your child will be tested on their ability to recognise shapes within other shapes. They will need to identify, from five options built of more complex shapes, which option has the shape hidden within it.
Answer: C. Option C contains the same triangle: a long base with two equal sloping sides forming a peak. If you trace over C, you can see the outline hidden within the overlapping shapes.
How is the CAT4 marked?
Your child's CAT4 test will be marked by computer. Marks are given for every correct answer and combined to calculate a raw score.
This raw score will then be converted into a Standardised Age Score (SAS). This is a statistical process that takes into account your child's age in years and months at the time of taking the test, ensuring that younger children in the year group are not disadvantaged. The SAS is usually the most important piece of data that schools will take from the test results. A SAS score of 100 places a child as exactly average for their age group.
The test will provide schools with other key pieces of data, such as:
National percentile ranking (NPR): indicates how the student's score compares to the national cohort, ranked from low (0) to high (100).
Stanine rank (ST): often seen as a visual representation of your child's SAS score when mapped onto a curve, from 1 (low) to 9 (high). A stanine rank of 5 indicates that the child is working at the average ability level for their year group.
The image below shows a student's data after completing a CAT4 practice test on Atom.
What is a good CAT4 score?
Most selective schools are looking for a standardised score of at least 115, and sometimes higher, for Year 7 candidates.
If your child is taking the CAT4 test as part of a streaming process or to work out predicted future grades, your child's school might share their results with you. If you have any questions about your child's results, we always recommend talking this through with their school.
CAT4 FAQs
No – CAT4 is a non-adaptive test. All of the questions are pre-determined, and children taking the same test at the same time will see the same questions.
How can I support my child’s CAT4 exam success?
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Tailored exam preparation plans for your child's target schools
Unlimited online mock tests for the ISEB, CAT4, Cambridge Select Insight and individual schools
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Expert support with live lessons and webinars
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