What are the CAT4 subtests?

CAT4 test practice representation

Welcome to our feature on CAT4 subtests.

What are the CAT4 subtests?

Each CAT4 test battery consists of eight short CAT4 sub-tests with each focusing on different cognitive abilities. You can find test practice for each CAT4 sub-test at these CAT4 skill section-by-section CAT4 links:

You can learn how to improve each CAT4 sub-test scores in the next CAT4 section below.

Learn how to improve your CAT4 sub-tests scores

  • Firstly, How to improve your Figure Classification CAT4 score
  • Secondly, Learn how to improve your Figure Matrices CAT 4 result
  • And then next, How to improve your Verbal Classification cat4 score
  • Plus also, Learn how to improve your Verbal Analogies CAT4 result
  • And then next, How to improve your Number Analogies CAT4 score
  • Plus also Learn how to improve your Number Series CAT4 result
  • And then next How to improve your Figure Analysis CAT4 score
  • Then finally, Learn how to improve your Figure Classification CAT4 result

 

Our free CAT4 subtest samples for every pupil age

 

 

CAT4 prep recommendations

Our freely available CAT4 resources and premium CAT4 practice tests help focus students on passing the GL Assessment CAT4 test:

FREE downloadable CAT4 test practice PDFs, CAT4 practice tests

and CAT4 test samples.

Mosaic’s free CAT4 skills resources

Have a CAT4 question?

Rob Williams

Feel free to contact our Founder, Rob Williams, who is a specialist CAT4 test designer.

An Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society, Rob Williams is a Chartered Psychologist with over 25 years of experience working and designing tests.

He is also the author of five psychometrics books and has worked for the  school entrance test publishers ISEB, Hodder and GL Assessment, the CAT4 publisher.

When is the CAT4 Used?

CAT4 assessments are typically used in the following scenarios:

  1. Academic Group Placement: The results help schools place students in appropriate academic groups. These are often considered alongside traditional assessment results to ensure accurate placement. Many schools administer CAT4 tests after Key Stage 1 (KS1) and Key Stage 2 (KS2) to assess a child’s potential and guide their learning journey.
  2. School Entry Exams: Some schools use CAT4 as part of their entry process. Achieving the required level in the test allows the student to register at the school.

What is the Purpose of CAT4 Assessments?

Unlike traditional assessments, which evaluate what a student has learned or is currently learning, CAT4 focuses on the student’s underlying cognitive abilities. It measures skills that influence learning and academic performance, such as verbal, non-verbal, quantitative, and spatial reasoning.

The CAT4 does not assess acquired knowledge but instead offers a snapshot of the student’s potential. Its results provide reliable predictions of future academic performance, including GCSE achievements, making it a valuable tool for long-term educational planning.

How are CAT4 subtest Abilities Developed?

CAT4 assessments evaluate the core abilities that drive success in learning, exams, and careers. These include verbal, non-verbal, quantitative, and spatial reasoning skills, which are critical for national and international academic success.

While these abilities develop naturally over time, they can also be nurtured and improved through targeted activities and teaching strategies. Parents often ask whether CAT4 scores can be influenced, and while the tests are designed to measure innate abilities, exposure to problem-solving tasks, puzzles, and reasoning exercises can help children enhance the skills assessed in CAT4 tests.

My Child Is Dyslexic – Can They Take the CAT4 Test?

Whether a dyslexic child can take the CAT4 test depends on the school’s objectives and the severity of the dyslexia. Dyslexia varies greatly in its impact, ranging from mild to severe, so it is impossible to give a definitive answer for every student.

Children with dyslexia often excel in certain areas, similar to some autistic individual. In some cases, the CAT4 test can help identify mild forms of dyslexia that may have gone undetected in school.

For children with severe dyslexia, the CAT4 test may not be the most suitable assessment. In such cases, alternative or supplementary tests might provide a clearer picture of their abilities. It is always best to consult your school’s learning support advisor to discuss whether CAT4 testing is appropriate and to explore other testing options if needed.

 

What’s the CAT4 pass mark?

That depends. Although there isn’t a CAT4 pass mark as such.

 

How can parents support their child’s CAT4 preparation?

Parents can support their child in the following ways:

  • By organizing various teaching methods that suit their child’s learning process best.
  • Providing a suitable, quiet working environment.
  • Provide new books and magazines which will encourage the learning of new words. Plus word meaning and different uses.
  • Arrange scientific experiments that can help to boost their child’s enthusiasm for learning CAT4-related concepts.

How do schools use CAT4 test results?

  1. Primarily to determine the reasoning qualities of a child and compares his or her progress to the children of the same age and groups.
  2. Aligned with the above as a means of tracking in detail an individual student’s learning progress.
  3. But also to show teachers how best to teach individual students.

In summary, CAT4 results are invaluable for creating personalized learning plans. They allow educators to identify a student’s strengths and weaknesses, tailoring enrichment programs for high-achievers and providing targeted interventions for those needing extra support. These insights also help schools allocate resources effectively to ensure every student can achieve their full potential and develop into a well-rounded individual