The CAT4 test is a reasoning test from GL Assessment that thousands of UK schools use to see how a child thinks, not what they have been taught. This guide explains the four batteries, the scores on the report, the levels by year group, and how to help your child feel ready.
Every section has something to try. You can answer a sample question from each battery, drag a score along a bell curve, and find your child's level in one tap.
- CAT4 is the Cognitive Abilities Test, fourth edition, made by GL Assessment.
- It has four batteries: verbal, quantitative, non-verbal and spatial reasoning, split into 8 short subtests.
- Scores come as a Standard Age Score (100 is average), a stanine from 1 to 9 and a national percentile rank.
- There is no pass mark. Schools use it for entry, for Year 7 sets and to understand how a child learns best.
- Short, calm practice with the question types helps far more than long mock papers.
What is the CAT4 test?
CAT4 stands for Cognitive Abilities Test, fourth edition. It measures how well a child reasons with words, numbers, shapes and space, so it says more about how they learn than about what they have covered in class.
It is not adaptive: every child at a level sees the same questions in the same order. All questions are multiple choice, sat on paper or on screen, and marked by computer.
It is standardised against a large national sample, so your child is compared with children of exactly the same age. A summer-born child is not penalised for being younger than classmates.
The four CAT4 batteries, with a question to try
Each battery looks at a different kind of thinking. Pick a battery below and have a go at the sample question with your child.
Try one question from each battery
These are our own practice questions written in the CAT4 style. They are not real CAT4 items.
- Verbal reasoning checks how a child sees links between words. Wide reading and verbal reasoning practice build this.
- Quantitative reasoning is about number patterns rather than sums. Our numerical reasoning guide covers the same kind of thinking.
- Non-verbal reasoning asks children to spot rules in shapes. See our non-verbal reasoning questions.
- Spatial ability means turning, folding and finding shapes in your head. Our CAT4 spatial reasoning guide goes deeper with worked examples.
How the test is structured
CAT4 is sat in three parts, usually in one morning or across a few days. Here is how the eight subtests fit together, with the timings GL Assessment publishes.
| Part | Subtest | Battery | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Part 1 | Figure classification | Non-verbal | 10 min |
| Figure matrices | Non-verbal | 10 min | |
| Part 2 | Verbal classification | Verbal | 8 min |
| Verbal analogies | Verbal | 8 min | |
| Number analogies | Quantitative | 10 min | |
| Part 3 | Number series | Quantitative | 8 min |
| Figure analysis | Spatial | 9 min | |
| Figure recognition | Spatial | 9 min |
That adds up to 72 minutes of answering time, plus instructions and practice examples. Each subtest starts with worked examples, so the unfamiliar format is explained before the clock starts.
Reasoning practice in five calm minutes
Pip gives your child verbal, number and non-verbal reasoning questions at the right level, with instant feedback and a Pip Score that shows what is improving.
CAT4 levels by year group
CAT4 comes in levels, each written for a different age. Tap your child's school year to see the level they are most likely to sit and what it is often used for.
Which CAT4 level will my child sit?
Children sitting CAT4 for 11+ entry in the autumn of Year 6 usually take Level C. A secondary school testing new Year 7 pupils in September usually uses Level D.
How CAT4 is marked: SAS, stanines and percentiles
The computer counts correct answers, then turns that raw score into age-adjusted scores. The report gives three numbers for each battery and an overall mean.
- Standard Age Score (SAS): the main score. 100 is exactly average for your child's age, and most children score between about 70 and 140.
- Stanine (ST): a broad band from 1 to 9. Stanine 5 is the middle band.
- National Percentile Rank (NPR): the percentage of children of the same age who scored lower. An NPR of 80 means your child did better than 80 in every 100.
Drag the score along the bell curve
Move the slider to any Standard Age Score to see the stanine and percentile it matches.
CAT4 has a margin of error of a few points, and a tired morning can pull a score down. That is why schools read it next to other evidence, not as a single verdict.
The learning profile
The report also compares verbal and spatial scores to give a learning bias. A child much stronger with words than shapes has a verbal bias, and the opposite is a spatial bias.
Neither is better. Teachers use it to choose how to explain new ideas, for example with more diagrams for a spatial learner.
What is a good CAT4 score?
For a typical child, anything from about 89 to 111 sits in the average range, and scores above 111 are above average. Selective schools that use CAT4 for entry often look for a mean SAS of 115 or more, and the most oversubscribed may want 120 plus.
Each school sets its own bar, so ask the admissions team what they look at. Some weigh the overall mean, others look closely at one battery.
What schools use CAT4 for
Secondary schools often put CAT4 next to Year 6 SATs results to place pupils in sets. GL Assessment suggests testing between September and November, when its national comparisons are most accurate.
CAT4 vs the 11+ vs SATs
| CAT4 | Grammar school 11+ | KS2 SATs | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tests | Reasoning only | Varies: English, maths, VR, NVR | Curriculum English and maths |
| Taught in class? | No | Partly | Yes |
| Pass mark | None | Set by each area | Scaled score 100 = expected |
| Usual timing | Year 6 autumn or Year 7 September | September of Year 6 | May of Year 6 |
Want the full picture? See our guide to every 11+ exam type and whether the 11+ is an IQ test.
Build all four kinds of thinking, a little each day
Pip mixes verbal reasoning, number patterns, non-verbal shapes and vocabulary into short daily rounds that adjust to your child.
How to prepare for the CAT4 test
You cannot cram for reasoning, but you can remove the surprise. Children who have seen each question type once tend to stay calmer and lose fewer marks to the clock.
- Learn the eight formats. Work through one example of each subtest together, talking out loud about the rule.
- Practise little and often. Ten minutes a day of word links, number patterns and shape puzzles beats a weekend mock.
- Read widely. The verbal battery rewards a broad vocabulary, so swap one screen session for a book chat.
- Play with shapes. Lego, origami, tangrams and paper folding puzzles train the spatial battery.
- Practise moving on. Teach your child to guess and move on if stuck, because there is no penalty for a wrong answer.
- Protect the morning. Good sleep and breakfast matter more than one last practice set.
CAT4 test FAQs
What is the CAT4 test?+
CAT4 is the Cognitive Abilities Test, fourth edition, made by GL Assessment. It measures verbal, quantitative, non-verbal and spatial reasoning through eight short multiple choice subtests, and reports how a child compares with others of the same age.
Is the CAT4 an IQ test?+
Not exactly. CAT4 measures reasoning ability and learning potential rather than an IQ number, although some question types look similar to those in IQ tests.
Is there a pass mark for CAT4?+
No, CAT4 gives a Standard Age Score, a stanine and a percentile for each battery. Schools that use it for entry set their own benchmarks, often a mean SAS of around 115 or above.
What is a good CAT4 score?+
A Standard Age Score of 100 is exactly average for age, and roughly 89 to 111 is the average range. Scores above 111 are above average, and selective schools often look for 115 to 120 or more.
What level of CAT4 will my child sit?+
Most children sitting CAT4 for entry in the autumn of Year 6 take Level C, and Year 7 pupils tested in September usually take Level D. The school will confirm the level.
Is the CAT4 adaptive?+
No. Every child at the same level answers the same questions in the same order, whether the test is on paper or on screen.
Can you prepare for the CAT4?+
You cannot learn the answers, but practice helps. Seeing each of the eight question types beforehand, reading widely and short daily reasoning practice help children stay calm and use their time well.
How long is the CAT4 test?+
The eight subtests add up to about 72 minutes of answering time, split into three parts, plus time for instructions and practice examples.
Sources: GL Assessment CAT4 support pages and published parent guidance, checked October 2026. Pip is not affiliated with GL Assessment, and the sample questions on this page are our own.
The Pip team builds Pip, the 11+ and KS2 practice app for children in years three to six. We write these guides from real exam formats and past papers.