In this guide
What the CAT4 actually is
The CAT4 (Cognitive Abilities Test, fourth edition) is published by GL Assessment in the UK and is now used in more than 30 countries. It is a standardised, age-normed profile of how a child thinks across four reasoning domains. Critically, it is not a curriculum test. It does not measure what a child has been taught. It measures the underlying patterns of reasoning the child brings to learning.
That distinction matters because it changes how the result should be read. A strong CAT4 score on a child whose academic record is weaker than expected usually signals a gap that schools can close. A weaker CAT4 on a child with a strong academic record usually signals a child who has been well taught and is working at the upper limit of their natural profile. Schools use both shapes of pattern, and neither one is a barrier to entry on its own.
The test is administered on screen, almost always at the school, usually as part of a shortlisting day or after an initial application screen. Younger children (typically Y3 and below) sit a different test called the BAS or PIPS in many schools, so CAT4 in practice begins around Y4 and continues to Y11 entry. For an overview of how it fits into the broader admissions journey, see our guide to the international school admissions process.
The four batteries explained
The CAT4 is built from four batteries, each timed at about 8 to 10 minutes. Together they take roughly 75 minutes of active test time, often split across two sittings with a short break. The four batteries are:
Verbal reasoning. This battery uses word relationships, analogies, and verbal classification tasks. It is the closest thing to a traditional English-language reasoning paper. It correlates strongly with later attainment in arts and humanities subjects, particularly English literature and history at GCSE and IB.
Non-verbal reasoning. Shape, pattern and matrix questions. This battery is the most culturally fair part of the test because it sidesteps language entirely. For families whose child is in transition between languages, the non-verbal score is often the most reliable single signal of underlying ability.
Quantitative reasoning. Number relationships and arithmetic patterns. This is not a maths attainment test, although the two are correlated. A child can have weaker mental arithmetic but score strongly here if they spot number patterns quickly. The reverse is also true.
Spatial reasoning. Visualisation, rotation, and folding of 2D and 3D shapes. This is the battery that most predicts later success in STEM subjects, architecture and design. It is also the battery most parents are surprised by, because it has no obvious classroom equivalent.
Free download
Our 14-page CAT4 family briefing covers the exact question types in each battery, the standard age score conversion table, and a checklist of what to expect on test day. Included in our How to Choose an International School handbook, free with email.
How schools read the score report
The CAT4 produces several numbers for each child, and unpicking them in the right order helps. The headline is the Standard Age Score (SAS), which is normalised so that 100 is the average for the child's age in months. About 68% of children score between 89 and 111. About 95% score between 78 and 122. Anything above 126 is unusually high; anything below 74 is unusually low.
Each of the four batteries gets its own SAS, and a mean SAS across all four. Selective international schools typically focus on the mean SAS together with the lowest battery score. A mean of 115 with a weakest battery of 88 reads differently to a mean of 115 with a weakest battery of 105, even though the headline number is the same.
Below the SAS are National Percentile Rank (NPR), Stanine, and Group Rank scores, all of which restate the same information in different forms. Many schools also report a Predicted Indicator score, which forecasts likely GCSE or IB grades from the cognitive profile. Treat predicted indicators as a planning tool, not a verdict.
| SAS range | Percentile band | How a school typically reads it |
|---|---|---|
| 127 and above | Top 5% | Exceptional cognitive profile. Likely G&T flagging. |
| 112 to 126 | Top 25% | Strong, comfortably above average. Selective schools expect this band. |
| 89 to 111 | Middle 50% | Average range. Wide spread of possible outcomes. |
| 74 to 88 | Bottom 25% | Below average. Schools may flag for additional support. |
| 73 and below | Bottom 5% | Significantly below average. Formal SEN assessment often follows. |
How admissions teams use the result
It is a useful mental model to separate the two ways admissions teams use the CAT4 score. The first is shortlisting, where the score acts as one input alongside school reports, written work and interview. The second is internal planning, where the score helps set group placements, extension paths and support needs once a child is admitted.
Highly selective British and IB schools, particularly in Singapore, Hong Kong, Geneva and central London, do treat CAT4 as a meaningful filter. A mean SAS below the school's threshold (often 110 or 115 at the top tier) is rarely enough on its own to win an offer, even with a strong academic record. The CAT4 in those cases is closer to a hard floor.
Most international schools, however, use CAT4 more like a planning tool than a filter. The score determines whether a child enters with extension, support, or neither. For families coming from a different education system where the child's curriculum record may not translate easily, the CAT4 is often the most useful comparable data point the school will have. That is why even schools that are technically non-selective request it.
Sensible preparation, not coaching
The single most useful thing a parent can do is reduce the unfamiliarity of the test format. Children who walk into a CAT4 sitting with no idea what the questions look like underperform their natural ability for the first ten minutes of each battery, simply because they are decoding the instructions instead of answering. One or two practice sessions with the publicly available familiarisation papers removes that effect.
What we do not recommend is intensive coaching. The CAT4 is designed to be coaching-resistant, but it is not coaching-proof. Heavy preparation can inflate the score by 5 to 10 SAS points, which sounds attractive until you realise that the school will then place your child in a group whose pace and depth they cannot match. The result is a child who looks bright on paper, struggles in lessons, and loses confidence over the first term.
The exception is children whose first language is not English. For them, light familiarisation with the verbal reasoning battery format is sensible, because the verbal battery genuinely under-reads cognitive ability when language fluency is the bottleneck. Many international schools weight the non-verbal and spatial scores more heavily for EAL applicants for exactly this reason.
On the test day
The practical advice for the test day itself is simpler than it looks. A well-rested child performs noticeably better. The CAT4 is sensitive to working memory, and working memory is the cognitive function most depressed by tiredness. A late night before the test costs more than three weeks of extra preparation gains.
Breakfast matters too. The test takes about 90 minutes including setup, and children running on empty fade in the third and fourth batteries, which are usually the harder spatial and quantitative sections. A normal breakfast, slightly earlier than usual, is the right pattern.
Most schools do not allow scratch paper for the CAT4 (the system displays the question and accepts a single click answer). If your child is used to scribbling working on the side, gently introduce mental-working habits in the weeks before. Practise on screen, not on paper.
After the result lands
If the result is strong, the conversation with the school usually shifts to extension. Ask whether the school has a defined extension pathway, who runs it, and how children are tracked through it. The CAT4 alone does not guarantee a child gets the extension; it gets them a seat at the table where extension is discussed.
If the result is weaker than expected, the most useful next step is to ask the school what they read in the profile. A weak verbal but strong non-verbal and spatial profile often signals a child who needs more reading exposure rather than less ability. A flat profile below 95 is a different conversation. Ask, do not infer.
If the school issues an offer subject to a CAT4 retest, this is rare but not unheard of. It usually happens when something about the test conditions was off (technical issue, illness, language barrier). Take the retest. If the school does not offer one and you have a clear reason to think the score is not representative, write to the head of admissions and ask. The worst case is a no; the best case is a fresh assessment.
For broader admissions strategy, the related guide on the ISEB Common Pre-Test covers the other major assessment many UK-curriculum schools combine with the CAT4. For overall planning, see our London city guide for an example of where CAT4 sits in a Tier 1 selective process.
Frequently asked questions
Can a child fail the CAT4?
No. The CAT4 is a profile assessment, not a pass or fail exam. Schools use it to understand learning strengths and to set internal expectations, not to reject applicants outright. A low score is one piece of information, weighed alongside many others.
How long does the CAT4 take?
The full CAT4 battery has four sections of about 8 to 10 minutes each. Including settling time, instructions and a short break, most schools allow a 90-minute window. Some schools split the four batteries across two mornings to reduce fatigue.
Should we use a CAT4 tutor?
Most schools advise against intensive tutoring because it distorts the profile they use to plan teaching. Familiarisation with the format through one or two practice papers is sensible. Anything more risks over-placing the child once they arrive.
What is a good CAT4 score?
A standard age score (SAS) of 100 is the average. Selective international schools typically look for a mean SAS above 110, with no individual battery below 90. The most competitive schools in Singapore, Hong Kong and Geneva look for 115 plus.
Will the school share the score with us?
Practice varies. UK and IB schools usually share at least a summary. Some schools share the full SAS report; others share only the headline mean. Always ask. The CAT4 result is, in our view, information the family is entitled to.