[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"doc-seo-449563-105":3,"detail-sidebar-cat-0-en-105":85,"doc-detail-449563-en":134},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"ok",{"site_id":7,"language":8,"slug":9,"title":10,"keywords":11,"description":12,"schema_data":13,"social_meta":78,"head_meta":80,"extra_data":82,"updated_unix":84},105,"en","cat-4-frequently-asked-questions","CAT 4 - Frequently Asked Questions","","CAT 4 is a series of short, timed digital reasoning tests designed to help students, teachers, and schools understand learning processes and academic potential. It assesses verbal, quantitative, non-verbal, and spatial abilities and produces standardized results used for baseline comparisons and guidance toward later performance. The tests are not about knowledge retention or memorized content; practice is discouraged because it can reduce score reliability. In 2024, Year 7 students take Level D in timed parts supervised during scheduled lessons, with specific rules for accessibility and SEND support.",{"@graph":14,"@context":77},[15,34,56],{"@type":16,"itemListElement":17},"BreadcrumbList",[18,23,27,31],{"item":19,"name":20,"@type":21,"position":22},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",1,{"item":24,"name":25,"@type":21,"position":26},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/","Document",2,{"item":28,"name":29,"@type":21,"position":30},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/exam/","Exam",3,{"item":32,"name":10,"@type":21,"position":33},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/cat-4-frequently-asked-questions/449563/",4,{"url":32,"name":10,"@type":35,"image":36,"author":41,"headline":10,"publisher":44,"fileFormat":47,"inLanguage":8,"description":12,"dateModified":48,"datePublished":49,"encodingFormat":47,"isAccessibleForFree":50,"interactionStatistic":51},"DigitalDocument",{"url":37,"@type":38,"width":39,"height":40},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/cat-4-frequently-asked-questions/449563.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":42,"@type":43},"Danger Angel","Person",{"url":19,"name":45,"@type":46},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-10-17","2026-09-30",true,{"@type":52,"interactionType":53,"userInteractionCount":55},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":54},"ViewAction",5,{"@type":57,"mainEntity":58},"FAQPage",[59,65,69,73],{"name":60,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":62},"What does CAT4 stand for, and what does it assess?","Question",{"text":63,"@type":64},"CAT4 stands for Cognitive Abilities Tests. It assesses reasoning abilities across four key areas: verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, non-verbal reasoning, and spatial ability.","Answer",{"name":66,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":67},"When will Year 7 students sit CAT4 in 2024, and how long are the parts?",{"text":68,"@type":64},"In 2024, Year 7 students sit CAT4 Level D in a double lesson between Friday 15th and Thursday 28th November. Part 1 is 40 minutes, Part 2 is 41 minutes, and Part 3 is 41 minutes.",{"name":70,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":71},"Is practice allowed before CAT4, and why is it discouraged?",{"text":72,"@type":64},"Practice is strongly advised against because CAT4 is based on reasoning rather than learnt knowledge. Practice can alter the reliability of test scores and the diagnostic value of results.",{"name":74,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":75},"Are additional time adjustments allowed for children with SEND?",{"text":76,"@type":64},"Additional time is not permitted because it affects the reliability of results. Students with SEND may be supported by a reader during introductory sections, but they must answer the timed sections independently.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":32,"og:type":79,"og:title":10,"og:site_name":45,"og:description":12},"article",{"robots":81,"canonical":32},"index,follow",{"doc_id":83,"site_id":7},449563,1790815813,{"code":4,"msg":86,"data":87},"success",[88,92,96,99,103,108,113,118,123,126,130],{"id":22,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":89,"show_sort_weight":90,"slug":91},"Story & Novel",90,"story-novel",{"id":26,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":93,"show_sort_weight":94,"slug":95},"Literature",80,"literature",{"id":33,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":29,"show_sort_weight":97,"slug":98},70,"exam",{"id":55,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":100,"show_sort_weight":101,"slug":102},"Comic",60,"comic",{"id":104,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":105,"show_sort_weight":106,"slug":107},6,"Technology",50,"technology",{"id":109,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":110,"show_sort_weight":111,"slug":112},7,"Healthcare",40,"healthcare",{"id":114,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":115,"show_sort_weight":116,"slug":117},8,"Research & Report",30,"research-report",{"id":119,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":120,"show_sort_weight":121,"slug":122},9,"Religion & Spirituality",20,"religion-spirituality",{"id":121,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":124,"show_sort_weight":121,"slug":125},"World Cup","world-cup",{"id":127,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":128,"show_sort_weight":127,"slug":129},10,"Lifestyle","lifestyle",{"id":131,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":132,"show_sort_weight":55,"slug":133},19,"General","general",{"code":4,"msg":86,"data":135},{"doc_id":83,"user_id":136,"nickname":42,"user_avatar":137,"doc_module":4,"category_id":33,"category_name":29,"doc_title":10,"doc_description":12,"doc_content":138,"file_id":139,"file_url":140,"file_type":141,"file_size":142,"view_count":55,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":22,"is_downloadable":22,"audit_status":22,"page_count":26,"language":143,"language_code":8,"site_id":7,"html_lang":8,"table_of_contents":144,"faqs":145,"seo_title":146,"seo_description":12,"update_tm":147,"read_time":55},962090769052,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_9964176cb1d06d4a9deccf72a44ae3dc","CAT 4 Frequently Asked Questions  \nWhat is CAT4?  \nCAT4 stands for Cognitive Abilities Tests. It is a series of short digital tests designed to help students and their teachers understand how students learn and what their academic potential might be. Each test “battery”will assess a student’s reasoning (thinking) abilities in four key areas that support students’ educational development and academic attainment;  \n• Verbal reasoning (thinking with words)  \n• Quantitative reasoning (thinking with numbers)  \n• Non-verbal reasoning (thinking with shapes and space)  \n• Spatial ability (thinking with visual images)  \nGL Assessment’s CAT4 is the UK’s most widely-used test of reasoning abilities. As the results are standardised against 25,000 students each year, they provide an accurate baseline against national benchmarks. They also provide reliable indicators for Key Stage 2 SATs and GCSEs.  \nWhat is the purpose of CAT4?  \nCATs are not designed to test knowledge or fact retention, but children’s abilities to think in particular ways including understanding, memory, reasoning and decision-making. The tests assess how well children can think through certain problems, apply logic or connect basic facts to arrive at the correct solution without any prior knowledge implied by the questions. This helps teachers to see what each child’s academic potential might be, as well as to identify areas where they may need additional support.  \nWhen do students sit CAT4?  \nIn 2024 , Year 7 students will sit the CAT4 Level D tests in a double lesson between Friday 15th and Thursday 28th November. Each of the 3 CAT4 assessments will take place within their timetabled lessons and will be supervised by the teachers who usually teach those lessons.  \n• Part 1 – figure classification and figure matrices – 40 minutes  \n• Part 2 – verbal classification, verbal analogies and number analogies – 41 minutes  \n• Part 3-number series, figure analysis and figure recognition – 41 minutes  \nHow are CAT4 results used?  \nCAT4 provides teachers with information that can form the basis for discussions about how best a student can learn and reach his or her potential in school. Teachers are provided with an individual profile of learning preference along with a range of indicators of likely future performance at Key Stage 4.  \nCan students practice for CAT4?  \nSince the tests are based on reasoning rather than knowledge they do not require factbased learning, revision or preparation. We strongly advise against any kind of practice ahead of a CAT4 test as this will alter the reliability of test scores. The point of CAT4 is that it is not a test of learnt knowledge and it needs to be as unaffected as possible by any external factors, such as practice. Think of it like an eye test; if you practice ahead of  \nan eye test and memorise the card, your diagnosis may not be correct and valuable information may be missed.  \nCAT4 is a timed assessment and is administered under formal conditions. The first part of each session includes guidance with practice examples, so students can familiarise themselves with the style and format of the questions before the assessment begins. These sections are not timed and may be repeated.  \nIs additional time allowed for children with SEND?  \nCAT4 is a timed assessment and additional time is not permitted as this will affect the reliability of the results. CAT4 is not just about what and how it tests, but how the questions are answered within a set timeframe. The timed element makes it diagnostically very powerful.  \nEach test is generously timed and most students reach the final questions, however there may have been a minority of students during the standardisation process who would have obtained higher scores if they had been given more time. Therefore, giving extra time to a particular student could give an inflated view of their relative ability when comparing their results with the CAT4 norms.  \nChildren who routinely have a reader (in a ","cbCaibhdNKBlja2k","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaibhdNKBlja2k","pdf",127344,"English","# What is CAT4?\n# What is the purpose of CAT4?\n# When do students sit CAT4?\n# How are CAT4 results used?\n# Can students practice for CAT4?\n# Is additional time allowed for children with SEND?\n# Are CATs set by the government?","[{\"question\":\"What does CAT4 stand for, and what does it assess?\",\"answer\":\"CAT4 stands for Cognitive Abilities Tests. It assesses reasoning abilities across four key areas: verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, non-verbal reasoning, and spatial ability.\"},{\"question\":\"When will Year 7 students sit CAT4 in 2024, and how long are the parts?\",\"answer\":\"In 2024, Year 7 students sit CAT4 Level D in a double lesson between Friday 15th and Thursday 28th November. Part 1 is 40 minutes, Part 2 is 41 minutes, and Part 3 is 41 minutes.\"},{\"question\":\"Is practice allowed before CAT4, and why is it discouraged?\",\"answer\":\"Practice is strongly advised against because CAT4 is based on reasoning rather than learnt knowledge. Practice can alter the reliability of test scores and the diagnostic value of results.\"},{\"question\":\"Are additional time adjustments allowed for children with SEND?\",\"answer\":\"Additional time is not permitted because it affects the reliability of results. Students with SEND may be supported by a reader during introductory sections, but they must answer the timed sections independently.\"}]","CAT 4 - Frequently Asked Questions | PDF",1790730578]