Welcome to our 2024 CAT4 Guide for international teachers using the CAT$. In particular, those who are new to middle management. It unpacks key CAT4 terminology. Plus, our guide will help you to accurately interpret your pupils’ CAT4 data.
CAT4 test samples / cat4 practice tests Year 4 to Year 11
2024 CAT4 Guide for International School Principals
International schools often use CAT4 tests to assess students’ abilities in the absence of other data. This guide demystifies CAT4 data. We show how CAT4 results can inform international, teaching, interventions, and curriculum planning.
GL Assessment’s CAT4 is a suite of aptitude tests used in international schools to assess students’ potential and predict their future academic performance. Developed by GL Assessment to understand students’ abilities and potential.
There is a digital CAT4 test and paper CAT4 versions for primary and secondary school pupils. So, different CAT4 difficulty levels for each pupil age / CAT4 grade, or CAT4 year group.
We aim to educate international CAT4 users to apply best CAT4 practices to effectively:
- personalize learning experiences from individual CAT4 reports
- support CAT4 students to reach their full CAT4 potential.
FREE CAT4 practice test recommendations:
- THE BEST CAT4 test practice and highly recommended CAT4 prep resources.
- 2024 CAT4 question types guide
What are the CAT4 sub-tests?
Each CAT4 assesses these four CAT4 reasoning skills across eight CAT4 modules:
- CAT4 Verbal Reasoning: Thinking with words, so linked to essay-writing subjects. Also, usage of words in English and history topics.
- Non-Verbal Reasoning CAT 4: Problem-solving with shapes and patterns. In some way similar to traditional IQ tests you may have seen used (in earlier decades of school assessment).
- CAT4 Quantitative Reasoning: Thinking with numbers, comparable to internal math assessments.
- Spatial Ability cat4: Manipulating shapes to understand spatial relationships, linked to STEM subjects.
Key CAT4 specifics for ALL CAT4 administrators
- Each CAT4 battery takes around 45 minutes, including CAT4 instructions and the CAT4 practice questions. These are used because the CAT4 timer starts to level the playing field.
- In other words to ensure that all CAT4 test takers are familiar with the various CAT4 question formats.
- The maximum CAT4 testing time is two hours and 15 minutes.
Guide to interpreting CAT4 parent & CAT4 pupil reports
- Number of CAT4 questions attempted: Look for inconsistencies that might skew results.
- CAT4’s Standard age score (SAS): Compares individual results to age peers (average = 100).
- CAT4 Stanine score: this Ranks a student’s CAT4 performance compared to others of the same age (1-3 below average, 4-6 average, 7-9 above average).
- National percentile ranking (NPR): Shows where a student’s CAT4 score falls compared to a representative UK sample of (thousands of ) previous CAT4 administrations. At the specific CAT4 age band of course.
Best practice in interpreting Cat4 data?
- Consider all four CAT4 batteries’s overall performance. Not individual CAT4 section scores. CAT4 teachers must take a holistic CAT4 view.
- Identify discrepancies between CAT4 results and actual learning:
- High verbal bias: CAT 4 pupil thrives with writing and discussions, potentially struggling with STEM subjects.
- High spatial bias: Such a CAT4 Student excels with diagrams and charts, possibly having challenges with writing tasks.
- Verbal deficit: This CAT4 pupil might have reading difficulties like dyslexia or be an English language learner.
- Use the report’s CAT4 score stanines to identify students needing extra support or challenge:
- Stanines 1-2: Consider specific interventions based on your own educational experience to date. Or ask senior CAT4 users for their professional judgment.
- Stanines 8-9: Explore opportunities for gifted and talented students based upon their exceptionally high CAT 4 results.
So, whenever you are interpreting CAT4 data, REMEMBER…
Firstly, that CAT4 data is valuable but not a standalone assessment.
Secondly, to combine cat4 results and how you interpret cat scores with classwork.
It is your professional understanding which is key to understanding any pupil’s overall learning needs. The complete picture.