CAT4 Tests Explained: What UAE Parents Need To Know Before Their Child Sits The Assessment

2026-09-10 10:01:16

(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) [Editor's Note: This article is part of Khaleej Times' Schools and Parents , a dedicated section designed to support families in the UAE as they explore educational choices. The section offers explainers, guidance from education leaders, expert advice and insights from parents to help readers make informed decisions about schools, curricula and communities.]

With schools across the UAE now sending out CAT4 assessment notices, parents are increasingly trying to understand what lies behind the test and whether their children need to do anything differently ahead of it.

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The Cognitive Abilities Test, Fourth Edition, better known as CAT4, is not a test of how much a child has memorised from the school curriculum. Instead, it is designed to assess different types of reasoning and give schools a picture of how students think, process information and may learn best.

Developed by GL Assessment, CAT4 looks at four areas - verbal, quantitative, non-verbal and spatial reasoning . Students complete tasks involving words, numbers, shapes and visual patterns, including exercises that require them to mentally manipulate images.

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The results are intended to give schools a broader picture of a student's cognitive strengths and areas for development, which can be considered alongside classroom performance and other assessments.

Why do Dubai schools use CAT4?

CAT4 is particularly relevant to families in Dubai because the Knowledge and Human Development Authority's (KHDA) external assessment requirements include a cognitive abilities assessment covering verbal, non-verbal, quantitative and spatial reasoning.

Under KHDA's external assessment framework, cognitive assessments are taken in Grades 3, 5, 7 and 9 - equivalent to Years 4, 6, 8 and 10 in UK-curriculum schools . New students without existing cognitive ability data are also included in the requirements.

Schools use the information to establish a baseline of students' cognitive potential, track progress and examine whether attainment is broadly in line with underlying potential. KHDA says the assessments can also help schools identify gaps in learning and inform teaching and school improvement.

CAT4 results can therefore be used to help teachers:

consider how the student may learn most effectively;

compare cognitive potential with academic attainment;

can also be used as one of the indicators for entry into gifted-and-talented, high-ability or“Alpha”/advanced learning programmes , depending on how an individual school defines its programme.

Importantly, CAT4 is not an IQ test and should not be viewed as a single measure of a child's intelligence or future success . It provides one set of information that schools consider alongside other evidence.

Is CAT4 an exam?

It is a formal, timed assessment, but it is very different from a conventional school examination.

There is no syllabus for children to study and the questions are not intended to test their knowledge of a particular curriculum.

Students receive instructions and practice questions before the timed sections begin. The actual tests are strictly timed, with an on-screen countdown in the digital version.

For older students taking CAT4 Levels A-G, the digital assessment is organised into three parts. Each part takes roughly 30 to 41 minutes, including instructions and practice questions, depending on the section. Younger children taking Level X complete the assessment in two parts, of about 30 minutes each including preparation and practice.

Schools are advised to provide breaks rather than administer the entire assessment in one sitting, as fatigue can affect performance.

What does CAT4 actually test?

The four batteries look at different forms of reasoning.

Verbal reasoning examines how students identify relationships between words and concepts.

Quantitative reasoning involves recognising numerical relationships and patterns.

Non-verbal reasoning uses figures, shapes and visual patterns rather than relying primarily on language.

Spatial ability looks at how well students can visualise and manipulate shapes and objects mentally.

Together, these areas provide a broader picture of how a student approaches different kinds of problems.

Do parents make children practise?

Yes, some parents do, mainly to help children become familiar with the format rather than to coach them for a particular score.

However, GL Assessment strongly advises against any kind of practice ahead of the CAT4 test. The purpose of the assessment is to get as reliable a picture as possible of a student's reasoning abilities, and extensive practice can affect what the test is designed to measure.

Parents can instead help children understand what to expect. They can familiarise them with the types of tasks and the timed format, encourage them to read instructions carefully, and reassure them that CAT4 does not require them to memorise a syllabus or revise specific school subjects.

The aim should be to reduce unfamiliarity and anxiety, rather than train children to achieve a particular score. Children should also get a good night's sleep and arrive rested and ready to concentrate.

Can CAT4 affect school admission?

It can, but this depends entirely on the school and the year group.

CAT4 is used by some UAE schools as part of their admissions process, while others conduct their own entrance assessments or use CAT4 results alongside other information.

For example, Dubai College currently asks applicants for their most recent CAT4 or standardised test results as part of its Year 7 admissions process. Its admissions information says CAT4 results are considered alongside school reports and GL Progress Test results.

Jumeirah English Speaking School (JESS), meanwhile, states that a CAT4 mean score of 115+ is one of the academic criteria for its limited Open Entry applications for Years 3 to 9.

Dubai British Schools lists CAT4 alongside a written English assessment for applicants from Year 3 to Year 12.

This illustrates why parents should check the specific school's admissions policy rather than assuming that a CAT4 score automatically determines whether a child will receive a place.

How are CAT4 scores calculated?

CAT4 scores are not simply based on the percentage of questions a child answers correctly. The assessment first records the number of correct answers, known as the raw score. This is then converted into an age-standardised score, taking the child's age into account.

The main score is the Standard Age Score (SAS) , which has an average of 100 . A child receives an SAS for each of the four reasoning areas - Verbal, Quantitative, Non-verbal and Spatial - as well as an overall mean CAT4 score.

The results can also be expressed as a National Percentile Rank (NPR) , which shows how a child performed compared with other students of the same age. For example, an NPR of 84 means the student performed as well as or better than 84 per cent of students in the comparison group.

Results may also be reported as a stanine score from 1 to 9 , with 5 representing the average range.

Does a CAT4 score of 100 mean a child got 100 per cent?

No. A score of 100 is the average Standard Age Score , not a percentage mark. CAT4 is a standardised assessment, so the final score reflects a child's performance relative to the relevant age group.

What do the four CAT4 scores tell parents?

The four scores can highlight a child's relative strengths in verbal, quantitative, non-verbal and spatial reasoning . For example, a student may have a higher verbal reasoning score than quantitative reasoning score. Schools can use this profile to understand how a student may learn most effectively and identify areas where additional support or challenge may be useful.

CAT4 Tests Explained: What UAE Parents Need To Know Before Their Child Sits The Assessment

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