CAT4 test explained: what it measures and how schools use it

Quick answer: what is the CAT4 test? CAT4 is GL Assessment's Cognitive Abilities Test: four short batteries of verbal, quantitative, non-verbal and spatial reasoning, sat on screen or paper by pupils aged about 6 to 17. Results come as Standard Age Scores averaging 100, plus stanines and percentiles. In Dubai, schools such as Dubai College ask applicants for recent CAT4 results.

Last reviewed: November 2026 by Catherine from ISA. Fee ranges are indicative; always confirm with the school.

Key takeaways

GL Assessment says CAT4 measures verbal, non-verbal, quantitative and spatial reasoning and was standardised on 25,000 students.
On GL's scale, a Standard Age Score of 127 or more is stanine 9, the top 4% of pupils, while 97 to 103 is stanine 5, the middle 20%.
For 2026-27, GL Education's guidance for Dubai schools says the KHDA expects CAT4 testing in Grades 3, 5, 7 and 9 (Years 4, 6, 8 and 10), within a window from 31 August to 20 November 2026.
Dubai College asks Year 7 applicants for their most recent CAT4 results and received more than four applications per place for August 2026 entry.
GL Education's international level guide recommends CAT4 Level D for pupils in Year 7.

If your child's school has emailed about the CAT4 test, or an admissions form asks for "latest CAT4 scores", you are dealing with one of the most widely used ability assessments in British and international schools. It is not an exam your child revises for, and there is no pass mark. It tells teachers how a pupil reasons compared with others of the same age.

This guide explains what CAT4 measures, how the scores work, what GL Assessment says about preparation, how schools use the results and why the test matters so much in Dubai, where it is part of the external assessment cycle and appears in admissions at several schools.

What does the CAT4 test measure?

CAT4 measures four types of reasoning that GL Assessment says make a difference to learning. Each battery has two short subtests, according to GL's report for teachers:

Verbal reasoning ("thinking with words"): verbal classification and verbal analogies.
Quantitative reasoning ("thinking with numbers"): number analogies and number series.
Non-verbal reasoning ("thinking with shapes"): figure classification and figure matrices.
Spatial ability ("thinking with shape and space"): figure analysis and figure recognition.

GL lists the age range as 6 to 17 and above. Younger pupils (6 to 8) sit two sessions of about 30 minutes; older pupils sit three sessions of about 45 minutes. Outside the UK the test is taken digitally; GL says the paper version is UK only.

Which CAT4 level will my child sit?

Each age group sits a different level, so a Year 7 pupil and a Year 10 pupil see different questions but are scored on the same scale. GL Education's international guide matches levels to year groups as follows (US and IB grade numbers are one lower than UK years):

Level X: Year 2 (Grade 1).
Pre-A: Year 3 (Grade 2).
Levels A, B and C: Years 4, 5 and 6 (Grades 3 to 5).
Level D: Year 7 (Grade 6), the level GL recommends for the CAT4 test in Year 7.
Level E: Year 8 (Grade 7).
Level F: Years 9 and 10 (Grades 8 and 9).
Level G: Years 11 and 12 and above (Grades 10 and 11).

How are CAT4 scores explained?

The main score is the Standard Age Score (SAS). It compares your child with pupils of the same age, measured in years and months, and the average is 100. GL's international technical report notes that an SAS is designed to have a standard deviation of 15, which means roughly two thirds of pupils fall between 85 and 115. Each battery gets its own SAS, and the four are averaged into a mean SAS.

Two other numbers sit alongside it. The National Percentile Rank (NPR) shows the percentage of pupils of the same age who scored the same or lower, so an NPR of 50 is average. The stanine places the score on a 1 to 9 band. Teacher reports also show a confidence band around each SAS: the narrower the band, the more reliable the score.

SAS	Stanine	Percentile	Description
127 and above	9	97 and above	Very high (top 4%)
112 to 126	7 to 8	78 to 96	Above average (19%)
89 to 111	4 to 6	23 to 77	Average (54%)
74 to 88	2 to 3	5 to 22	Below average (19%)
73 and below	1	4 and below	Very low (4%)

Bands and shares are taken from GL Education's CAT4 quick data guide, which gives each stanine separately (for example, stanine 8 covers SAS 119 to 126 and stanine 6 covers 104 to 111).

The CAT4 scores range matters less than the shape of the results. GL compares verbal and spatial scores to describe a learning profile: an even profile, or a mild, moderate or extreme bias towards verbal or spatial learning. A pupil with a strong spatial score and a weaker verbal one may understand far more than their written work shows, which is useful information for a teacher.

Can you prepare for the CAT4 test?

Not in the way you would for an exam. GL Assessment says it strongly advises against any kind of practice ahead of a CAT4 test and does not endorse practice materials; each section of the test starts with untimed practice examples. Schools agree: Dubai College states that it does not endorse tutoring for its entrance assessment, which it describes as similar in style to CAT4 and GL Progress Tests.

What does help is ordinary preparation. Make sure your child knows the test is timed and on screen, reads each instruction carefully, and arrives rested. If a school has shared a familiarisation sheet, go through it once together.

How do schools use CAT4 results?

Schools use CAT4 for four main jobs:

Baseline and targets: GL says CAT4 gives indicators for Key Stage 2, GCSE, A level and IB results, which schools use to set targets and spot underachievement.
Grouping and transition: GL recommends testing at the start of Year 7 to benchmark new arrivals, and again in Year 9 or 10.
Support: GL presents CAT4 as a way to spot ability that classroom work hides, citing the case of a pupil learning English whose lack of confidence was holding him back.
Admissions: some selective schools ask for recent results or run CAT4 as their entrance test.

How is CAT4 used in Dubai?

CAT4 is part of Dubai's school accountability system. According to GL Education, the KHDA's External Benchmark Assessments Requirements ask every private school in Dubai to use a cognitive ability test alongside reading and curriculum tests. For 2026-27, GL's guidance says the KHDA expects schools to test Grades 3, 5, 7 and 9 with CAT4, in a window from 31 August to 20 November 2026, the same grades as in 2025-26; Khaleej Times reported the same grades in September 2026. A child who spends Grades 3 to 9 in a Dubai private school may therefore sit CAT4 up to four times.

Several schools also use it at the gate:

Dubai College

For Year 7 entry in August 2027, Dubai College asks applicants at school in Dubai for their most recent CAT4 results and end of Year 5 GL Progress Test results (or an equivalent such as MAP). Applications for that intake have closed, and its own adaptive entrance assessment, in English, maths and non-verbal reasoning, takes place on Sunday 15 November 2026. The school offers 176 Year 7 places, charges AED 525 to apply and allows each child to sit the assessment only once.

Nord Anglia International School Dubai

NAS Dubai sets an online CAT4 for applicants to Years 5 and 6, and CAT4 plus English and maths assessments from Year 7 through to the IB Diploma years. Younger applicants, in Years 2 to 4, are assessed on reports, a recommendation and reading and writing samples instead.

The English College Dubai

The English College describes itself as non-selective but asks every applicant from Year 3 upwards to sit CAT4, with a short interview in some year groups. A place is secured with a deposit of 10% of annual tuition, deducted later from fees.

For the wider timeline of applications, documents and KHDA registration, see our guide to private school admissions in Dubai, and if you are still planning the move, our school-first relocation guide to Dubai.

What report do parents receive?

GL produces a report for parents, but each school decides whether to send it. According to GL, it explains what the test is and why it is used, shows example questions, gives a plain-English overview of the four battery scores, describes your child's learning profile with suggestions for support at home, and includes indicators for future results in UK national exams. If you only receive a single number, ask for the full report.

Questions to ask the school about CAT4

Which level did my child sit, and when?
Can I see the SAS for each battery and the profile, not only the mean?
How did the results affect setting, support or targets?
For admissions: is CAT4 one factor among several, and how are reports and interviews weighed?
If English is an additional language, how is a low verbal score interpreted?

Compare schools in Dubai

CAT4 is one data point, not a verdict on your child. Once you know how schools use it, compare the best international schools in Dubai by curriculum, fees and entry requirements.

More guides to schools in Dubai

Frequently asked questions

What is a good CAT4 score?

There is no pass mark. A Standard Age Score of 100 is exactly average for the child's age, and GL Assessment classes 89 to 111 as average. Scores of 112 to 126 are above average (stanines 7 and 8), and 127 or more is stanine 9, reached by the top 4% of pupils. Schools read the score alongside reports, interviews and the verbal and spatial profile.

Which CAT4 level does a Year 7 pupil take?

Year 7 pupils (Grade 6 in US and IB numbering) sit Level D, the level GL Education recommends for that year group. Year 8 sits Level E, Years 9 and 10 sit Level F and older students sit Level G. Because scores are standardised by age, results from different levels sit on the same scale with an average of 100.

Can my child fail the CAT4 test?

No. CAT4 compares reasoning with that of pupils of the same age rather than marking right or wrong against a pass mark. A low score can still matter in admissions at selective schools, which is why Dubai College, for example, asks for recent CAT4 results alongside school reports and Progress Test results for Year 7 entry.