Updated 29 October 2026

How to prepare for CAT4

CAT4 is meant to measure how your child reasons, not what they have revised. Here is what GL Assessment says about preparation, what is on the test, and what genuinely helps.

GL says no preparation is needed and advises against practising, because a drilled score no longer shows how your child really thinks.

The test teaches its own format: every section starts with untimed examples your child can repeat.

What helps: knowing what to expect, a calm, rested child, and long-term habits such as reading, puzzles and spatial play.

What GL Assessment says

GL's position is consistent across its guidance:

CAT4 "is a test for which students do not need to prepare". GL suggests schools explain to children that it has no direct link to the curriculum, so it cannot be prepared for, to keep anxiety down.
Asked whether there are practice tests, GL says each section includes practice examples that familiarise students with the style and format of the questions, and that these are not timed and may be repeated.
St Mary's Catholic High School in Dubai, in its 2026 CAT4 letter to parents, says GL strongly advises against any kind of practice because it alters the reliability of the scores. The letter compares it to an eye test: if you memorise the chart beforehand, the result is wrong and a real need can be missed.

GL also makes a point parents rarely hear: reasoning is not fixed. Its teacher guidance says cognitive abilities "can be developed through experience and practice", and that low scores should never be used to put a ceiling on what a child can achieve. The difference is between building real reasoning over months and drilling test items for a few weeks.

What is on the test

CAT4 has four batteries (verbal, non-verbal, quantitative and spatial), each made of two short tests. For Levels A to G (Year 4 upwards) the digital test runs in a fixed order, in three parts:

Part	Test	Battery	Minutes	What your child does
Part 1	Figure Classification	Non-verbal	10	Three shapes have something in common; pick the one of five that belongs with them.
Part 1	Figure Matrices	Non-verbal	10	Work out how one shape changes into another, then apply the same change to a new shape.
Part 2	Verbal Classification	Verbal	8	Three words are alike in some way; pick the one of five that fits with them.
Part 2	Verbal Analogies	Verbal	8	Work out how two words are linked, then find the word that completes a second pair in the same way.
Part 2	Number Analogies	Quantitative	10	Find the rule linking pairs of numbers and use it to complete a new pair.
Part 3	Number Series	Quantitative	8	Find the rule in a sequence of numbers and choose the next one.
Part 3	Figure Analysis	Spatial	9	A square of paper is folded and has holes punched in it; picture what it looks like unfolded.
Part 3	Figure Recognition	Spatial	9	Find which of five complex designs contains a given shape, at exactly the same size.

Descriptions summarise GL's teacher guidance. Times are the test time for each section; GL adds about 5 minutes per test for instructions, examples and practice. The parts usually run as separate sessions. Levels X and Pre-A (Years 2 and 3) use four shorter tests in two parts. See CAT4 levels by year group.

A few practical details from GL's instructions:

Strict timing. On the digital test a timer counts down on screen. When it reaches zero, the test moves on, whether or not your child has finished.
Rough paper and a pencil are allowed for Number Analogies and Number Series.
Headphones are needed, because the instructions are spoken.
Every child gets the same help: the verbal questions are not read out, because that would make the scores invalid.

What to do in the week before

Explain what it is. A test of different kinds of thinking, with puzzles about words, numbers and shapes. Not a school exam, and nothing to revise.
Explain the examples. Each section starts with practice questions they can repeat until they understand what to do. Encourage them to use them.
Explain the clock. Each section is timed and moves on by itself, so it is better not to get stuck on one question. Nobody is expected to find every question easy.
Check the kit. If the school asks children to bring a device, make sure it is charged and the headphones work.
Keep it normal. A usual bedtime and breakfast will do more than an evening of practice questions.

What builds reasoning over the long term

If you want to help your child think better, rather than score better on one day, the four batteries suggest where to look:

Words. GL says the verbal tests draw on word knowledge and general knowledge, for example that "cold" can mean an illness or a temperature. Wide reading and talking about what words mean build exactly this.
Numbers. The quantitative tests need quick, accurate simple arithmetic and spotting relationships between numbers. Number games, times tables and noticing patterns all help.
Shapes and space. GL's teacher guidance includes research showing spatial skills improve with practice, through activities such as paper folding, mentally rotating shapes and games like Tetris, and that the gains last and carry over to other tasks.

These are worth doing for their own sake. They also support school work in a way that test drilling does not.

If English is not your child's first language

GL notes that the non-verbal and spatial tests do not rely on reading or English, which makes them useful for children learning English. GL's international data shows verbal scores are lower on average in international schools than the other three, which GL links to the number of children learning English. GL recommends a follow-up reading test for children with a verbal stanine of 3 or below. Reading in English every day is the most useful long-term support. See CAT4 scores explained for how to read the profile.

Questions parents ask

Can you prepare for CAT4?

Not in the usual sense. GL Assessment says CAT4 is not a test of learned knowledge and tells schools to explain that no preparation can be done. What you can do is make sure your child knows what the test looks like and feels calm, and support reasoning, reading and spatial play over the long term.

Are there official CAT4 practice tests?

GL's answer is that each section of CAT4 starts with practice examples that show the style and format of the questions; these are not timed and can be repeated. We could not find a CAT4 practice test sold by GL to parents. Practice books and websites that call themselves 'CAT4-style' are made by other companies, not GL.

Is it bad to practise CAT4 questions?

GL advises against practising, because a score boosted by drilling no longer shows how your child really reasons. That matters, because schools use CAT4 to decide on support, sets and challenge. Looking at the question types once so nothing is a surprise is different from weeks of drilling.

How long is the CAT4 test?

For Levels A to G (Years 4 and up), about two hours in three parts: roughly 30 to 45 minutes for Part 1 and about 41 minutes each for Parts 2 and 3, including instructions and examples. Levels X and Pre-A, for younger children, have two shorter parts.

What happens if my child does not finish a CAT4 section?

Each test is strictly timed. On the digital version a timer counts down on screen and, when it reaches zero, the test moves on. The report shows how many questions were attempted, and GL tells teachers to treat a score with caution if many were left unanswered.

Should my child prepare for a CAT4 admissions test?

The same advice applies: the test is designed to measure reasoning, not taught content. Make sure your child knows the format and arrives rested. Each school sets its own entry criteria, so ask how the CAT4 result is used alongside reports and interviews.

Can the teacher read the verbal questions to my child?

Not in a standard sitting. GL says that if the verbal questions are read out, the Standard Age Scores cannot be used, because questions were not read out to the children in the national sample.

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