Choosing a test type and level International

Choosing a test type

CAT4 comes in two formats: CAT4 (paper version, UK only) and CAT4 Digital.

CAT4 Digital

To administer CAT4 Digital, you only need to buy one credit for each student you would like to test, at the chosen level.

Customer services will set new customers up with an account on Testwise, our online testing platform. (Find out more about setting up a Testwise account.)

Full details of how to administer the digital version of CAT4 can be found in the Teacher Guide and the Crib Sheet for Digital test.

CAT4 Digital

How many do I need?

Can I re-use this?

Individual administrations (levels A-G)

1 per student 
(minimum of 10 
administrations)

Single use

Teacher Guide*

1 per school

Multiple use

*Optional

Trialling CAT4 before buying

If you would like to review CAT4 before purchasing, we offer a free trial test where you can see real reports generated from your own selected students.

To find out more about our evaluation packs, please contact us.

CAT4 Paper

To administer CAT4 using the paper format, you will need the following items for the chosen level:

  • Student booklets: where students read the questions.
  • Optical Mark Recognition (OMR) answer sheets: where students mark their answers.
  • Scoring service: Group Header Sheet (included in answer sheet packs) for each test group.

Answer sheets and Group Header Sheet are submitted to GL Assessment for the computerised scoring service.

Schools have the option of purchasing our overprinting service, which delivers answer sheets pre-printed with students' information, to save time during administration and the scoring process.

CAT4 Paper

How many do I need?

Can I re-use this?

Student booklets (A-G)

1 per student

Multiple use

OMR answer sheets (A-G)

1 per student

Single use

Scoring service (A-G)

1 per student

Single use

Overprinting service*

1 per student

Single use

*Optional

Choosing a test level

CAT4 has 9 levels available internationally. The levels are aimed at different age groups and the test content of each level is developed in an overlapping format of progression difficulty. 

The target year group and age range covered by the norms for each test level are shown in the tables below.

Please see ‘How do I choose a test level’ in the Teacher Guidance in Downloads for more information.

International - Recommended year groups

Age range covered by norms (years:months) CAT4 level Year (UK) Grade (US) Grade (Indian) Grade (IB Programme) Year (Aus) Age of year group
6:00 – 7:11 X 2 1st 1st 1st PYP 1 6-7
6:06 – 8:11 Pre-A 3 2nd 2nd 2nd PYP 2 7-8
7:06 – 9:11 A 4 3rd 3rd 3rd PYP 3 8-9
8:06 – 10:11 B 5 4th 4th 4th PYP 4 9-10
9:06 – 11:11 C 6 5th 5th 5th PYP 5 10-11
10:06 – 12:11 D 7 6th 6th 6th MYP 6 11-12
11:06 – 13:11 E 8 7th 7th 7th PYP 7 12-13
12:06 – 15:11 F 9 8th 8th 8th MYP 8 13-14
  F 10 9th (Freshman) 9th 9th MYP 9 14-15
14:06 – 17:00 + G 11 10th (Sophomore) 10th 10th MYP 10 15-16
  G 12 11th (Junior) 11th 11th DP (Junior) 11 16-17

Exceptions to recommended year groups

In certain situations, a school may choose to use a lower or higher level of CAT4 than recommended in the table. Some examples are:

  • A school that tests students before they transition to their next school, where the next level up may be more appropriate. 
  • A selective school that tests a year group composed of highly able students, where the next level up may be used. Or a non-selective school in a selective area, where the next level down may be appropriate.

Such cases are the exception rather than the rule. On the rare occasion when individual students fall outside the age range, their scores will be based on the upper or lower end of the age range of the level of CAT4 they have taken. So, a student taking CAT4 Level B who is 11:06 will receive scores based on the upper age limit of 10:11.