Two students can achieve the same mark in a classroom assessment for very different reasons. One may understand the ideas but struggle to express them in writing. Another may recall information confidently yet find it difficult to apply that knowledge to an unfamiliar problem. The mark gives us useful information, but understanding what sits behind it helps us decide what to do next.
At Greengates, we use CAT4 (Cognitive Abilities Test) as one part of this process. It helps us look beyond current attainment, recognise strengths that may be less visible in lessons, and identify where students may benefit from additional support or greater challenge.
At the start of September, students in Years 8, 10 and 12 completed CAT4 assessments. Their results have been shared with parents, providing a basis for conversations about each student’s strengths and the support they may need.
What does CAT4 tell us?
The Cognitive Abilities Test, Fourth Edition, explores four areas of reasoning: verbal reasoning, involving words and their relationships; quantitative reasoning, involving numbers and numerical patterns; non-verbal reasoning, involving patterns in pictures and diagrams; and spatial reasoning, involving shapes and how they change or fit together.
These different areas provide a broader picture of a student’s reasoning strengths.
A subject test usually explores what a student has learned within a particular curriculum. CAT4 adds another perspective by looking at how students approach a range of reasoning tasks. This gives teachers useful questions to investigate alongside what they already know from lessons, conversations and students’ work.
Looking beyond an overall score
At Greengates, our analysis looks at students’ profiles across the four areas. An overall score can conceal differences that matter in the classroom.
For example, a student might show strong reasoning when working with patterns and diagrams, while finding tasks involving words more demanding. This could prompt a teacher to explore whether vocabulary or the language of a question is making it harder for that student to demonstrate understanding.
This is particularly relevant in an international school, where students bring different languages and educational experiences. We need to consider English language development carefully when interpreting results. A lower verbal score alone cannot tell us why a student is finding something difficult.
Equally, a student who speaks confidently in class may need more support with numerical reasoning or unfamiliar problems than their verbal contributions suggest. Examining the whole profile helps us avoid assumptions.
Turning information into classroom support
The value of assessment lies in what happens afterwards. At Greengates, we are using departmental discussions to help teachers interpret CAT4 results and consider their implications for teaching.
The response might be a small, carefully chosen adjustment. A teacher could introduce key vocabulary before a demanding reading task, model how to break a complex question into manageable steps, or combine a written explanation with a diagram. A student might benefit from discussing an idea before writing independently.
These approaches should be tried and reviewed against the student’s actual learning. A CAT4 profile does not assign a child a fixed “learning style”, and it should never restrict the ways in which they are taught. Our aim is to help students access challenging work while developing increasing independence.
Support also includes recognising when students need to be stretched. Where a student demonstrates strong reasoning but their classroom work does not yet reflect this, we have a reason to look more closely. They may need greater challenge, help with organisation, or a conversation about confidence and engagement. The results help us ask better questions; they do not supply every answer.
Building a fuller picture
CAT4 is one source of evidence within our wider assessment approach. We consider it alongside classroom assessments, reading and subject attainment information, teachers’ observations, and what students and families tell us.
Where these sources point towards a difficulty, we can investigate more carefully and consider appropriate support. Where they differ, that difference is worth exploring. A student’s performance can be affected by many factors, including language, wellbeing, prior learning and their experience on the day.
CAT4 does not diagnose a specific learning difficulty, measure effort or capture every quality that contributes to success. Creativity, perseverance, curiosity and relationships also matter enormously. No single assessment can represent the whole child.
Working together for success
For families, CAT4 can provide a useful starting point for conversations with the school. The most productive questions are practical: What strengths can my child build on? Where are they finding learning difficult? What support might help, and how will we know whether it is working?
Our responsibility is to use assessment thoughtfully and keep expectations ambitious. A result should open up possibilities for a student, and any support we introduce needs to be reviewed as they develop.
At Greengates, we use CAT4 to help us know our students better. When that understanding informs teaching, it becomes more than a set of scores: it helps us make considered decisions about the encouragement, support and challenge each student needs to succeed.
If you have questions about your child’s CAT4 results, please contact your child’s tutor or Head of Year. And if you would like to learn more about how Greengates uses assessment to understand, support and challenge each student, we invite you to explore our academic approach. Enquire now
