INTERNATIONAL SCHOOLS

CAT4 isn't just a UK thing

British-curriculum schools from Dubai to Singapore to Hong Kong use the same cognitive ability test as their UK counterparts. Here's how it's used outside the UK, and how Puzzitron helps.

Start free CAT4 practice →

Who uses it outside the UK

CAT4 (the Cognitive Abilities Test, 4th edition) is published by GL Assessment, a UK assessment company, but its use isn’t confined to the UK. Any school following a British curriculum, whether in the UK or abroad, can adopt it. A good number of British-curriculum international schools do, particularly in places with a large expatriate British and international community: the UAE, Singapore and Hong Kong among them.

For a family relocating from the UK, this is often a relief. The test your child sat in Year 4 in Surrey is the same test, or close to it, they might sit again after moving to Dubai or Singapore. For a family arriving from a different school system, it can be one more unfamiliar acronym in an already unfamiliar move. This page and the three country pages linked below are aimed at both.

Why schools use it

Reasons vary by school, but three patterns come up repeatedly.

A baseline on entry: Many British-curriculum schools sit CAT4, or a similar cognitive-ability test, soon after a child joins. That gives teachers a reasoning baseline that isn't tied to which curriculum or country the child arrived from.
Tracking year on year: Some schools re-sit CAT4 every year or two to see whether attainment is keeping pace with reasoning ability. This can flag a child who needs stretching, or a child who needs support.
Sometimes part of admissions: At some over-subscribed schools, CAT4 or a similar assessment forms part of the entrance process alongside an interview, school reports and, often, an English or maths task. Practice at each school varies, so always check with the individual school.

What parents can, and can’t, do

Ask the school what they use: Not every British-curriculum school uses CAT4. Some use other cognitive-ability tests, or none at all. The school's admissions or academic office is the only reliable source for what's used and when.
Familiarise, don't cram: CAT4 measures reasoning, not taught content, so last-minute drilling has limited effect. What helps is familiarity with the four question styles, so the format itself isn't a surprise on the day.
What you can't do: You can't buy or predict the real result. CAT4 papers aren't published, and no practice tool, Puzzitron included, can tell you what a real CAT4 score will be. Treat practice scores as an estimate, not a forecast.

Year group to grade, at a glance

British-curriculum schools abroad use UK year groups, not local grade numbers. Typical, since some schools set slightly different birth-date cut-offs.

UK year group	US grade (approx.)	Typical age
Year 3	Grade 2	7–8
Year 4	Grade 3	8–9
Year 5	Grade 4	9–10
Year 6	Grade 5	10–11
Year 7	Grade 6	11–12

Where Puzzitron fits

Puzzitron turns CAT4-style reasoning practice into short, replayable arcade runs for ages 7–11: verbal, quantitative, non-verbal and spatial reasoning, all four batteries. It works the same wherever your child is based, since the underlying skills don’t change with the postcode.

What it can’t do is tell you your child’s real CAT4 score, or guarantee a place at any particular school. Scores inside the app are a practice estimate, not a prediction of a real CAT4 outcome. What regular, low-pressure practice does is build familiarity with the four question styles, so the format isn’t a surprise, wherever in the world the test happens to be sat.

Puzzitron is free during the beta, no subscription, no ads, wherever your family is based.

Pick your country

Each page covers how CAT4 is typically used locally, when in the year it’s commonly sat, and school examples for context.

CAT4 practice: UAE

How CAT4 is typically used in British-curriculum schools in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, and what to expect.

CAT4 practice: Singapore

How CAT4 shows up in Singapore's British-curriculum international schools, and when it's usually sat.

CAT4 practice: Hong Kong

How CAT4 is used across Hong Kong's British-curriculum school scene, from ESF to independent international schools.

Is CAT4 only used in the UK?: No. CAT4 is published by GL Assessment, a UK company, but it's used by British-curriculum schools well beyond the UK, including many international schools in the UAE, Singapore and Hong Kong.
Does every British-curriculum school abroad use CAT4?: No. Usage varies by school and by school group. Some use CAT4, some use a different cognitive-ability test, and some don't run one at all. Ask your child's school directly.
Will Puzzitron tell me my child's real CAT4 score?: No. Puzzitron gives a practice estimate based on how your child does in the app. It is not affiliated with GL Assessment and can't predict a real CAT4 result.
Is Puzzitron free for families outside the UK?: Yes. Puzzitron is free during the beta for any family, wherever you're based. No subscription, no ads.

Not affiliated with any exam board. CAT4 is a trademark of GL Assessment. Puzzitron is a private practice game using the same style of reasoning question that CAT4 uses, but it’s not affiliated with GL Assessment or any school named on this page. Performance on Puzzitron isn’t a predictor of real CAT4 outcomes.

Ready to give it a try?

Free during the beta. No subscription, no ads, wherever you’re based.

Start free →