Skip to content
Mockplan, home
Schools

United Arab Emirates

Dubai CollegeOpen nowSchool guide, key dates and a plan to the dayJumeirah CollegeOpen now: CAT4 familiarisationDubai International Academy Emirates HillsOpen now: CAT4 familiarisationDubai International Academy Al BarshaOpen now: CAT4 familiarisationBrighton College DubaiOpen now: CAT4 familiarisationCranleigh Abu DhabiOpen now: CAT4 familiarisationBrighton College Abu DhabiOpen now: CAT4 familiarisationNord Anglia International School DubaiGuideGuide to entry; practice coming soon3 more in the UAE

United Kingdom

Independent schools

St Paul's Girls' SchoolComing soonISEB Common Pre-Test, then own papersGodolphin and Latymer SchoolComing soonLondon 11+ Consortium assessment14 more

Grammar schools with their own test

Kendrick SchoolComing soonOwn test (GL Assessment)Tiffin SchoolComing soonOwn test (written with Quest)5 more

Regional and county tests

Buckinghamshire Secondary Transfer TestDr Challoner's Grammar SchoolBirmingham and West Midlands grammar schools testKing Edward VI Five Ways School3 more tests

More schools

We add a school only after checking, from its own published information, that it runs a selective entrance assessment.

All schools
Exams
Dubai College entrance assessmentOpen nowCAT4Open nowGL 11+Coming soonCambridge Select InsightComing soonISEB Common Pre-TestComing soonKent TestComing soonBuckinghamshire Secondary Transfer TestComing soonBirmingham and West Midlands grammar schools testComing soonSutton Selective Eligibility Test (SET)Coming soonGloucestershire Grammar Schools Entrance TestComing soon
Practice
Free diagnosticAbout 30 minutes, a report by topic, no cardFull mocksThe format the school describes, at reported timingsTopic drillsWeak topics turned into focused practiceAdaptive practiceHarder after two right, easier after one wrongStudy planWeek by week, counted back from the test date
For parents
Guides for parentsPlain, careful advice for a once-only testHow it worksFrom the diagnostic to the dayThe parent dashboardMastery by topic, time per question, trendQuestions parents ask
PricingSign in
Start the free diagnostic

CAT4 explained for parents

What CAT4 measures, how long it takes, how its questions are arranged and which Dubai schools use it, from its publisher’s own information.
Guide for
Parents
Reading time
7 minutes
Updated
18 October 2026
Facts checked
17 October 2026

What is CAT4?

CAT4 is a reasoning test published by GL Assessment that measures verbal, non-verbal, quantitative and spatial reasoning. It runs on screen or on paper, a full sitting takes roughly two hours at the levels used for Years 6 and 7, and every question has five answer options. Its publisher advises against practising for it.

CAT4 stands for the Cognitive Abilities Test, fourth edition. GL Assessment publishes it, and several Dubai schools use it to help decide entry. Everything about the test below is from GL’s own pages and guides, read on 17 and 18 October 2026, with the sources listed at the end.

What does CAT4 measure?

Four types of reasoning, called batteries: verbal, non-verbal, quantitative and spatial. For all but the youngest children each battery has two tests:

  • Verbal: Verbal Classification and Verbal Analogies.
  • Quantitative: Number Analogies and Number Series.
  • Non-verbal: Figure Classification and Figure Matrices.
  • Spatial: Figure Analysis and Figure Recognition.

How long does it take, and how is it laid out?

CAT4 timings and format for levels A to G, from GL Assessment’s own guides, read 18 October 2026.
DetailWhat GL says
Time per testEight to ten minutes each, 72 minutes in all, plus about five minutes per test for instructions and practice
A full sessionThree parts of 35, 41 and 41 minutes plus settling time, with breaks: about 1 hour 57 minutes in all
FormatOn screen (PC or tablet) or on paper
QuestionsMost a child can score: 48 in verbal reasoning, 36 in quantitative reasoning, 48 in non-verbal reasoning and 36 in spatial ability; every question has five answer options
Practice questionsEach of the eight tests opens with two or three practice questions that are not timed
Levels for Year 6 and Year 7Level C is aimed at Year 6, Level D at Year 7 and Level E at Year 8

What does GL say about practising?

GL strongly advises against any practice before CAT4 and does not recommend or endorse any CAT4 practice materials. It adds that each section opens with practice examples that are not timed and can be repeated, so children can learn the style and format of the questions on the day.

Which Dubai schools use it?

In our research, seven Dubai schools use CAT4 as their entrance test: Jumeirah College, Brighton College Dubai, Dubai International Academy at Al Barsha and at Emirates Hills, Kings’ School Al Barsha, Kings’ School Nad Al Sheba and Nord Anglia International School Dubai. Dubai College asks applicants for their latest CAT4 or other standardised results as supporting evidence, and says its own assessment’s platform and question style are very similar to online tests such as CAT4. Each school is described on its own page from its own published information.

What does Mockplan do about CAT4?

We sell CAT4 only as familiarisation with the on-screen format. We make no claim that practice raises a score, we use GL’s name only to say what the practice is for, and we quote GL’s advice wherever we describe the test. That is our position, and a family is free to take GL’s advice and not practise.

Read the CAT4 page, with every fact sourced.

Questions parents ask

What does CAT4 measure?
Four types of reasoning: verbal, non-verbal, quantitative and spatial.
How long does CAT4 take?
GL recommends three parts of 35, 41 and 41 minutes plus settling time, with breaks, about 1 hour 57 minutes in all for levels A to G. Each test is eight to ten minutes, plus about five minutes for instructions and practice.
Which level does a Year 6 or Year 7 child sit?
GL aims Level C at Year 6, Level D at Year 7 and Level E at Year 8. Its guide says Level D may suit Year 6 pupils tested at the end of the summer term.
Is CAT4 on screen or on paper?
Either: on screen (PC or tablet) or on paper.
Should my child practise for CAT4?
GL strongly advises against any practice before CAT4 and does not endorse any practice materials. Each of the eight tests opens with two or three practice questions that are not timed.
Which Dubai schools use CAT4?
From our research, Jumeirah College, Brighton College Dubai, both Dubai International Academy campuses, Kings’ School Al Barsha, Kings’ School Nad Al Sheba and Nord Anglia International School Dubai use it as their test, and Dubai College asks for CAT4 results.
What does Mockplan offer for CAT4?
Familiarisation with the on-screen format only: no claim of raising scores, and GL’s own advice is quoted wherever we describe the test.

Sources

Facts last checked on 17 October 2026. Everything else on this page is our own view.

Read next

Mockplan is independent practice. It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, any school or test publisher named on this page, and the names are used only to say what the practice is for.

Start the free diagnostic