What is the CAT 4 test?
The Kings Advanced Level Foundation is based on A-level syllabuses, taught by A-level teachers,
assessed against A-levels and moderated by an independent Advisory Board of external examiners. As
such, it is one of the most highly academic and successful pathways to leading UK universitie
"Used by over 50% of UK secondary schools, CAT 4 is designed to support schools in
understanding pupils’ developed abilities, likely academic potential and learning
preferences.
It does this by assessing a pupil’s ability to reason with and manipulate different
types of material through a series of Verbal, Non-verbal, Quantitative and Spatial
Reasoning tasks."
— GL Assessment Paper
Why do Kings use it?
We use CAT 4 assessments for two distinct reasons:
- To provide insights into how we can maximise the attainment for each student with tailored
teaching and learning strategies.
- To measure the value Kings add to the students’ attainment during their time with us. We can do
this by comparing a students’ CAT 4 predicted grade with the actual result.
The test is not based on any prior knowledge. It is therefore suitable for both UK and international
students who have had different educational careers and assessments.
Predicted grades are given for each subject a student takes.
When is the test taken?
Students will take the test within the first two weeks of their arrival at Kings.
What will students receive following the test?
Students will have a report showing their results, strengths and weaknesses. This is used to develop
future study plans.
Students will also have predicted grades, based on their CAT 4 scores.
How can students see predicted grades?
There is a positive correlation between CAT 4 scores and national exams (such as GCSE and A-levels).
Results from CAT 4 tests have historically been compared to national examinations, with amendments
made to the tests to ensure they reflect changes in these examinations.
As such we can ensure that predicted grades are a solid prediction of what a student, unchallenged,
would achieve.
English levels and CAT 4 testing
The level of a student’s English will influence their mark in the CAT 4 test.
The predicted grades will be given based on the level of English a student has when they take the
test
One of the reasons many of our international students score much higher than predicted grades is the
extensive support given to them in their English studies. When they are taught as ESL (English as a
Second Language) students, they will be able to develop their learning — and grades — at a much
faster pace, allowing them to exceed previous predictions.