ARTICLES
Practical guides for parents
Plain-English on CAT4, 11+, reasoning skills, and how to practise without anxiety. Updated regularly during the beta.
Why timed practice can harm an anxious child (and what to do instead)
A countdown timer is the biggest source of practice-related distress. When to use one, and when not to.
A countdown timer is the single biggest source of practice-related distress. Here's when to use one, and when not to.
Jul 3, 2026PracticeWellbeingParentsSpatial reasoning explained: what the CAT4 spatial battery tests
Mental rotation, paper folding, and figure analysis — the CAT4 battery that surprises parents most.
Mental rotation, paper folding, and figure analysis — the CAT4 battery that surprises parents most. Worked examples and what builds the skill.
Jun 19, 2026CAT4SpatialExamplesVerbal reasoning explained: classification, analogies, with examples
Words, not maths. The two CAT4 verbal sub-tests, with worked examples a 9-year-old can follow.
What CAT4's two verbal sub-tests actually measure, with worked examples a 9-year-old can follow. And why reading widely isn't enough.
Jun 5, 2026CAT4VerbalExamplesWhat a CAT4 SAS score actually means
SAS is the only number on the report most parents look at. What 100, 110, 120 actually tell you — and what they don't.
SAS is the only number on the report most parents look at. Here's what 100, 110, 120 actually tell you — and what they don't.
May 22, 2026CAT4ScoringParentsThe parent's guide to CAT4: levels, scoring, and how to actually prepare your child
Pillar 1 — what CAT4 is, what it isn't, and the practical bits parents actually need to know.
Plain-English guide to CAT4 — Levels A–F, the four batteries, SAS scoring, what schools do with the results, and how to practise without anxiety.
May 7, 2026CAT4ParentsGuideNon-verbal reasoning explained: figure matrices, series, classification, with examples
Pillar 2 — every non-verbal reasoning sub-test, with worked examples a 9-year-old can follow.
What each NVR sub-test actually tests, with worked examples from the Puzzitron bank. Parent-friendly explanation of the question types.
May 7, 2026NVRCAT4Examples11+ in 2026–27: a parent's guide by region
Pillar 3 — the 11+ exam differs by LEA. What to expect in each selective-school heartland.
Region-by-region 11+ guide for England — Bucks, Kent, Lincs, Trafford, Birmingham — formats, deadlines, and what to expect.
May 7, 202611+RegionalGuide