ARTICLES
Practical guides for parents
Plain-English on CAT4, 11+, reasoning skills, and how to practise without anxiety. New guides every few weeks.
CAT4 in Singapore's international schools
From Tanglin Trust to Dulwich College Singapore, CAT4 turns up across Singapore's international school scene. Here's what parents need to know.
How CAT4 is used at British-curriculum international schools in Singapore, when it's commonly sat, and how to help your child without the stress.
Oct 2, 2026CAT4SingaporeInternationalCAT4 in Dubai and the UAE: what parents need to know
GEMS-operated schools, Dubai College and plenty of others use CAT4-style testing. Here's what it means for your child, and how to prepare calmly.
How CAT4 is used at British-curriculum schools across Dubai and the wider UAE, when it's commonly sat, and how to help your child without the stress.
Sep 18, 2026CAT4UAEInternationalUsing Puzzitron as 11+ homework: a guide for tutors
Homework that sets itself, marks itself and hands back a page you can teach from. The weekly loop, step by step.
How 11+ tutors set Puzzitron between lessons: add a pupil in a minute, choose the skills to practise, read the readiness report before the next lesson, and hand the account to the parent when the course ends.
Sep 4, 202611+TutorsHomework11+ in Buckinghamshire: a parent's deep-dive
Bucks runs the largest fully-selective grammar system in England. The STT, familiarisation test, and what to expect from 13 grammars.
Bucks runs the largest fully-selective grammar system in England. The Secondary Transfer Test, the Familiarisation Test, and what to expect from 13 grammar schools.
Jul 31, 202611+BucksRegionalHow to talk to your child about a CAT4 or 11+ result
The conversation after the result lands matters more than the result. A short script, for the three most common cases.
The conversation after the result lands matters more than the result itself. A short script, for the three most common cases.
Jul 17, 2026ParentsWellbeingScoringWhy 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