CAT4 and school entry assessments in the UAE

Many British-curriculum schools in the UAE assess children before offering a place, particularly from Year 3 upwards and at schools with waiting lists. What that involves varies a lot. It might be a conversation and a reading task, or an English and maths paper, or a cognitive-ability test such as CAT4, or a mix. Some schools run it in person, some online, some while your family is still overseas.

Where a reasoning test is included, schools often choose one like CAT4 because it doesn’t depend on which curriculum a child has followed. A child arriving from the US, India or Europe can be compared fairly with one from the UK. The school’s admissions team will tell you what their assessment includes if you ask, and most are happy to.

The most useful preparation is familiarity. A child who has already seen a paper-folding or figure-matrix question won’t lose time working out what’s being asked. Puzzitron covers every CAT4-style question type in short arcade runs, free to start with 20 questions a day. If your child is already at a UAE school, see CAT4 practice for the UAE instead.

Things worth asking the school

Admissions teams expect these questions. The answers tell you what, if anything, to practise.

What does the assessment include?

A reasoning test, English, maths, a reading task, an interview, or a combination. Only the reasoning part is what Puzzitron practises.

Can it be done remotely?

Some schools assess online before you arrive, others only once you're in the UAE. This affects timing more than preparation.

How is it used?

Some schools use it to decide on a place, others only to place a child in the right group once admitted. Knowing which takes a lot of pressure off.

Is support available for English?

If English is your child's additional language, ask how the school takes that into account. The non-verbal and spatial parts of CAT4 need very little English.

Frequently asked

Do UAE schools use CAT4 for admissions?

Some do, usually as one part of an entry assessment alongside reports, an interview and sometimes English or maths. Many don't. Ask each school you are applying to what their assessment includes.

Is there a pass mark?

Schools rarely publish one, and those that use a score treat it as a guide alongside everything else. Ask the school rather than relying on figures shared online.

How long before the assessment should my child practise?

A few short sessions a week over two or three weeks is enough to make the question styles familiar. Long sessions just before the day tend to add stress without adding much.

Will practice guarantee a place?

No. Puzzitron is a practice game, not affiliated with GL Assessment or any school. It helps a child feel at home with the question styles; it does not predict or guarantee an outcome.

How much does it cost?

One child can use Puzzitron free for as long as you like, with every skill area, 20 questions a day and no card. Puzzitron Plus adds unlimited practice, every mock paper and the full parent report for up to 5 children, from £6.99 a month, or £59 for a 12-month pass paid once. Outside the UK, checkout shows the price in your own currency.