CAT4 style practice: eight subtests, levels A to G
The CAT4 is the cognitive abilities test many schools sit in Years 4 to 11. It has four batteries (verbal, quantitative, non-verbal and spatial) and eight subtests. Prism practises every subtest at every level, pitched by school year.
Level
Taken in
A
Year 4
B
Year 5
C
Year 6
D
Year 7
E
Year 8
F
Years 9 and 10
G
Year 11 and above
Every question here is written by Prism in the style of the tests. None is copied from a real paper, and a fresh one is drawn each time a child practises.
One example of each subtest
Verbal Classification Verbal battery
Three words are alike. Find the word that belongs with them.
Level D
Question 1Aim for about 30 seconds
The three words in the box are alike in some way. Which word goes with them?
crayon quill chalk
Show the worked answer
Answer: D, pencil
How to work it out
“crayon”, “quill” and “chalk” are all things used for writing or drawing.
So is “pencil”.
Why the other options are wrong
A (pentagon): “pentagon” belongs with flat shapes, not things used for writing or drawing.
B (Jupiter): “Jupiter” belongs with planets, not things used for writing or drawing.
C (paper): “paper” is written on, not written with.
E (letter): “letter” is something written.
Verbal Analogies Verbal battery
Find the word that completes the second pair in the same way.
Level D
Question 2Aim for about 30 seconds
The words in the first pair go together in a certain way. Which word goes with the third word in the same way?
spoke → wheel petal → ?
Show the worked answer
Answer: B, flower
How to work it out
In the first pair, a spoke is part of a wheel.
In the same way, a petal is part of a flower.
Why the other options are wrong
A (hand): The right kind of link, but the wrong word: a finger is part of a hand, not petal.
C (wheel): “wheel” is copied from the first pair. It does not fit with “petal”.
D (poem): The right kind of link, but the wrong word: a verse is part of a poem, not petal.
E (moo): “moo” has no link to “petal” like the one in the first pair.
Number Analogies Quantitative battery
One rule turns each number into its partner. Apply it to the last number.
Level D
Question 3Aim for about 30 seconds
The same rule turns each number on the left into the number on the right. Which number is missing?
[ 3 → 10 ] [ 11 → 42 ] [ 6 → ? ]
Show the worked answer
Answer: B, 22
How to work it out
The rule is: multiply by 4, then subtract 2.
It works for both pairs, so 6 becomes 22.
Why the other options are wrong
A (23): One too many: multiply by 4, then subtract 2 applied to 6 gives 22, so this slipped one up.
C (24): This multiplies by 4 but forgets to subtract 2.
D (42): This is the answer for 11, the middle pair, not for 6.
E (13): Adding 7 works for the first pair, but not the second. A rule must work for every pair.
Number Series Quantitative battery
Find the rule in a row of numbers and continue it.
Level D
Question 4Aim for about 30 seconds
Two sequences take turns. What is the next number?
11, 76, 14, 74, 17, 72, ?
Show the worked answer
Answer: A, 20
How to work it out
Look at every other number.
11, 14, 17 add 3; 76, 74, 72 take away 2.
The next number continues the first sequence: 20.
Why the other options are wrong
B (70): This continues the other sequence, the one that goes down; the next number belongs to the one that goes up.
C (17): This repeats the last number of the going-up sequence instead of moving it on.
D (23): One step too far: the going-up sequence adds 3 once more, not twice.
E (75): This adds 3 to the last number shown, but that number belongs to the other sequence.
Figure Classification Non-verbal battery
Three figures are alike. Find the figure that goes with them.
Level D
Question 5Aim for about 30 seconds
The three figures are alike in some way. Which figure goes with them?
Show the worked answer
Answer: A
How to work it out
Each figure has a small copy of the same shape inside it.
The outer shape and shading change freely.
Why the other options are wrong
B: The small shape inside is a triangle, but the outer shape is a pentagon. In the three, they match.
C: The small shape inside is a square, but the outer shape is a pentagon. In the three, they match.
D: The small shape inside is a triangle, but the outer shape is a square. In the three, they match.
E: The small shape inside is a hexagon, but the outer shape is a square. In the three, they match.
Figure Matrices Non-verbal battery
Complete the grid of figures.
Level D
Question 6Aim for about 30 seconds
Which figure completes the grid?
?
Show the worked answer
Answer: E
How to work it out
Each row keeps the same shape; each column keeps the same shading.
Combine the bottom row’s shape with the right column’s shading.
Why the other options are wrong
A: Right shading, but a shape that is not in the grid.
B: Right shading, but the shape comes from the middle row.
C: Right shape, but the shading comes from the middle column.
D: Right shape, but a shading that is not in the grid.
Figure Analysis Spatial battery
Fold, punch and unfold: where do the holes end up?
Level D
Question 7Aim for about 30 seconds
The paper is folded in half, then holes are punched through all the layers. What does it look like when unfolded?
Show the worked answer
Answer: A
How to work it out
Each hole goes through both layers, so it appears twice when unfolded: where it was punched, and mirrored across the horizontal fold, the same distance from it.
The mirror also flips the way a shaped hole points.
Why the other options are wrong
B: This mirrors across the wrong line. The fold is the horizontal fold.
C: The copies have slipped. Each copy must be exactly opposite its hole, the same distance from the fold.
D: These are only the holes that were punched. Unfolding adds a mirrored copy of each.
E: Only one hole has been copied. Every hole gets a mirrored partner.
Figure Recognition Spatial battery
Find the shape hidden inside a busy design.
Level D
Question 8Aim for about 30 seconds
Which design has the shape on the left hidden in it? It must be the same size and the same way up.
Show the worked answer
Answer: D
How to work it out
Trace the pentagon: find one of its corners in each design and follow its sides.
Only one design contains every side, the same size and the same way round.
Why the other options are wrong
A: Close, but one side of the shape is missing from this design.
B: The shape is here, but upside down. It must be the same way up.
C: The shape is here, but turned. It must be the same way up.
E: This design hides a mirror image of the shape. It must match exactly, the same way round.
Prism is independent of GL Assessment, who publish the CAT4
Prism starts with a free assessment across maths, English, verbal and non-verbal reasoning, then builds a weekly plan for your target schools. Parents follow progress free.