CAT 4 Level D Test Online Preparation, Tips & Free Practice Questions – 2025
What Is the CAT 4 Level D Test?
The Cognitive Abilities Test fourth edition (CAT 4) is an aptitude test designed to measure the cognitive abilities of students in year 7 in the United Kingdom or Ireland. The results from this test are sometimes used to determine eligibility for a school’s gifted and talented program. In other cases, the results are used to simply assess which subjects a child is excelling or struggling in. The test includes four individual test sections that are further divided into subsections. Each subsection is timed, meaning students will need to be prepared to answer questions rapidly and accurately.
What Are CAT 4 Level D’s Test Sections?
Quantitative Reasoning
- Number Analogies: The Number Analogies subsection is divided into 18 questions that must be completed within 10 minutes. Students will see a pair of numbers that hold a certain similarity, and will see a third number that holds the same similarity with one of the numbers in the answer choices.
- Number Series: The Number Series subsection is divided into 18 questions that must be completed within 8 minutes. Students will see a series of numbers that follow a pattern, and must choose a number that completes the series.
Verbal Reasoning
- Verbal Analogies: The Verbal Analogies subsection is divided into 24 questions that must be completed within 8 minutes. Students will see a pair of words that hold a certain similarity, and will see a third word that holds the same similarity with one of the words in the answer choices.
- Verbal Classification: The Verbal Classification subsection is divided into 24 questions that must be completed within 8 minutes. Students will see three words with similar meanings, and must choose a fourth word that includes a similar meaning.
Nonverbal Reasoning
- Figure Classification: The Figure Classification subsection is divided into 24 questions that must be completed within 10 minutes. Students will see three figures with similar patterns, and must choose a fourth figure that includes a similar pattern.
- Figure Matrices: The Figure Matrices subsection is divided into 24 questions that must be completed within 10 minutes. Students will see a 2×2 table filled with three shapes. The first two shapes follow a specific pattern rule, and the third shape uses the same rule to match with one of the answer choices.
Spatial Ability
- Figure Analysis: The Figure Analysis subsection is divided into 18 questions that must be completed within 9 minutes. Students will see a lone shape and must match it with one of five shapes presented in the answer choices.
- Figure Recognition: The Figure Recognition subsection is divided into 18 questions that must be completed within 9 minutes. Students will see a sheet of paper that is folded at least once and filled with one or more hole punches. Then, students will imagine how the paper should look if someone were to unfold it, and choose one answer that best represents their idea.
How to Read CAT 4 Level D’s Score Report
- Raw Score: This is the number of correct answers written over the total number of possible answers.
- Standard Age Score (SAS): This is a comparison of raw scores between children that are close in age.
- National Percentile Rank (NPR): This is a percentage representing how many children your child scored better than nationwide.
- Stanine (ST): This is a number between 1 – 9 that shows your child’s cognitive development level, with 1 being low and 9 being high.
CAT 4 Level D Test Tips
- Constantly practice with subsection time limits. Make sure your child pays attention to how much time they are taking to answer a question. Students will only have several seconds to answer a single question before they need to move on.
- Give your child at least two weeks to study. The preparation process should be gradual, which means children typically need at least two weeks to study. Allocate one or two hours a day strictly for studying. This gives your child ample time to become familiar with the material without overwhelming them.
How to Prepare for the CAT 4 Level D Test?
Preparing for the CAT 4 Level D Test is important for students that wish to join a gifted and talented program. The most efficient way to prepare is to study with online practice exams. These exams should be taken multiple times in order for your child to become familiar with the testing content and the layout of the exam. Make sure that your child reads through the explanations provided at the end, as they will serve as guideline for answering difficult questions. Preparation is the key to your child acing the CAT 4 Level D Test.
CAT 4 Level D Test Sample Questions
Pattern Completion Example 1:
Look at the pattern in the orange triangle. A piece of it has been removed. To complete the pattern, choose the piece below the pattern that goes where the question mark is. Which of the following answer options completes the design?
Explanation: The triangle is monotone orange, therefore the part which has been removed must be the same color as the triangle. The only answer choice that conforms to these requirements is answer choice D. It is helpful to use colors to see that they stay consistent throughout the entire picture and missing section. You can also use process of elimination to remove answer choices that are incorrect.
Pattern Completion Example 2:
Examine the pattern in the huge rectangle while keeping an eye out for the missing square. Which of the following answer options completes the design?
Explanation: Imagine continuing the line across the red-yellow-red pattern, where the missing part would have yellow on top and red on the bottom. The only answer choice that conforms to these requirements is answer choice C. You might also utilize the elimination of response choices. Try to use color or distinguishing lines as markers and ensure that such markers stay consistent throughout the picture and the missing section. Straight lines will serve as markers in this question, and we expect the colors and lines of the design to line up with the correct response choice. In that manner, we can remove the response options that are not appropriate. You should always pay attention to the direction of the pattern. If all the stripes in the picture move horizontally, then you should pick an option that does not differ in direction, nor color sequence.
Pattern Completion Example 3:
Find the missing piece that completes the larger design.
Explanation: The inner box needs be completed so we know there should be a small box in the upper left-hand side of the answer choice. This removes choices B and C. The lines of the inner box go diagonally from the upper left to the lower right. This removes choice D. The lines of the outer box go diagonally from the upper right to the lower left. This still leaves us with choices A and E. Looking at the remaining choices A and E, you can notice that the difference between them is the spacing between the lines in the outer box. In the main picture the spacing between the lines of the outer box is larger than the spacing of the lines in the inner box, not smaller. This leaves us with answer choice E as the correct answer.
Reasoning by Analogy Example:
Look at the six boxes and try to find a link between the geometric figures pictured within the boxes. Which of the following answer options can fill the empty box?
Explanation: Look at the top row. There are pink, green and purple triangles placed in the middle of separate blue squares. Now, look at the bottom row. There are two triangles; one black and one clear, and the third square is missing a triangle. Since all the triangles are facing the same way but none of the colors repeat, you need to look for an answer choice that is pictured in the same way as the other 5 triangles and yet differs in color. You can try to use the elimination method to spot the right answer. We can see that in option A the triangle is colored pink and there is also a pink triangle on the top row, therefore option A is eliminated. Similarly, option D is a clear triangle, so it too does not fit. The triangle under option C is both green and upside down, therefore not suited. Lastly, you can note that the only option that has a triangle with a different color is choice B, and it is standing upright like all the other triangles.
Serial Reasoning Example Question 1:
Examine how the series of forms shift over the rows and columns of the matrix to find the picture that completes the pattern.
Explanation: The matrix is composed of three types of figures: square, circle, and triangle. Across the columns, all the figures pictured in the first column are colored red, in the second column the figures are yellow and finally, all the figures in the third column are pink. Now, looking at the first column, we can see a red square on the top, a red triangle in the middle, and a figure missing. The missing figure must complete the square-circle-triangle pattern. We can eliminate answer choice A as it contains a red square, which we already have on the matrix. We can eliminate answer choices B, E, and C, as they do not contain red figures. Hence, the right answer is D, a red circle.
Serial Reasoning Example Question 2:
Which answer choice completes the series?
Explanation: Looking at the top and middle rows, you can see that the shapes are staying the same, but the colors are always being flipped in the 2nd column. Therefore, the missing box should have a purple square with a circle that is half blue on top and half green on the bottom. This can be found in answer choice E.