Free Online SCAT Intermediate Test Preparation: Practice 4th & 5th Grades Sample Questions & Tips – 2025

What Is the SCAT Intermediate Test?

The SCAT Intermediate Test is a type of aptitude test that admits students into a John Hopkins Center for Talented Youth (CTY) program. This test is administered to children in 4th and 5th grade. The SCAT Intermediate Test is also known as an “above grade level” test, which means it includes testing material that covers higher grade-level information. This means that 4th graders will taking a 6th grade level test, and 5th graders will be taking an 8th grade level test.

The SCAT Intermediate Test is timed and is also divided into two individual sections, including a Verbal Section and a Quantitative Section. Questions will be asked in a multiple-choice format and will likely be administered in a computerized fashion. After the completion of the exam, the scores of the students will be compared to the scores of other same-age children, and the final scores will identify which children should be eligible for a gifted and talented program, such as the CTY program. Please keep in mind that children that have already taken the SCAT Intermediate Test will likely not be asked to take the same test again. The next time they will be asked to take the exam is when they are old enough to take the SCAT Advanced Test.

What Are SCAT Intermediate’s Test Sections?

The SCAT Intermediate Test is broken into two sections, known as the Verbal Section and the Quantitative Section. Each section will include 55 questions phrased in a multiple-choice question. However, out of the 55 questions, five of them will be experimental. This means that the results from these experimental questions will not count against your child. Additionally, your child will not know which five questions are experimental, so it is important that your child treats every question as if it is a real question that will be scored. Students will be allotted 22 minutes to complete each section. After a single section has been completed, students will be allowed to rest for 10 minutes before moving onto the next test section.

Verbal Section

The SCAT Intermediate Verbal Section is used as a way to assess a child’s ability to understand similarities between vocabulary words as well as determine a child’s strength for verbal reasoning. This section includes questions with a single pair of words. These pairs of words will hold a specific relationship, which the children will need to figure out. Then, the students will need to search through the answer options and find a second pair of words that hold the same type of relationship. The Verbal Section for the SCAT Intermediate Test may include the following types of example questions.

Quantitative Section

The SCAT Intermediate Quantitative Section is used as a way to assess a child’s ability to understand mathematical relationships and solve complex mathematical problems. The Quantitative Section includes questions that compare two mathematical concepts, either in a word format or as an equation. Students will be responsible for choosing the answer that includes the larger amount. This section can be difficult for some children, as it will require mathematical reasoning and answers that are not always obvious. The Quantitative Section for the SCAT Intermediate Test may include the following types of example questions.

How to Read SCAT Intermediate’s Score Report

The score report for the SCAT Intermediate Test will include three scores: the raw score, the scaled score, and the percentile rank. These three scores are used to determine the cognitive abilities of a child, and ultimately identify children that are eligible for the JHU CTY program.

• Raw Score: The first score is the raw score, which is just the number of correct answers listed over the total number of possible answers. Remember that five of the answers are not counted in the score, due to them being experimental. This means that the score will be shown as out of 50 rather than 55.
• Scaled Score: The second score is the scaled score, which is a comparison of raw score results between children of the same age who also completed the SCAT Intermediate Test. This scaled score includes a verbal range of 405 to 482, and a quantitative range of 419 to 506.
• Percentile Rank: The third score is the percentile rank, which is an assigned percentage that represents how many children your child scored better than on the exam. Percentile ranks can be used to determine eligibility for a JHU CTY program.

SCAT Intermediate Test Tips

1. Use practice exams that include explanations. If your child completes a practice exam and fails to read the explanations provided at the end, then they will not understand why certain questions were answered right or wrong. Explanations will go through every single answer option and explain why each one was either feasible or not feasible. Sometimes, questions can be answered correctly just by guessing. Explanations will teach your child about how a question should be answered, which will help them on the actual exam.
2. Create a preparation plan that includes a set amount of time for studying. Parents that create a study plan will likely have an easier time convincing their children to study, because the children know what to expect. Create a plan that works for your child. This could include only studying for one hour every day. Make sure you stick to the plan, otherwise your child may think that they can get out of studying if they complain enough.

How to Prepare for the SCAT Intermediate Test

If you want your child to score well on the SCAT Intermediate Test, then your child needs to have a solid preparation plan that includes online practice exams. Practice exams will include sample questions and explanations that will teach your child about the easiest ways to answer tricky questions. Each practice exam will conduct in-depth testing that mirrors the real SCAT Intermediate Test, which is beneficial in multiple ways. Practice exams not only help parents identify their child’s areas of weakness, they also familiarize the child with the testing format, which is new for many children. Children are able to repeat certain sections as many times as necessary, which allows them to strengthen any areas that they struggle with. Children that score high on the SCAT Intermediate Test almost always have prepared well in advance with online resources, including practice exams and various study guides.

Read more about the SCAT test.