CAT4 at Dubai Schools: What Each School Uses It For
CAT4 (Cognitive Abilities Test, Fourth Edition) is GL Assessment's test of verbal, quantitative, non-verbal and spatial reasoning. It does not test curriculum knowledge. Dubai schools use it in two ways: inside school, as part of KHDA's external assessment framework to set a baseline and track progress, and in admissions, where some schools ask for an existing CAT4 result, some run CAT4 themselves and others use their own tests instead.
Last checked: November 2026 · Written by the Improve ME Institute team
Information changes — confirm with the school’s admissions team. Admissions criteria, open year groups and dates change from year to year. We summarise what the school and other named sources published when we last checked (November 2026); the school’s own admissions team is the authority.
Improve ME Institute is an independent tuition centre and is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, any school mentioned here.
What CAT4 measures
CAT4 asks children to reason with words, numbers, shapes and visual patterns, including manipulating images in their head. There is no syllabus to revise. It is a formal, timed test: for Levels A to G there are three parts of roughly 30 to 41 minutes each, including instructions and practice questions, and younger children sitting Level X take two shorter parts, according to Khaleej Times.
Results are reported as a Standard Age Score (SAS) for each of the four areas plus an overall mean. An SAS of 100 is the average for a child’s age, not a percentage mark. Reports also give a national percentile rank (an NPR of 84 means the child did as well as or better than 84% of the comparison group) and a stanine from 1 to 9, where 5 is average. CAT4 is not an IQ test, and it is designed to be read alongside classroom work and other assessments.
Why Dubai schools use it
Progress tracking under KHDA.KHDA’s external assessment framework includes a cognitive abilities assessment covering verbal, non-verbal, quantitative and spatial reasoning. It is taken in Grades 3, 5, 7 and 9 (Years 4, 6, 8 and 10 in UK-curriculum schools) and by new students without existing data. Schools use the results to set a baseline of potential, track progress, compare attainment with potential and spot learning gaps.
Teaching and support. Schools use CAT4 profiles to see how a child learns best, identify students who need extra support or more challenge, inform target setting, and as one indicator for gifted or advanced programmes.
Admissions. Some schools ask for a recent CAT4 result with the application, some have applicants sit CAT4, and some run their own entrance assessments. The table below shows what each school publishes.
School by school
Based on each school’s own admissions pages where available. Where a school’s site does not mention CAT4, we say so rather than rely on third-party claims. Schools with enough published detail have a full guide.
| School | Where CAT4 appears | Also considered | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dubai CollegeFull guide | Most recent CAT4 results submitted with Year 7 applications. Occasional places (Years 8 to 10): minimum score of 110 across the four CAT4 elements stated. | Own adaptive online entrance assessment (English, Maths, non-verbal reasoning); Year 5 report; end of Year 5 GL Progress Tests for Dubai applicants. | |
| Jumeirah English Speaking School (JESS)Full guide | CAT4 mean 115+ is one academic criterion for Open Entry (Years 3 to 9). Not listed as an entry test on the general admissions pages. | Debenture-backed waiting lists; Open Entry adds progress-test scores, references, assessments and interviews. | |
| Nord Anglia International School DubaiFull guide | Online CAT4 from Year 5; paper-based CAT4 for IB Diploma and A Level applicants. | Online Maths and English from Year 7; reports, recommendation form, reading and writing samples. | |
| Dubai British School Emirates HillsFull guide | Formal verbal, quantitative and non-verbal assessment from Year 2 (2024 policy); Khaleej Times (2026) reports CAT4 for Years 3 to 12. | Writing sample, school reference, school reports. | |
| Dubai English Speaking School (DESS) and College (DESC) | A CAT4 from the last 12 months is requested for primary applications, if available. Local applicants without one may be asked to attend a taster session. | End-of-year and mid-year reports; reference request for overseas applicants. Secondary forms for Years 7 to 10 were not available when checked. | |
| GEMS Wellington International School | Not named on the school's admissions process page. The page says Years 1 to 13 are not required to sit assessments unless the Academic Team decides to after reviewing reports. | School reports reviewed first; possible assessment or interview; personal statement for Year 5 and above. | |
| Repton School Dubai | Not named on the school's admissions process page, which describes age-appropriate assessments before a place is offered. | Formal assessments in Reading, Mathematics and English from Year 1; observed play in Early Years; decision by email within three working days. | |
| Brighton College Dubai | The admissions pages we checked do not describe a CAT4 requirement. Ask the admissions team which assessment applies to your child's year group. | The admissions process page mentions a supplementary language proficiency assessment for non-native English speakers. | |
| Kings' School Dubai | We could not confirm current assessment requirements from the school's own website when we checked. Contact the admissions team directly. | Not confirmed. | School website unavailable when checked |
Three patterns worth knowing
- Your existing CAT4 travels with you.Dubai College, JESS (Open Entry) and DESS ask for CAT4 results your child has already sat. Request a copy of the report from your child’s current school before applying.
- CAT4 is rarely the only thing.Every school here that publishes its process reads reasoning results alongside reports, references, writing or curriculum tests. Only a few routes publish a figure, such as Dubai College’s occasional places and JESS Open Entry.
- Demand shapes everything. Several schools describe oversubscribed year groups, and some only invite applicants to assess when places are expected. Check which year groups are open before thinking about scores.
How to prepare sensibly
GL Assessment strongly advises against extensive practice before CAT4, because it can change what the test measures. Dubai College goes further and says it does not endorse tutoring for its own entrance assessment. Familiarity is a different thing, and it is fair: a child who has never seen a spatial reasoning question or an on-screen countdown can underperform for reasons that have nothing to do with ability.
- Know what each of the four areas looks like, and read instructions and examples carefully.
- Get used to working steadily against a timer, without rushing or freezing.
- Build the underlying skills that last: wide reading and vocabulary, quick and accurate arithmetic, puzzles that use shapes and patterns.
- Ask the school which test, level and format (online or paper) to expect.
- If your child has additional needs, ask early about access arrangements.
- Sleep well the night before. No syllabus revision is needed.
School guides
Frequently asked questions
Is CAT4 a pass or fail test?
No. CAT4 reports Standard Age Scores (where 100 is the average for a child's age), national percentile ranks and stanines for verbal, quantitative, non-verbal and spatial reasoning. Some schools publish a figure for a particular route, such as Dubai College's minimum of 110 for occasional places or JESS's CAT4 mean of 115+ for Open Entry, but most schools read CAT4 alongside reports and other assessments.
Does KHDA require Dubai schools to use CAT4?
KHDA's external assessment framework includes a cognitive abilities assessment covering verbal, non-verbal, quantitative and spatial reasoning, taken in Grades 3, 5, 7 and 9 (Years 4, 6, 8 and 10 in UK-curriculum schools) and by new students without existing data, according to Khaleej Times. Schools use the results as a baseline, to track progress and to compare attainment with potential. Whether a school also uses CAT4 for admissions is the school's own decision.
Should my child practise for CAT4?
GL Assessment, which publishes CAT4, strongly advises against extensive practice because it can affect what the test is designed to measure. Familiarity is different: knowing what the question types look like, reading instructions carefully and being comfortable with a timed, on-screen test helps a child show what they can do. Long-term skills such as reading widely and secure arithmetic matter more than drilling.
My child already sat CAT4 at school. Will a new school use that result?
Often, yes. Dubai College asks for the most recent CAT4 results, JESS asks for CAT4 results with Open Entry applications, and DESS requests a CAT4 from the last 12 months for primary applications if available. Ask your child's current school for a copy of the report before you apply.
Which CAT4 level will my child sit?
CAT4 has several levels matched to age, and the school chooses the level. If your child is sitting CAT4 as part of an admissions assessment, ask the admissions team which level and format (online or paper) to expect.
Sources
All checked November 2026.
- Khaleej Times: CAT4 tests explained: What UAE parents need to know before their child sits the assessment (published 11 Sept 2026, updated 28 Sept 2026)
- Khaleej Times: All you need to know about NGRT and CAT4 exams in Dubai schools (published 3 Sept 2025, updated 28 Sept 2026)
- Dubai College: Year 7 entry: Frequently asked questions
- Dubai College: Years 8, 9 and 10 entry: Occasional Places Scheme
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (JESS): Open Entry Applications
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (JESS): Welcome to Admissions
- Nord Anglia International School Dubai: Entry requirements
- Dubai British School Emirates Hills: Admissions Policy: Application Guidance and Information (policy reviewed August 2024; next review stated as August 2025)
- Dubai English Speaking School / Dubai English Speaking College: Admissions Process
- GEMS Wellington International School: Admissions Process
- Repton School Dubai: Admissions Process
- Brighton College Dubai: Admissions Process
Want a clear picture of where your child stands?
Our CAT4 programmes run across several year groups and focus on understanding the four reasoning areas, getting comfortable with the timed format and building the underlying skills, not drilling for a score. Every family starts with a free diagnostic test.