educational assessments

REASONING
Cognitive Abilities Test: Third Edition (CAT3)
David F Lohman, Elizabeth P Hagen and Robert L Thorndike; adapted by GL Assessment
quick guide
Age Range:
7 years–17+ years
Suitable for:
Teachers, Exam Officers and
SENCOs
Administration:
Group
Timed:
50 minutes per test battery
Also Available:
Pupil Attitudes to Self and
School (PASS). Integrating your
CAT3 results with the attitudinal
results from PASS will provide you
with a comprehensive
understanding of a pupil’s overall
ability. See pages 50–52
The Cognitive Abilities Test: Third Edition (CAT3) is the UK’s most widely
used test of reasoning abilities. Fully standardised, it helps identify
pupils’ strengths, weaknesses and learning preferences, providing
accurate, reliable and objective assessment data that is essential to the
shaping of an individual’s learning. CAT3 is not about knowledge recall
and requires no preparation, offering all pupils the same opportunity to
show their underlying ability. Aimed at pupils between 7 years and 6
months to 17+ years, CAT3 is available in both paper and digital formats
and can be administered individually or as a group test.
CAT3 measures the three principle areas of reasoning – verbal, nonverbal
and quantitative – as well as an element of spatial ability, allowing
teachers and SENCOs to test the full range within an entire class or
year.
Rich data provided by CAT3 gives a comprehensive profile of pupils’
reasoning abilities, producing standardised scores for each of the three
abilities. This data can be used to build an understanding of an
individual’s potential and learning style and to inform the development of
effective teaching and learning programmes and interventions. Pupils
will benefit through more effective target-setting that ensures the right
degree of challenge. The CAT3 results are also invaluable for providing
feedback directly to pupils and their parents, as well as governors and
school administrators.
Did you know?
Over 50% of
secondary schools in
the UK take CAT3
every year! For many,
it has proved a robust
and reliable
alternative for KS3
National Tests
Why use CAT3?
• Provides indicators of outcomes at Key Stages 2, 3 and 4, 30 GCSEs,
19 AS/A level subject indicators and Scottish Standard Grades 3 Int 1
and 5 Int 2
• Identifies a pupil’s individual strengths, needs and learning preferences,
providing you with a complete profile of their ability
• Monitors trends or changes in the ability profile of an intake over time,
allowing you to measure the added value that your school achieves
• Standardised scores allow you to compare your pupils’ results along
with group/class comparisons
• Informs target-setting, the development of individual learning plans and
aids the implementation of more timely intervention strategies
• Provides a sound basis for comparisons over time
CAT3 Level Age Group England & Wales Scotland Northern Ireland
A 7:06 to 9:11 Year 4 Primary 5 Year 5 (P5)
B 8:06 to 10:11 Year 5 Primary 6 Year 6 (P6)
C 9:06 to 11:11 Year 6 Primary 7 Year 7 (P7)
D 10:06 to 12:11 Year 7 Secondary 1 Year 8 (F1)
E 11:06 to 13:11 Year 8 Secondary 2 Year 9 (F2)
F 12:06 to 14:11 Year 9 Secondary 3 Year 10 (F3)
G 13:06 to 15:11 Year 10 Secondary 4 Year 11 (F4)
H 14:06 to 17:00+ Year 11 + Secondary 5+ Year 12 (F5)+
. . . and CAT3 Digital?
Suitable for use in
implementing the
Curriculum for
Excellence
• CAT3 Digital removes the burden of test administration, as all
practice, instructions and timings are computer-administered
• Instant scoring gives you results at the touch of a button, saving you
hours of marking time
• Instant diagnostic reports are delivered straight to your desktop,
enabling you to analyse results with ease and integrate them with
other school information
• Computer-based assessment often feels less daunting for pupils and
fast feedback is proven to be more motivating
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