CAT4 Level G (Year 11+) Practice Test 2026: Free PDF, Sample Questions & Tips
Clear guide for Year 11+ families with a free CAT4 Level G practice PDF, sample questions, and simple preparation tips.
- Free CAT4 Level G practice PDF with sample questions and clear guidance
- Understand the Level G format, timing, and all four CAT4 batteries
- Learn how to prepare more calmly for one of the most demanding CAT4 levels
- No sign-up needed to access the free guide and downloadable PDF
What is the CAT4 Level G Assessment?
CAT4 Level G Test is also called the Year 11+ Test.
GL Assessments provide the assessment.
It is a cognitive test with 4 categories.
It also acts as a school admission test.
Level G is for students in Year 11 and above between the ages of 14-17.
The assessment takes 72 minutes to complete.
It is the most advanced CAT4 Level.
The good news is you can practice and get better at the test.
What to Expect in the CAT4 Level G Test
CAT4 Level G Test Structure and Timing
- Part 120 min
- Part 226 min
- Part 326 min
Part 1
Non-Verbal battery
- 10:00
Figure Classification
- 10:00
Figure Matrices
Part 2
Verbal + Quantitative
- 8:00
Verbal Classification
- 8:00
Verbal Analogies
- 10:00
Number Analogies
Part 3
Quantitative + Spatial
- 8:00
Number Series
- 9:00
Figure Analysis
- 9:00
Figure Recognition
Pick the Best Prep for CAT4 Level G
Editor's Success Tips
1.Make a Simple Study Plan
- ✔Set aside time for each subject.
- ✔Focus on the hardest topics first.
- ✔Take short breaks to stay fresh.
2.Use the "Study & Rest" Method
- ✔Study for 25-30 minutes → Take a 5-minute break.
- ✔Repeat 4 times, then take a 15-minute break.
- ✔This keeps your brain sharp and prevents burnout.
Practice, Practice, Practice!
1.Take Full Practice Tests
- ✔Pretend it's the real test—use a timer and sit in a quiet space.
- ✔Go over your mistakes and learn from them.
2.Focus on Your Weak Areas
- ✔Spend extra time on topics you find hard.
- ✔Use practice questions to test yourself.
3.Review What You Learn Often
- ✔Don't cram—spread out your study sessions.
- ✔Use flashcards or quick notes to help remember key points.
Why It Works: The more you practice, the more confident you'll feel.
Test Day Tip: Try a mock test with a timer before the real exam. This will help you get comfortable with the time limits!
The Best CAT4 Level G Practice Tests
- Get a full online preparation course.
- Use our Free CAT4 Level G Practice Test PDF.
- You can also use our free CAT4 Practice test.
- Another option is our Free CAT4 Sample Test.
- Use a dedicated Video Course.
CAT4 Level G Free Practice Test
Quantitative Reasoning Sample Question
Quantitative Reasoning · Number Analogies · Level G
What number should replace the question mark?
[ 80 19 ][ 40 9 ][ 36 ? ]
Quantitative Reasoning · Number Analogies · Level G
No single operation turns 80 into 19. Not a subtraction you would ever guess, not a clean division — 80 ÷ 4 lands on 20, one short of the mark. That "one short" is the whole question. Level G analogies are usually built from two steps, and the first pair is where you find them; the second pair is where you prove you are right.
What to notice first
Look at the size of the drop before anything else. 80 falls to 19 and 40 falls to 9 — the outputs are roughly a quarter of the inputs, so the backbone of the rule is a division by 4, not a subtraction. Now check the fit: 80 ÷ 4 = 20, but the answer is 19. 40 ÷ 4 = 10, but the answer is 9. Both are short by exactly 1, and that consistency is what turns a near-miss into a rule. Divide by 4, then subtract 1 — and because it holds for both given pairs, you can trust it on the third.
Check 1
Judge the scale first
80 to 19 is a collapse, not a step. When the output is a small fraction of the input, start with dividing — subtraction rules never survive across pairs of different sizes.
Check 2
Read the near-miss as the second step
80 ÷ 4 = 20 against an answer of 19. Do not abandon the division — a gap of exactly 1 is the second half of the rule announcing itself.
Check 3
Prove it on the second pair
40 ÷ 4 − 1 = 9, exactly as given. Two independent confirmations means the rule is fixed, and the third pair is now arithmetic rather than guesswork.
Core rule
Each pair is divide by 4, then subtract 1. So 36 ÷ 4 = 9, and 9 − 1 = 8.
Model the pattern
Step 1 — Decide which operation family you are in
Compare input to output by size, not by difference. 80 → 19 and 40 → 9 both shrink by roughly a factor of four, so the rule is built on division. A student who reaches for "subtract 61" on the first pair is stuck immediately, because the second pair drops by only 31.
Step 2 — Divide, then measure what is left over
80 ÷ 4 = 20, one more than 19. 40 ÷ 4 = 10, one more than 9. The leftover is the same both times, so the second step is a fixed −1 rather than anything that scales. Write the rule out in full: ÷ 4, then − 1.
Step 3 — Apply it, then sanity-check the shape
36 ÷ 4 = 9, then 9 − 1 = 8. Check it reads sensibly: the third input is the smallest, so its output should be the smallest of the three — 19, 9, 8 does exactly that. The equivalent form (36 − 4) ÷ 4 = 8 gives the same answer, another quick confirmation.
Option check
Eliminate
Subtracts too much. 7 comes from dividing by 4 and then taking away 2. Test that rule on the first pair: 80 ÷ 4 − 2 = 18, not 19. It fails the very pair it was supposed to be built from — which is exactly why you check a rule against both given pairs before using it.
Correct
The rule that survives both checks. Divide by 4, then subtract 1: 80 → 19 ✓, 40 → 9 ✓, so 36 ÷ 4 − 1 = 8. No other option comes from a rule that reproduces both of the given pairs.
Eliminate
Stops halfway — the planted trap. 9 is 36 ÷ 4, the first step of the rule with the second step forgotten. It looks reassuring because 9 already appears in the middle pair, but that pair's input was 40: 40 ÷ 4 is 10, and the given answer is 9. The −1 is not optional.
Eliminate
Adjusts in the wrong direction. 10 is 36 ÷ 4 with 1 added instead of subtracted. Run it on the first pair: 80 ÷ 4 + 1 = 21, not 19. It is also simply 40 ÷ 4 — a number lifted from the middle pair rather than worked out from the third.
Eliminate
Wrong divisor. 11 is 36 ÷ 3 − 1, which fits neatly only because 36 happens to divide by 3. The same rule cannot even be run on the first pair — 80 ÷ 3 is not a whole number, and the given output is 19, nowhere near 80 ÷ 3. A rule that only works on the pair you are solving is not the rule.
Use this checklist next time
- Compare input and output by size first — a big collapse means division, a small shift means adding or subtracting.
- If a clean operation lands one or two away from the answer, keep it and treat the gap as a second step.
- Never apply a rule you have only tested on one pair — the second pair exists to catch the near-misses.
- Check the answer's size against the others: the smallest input should give the smallest output.
Reflection
Three of the four wrong options come from getting the division right and the second step wrong — dropped, doubled, or reversed. The arithmetic is easy; the discipline is not. Writing the rule out in full words, "divide by four, then subtract one", is what stops the second step from quietly disappearing.
Bridge forward
Level G number analogies are usually two-step: an operation that sets the scale, then a small fixed adjustment. Expect the incomplete one-step version to be sitting in the options, because it is the most common way students go wrong — and it is always the answer that looks fastest.
Conclusion
Option B, 8, is correct. Every pair follows the same two-step rule — divide by 4, then subtract 1 — which gives 19 from 80 and 9 from 40, and therefore 8 from 36. Option C stops after the division, D reverses the adjustment, A doubles it, and E relies on a divisor that cannot even be applied to the first pair.
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Quantitative Reasoning · Number Series · Level G
What number should replace the question mark?
4139374038363937?
Quantitative Reasoning · Number Series · Level G
The gaps here refuse to settle: −2, −2, then +3, then −2, −2, then +3 again. A single step rule will never hold, and hunting for one is how most students lose this question. The series is not one run — it is a short pattern played three times, each time starting one lower.
What to notice first
Write the differences under the series before you do anything else: −2, −2, +3, −2, −2, +3, −2. That +3 is not a mistake and not a new rule — it is the seam where one block ends and the next begins. Two falls of 2, then a jump: the run is arriving in packets of three. Once you see the seams, the numbers regroup themselves as (41 39 37), (40 38 36), (39 37 ?) — and the question stops being about a long chain and becomes about one short, repeated shape.
Check 1
Let the odd gap mark the seam
The differences cycle −2, −2, +3. A repeating cycle of gaps means blocks, not a single run — and the odd gap shows where each block starts.
Check 2
Find the rule inside the block
Every block falls by 2 twice: 41→39→37, 40→38→36, 39→37→?. The internal step never changes across the whole series.
Check 3
Find the rule between blocks
The block openers are 41, 40, 39 — down 1 each time. Two rules, one inside the block and one across blocks, and both point down.
Core rule
Each block of three falls by 2, and each new block starts 1 lower than the last. The third block is 39, 37, and then one more step of −2: 35.
Model the pattern
Step 1 — Write the differences, then look for a cycle
Under 41 39 37 40 38 36 39 37, write −2, −2, +3, −2, −2, +3, −2. Do not try to smooth that into one rule. A cycle in the gaps is a signal: the series is built from a repeating block, and the out-of-place gap is the seam between blocks.
Step 2 — Cut at the seams and stack the blocks
Split into (41 39 37), (40 38 36), (39 37 ?). Stacked, the structure is obvious: every block is a −2, −2 run, and the openers 41, 40, 39 slide down by 1. Two clean rules replace one impossible one.
Step 3 — Confirm it a second way, then finish the block
Read down the columns instead of across: 1st positions 41, 40, 39; 2nd positions 39, 38, 37; 3rd positions 37, 36, ?. Every column falls by 1, so the missing 3rd position is 35 — the same answer by a different route. Completing the block gives 39, 37, 35.
Option check
Eliminate
One step too far. 33 is what you get by taking the −2 run a fourth time: 39, 37, 35, 33. The block holds exactly three numbers, and the question mark sits in the third slot, not the fourth. This is the answer of someone who found the right rule and then lost count of where the block ends.
Eliminate
Turns the series upward. 40 is larger than the 37 before it, so it assumes the run climbs back at this point. Nothing in the series ever rises within a block, and even the resets move down — 41, then 40, then 39. It borrows a number that has already appeared rather than following the rule.
Correct
Both rules agree. Inside the block, 37 − 2 = 35. Down the third-position column, 37, 36, 35 falls by 1 exactly as the other two columns do. The third block completes as 39, 37, 35 — a −2, −2 run opening one below the block before it.
Eliminate
Repeats instead of stepping. 37 is simply the term immediately before the gap. The series never holds a value twice in a row — every move inside a block is −2. It also treats the third block as a copy of the first (41 39 37), when each block starts one lower than the last.
Eliminate
Bounces back to the start. 39 assumes the block returns to its opening value, giving 39, 37, 39. The internal step is a consistent −2 in every block, never +2, and no block in the series ever reverses direction.
Use this checklist next time
- Always write the differences first — the shape of the gaps tells you what kind of series you are looking at.
- If the gaps repeat in a cycle, stop hunting for one rule and cut the series into blocks at the odd gap.
- Then look for two rules: what happens inside each block, and how each block starts relative to the last.
- Check the answer down the columns as well as along the row — if both routes agree, you are right.
Reflection
Every wrong option here comes from a rule that almost works: one step too many, a reversal, a repeat. That is the design. The difficulty is not the arithmetic — subtracting 2 is trivial — it is noticing that the series is grouped at all, which you cannot see until you write the differences down.
Bridge forward
Level G number series routinely stack two rules: a step within a repeating block and a drift between blocks. Whenever a difference breaks the run, treat it as a seam rather than an anomaly — and expect the blocks themselves to be moving, usually by 1 or 2.
Conclusion
Option C, 35, is correct. The series runs in blocks of three that fall by 2 — (41 39 37), (40 38 36), (39 37 ?) — with each block starting one lower than the one before, so the missing term is 37 − 2 = 35. Reading down the third-position column (37, 36, 35) confirms it. 33 takes one step too many, 40 turns the series upward, 37 repeats the previous term, and 39 bounces back to the block's start.
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Verbal Reasoning Sample Question
Verbal Reasoning · Verbal Classification · Level G
Which word belongs with these three words?
trudgeplodhobble
Verbal Reasoning · Verbal Classification · Level G
All five options are ways of moving on foot, and four of them are slower than running — so "it's a walking word" and even "it's a slow walking word" leave you with several candidates. Trudge, plod and hobble share something narrower than pace: the movement costs something. Fix that idea first and only one option survives.
What to notice first
Picture each of the three. To trudge is to walk with heavy, weary steps, usually through mud, snow or exhaustion. To plod is to move slowly and doggedly, each step an effort. To hobble is to walk awkwardly because something hurts or does not work properly. The common thread is not speed — it is difficulty. These are all walks that are slow because they are laboured, heavy or impaired. Slowness is the symptom; effort is the cause. Any option that is slow for some other reason — because it is relaxed, or aimless, or on hands and knees — is outside the group.
Check 1
Name the manner, not the pace
The shared idea is not "slow walking." It is walking made heavy or awkward by effort, weight or impairment — the strain is built into the word.
Check 2
Ask why each option is slow
Slow for pleasure, slow with no destination, and slow on your hands and knees are three different categories. Only one kind of slow belongs here.
Check 3
Demand every part of the definition
The winner must be slow and heavy or laboured. Matching half the definition is what every distractor here is designed to do.
Core rule
Choose the word that means moving slowly and with effort or heaviness — the exact idea shared by trudge, plod and hobble. Slow on its own is not enough.
Model the pattern
Step 1 — Write a one-line definition that fits all three
Read trudge, plod and hobble as a set and compress them into a single sentence: to move on foot slowly and with difficulty. If your sentence covers all three without straining, that sentence is your rule for the rest of the question.
Step 2 — Strip the definition and see what breaks
Take out "with difficulty" and ask whether the three words still hold together. They do not — you would be left with any unhurried walk, and none of these three describes an easy one. Because the difficulty is load-bearing, the rule is tight enough to reject close matches cleanly.
Step 3 — Run every option through both halves
Test each word twice: is it slow, and is it laboured? A word must pass both. When an option passes only the speed test, it is a distractor — the test deliberately supplies more than one slow walking verb so that speed alone cannot decide the question.
Option check
Eliminate
Right speed, wrong feeling — the planted trap. To amble is to walk at a slow, easy, unhurried pace: a stroll through a park on a warm afternoon. It shares the slowness with trudge and plod but loses the effort entirely. Ambling is pleasant; trudging is not. That single missing element is what disqualifies it.
Correct
Exact match. To lumber is to move slowly, heavily and clumsily, the way a bear or a heavily loaded person moves. It carries both halves of the definition — the slow pace and the weight and awkwardness behind it — so it sits naturally beside trudge, plod and hobble.
Eliminate
Different kind of movement. To crawl is to move on hands and knees, or along the ground. It is certainly slow, but the stem words all describe walking upright, and crawl changes the mode of movement rather than the manner of walking. It belongs to a neighbouring category, not this one.
Eliminate
Describes direction, not effort. To wander is to move without a fixed route or purpose. You can wander quickly or slowly, easily or wearily — the word says nothing about how hard the walking is. It answers "where to?" while the stem words all answer "how?".
Eliminate
The opposite end of the scale. To sprint is to run at full speed for a short distance. It is fast and energetic where the stem words are slow and laboured, and it is the one option that can be ruled out on pace alone.
Use this checklist next time
- Write a one-line definition that fits all three stem words exactly — that definition is your rule.
- With verbs of movement, separate speed from manner; the group is usually built on manner.
- Expect more than one option to match the obvious half of the definition, and let the second half decide.
- If two options survive, keep the one that keeps every element of the stem words' meaning, not just the loudest one.
Reflection
Four of the five options describe moving more slowly than a run, so "slow" eliminates almost nothing. The question rewards students who ask why the movement is slow — and that one extra question is what separates lumber from amble.
Bridge forward
Groups of verbs are almost always built on manner: how the action is performed, not how fast or where. When you meet trudge, plod, hobble, stagger, shuffle or lumber, ask what the body is doing and what it costs — the answer word will match on that, not on pace.
Conclusion
Option B, lumber, is correct. Trudge, plod and hobble all mean moving on foot slowly and with effort or difficulty, and lumber is the only option that carries both the slowness and the heaviness. Amble matches the pace but not the strain, crawl changes the mode of movement, wander describes aimlessness rather than effort, and sprint is the opposite.
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Verbal Reasoning · Verbal Analogies · Level G
Which word completes the analogy?
[ apprehensive terrified ][ annoyed ? ]
Verbal Reasoning · Verbal Analogies · Level G
Apprehensive and terrified are not opposites and they are not different feelings — they are the same feeling at two different volumes. That is the entire relationship, and once you name it, the second pair has only one possible ending. The options are built so that "it's an angry word" and "it's an emotion word" both leave you stuck.
What to notice first
Both words in the first pair belong to fear. Apprehensive is fear at its quietest — a flicker of unease before an exam. Terrified is the same fear at full strength. Nothing else changes between them: not the emotion, not the direction, only the volume. So the bridge sentence is "apprehensive is a mild form of what terrified is at its most extreme." Carry that sentence across to annoyed, which is mild anger, and the missing word must be anger at its most extreme. That double requirement — same family, greater intensity — is what every wrong option here breaks.
Check 1
Identify the emotion family
Apprehensive and terrified are both fear. Annoyed is anger, so the answer must be anger too — not sadness, not fear carried over from the first pair.
Check 2
Identify the direction
The pair moves from weak to strong, not strong to weak and not to the opposite. The answer sits above annoyed on the scale, never level with it or below.
Check 3
Match the size of the jump
Terrified is not slightly more than apprehensive — it is the far end. The answer must be the far end of anger, not one step along it.
Core rule
The first word is a mild version of the second, within the same emotion. Annoyed is mild anger, so the answer is extreme anger: livid.
Model the pattern
Step 1 — Write the bridge sentence
Say the link out loud in one sentence containing both words: "Someone apprehensive is a little afraid; someone terrified is extremely afraid." A good bridge sentence names the shared idea and the change. If your sentence needs an "and also", it is not tight enough yet.
Step 2 — Slot the third word into the same sentence
Rebuild it around annoyed: "Someone annoyed is a little angry; someone ______ is extremely angry." Answer that blank before you look at the options — deciding what you need first stops a plausible-looking word from talking you out of it.
Step 3 — Test each option against both halves
Every option must clear two hurdles: is it anger, and is it anger at the top of the scale? Options fail here in three distinct ways — wrong emotion, right emotion but no increase, and right emotion in reverse. Checking both halves separately catches all three.
Option check
Eliminate
No change in intensity — the planted trap. Irritated is anger, so it clears the first hurdle, but it sits at almost exactly the same strength as annoyed. Putting it in the bridge sentence gives "someone annoyed is a little angry; someone irritated is a little angry" — a synonym, not an analogy. The pair has to move, and this word stands still.
Correct
Same family, same jump. Livid means furious — anger at its most extreme, the point where someone can barely speak. It stands to annoyed exactly as terrified stands to apprehensive: identical emotion, mild version to extreme version. Both halves of the relationship are preserved.
Eliminate
Wrong emotion. Sad belongs to sorrow, not anger, so it abandons the family the second pair started in. It is also mild rather than extreme, which means it fails both tests at once — an emotion word chosen for being an emotion word.
Eliminate
Carries the first pair's emotion across. Nervous is fear, and mild fear at that — it is a near-synonym of apprehensive rather than an answer to the second pair. Students pick it when they match the analogy to the wrong word: the answer must relate to annoyed, not to the pair above it.
Eliminate
Runs the relationship backwards. Calm is the absence of anger, so it moves down the scale to zero instead of up to the extreme. Apprehensive to terrified is an increase; if the direction reversed, the first pair would have ended in "relaxed".
Use this checklist next time
- Write the first pair's link as one sentence before you read any option.
- With emotion pairs, check two things separately: the family (fear, anger, sorrow) and the direction (up or down the scale).
- Decide what word you need, then look for it — do not let a familiar option redefine the relationship for you.
- Reject any option that is a synonym of the word it is paired with; an analogy has to move somewhere.
Reflection
Two options here are genuinely angry words, and only the intensity test separates them. That is the design: the test supplies a same-level synonym alongside the extreme version, so anyone matching on emotion alone has a coin flip. Naming the direction of travel is what turns it into a certainty.
Bridge forward
Intensity analogies are common at Level G and run in both directions — mild to extreme, or extreme to mild. Build a mental scale for the big emotions (annoyed, angry, furious, livid; uneasy, afraid, terrified) and the pairs become quick to place.
Conclusion
Option B, livid, is correct. Apprehensive is mild fear and terrified is extreme fear, so the second pair needs the extreme version of the same emotion as annoyed — extreme anger. Irritated is anger without the increase, sad and nervous change the emotion altogether, and calm reverses the direction.
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Non-Verbal Reasoning Sample Questions
Non-Verbal Reasoning · Figure Matrices
Figure Matrices · Level G
The trap in a matrix question is to scan the five options hoping one "looks right." Don't. This grid runs on a rule you can apply yourself: in every row, the first two boxes are each turned 90° clockwise and then layered into the third. Work that rule on the second row, build the missing box yourself, and you will know the answer before you read a single option.
What to notice first
Don't go hunting for a vague "missing shape." This matrix is governed by a single row rule. In each row, the figure in the first box and the figure in the second box are each rotated 90° clockwise, and the two rotated results are then layered together in the third box. Row 1 lays the rule out and Row 3 confirms it — so the missing box (second row, third position) must be built from the second-row left box and the second-row middle box using exactly that rotate-then-layer rule, and nothing else.
Check 1
Confirm the rule's direction
Row 1 demonstrates the method and Row 3 repeats it. The rule runs across rows, not down columns — so Row 2 must obey it too.
Check 2
Rotate, don't just count
Three vertical lines become three horizontal lines; two horizontal lines become two vertical lines. The same number of lines is not enough — their style and position must survive the turn.
Check 3
Layer in the right order
The answer must hold every line in its correct rotated place — broken, bold, and thin each land somewhere specific. Position is graded just as strictly as count.
Core rule
Across each row, Box 1 and Box 2 are each rotated 90° clockwise, then layered together to form Box 3.
Model the pattern
Step 1 — Read the source boxes
Look only at the second row. Box 1 holds three vertical lines: broken on the left, bold in the middle, thin solid on the right. Box 2 holds two horizontal lines. These are your raw materials — ignore the rest of the grid for now.
Step 2 — Rotate Box 1
Turn Box 1 90° clockwise. The three vertical lines fall into three horizontal lines: the broken line moves to the top, the bold line stays in the middle, and the thin solid line drops to the bottom.
Step 3 — Rotate Box 2, then build and match
Turn Box 2 90° clockwise — its two horizontal lines stand up into two verticals, broken on the left and thin solid on the right. Now layer the two rotated boxes into one figure: three horizontals (broken, bold, thin, top to bottom) crossed by two verticals (broken left, thin right). Build that full picture in your mind before you look down — only one option matches it.
Option check
Eliminate
Horizontals out of order. The two vertical lines are placed correctly, but the broken horizontal sits at the bottom. After the rotation it belongs at the top.
Eliminate
Verticals reversed. The three horizontal lines are right, but the verticals are the wrong way round — the broken line should be on the left and the thin solid line on the right.
Eliminate
Solid lines swapped. The verticals fit, but the bold and thin horizontals have traded places. The bold line belongs in the middle, the thin solid line at the bottom.
Eliminate
Bold line misplaced. The verticals are correct, but the bold horizontal has jumped to the top. It must stay in the middle, exactly where it sat before the rotation.
Correct
Exact match. The only option with all five lines in their correct rotated positions: a broken horizontal on top, a bold horizontal in the middle, a thin solid horizontal at the bottom, crossed by a broken vertical on the left and a thin solid vertical on the right.
Use this checklist next time
- Decide first whether the rule runs across rows or down columns — then commit to that direction.
- Apply the transformation to each source box carefully before you glance at any option.
- Check line style and line position together: after a rotation, both have to be right.
Reflection
This question is only hard if you guess. Rebuild the missing box step by step and it turns into a simple matching exercise — and notice that the order of the lines is graded just as strictly as the rotation itself.
Bridge forward
Every figure-matrix question rewards the same discipline: find the direction of the rule, apply the transformation precisely, then test your constructed answer against all five options rather than picking the one that merely looks close.
Conclusion
Option E is correct. The missing box is built by rotating the first two boxes of the second row 90° clockwise and layering them in the right order — three horizontal lines (broken, bold, thin, top to bottom) crossed by two vertical lines (broken left, thin solid right). E is the only option that reproduces that layout exactly.
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Non-Verbal Reasoning · Figure Classification
Figure Classification · Level G
This is a relationship question, not a shape-naming one. The outer shape is a decoy — it changes in every figure on purpose. What stays fixed is the shading: two neighbouring quarters coloured grey and black, and an inner circle whose shaded quarter matches the colour of the quarter diagonally across from it. Find the option that keeps all of that, and ignore what shape it happens to wear.
What to notice first
Don't name the shapes — they are a deliberate distraction. Across the three given figures the outer shape keeps changing (overlapping circles, a divided circle, a hexagon), but three things never change. First, the outer shape is always split into four equal quarters. Second, two neighbouring quarters are shaded — one grey, one black, always side by side. Third, the inner circle holds a single shaded quarter, and its colour matches the colour of the outer quarter diagonally opposite it. That third relationship — the diagonal colour match — is the real test, and it is where most distractors are built to fail.
Check 1
Four equal quarters
Whatever the outer shape, it must be divided into four equal parts. No four-part split, no match.
Check 2
Adjacent grey and black
The two coloured quarters must be neighbours, sharing an edge. Grey and black placed diagonally breaks the rule.
Check 3
Diagonal inner match
The inner circle's one shaded quarter must match the colour of the outer quarter diagonally across the centre — not an adjacent one.
Core rule
Outer shape split into four equal quarters; two adjacent quarters grey and black; the inner circle's shaded quarter matches the colour of the outer quarter diagonally opposite it. The shape is a decoy — the diagonal colour match is the deciding test.
Model the pattern
Step 1 — Drop the shape
Ignore what the outer shape is called. Confirm only that it is divided into four equal quarters, then work from colour and position alone for the rest of the question.
Step 2 — Locate the coloured pair
Find the grey quarter and the black quarter. They must be neighbours, sharing an edge. If they sit diagonally across from each other, the option is already out — no need to check the inner circle.
Step 3 — Run the deciding test
Read the colour of the inner circle's shaded quarter, then look at the outer quarter diagonally opposite it. The two colours must be the same. Only the option that survives all three checks is the answer.
Option check
Correct
All three conditions hold. The outer shape is split into four equal quarters, the grey and black quarters are adjacent, and the inner circle's shaded quarter matches the colour of the outer quarter diagonally opposite it. Nothing in the rule is broken.
Eliminate
Diagonal match fails. The outer grey and black are correctly adjacent, but the inner circle breaks the deciding test: its shaded quarter is grey while the outer quarter diagonally opposite it is black. Right outer colours, wrong inner match.
Eliminate
Colours not adjacent. The grey and black quarters sit diagonally across from each other rather than side by side. The adjacency condition fails before the inner circle even comes into play.
Eliminate
Diagonal match fails. The four-part split and the adjacent grey/black are fine, but the inner circle's shaded quarter does not match the colour of the outer quarter diagonally opposite it — the same key relationship B gets wrong, broken a second way.
Eliminate
Structure broken. This is not four equal quarters at all — it is a cross with the colours placed diagonally. It fails the very first condition, so it cannot follow the rule the three given figures share.
Use this checklist next time
- Is the outer shape divided into four equal quarters?
- Are the grey and black quarters neighbours, sharing an edge — not diagonal?
- Does the inner circle's shaded quarter match the colour of the quarter diagonally opposite it?
Reflection
Four of the five options look plausible because the shape and the colours are all present. What separates them is one relationship — the diagonal inner match — applied precisely. Strong candidates test that relationship rather than trusting a general resemblance.
Bridge forward
When the outer shape changes from figure to figure, treat it as noise. The rule lives in what stays constant — here, adjacency and the diagonal colour match. Find the invariant first, then test every option against it.
Conclusion
Option A is correct. It is the only option that keeps all three conditions: four equal quarters, adjacent grey and black, and an inner shaded quarter matching the colour of the quarter diagonally opposite it. B and D break the diagonal inner match, C places the colours diagonally instead of adjacent, and E abandons the four-quarter structure altogether.
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Spatial Ability Sample Questions
Spatial Ability · Figure Analysis
Figure Analysis · Level G
Don't judge this by how the finished square looks overall — that is how the distractors catch you. Work it the safe way: start from the narrow strip, open one fold at a time, and reflect the symbols across each fold line. The catch is that not every symbol survives the mirror the same way, and that difference is the whole question.
What to notice first
Don't read the answer off the overall look of the final square. Start at the narrow strip and open the paper one fold at a time — each unfold places a mirror copy of the symbols across the fold line. Here is the key insight: a mirror leaves symmetrical symbols unchanged but reverses asymmetrical ones. Circles are symmetrical, so they look identical in every copy. The triangles are symmetrical across the fold line too, so they also stay the same. The curved shapes are not symmetrical, so each reflection flips their direction. That means the finished square must show steady, uniform rows of circles and triangles, but curved rows whose direction alternates from one copy to the next.
Check 1
Read the strip
The narrow strip is the only part shown after folding. Top to bottom it gives the five rows the full square must contain: circle, triangle, curved, curved, circle.
Check 2
Unfold by reflection
Each unfold is a mirror copy across the fold line, so the strip's rows repeat sideways across the square, copy after copy.
Check 3
Track what flips
Circles and triangles are mirror-symmetric, so they never change. The curved shapes reverse with every reflection — so the two curved rows must alternate direction, and that is what you check.
Core rule
When the paper unfolds, symmetrical symbols (circles, triangles) keep the same appearance in every copy, while asymmetrical symbols (the curved shapes) appear as mirror flips across each fold line.
Model the pattern
Step 1 — Start from the strip
Begin with the folded strip — it is the only thing shown after the folds, and it lists the five symbol rows the answer must contain. Do not start from the options.
Step 2 — Open one fold at a time
Unfold the paper one step at a time. Each new section is a mirror copy of what was already there, so the same five rows repeat across the square.
Step 3 — Check each row's behaviour
The circle rows and the triangle row must stay identical in every copy; the two curved rows must switch direction each time a mirror copy appears. The option that gets every row right is the answer.
Option check
Eliminate
Curved flip pattern wrong. The circle and triangle rows repeat correctly, but the curved shapes do not reverse in the right pattern as the copies mirror across the fold lines.
Eliminate
Not a clean unfold. The reflected row structure is broken — one or more symbols sit in positions that no single mirror reflection from the strip could produce.
Eliminate
Curved shapes don't alternate. The curved rows mostly keep the same direction throughout, but a true unfold reverses them with every reflection. Same-direction curves are the giveaway.
Correct
Every row behaves. The only option that holds the circle and triangle rows uniform across all copies while flipping the curved shapes' direction exactly as each mirror reflection requires.
Eliminate
Sequence just off. The closest distractor — the curved rows do flip, but not in the exact order the unfolding produces, so at least one curved shape ends up facing the wrong way.
Use this checklist next time
- Start from the final folded strip, not from the answer options.
- Unfold one fold at a time and treat each new section as a mirror copy.
- Separate the symmetrical symbols from the asymmetrical ones and track only which ones flip.
Reflection
The question looks busy, but the work is narrow: once you know circles and triangles are mirror-proof and only the curved shapes flip, you are checking just two rows, not the whole square.
Bridge forward
Every symbol paper-folding question rewards the same routine: rebuild from the folded strip, reflect across each fold line, and watch the asymmetrical shapes — they are always where the answer is decided.
Conclusion
Option D is correct. Unfolding the strip across each fold line keeps the circle and triangle rows identical in every copy while reversing the curved shapes with each reflection — and D is the only option that reproduces both behaviours. A, C, and E mishandle the curved flips, and B breaks the reflected structure entirely.
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Get full access to 1,000+ CAT4 Level G practice questions with advanced explanations, mock tests, and higher-level strategies.
Get Full PracticeCAT4 Level G (Year 11+) Sample Questions — All 8 Types Solved
Step-by-step answers to CAT4 Level G exam-style questions for Year 11 and Year 12 students — covering all four reasoning batteries: Verbal Reasoning, Quantitative Reasoning, Non-Verbal Reasoning and Spatial Ability, including Figure Analysis, Figure Recognition, Figure Classification, Figure Matrices, Number Series, Number Analogies, Verbal Analogies and Verbal Classification.
CAT4 Level G (Year 11+) Sample Questions · 21:35 · Step-by-step answers across all 4 batteries · Watch on YouTube →
- 0:00 Opening
- 0:13 Figure Analysis Step-By-Step
- 3:13 Figure Recognition Step-By-Step
- 6:38 Figure Classification Step-By-Step
- 10:39 Figure Matrices Step-By-Step
- 13:31 Number Series Step-By-Step
- 15:43 Number Analogies Step-By-Step
- 16:46 Verbal Analogies Step-By-Step
- 19:35 Verbal Classification Step-By-Step
- 21:21 More Free Sample Questions
Is CAT4 Level G used for school admissions?
Yes — Level G is widely used for sixth-form and 16+ entry. UK schools use it to assess external applicants for sixth-form places, often alongside GCSE results and an interview. International schools use it for Year 11–12 (Grade 10–11) admissions, including students switching curricula or relocating. Because Level G results feed into A-Level and IB pathway indicators, schools also use the profile to advise on subject choices after an offer is made.What Do CAT4 Level G Scores Mean for Year 11 and Above?
CAT4 Level G results are reported using three standardised score types, developed by GL Assessment to measure reasoning ability consistently across the national cohort. Each one gives schools and students a different angle on how a Year 11 or older student's cognitive abilities compare with pupils of the same age nationally. CAT4 Level G is the most advanced level of the Cognitive Abilities Test — used at the stage when GCSE outcomes are being finalised, sixth form applications are active, and A-level pathway decisions carry long-term academic consequences.
Standard Age Score (SAS)
The main score used to measure a student's performance against other students of exactly the same age. SAS scores run from 60 to 140, with 100 set as the national average. A score above 100 means the student performed better than the typical student of that age; below 100 means below average. On CAT4 Level G, the SAS is age-standardised for Year 11 and above, providing schools and sixth forms with a robust cognitive baseline at the most consequential transition point in secondary education.
National Percentile Rank (NPR)
Expresses a student's result as a position within the national population. An NPR of 75, for example, means the student scored higher than 75 out of every 100 same-age pupils nationally. NPR values range from 1 to 99. For CAT4 Level G results, the NPR gives students and parents a nationally benchmarked view of reasoning ability at the stage when sixth form admissions tutors and A-level subject teachers are making decisions about entry and predicted grades.
Stanine
A nine-point performance band that maps directly from the NPR. Stanines run from 1 (Very Low) to 9 (Very High) and group pupils into broad, easy-to-read bands. They help parents and teachers get a clear at-a-glance picture of where a student sits without needing to interpret a precise number. In CAT4 Level G reports, stanines provide sixth form leaders and university preparation programme coordinators with a consistent, comparable measure of reasoning potential that sits independently of GCSE grades.
Learn more about CAT4 scores and what they mean for Year 11 and above →
What is a Good CAT4 Score at Level G?
All CAT4 scores are centred on a national average of 100, standardised by GL Assessment across the full cohort. Knowing which band a CAT4 Level G score falls into helps students and parents understand their reasoning profile clearly and in context. On CAT4 Level G, most Year 11 and above students score between 85 and 115. At this stage, scores carry particular significance — a strong CAT4 Level G result is one of the most credible indicators of A-level readiness and longer-term academic potential available to schools and sixth forms.
Average (90–110)
Scores within this range are considered typical for a student's age. A score of exactly 100 is the national average; scores between 90 and 110 indicate reasoning ability that is broadly in line with same-age peers. For CAT4 Level G, this band reflects the majority of the national cohort and represents a solid reasoning foundation for mainstream A-level and vocational qualification pathways.
Above Average (111–119)
Scores in this range indicate reasoning ability above the national average for the student's age. Students scoring here are performing meaningfully better than most same-age peers, though not yet in the high-ability band. On CAT4 Level G, an above-average score supports entry to competitive sixth form programmes and indicates strong potential across demanding A-level subjects.
High Ability (120–129)
Scores in the 120–129 range point to strong reasoning skills and are often seen in students who engage quickly with complex concepts and demonstrate sustained academic confidence. On the CAT4 Level G assessment, a score in this band places a student in the top 10% nationally — a level associated with the highest A-level grade predictions and a competitive profile for university admissions.
Gifted and Talented (130+)
A score of 130 or above is typically classified as Gifted and Talented , reflecting exceptional reasoning ability compared with students of the same age across the country. On CAT4 Level G, a score of 130 or above places a student in the top 2% nationally — the level at which highly selective sixth forms, Oxbridge preparation programmes and competitive university courses become credible academic targets.
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Preparation Strategies
- Learn the type of questions of the test.
- Use CAT4 Test study guides and CAT4 practice tests.
- Get more CAT4 practice test PDFs.
- Benefit from a Premium Preparation Course.
- Use online resources and tutorials.
- Take mock tests to simulate the test environment.
Conclusion
Preparation and knowing what to expect on test day are critical/crucial for success
This guide gives you the details and tactics you need to succeed.
We learned that free PDFs and study guides can help pupils understand the test structure.
You can also use a dedicated prep course.
This assessment helps schools understand students’ learning potential and academic strengths, so take a deep breath and take it easy.
CAT4 Level G (Year 11+) FAQ
What is CAT4 Level G?
CAT4 Level G is the most advanced level of the Cognitive Abilities Test, published by GL Assessment. It is designed for Year 11+ students and measures reasoning across four batteries: Verbal, Non-Verbal, Quantitative, and Spatial.
Who takes CAT4 Level G and when is it used?
Schools typically administer Level G to students aged 14–17 (Year 11 and above in the UK, or Grade 10+ internationally), for sixth-form entry, GCSE-stage benchmarking, and A-Level or IB pathway guidance.
Which question types appear in CAT4 Level G?
Eight timed subtests across four batteries: Verbal Classification and Verbal Analogies (Verbal Reasoning), Number Analogies and Number Series (Quantitative Reasoning), Figure Classification and Figure Matrices (Non-Verbal Reasoning), and Figure Analysis and Figure Recognition (Spatial Ability).
How long is the CAT4 Level G test?
72 minutes in total, delivered across three parts: Part 1 covers the Non-Verbal battery (20 minutes), Part 2 covers Verbal plus Number Analogies (26 minutes), and Part 3 covers Number Series plus the Spatial battery (26 minutes). Timings exclude instructions, examples, and breaks.
How is CAT4 Level G scored?
Results are reported as a Standard Age Score (national average 100, range 60–140), a National Percentile Rank (1–99), and a stanine (1–9), all measuring performance relative to same-age students nationally.
What is a good CAT4 Level G score?
An SAS around 100 is the national average, and most Year 11+ students score between 85 and 115. Scores of 111–119 are above average, 120–129 indicate high ability (top 10% nationally), and 130+ is typically classified as Gifted and Talented (top 2% nationally). At this stage, a strong CAT4 Level G score is one of the more credible indicators of A-Level readiness available to schools.
Is CAT4 Level G used for school admissions?
Yes. Level G is widely used for sixth-form and 16+ entry, usually alongside GCSE results and an interview. Selective schools generally read the SAS against the national scale, with scores becoming competitive from around 115. Schools also use the reasoning profile to help guide A-Level and IB subject choices after an offer is made.
Can my child try free CAT4 Level G sample questions?
Yes. This page includes free sample questions covering all four batteries and all eight subtests. The Verbal Classification, Verbal Analogies, Number Analogies, and Number Series questions are interactive and marked instantly, each with a full step-by-step explanation, and Figure Classification, Figure Matrices, Figure Analysis, and Figure Recognition are covered as detailed worked examples.
Is there a free CAT4 Level G practice PDF?
Yes. A free CAT4 Level G practice PDF covering all test sections with mock questions and explanations is available to download from this page, with no registration needed.
How should students prepare for CAT4 Level G?
Short daily practice sessions, timed drills, reviewing mistakes by topic, and full mock tests that mirror the real 72-minute, eight-subtest format and difficulty. Starting well ahead of the test date gives time to strengthen weaker batteries rather than cramming everything at once.
What are the most common mistakes on CAT4 Level G?
Spending too long on a single question, skipping the instructions for each subtest, and neglecting weaker batteries — the Spatial Ability battery in particular — during preparation.
Can practice improve CAT4 Level G results?
Yes. Familiarity with the question formats, timed practice, and targeted review of mistakes typically improve speed, accuracy, and test-day confidence.