Reading CAT4 Test Results
Upon completing a CAT4 assessment, comprehending the test scores’ implications becomes crucial.
Accessing and discussing these results with your child’s teacher can highlight areas for improvement and strengths.
However, comprehending the complete set of results the educational institution receives may prove challenging.
Read the full CAT4 Scores for Gifted and Talented.
Understanding the CAT4 Test
First, it’s essential to understand what the CAT4 test measures.
The test assesses students’ cognitive abilities, including verbal, nonverbal, quantitative, and spatial reasoning.
It also includes a step of general knowledge and working memory.
CAT4 Test Results Explained
When you receive the results of the CAT4 test, you will see various scores and score ranges.
The most critical scores to focus on are the “scaled scores” for each cognitive ability assessed by the test.
These scores range from 10 to 160 and indicate how a student performed about other students of the same age.
A score of 100 is considered average for a student’s age group, so scores above 100 indicate that the student performed better than average. In contrast, scores below 100 indicate that the student performed below average.
You can improve your child’s CAT4 Test Results with practice questions.
Evaluating Scores: The Three Standardized Metrics
To gauge individual performance accurately, students receive three standardized scores based on their raw score marks.
These metrics provide valuable insights into their academic aptitude and relative standing among their peers.
Let’s explore each score in detail:
a) National Percentile Rank (NPR)
The NPR score represents a student’s percentile rank concerning their peers in standardized score tables nationwide.
This score is presented as a percentage, signifying the proportion of students the candidate scored higher or lower than.
For instance, an NPR score of 80% implies that the student scored higher than 80% of their peers while scoring lower than only 20%.
b) Standard Age Scores (SAS)
SAS scores serve as a benchmark to compare a student’s performance against the average.
The average score is always set at 100, with a standard deviation of 2. While some may perceive SAS as the pass/fail boundary for CAT4, it is essential to recognize that it serves a different purpose.
Understanding why a student falls below the average score concerning their peer group is vital to offer appropriate support for their educational journey.
c) Stanines (ST)
Stanines combine the NPR and SAS scores to provide educators with a comprehensive overview of individual student performance and aptitude relative to their peers.
The Stanine Scale operates on a scale of 1-9, with 1 representing ‘Very Low’ and 9 indicating ‘Very High,’ similar to the new GCSE grading system.
Here’s how Stanine ranks correspond to Percentiles (NPR) and SAS scores:
Stanine Rank 9: Comprises only 4% of cases, with an NPR of 97% or higher and a SAS Score of 127 or higher.
Stanine Rank 8: Represents 8% of cases, with an NPR of 90-96% and a SAS Score of 119-126.
Stanine Rank 7: Accounts for 12% of cases, with an NPR of 78-89% and a SAS Score of 112-118.
Stanine Rank 6: Encompasses 17% of cases, with an NPR of 59-77% and a SAS Score of 104-111.
Stanine Rank 5: Includes 20% of cases, with an NPR of 41-58% and a SAS Score of 97-103.
Stanine Rank 4: Represents 17% of cases, with an NPR of 23-40% and a SAS Score of 89-96.
Stanine Rank 3: Accounts for 12% of cases, with an NPR of 12-22% and a SAS Score of 82-88.
Stanine Rank 2: Comprises 7% of cases, with an NPR of 5-11% and a SAS Score of 74-81.
Stanine Rank 1: Represents 4% of cases, with an NPR of 4 or less and a SAS Score of 73 or lower.
Critical Notes
Finally, interpreting the results of the CAT4 test should always be done in conjunction with other information about the student, such as classroom performance, teacher observations, and any additional testing or assessments that have been done.
Using the test results as a starting point for further investigation is essential rather than making definitive conclusions based solely on the test scores.
Conclusion
Reading CAT4 test results can be a bit complicated, but a little understanding of what the test measures and how it is scored can be a valuable tool for assessing a student’s abilities and identifying areas for improvement.
It’s essential to focus on the scaled scores, percentile rank scores, and NCE scores for each cognitive ability and to compare the student’s scores to national norms.
And remember to always use the test results as a starting point for further investigation and not make definitive conclusions based solely on the test scores.
As a retired educator, I have a profound understanding of the CAT4 exam, thanks to years of training thousands of pupils. As an English and Math teacher, I have worked in international schools in Bangkok and Chiang Mai and helped students prepare for the CAT4 and MAP tests as a tutor.