CAT Testing

There are many three letter abbreviations that fill our modern world; BIS, CHQ, MPL, MFL, ICT, IPC to name but a few.  I wonder how many of those you know?  If you have a child in Year 4 or Year 6, they may come home and tell you that at school they did CAT testing.  This is not a form of biology, but another three letter abbreviation.  CAT stands for 'Cognitive Ability Test'.  These tests are designed to find out how good an individual is at reasoning, that is, being able to think things through or work things out.  The children do have to remember facts so no preparation can be done.  When completed, these tests are sent to the UK, and the results are analysed.  This information  is then sent back to school, and helps us to identify strengths, weaknesses and individuals learning preferences. If you want more information, please ask your child's class teacher or myself.