Parent guide
CAT4 levels by year group and age
CAT4 comes in different levels for different ages. The question types are the same from Level A upwards; what changes is how hard the questions are.
Which level does each year group sit?
This is GL Assessment's recommended level for each year group in the UK. In the UAE, the grade is usually one number lower than the British year (Year 4 is Grade 3).
| CAT4 level | British year | UAE / US grade | Typical age |
|---|---|---|---|
| X | Year 2 | Grade 1 | 6–7 |
| Y (paper only) | Year 3 | Grade 2 | 7–8 |
| Pre-A | Year 3 | Grade 2 | 7–8 |
| A | Year 4 | Grade 3 | 8–9 |
| B | Year 5 | Grade 4 | 9–10 |
| C | Year 6 | Grade 5 | 10–11 |
| D | Year 7 | Grade 6 | 11–12 |
| E | Year 8 | Grade 7 | 12–13 |
| F | Years 9–10 | Grades 8–9 | 13–15 |
| G | Year 11+ | Grade 10+ | 15+ |
Schools can choose a lower or higher level than recommended, for example selective schools testing a high-ability group, or schools testing just before a move to secondary. The international version of CAT4 has slightly fewer levels than the UK one, so if your child is at school in the UAE, the school's letter is the best guide.
CAT4 by year group
What to expect, and free practice at the right level, for each year:
Which grades sit CAT4 in Dubai?
For Dubai private schools, GL's guidance for 2026–27 lists Grades 3, 5, 7 and 9 as the core year groups for KHDA's cognitive testing. Read more in our guide to CAT4 in Dubai and the UAE.
Practise at the right level
Our practice has five levels that line up with the CAT4 levels above:
- Grades 1–2: Years 2–3, ages 6–8 (roughly CAT4 Levels X, Y and Pre-A)
- Grades 3–4: Years 4–5, ages 8–10 (roughly CAT4 Levels A–B)
- Grades 5–6: Years 6–7, ages 10–12 (roughly CAT4 Levels C–D)
- Grades 7–8: Years 8–9, ages 12–14 (roughly CAT4 Levels E–F)
- Grades 9+: Years 10+, ages 14+ (roughly CAT4 Levels F–G)