Parent guide
Your child's CAT4 profile: what an uneven score really means
A CAT4 report that says "moderate spatial bias" or "mild verbal bias" can sound like a diagnosis. It isn't. Here's what the profile measures, how common each result is, and what actually helps.
What the profile is
CAT4 gives four scores: verbal, quantitative, non-verbal and spatial. The profile compares just two of them, verbal reasoning (thinking with words) and spatial ability (thinking in shapes and space), and describes your child's results in one of seven ways: [1]
| Profile | What it means | Share of pupils |
|---|---|---|
| Extreme verbal bias | Verbal far stronger than spatial | 2% |
| Moderate verbal bias | Verbal clearly stronger | 4% |
| Mild verbal bias | Verbal a little stronger | 11% |
| No bias | Verbal and spatial similar | 66% |
| Mild spatial bias | Spatial a little stronger | 11% |
| Moderate spatial bias | Spatial clearly stronger | 4% |
| Extreme spatial bias | Spatial far stronger than verbal | 2% |
Shares are GL Assessment's own figures. [1] "No bias" means the verbal and spatial scores are less than two stanines apart. [1] So about one child in three has a bias of some kind: an uneven profile is normal, not unusual.
Not sure what a stanine is? Our guide to CAT4 scores explains SAS, stanines and percentiles, and the score checker works out the profile from your child's four scores.
What it doesn't mean
- It isn't a "learning style". GL says plainly that the idea of visual, auditory or kinaesthetic learning styles has no good scientific evidence behind it, and that CAT4 results shouldn't be used to narrow what a child is taught. [1]
- It isn't fixed. Children tend to move to a less extreme profile over time. When pupils take CAT4 twice, two years apart, most don't keep the same profile, unless it's "no bias". [1]
- It may not match what you see at home. GL describes it as an underlying tendency, which may not show up as a preference in the classroom. [2]
- The level matters as much as the gap. A low verbal score of 85 calls for different help than a "low" verbal score of 115 next to an even higher spatial score. [1]
Why spatial bias is common in UAE schools
This is the part UAE parents most need to know. The verbal tests need a wide English vocabulary. Three of CAT4's four batteries have very little language in them, but the verbal battery does, and GL warns that a child still learning English may score lower there than their real reasoning ability. [3]
GL notes that spatial bias is more common in international schools that teach in English in countries where English isn't used much outside school, and that the gap can persist for longer there. [1] GL's own example is a Year 6 pupil whose verbal score was probably held down by still learning English: he may in fact have had a balanced profile. [3] Research GL cites suggests it takes five to seven years for a child to catch up with first-language speakers in academic language. [3]
If your child speaks another language at home
A spatial bias may say more about their English than about how they think. Ask the school whether they took this into account, and whether the verbal score was compared with a reading test such as NGRT.
A verbal bias: what it looks like
Children with a verbal bias usually do well in language-heavy subjects and may find subjects that lean on spatial thinking (science, design technology, geography) a little harder. GL suggests extension work that asks them to form hypotheses, justify opinions and read widely, while building up their spatial skills. [1]
At home (our suggestions): keep the reading and discussion going, and add things that build spatial thinking: construction toys, jigsaws, drawing objects from different angles, following and drawing maps, cooking from diagrams.
A spatial bias: what it looks like
Children with a spatial bias tend to do well with pictures, diagrams, maps and 3D objects, and in STEM subjects, but may feel less confident in English and the humanities. [1] GL suggests using visual tools to support written work: mind maps, flow charts to plan writing before starting, and pictures or video alongside text. [1]
For a spatial-bias pupil who scores low, GL also suggests teachers check whether they answered all the verbal questions, and whether reading itself (rather than reasoning) was the problem. [1]
At home (our suggestions): read together every day, in English and in your home language, and talk about the words. Let them draw a plan or storyboard before they write. Ask them to explain how they solved a puzzle out loud: putting reasoning into words is exactly the skill to grow.
What about the quantitative score?
Quantitative reasoning isn't part of the CAT4 profile at all. GL notes that some teachers look at whether it's well above or below the other scores, but that is outside the official profile. [1] If it stands out for your child, ask their maths teacher what they make of it.
Should my child practise to "fix" the profile?
No. GL strongly advises against any kind of practice before CAT4, because it makes the scores less reliable. [4] The point of the profile is to show how your child reasons today, so the school can teach them well. Building broad skills (reading, puzzles, talking through problems) helps far more than drilling test questions, and our practice puzzles are meant for familiarity, not score-chasing.
Questions to ask the school
- What profile did my child get, and what do their four scores look like side by side?
- How are you using the profile in class?
- Was English as an additional language taken into account when reading the verbal score?
- How does the CAT4 picture compare with their reading test and progress test results?
- What can we do at home that matches what you're doing in class?
Questions parents ask
What is the most common CAT4 profile?
No bias: about two in three pupils (66%) get it, meaning their verbal and spatial scores are less than two stanines apart. About one in three has a mild, moderate or extreme verbal or spatial bias.
Is a spatial bias bad?
No. A bias describes relative strengths, not ability, and it often changes: most children who take CAT4 twice, two years apart, don't keep the same biased profile. What matters is the level of the scores as well as the gap between them.
Why does my child have a spatial bias in a UAE school?
Often because the verbal tests need a wide English vocabulary. GL notes that spatial bias is more common in international schools where English isn't widely spoken outside school, and that a child still learning English may score lower on verbal reasoning than their real ability.
Is quantitative reasoning part of the CAT4 profile?
No. The profile compares only verbal reasoning and spatial ability. Quantitative and non-verbal reasoning appear as separate scores on the report.
Does a CAT4 profile show my child's learning style?
No. GL Assessment says the idea of fixed learning styles (visual, auditory, kinaesthetic) isn't supported by evidence, and that CAT4 results shouldn't be used to narrow what a child is taught.
More on CAT4
CAT4 scores explained · CAT4 score checker · CAT4 in Dubai and the UAE · CAT4 glossary
Sources
- GL Assessment: CAT4 and strategies for learning (PDF)
- GL Education: CAT4, understanding your data
- GL Education: CAT4 case study, students with English as an additional language
- GL Education: CAT4 information for parents
Edzuno is independent and not affiliated with GL Education (GL Assessment) or KHDA. CAT4 is a trademark of GL Education.