Entrance assessments at international schools
An entrance assessment is mostly a placement tool. Schools use it to check that a child can access the curriculum and to plan support. Only a minority of international schools use it to select between strong applicants.
Cognitive ability tests: CAT4
The Cognitive Abilities Test, fourth edition (CAT4), is published by GL Assessment and is common in British-curriculum and IB schools. It does not test what a child has been taught. It measures reasoning in four areas, which GL calls batteries: verbal, non-verbal, quantitative and spatial. Each battery is scored separately and compared with a national sample of the same age, so a result tells the school how a child reasons compared with peers rather than how much they know.
Because CAT4 is designed to reduce the effect of teaching, cramming does little. The most useful preparation is familiarity: a child who has seen the question formats once or twice is less likely to lose time working out what is being asked. GL publishes sample questions for families.
Attainment tests: MAP Growth
MAP Growth, from NWEA, is widely used in American-curriculum and some IB schools. It is adaptive: the questions get harder after a correct answer and easier after a wrong one. Results are reported on the RIT scale, which runs across grade levels, so a school can see where a new student sits against its current class. Subjects are usually reading, language usage and mathematics.
Since MAP measures taught content, a student arriving from a system that sequences maths topics differently may score lower in some strands without being behind overall. If that applies to your child, mention it to the admissions office. Schools see this pattern often.
English language assessments
Schools that teach in English need to know whether a new student can follow lessons. Many use their own reading and writing task plus a short conversation. Others use published tests. The outcome usually decides whether a student joins mainstream classes directly, takes extra English support alongside them, or (in a few schools, mainly at secondary level) is not offered a place until their English improves.
Ask how the school's English as an Additional Language (EAL) support works, how many hours it provides and whether it carries an extra fee. These details vary a great deal.
Early years observations
For children aged roughly three to six, schools rarely use formal tests. Instead a teacher watches the child play and interact in a small group, and may ask simple questions about colours, numbers or a picture book. Staff are looking at readiness: whether the child can separate from a parent, follow a simple instruction and play alongside others. A tired or unwell child can have a bad session, and most schools will rebook if you ask.
Written tasks and interviews
Older students often write a short piece in response to a prompt, and some schools add an interview. The interview is usually informal: why the family is moving, what the student enjoys, what they find difficult. Honest, specific answers work better than rehearsed ones.
How results are shared
Many schools do not release raw scores to parents. They share a decision (offer, offer with support, waiting list or no place) and sometimes a short explanation. If your child is refused a place, it is reasonable to ask whether the school can share the reason, and whether a reassessment is possible later in the year.
Preparing without over-preparing
- Make sure your child knows the date, the format and roughly how long it will take.
- Let them try a sample question set once, so the format is not a surprise.
- Avoid paid cramming for cognitive tests. It rarely changes results and adds stress.
- For remote assessments, test the device and connection the day before.
Further reading: choosing a curriculum explains how the main international school systems differ.