Admission tests MAP and CAT4: what they measure and how to prepare

This guide is for parents who have been told their child will sit MAP or CAT4 as part of applying to an international school. The two tests have similar-sounding names but measure different things. Below is a summary based on what the test makers say, plus what families can do at home.

What MAP Growth measures

According to a parent guide from its maker NWEA (January 2026), MAP Growth is a computer-adaptive test of achievement and growth in reading, language usage, maths and science.

• Questions get harder after a correct answer and easier after a wrong one, so most students answer about half correctly by the end.
• Each subject gives a RIT score. The scale is stable, so growth over time can be compared, like marks on a height chart.
• Versions cover Grades 2-12, and there is a K-2 version for reading and maths.
• It is untimed, and most students finish within an hour.
• Many schools test at the start, middle and end of the year.

Because the test adjusts to the child, hard questions are not a bad sign. It helps to tell your child this in advance.

What CAT4 measures

According to its publisher GL Assessment, CAT4 (Cognitive Abilities Test) looks at reasoning rather than what has been taught. It covers four areas:

1. Reasoning with words (verbal)
2. Reasoning with numbers (quantitative)
3. Reasoning with shapes and designs (non-verbal)
4. Mentally manipulating precise shapes (spatial)

The four scores form a profile of the student's abilities, plus an overall reasoning score. Schools use results to understand ability and likely academic potential, plan teaching for individuals and groups, and set targets. It comes in paper and digital formats. Many international schools use it for admission or for class placement after entry, but how they use it differs by school.

How to prepare

NWEA does not suggest studying for MAP. It advises making sure your child is rested and fed and encouraging them to do their best. Their condition on the day matters more than a workbook aimed at raising the score.

For CAT4, the material I have gives no specific preparation method. It confirms only that the test looks at reasoning rather than taught content. Rather than assume a method, ask the school about the format (paper or digital) and whether it provides any guidance.

Neither result should be read as an automatic pass or fail. How scores count in admission differs by school.

When grade levels do not line up

MAP has grade-based versions, so the grade your child applies for matters. The British Year number is one higher than the American Grade number. For example, UK Year 7 equals US Grade 6, which is the age of Korean middle-school year 1.

Korea groups children by calendar year and starts the school year in March, so children born September-December often sit one grade apart from the UK or US. Take a child born in October 2019. In the British system this child is in Year 1 from September 2025. In a US district with a 1 September cut-off the child is in kindergarten, and in Korea starts primary year 1 in March 2026. Schools decide placement from birth date and prior schooling, so ask which grade your child will be tested for.

Checklist

• I have confirmed whether the school uses MAP, CAT4 or both.
• I know whether the test is for admission or for class placement after entry.
• I have matched my child's application grade across the British and American systems.
• I will make sure my child sleeps well the night before and eats breakfast on the day.
• I have told my child that an adaptive test may include hard questions.
• I have checked the test format (paper or digital).
• I have asked how results are shared with families.

Ask the school

• How are MAP or CAT4 scores used in admission? Is there a cut-off?
• Which grade will my child be tested for? How do you take birth date and prior schooling into account?
• Is the test on paper or digital, and where and when is it held?
• Do you share results with families? How are they used for class placement or teaching after entry?
• Is there a retest option, or can another test score be used instead?