Training & Support
Global assessment publisher, GL Education, has today announced a new edition of the most widely used test of reasoning ability in the UK, specifically designed for schools following the CBSE curriculum in India and the Middle East.
The Cognitive Abilities Test 4th Edition (CAT4) is used by over 50% of UK secondary schools and in schools around the world. It is also one of the assessments listed by the Dubai Schools Inspection Bureau as being a suitable external benchmarking measure that can be used as part of the UAE National Agenda Parameter.
The new CAT4: CBSE edition enables schools following the Indian curriculum to benefit from obtaining valuable insights into student potential, based on comparisons with other students of exactly the same age, and indicators of students’ likely outcomes in future CBSE examinations. These comparisons and indicators are based on data from over 12,800 students taking CAT4 and the CBSE curriculum.
CAT4 is used to provide an understanding of student potential by identifying their strengths, weaknesses and thinking preferences, providing accurate and reliable information for teaching and learning. Results also help schools to identify gifted and talented students and those who may be under-achieving, as well as those who may have unrecognised special educational needs. Reports provide teachers with recommendations for teaching and learning, based on each individual student’s results.
The CAT4: CBSE Edition also provides schools with indicators for a student’s likely outcomes in future examinations. Indicators for likely performance are currently available for key subjects at Grade X including: English Communicative, Hindi, Mathematics and Science. Indicators for Grade XII will be available from 2017. These indicators can be used by schools to set realistic but challenging target grades for students and help to set a reliable benchmark against which future progress can be measured.
James Neill, International Director at GL Education, said: “The desire to develop students’ 21st century skills to meet the challenges of an increasingly competitive world, as well as the visibility of international surveys such as PISA, has resulted in governments, education ministries and schools around the world focusing on the effectiveness of teaching. The use of data to ensure that each student reaches their full potential is an obvious approach to consider and we are delighted that schools following the CBSE curriculum can now enjoy the benefits of CAT4.”
A number of schools are using CAT4 alongside GL Education’s Progress Test Series – a suite of attainment tests in English and Maths. By comparing scores from both CAT4 and the Progress Test Series, schools can quickly and easily see which students are not achieving their full potential and need additional support.
Nahmiya Shajas, Primary Math Co-ordinator from GEMS New Millennium School, Al Khail, has been using CAT4 in this way. She explains, “CAT4 gives a comprehensive profile of a child’s underlying ability, so by combining this with the scores from the Progress Tests in English and Maths, teachers are able to quickly find which children are underperforming. This helps to plan intervention strategies for individual students.
“The data will help us to identifying the areas for development,” Nahmiya continues. “We are also able to compare the children’s performance against national performance, which helps us keep their progress on track, to look at what targets we need to set, and what strategies need to be put in place to ensure these are met. Now, teachers are able to draw up a list of topics to directly address any gaps in knowledge.”
ends
