Understanding NGRT and CAT4 School Assessments

What to Know About NGRT and CAT4 Exams in Dubai Schools

The Dubai education system has undergone significant development in recent years, especially within international schools where measuring and tracking student abilities play a crucial role. Part of this process includes two tests increasingly used by many schools not only for tracking academic progress but also during school admissions. These tests are the New Group Reading Test (NGRT) and the Cognitive Abilities Test (CAT4).

The two exams serve different purposes but together provide a comprehensive view of students' reading skills, cognitive abilities, and learning potential. Dubai schools—whether following British, American, IB, or CBSE curricula—are increasingly incorporating these assessments into their everyday teaching practices.

What is NGRT?

The New Group Reading Test (NGRT) is a standardized reading comprehension assessment that measures the abilities of 5–16-year-old students. Its purpose is to provide an objective picture of a student's reading skills and to offer comparable results against age-related averages.

The test consists of several elements, thus examining not only simple reading comprehension but also the following areas:

- Phonological awareness,

- Word recognition and decoding skills,

- Vocabulary,

- Grammar knowledge,

- Inferential skills,

- Understanding of figurative language.

Therefore, NGRT goes beyond simple text reading: it aims to uncover a student's ability to recognize deeper meanings, connections, and how well they interpret linguistic structures.

The test typically comprises two sections: sentence completion tasks and reading comprehension tasks with progressively increasing difficulty. The digital version is adaptive, meaning that the system adjusts the difficulty of the subsequent questions based on the student's responses.

Benefits of NGRT for Schools

Identifies students with reading difficulties: Results allow for targeted intervention and the development of supportive programs.

Assists curriculum planning: Teachers can better understand their class's overall level and tailor the syllabus accordingly.

Enables tracking of progress: Regular measurements can demonstrate the impact of implemented development measures.

Allows for international comparison: Results are measurable against the Standard Age Score (SAS), enabling comparisons with other students of the same age.

NGRT is often administered biannually or annually at crucial points of the school year, allowing schools to get an accurate picture of student progress.

What is CAT4?

The Cognitive Abilities Test (CAT4) is a completely different type of assessment: it measures not acquired knowledge but innate thinking and problem-solving abilities of students. The purpose of CAT4 is to map out students' learning potential, focusing on what they can achieve rather than what they have learned so far.

The test examines four main areas:

1. Verbal reasoning – solving problems based on words and verbal logic.

2. Non-verbal reasoning – recognizing connections among pictorial, visual elements, and shapes.

3. Quantitative reasoning – logical operations and mathematical problem-solving with numbers.

4. Spatial reasoning – ability to manipulate and understand the arrangement of objects in space.

Benefits of CAT4 for Schools

Assists in identifying talents: Outstanding students can be discovered even if their classroom performance does not necessarily reflect this.

Supports individualized learning paths: Targeted pedagogical strategies can be developed based on each student's strengths and weaknesses.

Predicts future school performance: Potential exam results can also be inferred from the test.

Supports differentiated education: CAT4 shows which areas require more attention or support for a student.

CAT4 results are often refreshed every 2-3 years, allowing schools to track students' cognitive development and timely respond to any changes.

Role in Admissions and Parents' Responsibilities

Many private schools in Dubai use these tests as part of their admissions process—especially CAT4—to get an objective view of applicant students' abilities. However, it is important to note that these are not exams one should study for. The goal is not to test knowledge but to map existing abilities.

Thus, the most important advice for parents is not to over-stress children. There is no need for preparation, textbooks, or extra lessons. The best thing a parent can do is encourage their child to try their best and approach the task with confidence.

Summary

The NGRT and CAT4 assessments are becoming key elements in the evaluation systems of Dubai schools. They not only assess students' current knowledge levels and abilities but also aid in developing individualized learning paths, talent cultivation, and long-term progress tracking. Education in Dubai's future is not merely about subject matter results but about unlocking the full potential of students—and these assessments play a crucial role in that.

(Source: Based on New Group Reading Test (NGRT) and Cognitive Abilities Test (CAT4) assessments.)