Help on interpreting CAT score please

[Lovebrussels]

DS, Y5, verbal: 116, quant: 115, non verbal: 105, spatial: 125. I expected a range between 110-120 so the overall score wasn’t a surprise at all although the non verbal was much lower than expected. NVR (incl. spatial) has been his strongest out of the 11+ subjects.
I have been doing some reading and got a basic idea about CAT score, rough percentiles etc. But would like some insight on:

1. How would you look at these scores?
2. What would be the most academic senior Indy schools you think he has a chance for? To simplify any school names and academic based only. Other factors would be another topic
3. What about grammar schools? Again regardless of location just for a sense of level as reference.

TIA!

You would receive better response if you post it in the secondary education category.

It's great score but not enough for the top schools and he may not thrive there.

Not sure where you are in the country but academically your DS CATS would be average for my sons prep in south west London. Top performing schools around here such as LEH, KGS, Hampton would be asking for 130+ for cats and all are on the top 60 schools in the UK.
Middle tier would be st John’s Leatherhead or Epsom colleges, st George weybridge at 115-120 and then Claremont fancourt or Halliford at 110-120
For grammars we have tiffin boys nearby which expect 135+

Thank you both for the responses really helpful. Most likely we’ll have to move whichever senior school we will go with therefore wanted to hear thoughts without pre-set region.
I agree the scores are not enough for the top academic schools. I really like Sevenoaks but have to face the fact that I don’t have a Sevenoaks kid.
@After8itsgrownuptime: would you say middle tier is about 60 onwards or I should really look at 100+? Again to use league table ranking to simplify.
@teachcolate: thanks I will try to repost in secondary for more responses.

@Lovebrussels hard to say as schools like st George’s want you to get those cat scores to be in with a chance , but many children that apply to that school and get a place will be much higher as it’s a desirable school and in the top 100.
My DS has similar scores to yours and is currently sitting for mainly middle tier (from about 90+) . We have picked one aspirational school (so a st George type school) 2 middle and 1 in the lower tier . Bear in mind though that even those middle and lower tier schools i have mentioned are still in the top 350 schools in the country and some are selective and some aren’t - so don’t always be guided by the league tables. Also, you know you’re child. Would he cope in the middle or bottom of the pack place at a top achieving school or will he do better top of the pack or high middling of a middle tier school .

@After8itsgrownuptime

schools like st George’s want you to get those cat scores to be in with a chance

I have seen comments like this and there is something I don’t understand.

When you say the school would want these scores, do you mean they will ask for the scores to the current school? If so, will they require many years’ scores (my DS has been tested since Y3) or just Year 6?

What about those candidates in state schools that don’t do CATs?

Thanks!

No, the CAT scores are supposed to be an indication of your child’s intelligence.
The schools candidates are more likely to be offered a place based on a range of cat scores. So if you are averaging between 120-125 then you should apply to schools in that range as it’s academically suited to you and you’re more likely to get a place. If you are averaging 110-115 then you’re unlikely to perform well enough in the exam to be offered a place as the candidate would find it tough
Think of if like a,b,c,d
If throughout the year you are getting A’s for your work , you’re probably going to apply to the top tier schools as your grades are good enough to get in and you’ll be academically suited to the school when you get. If you were scoring C’s , you could still sit the exam but your chances of getting in would be slimmer as you’ll be up against pupils getting A grades
Where children are on the borders of getting an offer, the schools can and do write to the current school and ask for the candidates cat scores for the year

Thanks for your answer!

My DS just got an average of 118 and I’ve been thinking a lot about your last point.

Even if he managed to get into a selective school (he had a glowing report, is top set in Maths and his tutor’s views don’t match the CAT score), I think he would be happier in the top set of a not very selective school. I think it would boost his confidence and he might end up performing to a higher standard.

We will have a meeting with the Headmaster to discuss choices in January and I’ll bring all this up.

Yes it’s really helpful @After8itsgrownuptime thanks for sharing.
@TimeQuest01 please come back and share the headmaster’s thoughts after the meeting (what can be shared of course)

No problem. We are sitting out 11+ at the moment so let’s hope we picked the right schools

I am going to check my son's scores in year 5 for you - they were the state equivalent and so far he has done really well in 11 plus.

I wanted to share this with you.

My son got 94 to 109 / these were the standardised scores from an outside assessment last October (the 109 was for nvr and I think he got vr of 99)

103 to 111 standardised scores from school assessments. So all decidedly average.

We still decided to give 11 plus a go. Very low key.

But what the process highlighted was the school didn’t cover what they should have for the nat curriculum and we never got homework (multiple reasons, poor behaviour challenging kids and high turnover my son had 5 teachers before lockdown!). Also we were very relaxed as a family.

So during lockdown I got an online programme, got a maths tutor for 2 months and he flew and did loads of independent learning. The progress was amazing across every subject.

He has passed for state grammars well.
It looks like he will be Invited back to second interviews for privates.

He was getting really high scores on the atom iseb mocks at the end.

He also has a chance at stage 2 at a super selective (we are not going ahead too far it was just something my son wanted to do as he got into exams).

The supportive maths tutor only took a couple of months.

I can not believe the difference in my son.

In a way lockdown has made him an independent learner and has opened his eyes to different schools.

@blackbearder

Wow, you really turned things around, congrats to your son.

@After8itsgrownuptime, all the best for the 11+, and festive season!
@blackbearder, thanks so much for sharing. Many congrats to your son.

Thank you. I name changed.

I never shared any low scores. He only understood standardised marks when it was closer to the exams.

I find myself at night time with a truly rubbish year with covid and a zillion other things just thinking wow he tried and learnt. My lovely boy learnt how to learn.

Good luck to anyone undertaking this process.