CAT4 results. Not amazing...average in fact. If the bell curve is to be believed...

[minoanmum]

my dd is looking at Bs and Cs at GCSE. Which IME means nowhere near As at A level.

I'm feeling a bit sad about it. She loves school and works hard. I think she thinks she will deffo go to a good uni (as her sisters have).

She scored an average of 102 in the CAT4 tests. All google research suggests this is very average GCSE results.

Any cheery stories? Can I add she is really proud for getting 'above average' which is what I have told her.

We do a similar test.
Pupils who get amazing results can coast and get average results. Students who fall into the D band have achieved A*/A at GCSE.
I use it to try and motivate students who I think are underachieving but I don't think it can be taken too seriously.

She was completely thrown by the tests (as I imagine a lot were) as we didn'tknow they were happening. I know they say you can't prepare for them (although her friend did an online course in preparation according to her mum)

I think my ds had CAT tests at school but parents not told results and nor are pupils.
Only know as looked deep in website re curriculum and assessment.
Seems healthier to me that a big deal is not made and just used to inform the school to whatever extent their usefulness is.
I for one would never [knowingly!] take an IQ test or CAT like test. Don't want to be labelled.
However, sure did take similar at my school many moons ago. I am sure did not shine. However, I was a plodder [as one teacher kindly described me] and I did better than many of the known high fliers...
Don't take too much notice of such tests....

I excelled academically but the spatial awareness/NVR element of tests always massively dragged my overall score down. Personally I'm am always suspicious that these type of intelligence tests aren't actually that accurate in terms of reflecting future academic potential, I wouldn't be overly concerned by your DD not acing them.

^^ yup, yup JoJo

Where’s the evidence to show that a child hitting x score in NVR, VR Spacial etc... will get y mark at GCSE etc..?

Also, CAT testing is used as a diagnostic tool for possible SEN. Either the marks don’t correlate to the work/tests the child is getting in school or the CAT scores are all over the place rather than grouped together.

And as for the “can’t” prepare for the these tests . Plenty of tutors out there will prep your child. For style of question, what to look for, time management...

Neither of my (academically bright) nieces got A's and A* 's for their A-levels.
Eldest graduated from Nottingham Uni a percentage point of a 1st and now a civil servant and is climbing high very quickly. The other niece got B,C,C and is now in the second year of a 5 year Engineering degree and doing very well. I have no idea if her Uni is Russell Group or not but it's a fantastic Uni and so right for her.

Please don't be down. Your dd's future is bright if you want it to be.

There are far better ways of predicting likely outcomes than CATs and our school has now ditched them. DS's school still does them for questionable reasons. Despite this throwing up every time that he has clear SEN issues (his 'average score ' is made up of 130 in quantitative and 70 in non verbal , with verbal in the middle!!) the school ignores the red flags and just uses them to predict!

Another thing to remember is any system is predicting most likely outcomes statistically - many students , logically, perform above (and below) these indicators.

DS's school has started issuing 'minimum expected grade' which is probably quite a good idea.

Don't underestimate the importance of spatial awareness in education. Yes, my DS with his score below 80 (SEN territory) sensibly avoided all practical subjects but huge numbers of subjects involve elements of NV and spatial awareness and teachers often set tasks requiring mindmapping, graphs, maps. He ended up doing far worse in maths than that 130 in Q suggests he should have done (he cannot do any shape manipulation) and got a D in GCSE geography and Cs in sciences. His handwriting and presentation are dreadful . All of these weaknesses are directly linked to those low CATs scores.

Because it wasn't verbal or quantitative, I never could get any SENCos to give a shit , Until this year when the new SENCo is an ex pupil of mine!