CAT4 & IQ

[mamamiaaaa]

Hi
my DS got the following cat4 scores:
Nonverbal = 122/141
verbal=141/141
quantitative=141/141
spatial=141/141
i have not told him about his scores
but i am very curious about his iq
i don't believe the nonverbal score cat4 because it is v. low compared to the other subsets
so i got him tested for mensa group testing
where he did a nonverbal test
and scored 135+ out of 140
do you have any idea on his iq
he has been acting weird lately and finds it v. hard to socialize
i was wondering it this plays a role along with his other mental condition.

How old is he? Perhaps he is acting weird cos you’re testing him a lot.

Good scores. I would expect his IQ is easily able to beat 135.

IQ isn’t a great measure of intelligence because once you’ve met the style of test you can improve at it. But knock yourself out, he’s clearly a bright lad and so will probably enjoy being tested a lot!

turned 14 a month ago

It is clearly 135+. You need to know that above 135+ it is quite hard to test it accurately. So it might be higher but it is harder. That is why CAT4 and the like max out at 141. If he scores 141 /141 it just means he has hit the ceiling, it could be a bit higher but at that level it's quite hard to be accurate. I'd say you can safely assume he is gifted. The next step is then to nurture his talents and interests so he uses his gifts productively.

Too much testing isn't good for a child. Obviously he is bright. Don't over-analyse.

Mensa is a pointless waste of time, and IQ isn't very meaningful anyway as all tests are learnable and culturally molded so will often give inaccurate results.

There is a difference between a CAT4 and IQ as the CAT has a learned or education component. In the CAT4 look at the NonVerbal and Spatial scores to get an idea of potential.
Although controversial I would thoroughly recommend a group Mensa test if the CAT NonVerbal/Spatial scores are high - it is a cheap and unequivocal test (the test is under exam conditions and 3 hours!). Potential can often be disguised by SEN leading to a lifetime of underachievement.
Education by its nature is designed for the majority and not the outliers so you need evidence to help support your DSs future needs.

yes group mensa test results is 135+
in dubai they dont give accurate score
only ballpark

My DC scored 141 across the board in CAT4 at eleven. I didn't really read too much into it as it is only one type of test but they did go on to perform extremely well through school and is now doing a very competitive course at a top university.

High IQ and SEN go hand-in-hand in my family. And in my many decades on the earth I think I’ve learned that a high IQ gives and takes.

Why are you keen to know with this level of scrutiny? The child is bright. Past that point an exact score is fairly meaningless, particularly at the higher end. Very high and very low scores depend more on the test than the tested.

No SEN with my DC's high CAT scores. It hasn't really had any impact other than they find academic stuff and exams easy and as such has always had free time to pursue other interests. We never made a thing of it though. Teacher got a bit flappy about it at the time but we just said time will tell how it pans out as it's all about how you use it rather than whether you have it. I really wouldn't get too hung up on IQ levels etc.