Established in 2004, the CATS (Collaborative Academic Testing Service) is a test administered to students for admission to certain private schools in the Dallas and Houston Areas. This standardized test plays a crucial role in the school admissions process. It serves as a cognitive assessment that provides valuable insights into a student’s intellectual functioning.
For the 2023 – 2024 school year, schools requiring the CATS testing are:
Dallas Area Private Schools that Give the CATS Test for Admissions
- The Covenant School (K-4)
- The Episcopal School of Dallas (PK-4)
- Good Shepherd Episcopal School (K-1)
- Greenhill School (PK-1)
- Lamplighter (PK-4)
- Parish Episcopal School (K-1)
- St. Mark’s School of Texas (1-4)
- The Hockaday School (PK-1)
- Trinity Christian Academy (PK-4)
- Wesley Prep (K-4)
School | Grades The CATS Test is Given | Description |
|---|---|---|
| The Covenant School | K-4 | In a Christian environment, young minds are nurtured through a strong academic program. Additionally, there is an emphasis on character development and community service. |
| The Episcopal School of Dallas | PK-4 | A coeducational preparatory school promotes academic excellence, character development, and leadership. It does so within a nurturing and diverse community. |
| Good Shepherd Episcopal School | K-1 | Offers a foundation in essential learning concepts and prioritizes academic rigor and spiritual growth, following an Episcopal tradition. |
| Greenhill School | PK-1 | Integrates a challenging curriculum with the development of personal and social responsibility. This educational approach emphasizes diversity, inclusivity, and robust co-curricular activities. |
| Lamplighter | PK-4 | Offers an innovative educational program in a nurturing environment with a curriculum focused on intellectual growth and practical life skills. |
| Parish Episcopal School | K-1 | Promotes a love of learning in its students. Additionally, it embraces Christian values, fostering a close-knit community and a strong commitment to academic excellence. |
| St. Mark’s School of Texas | 1-4 | A boys’ school focused on academic excellence, integrity, a sense of responsibility, extracurricular activities, and character building. |
| The Hockaday School | PK-1 | An all-girls institution providing a rigorous, college-preparatory education with strong arts, academics, and athletics programs in a supportive, inclusive environment. |
| Trinity Christian Academy | PK-4 | A Christian academy nurturing students’ academic and spiritual growth, promoting community, character building, and leadership skills development. |
| Wesley Prep | K-4 | Provides an academically challenging and spiritually enriching curriculum, prioritizing a nurturing learning environment and strong moral values. |
Houston Area Private Schools that Give the CATS Test for Admissions
- Annunciation Orthodox School (PK-6)
- Awty International School (PK-5)
- Duchesne Academy of the Sacred Heart (PK-4)
- First Baptist Academy (1-4)
- The John Cooper School (PK-4)
- Regis School (K-4)
- River Oaks Baptist School (PK-4)
- St. John’s School (K-4)
- St. Mark’s Episcopal School (K-4)
- St. Thomas’ Episcopal School (PK-4)
School | Grades The CATS Test is Given | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Annunciation Orthodox School | PK-6 | Rooted in Greek Orthodox values, it provides a holistic education that includes a strong focus on academics, arts, and athletics. |
| Awty International School | PK-5 | An international school offers either a dual program of study in French and English or a Spanish-immersion program. Furthermore, the school places a strong emphasis on promoting global learning and fostering cultural understanding. |
| Duchesne Academy of the Sacred Heart | PK-4 | An all-girls school, serving preschool to fourth graders, follows the Sacred Heart tradition, emphasizing academics and character development. |
| First Baptist Academy | 1-4 | A Christian school that emphasizes academic excellence, moral values, and spiritual growth from first to fourth grade. |
| The John Cooper School | PK-4 | An independent, non-sectarian school provides a challenging curriculum for preschool to fourth-grade students. This curriculum is designed to promote both intellectual growth and character development. |
| Regis School | K-4 | A Catholic boys’ school that focuses on moral and academic development, service learning, and leadership skills. |
| River Oaks Baptist School | PK-4 | A Christian school that integrates a challenging curriculum with character development and spiritual growth for preschool to fourth grade students. |
| St. John’s School | K-4 | Known for its challenging academics, comprehensive arts program, and commitment to character development from kindergarten to fourth grade. |
| St. Mark’s Episcopal School | K-4 | Fosters an environment of inclusivity and respect, promoting a love of learning, spiritual growth, and a commitment to community service. |
CATS overview
The CATS test plays a crucial role in the school admissions process. Serving as a cognitive assessment, it offers valuable insights into a student’s intellectual functioning. Typically, this assessment is administered by a licensed psychologist with expertise in working with preschool and school-aged children.
The tests administered by CATS are the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence (WPPSI)(ages 2:6 – 7:7) and the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC)(ages 6:0 – 16:11). These cognitive tests assess thinking skills rather than academic skills.
The Collaborative Academic Testing Service (CATS) is a comprehensive testing program designed to assess students’ academic skills and knowledge across various subject areas. Additionally, the CATS test is intended to aid educators in evaluating and comparing students’ academic performance. This assessment also serves as a valuable tool for identifying both strengths and weaknesses in student learning. Consequently, educators can utilize the results to guide instructional strategies more effectively, ensuring they meet the specific needs of each student.
Subject Areas Covered by the CATS Test
The CATS test covers several subject areas, with questions designed to evaluate students’ abilities in each of these domains:
- Reading Comprehension: This section primarily centers on evaluating a student’s capacity to comprehend and interpret written passages. It involves tasks such as identifying main ideas, making inferences, drawing conclusions, and understanding the author’s purpose.
- Mathematics: In this section, students’ math skills are assessed, covering arithmetic, algebra, geometry, and data analysis. They solve problems, perform calculations, and interpret graphs.
- Science: In this section, students’ comprehension of scientific concepts and their ability to apply scientific reasoning are gauged. This encompasses questions that span across various science fields, including biology, chemistry, physics, and earth science.
- Social Studies: This section assesses a student’s knowledge of history, geography, government, and economics. Questions may require students to analyze maps, charts, and graphs, as well as understand historical events and interpret social science data.
- Language Arts: In this section, a student’s grasp of grammar, punctuation, sentence structure, and vocabulary is assessed. Questions may encompass tasks such as identifying errors, correcting sentences, and selecting the most appropriate words or phrases.
- Writing: This section focuses on evaluating a student’s capacity to convey ideas effectively through written language. Students may be tasked with writing essays, providing short answers, or crafting other written responses in response to prompts or topics.
Overall, the CATS testing aims to provide educators with a comprehensive understanding of a student’s academic abilities, thus allowing them to better support each student’s educational journey.
Preparing your child for the CATS Test? TestingMom.com offers thousands of practice questions for WPPSI and WISC tests. Members get instant access to over 1700 WPPSI-IV and 4500 WISC-V practice questions. Try our 100 free questions!
Free WPPSI Sample Practice Test Questions that May Appear on the CATS
Matrix Reasoning
Parents Say: “Look at the pictures in the four boxes. Do you see how the pictures on top go together in some way? Now, look at the picture in the box on the bottom next to the empty box. Choose the picture from the last row that goes in the empty box so that the pictures on the bottom go together in the same way as the pictures on top.”
Answer: 1st bubble
Information
(Read the question out loud. Have your child point to the answer.)
Which person is telling a secret?
Answer: bottom left
Free WISC Sample Practice Test Questions:
Arithmetic
Jenny bought the pizza you see in the first box and ate half of it. Which picture shows how much pizza remained after she ate it?
Answer: 1st bubble
Visual Puzzles
Parent, say to your child: “Look at the shape on top. That is a completed puzzle. Choose the 3 pieces below that combine to complete the puzzle.”
Answer: 2, 4, 5
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