GL Assessment is the set of standardised tests many British curriculum schools in Dubai use to understand how a child thinks, reads and progresses, separately from everyday classwork and exams. Your child may sit CAT4 in the autumn term, a reading test up to three times a year and Progress Tests in English, maths and science before the summer. This guide explains what each GL Assessment test measures, why Dubai schools use them and how to read the scores in your child’s report.
What Is GL Assessment?
GL Assessment is a UK provider of school assessments, known internationally as GL Education and now part of Renaissance. Its tests are standardised: each child’s result is compared with a large, nationally representative sample of students of the same age, rather than marked as a simple percentage.
Schools outside the UK use the same UK standardisation, so a score means the same thing in Dubai as it does in London. This is what makes the results useful as an outside benchmark.
GL Assessment tests are not pass or fail exams. They do not replace IGCSE, A Level or end of term assessments, and they are not graded like classwork. They sit alongside what teachers see in class every day and help them spot what classwork alone can miss.
Why Dubai Schools Use GL Assessment Tests
Under KHDA’s External Benchmark Assessments Requirements, every private school in Dubai is expected to run three types of external test each year:
- A curriculum specific attainment test, such as the GL Progress Test Series in English, maths and science
- A cognitive ability test, such as CAT4
- A reading skills test, such as the New Group Reading Test (NGRT)
GL Assessment is one of the providers schools use to meet these requirements. KHDA uses the data to monitor school quality, while schools use it for self evaluation and improvement planning.
Benchmark results also form part of the evidence inspectors review before they publish KHDA school ratings. That is why schools treat these tests seriously, even though no single score decides anything for your child.
The Main GL Assessment Tests
Four GL Assessment tests come up most often in Dubai schools. The timings below follow GL Education’s testing guidance for Dubai, and each school confirms its own dates.
| Test | What it measures | Year groups in Dubai | Usual timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| CAT4 | Reasoning ability and potential | Years 4, 6, 8 and 10 | Autumn term (August to November) |
| NGRT | Reading and comprehension | Year 2 to Year 10 | Up to three times a year |
| Progress Test Series | Attainment in English, maths and science | Year 4 to Year 10 | End of the academic year (May to June) |
| PASS | Attitudes to learning and school | Set by each school | Once or twice a year |
CAT4: Cognitive Abilities Test
CAT4 measures how a child reasons, not what they have memorised. It is curriculum neutral, so children who joined from another school system are not at a disadvantage. The test has four batteries:
- Verbal reasoning: thinking and reasoning with words, important for language heavy subjects
- Quantitative reasoning: solving problems with numbers, useful well beyond maths
- Nonverbal reasoning: solving problems with shapes, patterns and diagrams
- Spatial reasoning: thinking in three dimensions, linked with many STEM subjects
Children aged 8 and over sit three sections of about 45 minutes each, while younger children sit two shorter sections. Results show a learning profile, such as a lean towards verbal or spatial thinking, plus indicators of likely GCSE and A Level outcomes that help teachers set realistic targets.
NGRT: New Group Reading Test
NGRT checks how well a child reads and understands text. It starts with sentence completion, which focuses on decoding with some comprehension, then moves to passage comprehension, where texts get harder as the child succeeds.
The digital version adapts to each answer and takes about 30 minutes. Because it can run three times a year, it shows whether reading is improving term by term, and the report includes a reading age as well as a standardised score. When a younger child struggles with the sentence section, the gap is often in decoding, and our guide to phonics for kids has practical ideas for home.
Progress Test Series: English, Maths and Science
The Progress Test Series checks what a child has learned in the curriculum. It has three tests:
- Progress Test in English (PTE): English skills such as spelling, grammar and punctuation, plus reading comprehension
- Progress Test in Maths (PTM): number, shape, data handling and algebra, plus reasoning and problem solving
- Progress Test in Science (PTS): scientific knowledge and understanding
The same tests run every year, so schools can compare this year’s score with last year’s and place each child in a progress category. This shows whether a child is moving forward as expected, faster than expected or more slowly.
PASS: Pupil Attitudes to Self and School
PASS is a 20 minute survey, not a test, and there are no right or wrong answers. Students respond to statements about school, and their answers are grouped into nine factors: feelings about school, perceived learning capability, self regard, attitudes to teachers, general work ethic, attitudes to attendance, preparedness for learning, response to curriculum demands and confidence in learning.
PASS helps schools notice a quiet child whose confidence is low, or a capable student who has stopped engaging, before it shows in grades. Schools often use it as part of their wider approach to student wellbeing.
How to Read Your Child’s GL Assessment Results
The most important number in any GL Assessment report is the Standard Age Score (SAS). An SAS of 100 is the average for a child’s age, and about two thirds of students score between 85 and 115.
An SAS is not a percentage. A CAT4 score of 100 means your child performed at the average level for their age, not that they answered every question correctly. Reports usually add three more measures:
- Stanine: a simpler scale from 1 to 9, where 4 to 6 is the average band
- National Percentile Rank (NPR): the share of same age students your child matched or outscored, so an NPR of 84 means equal to or better than 84 percent
- Reading age: shown on NGRT reports, most useful for children reading below their age and less meaningful for strong readers
| Stanine | SAS range | Description | Share of students |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | 127 and above | Very high | 4% |
| 7 to 8 | 112 to 126 | Above average | 19% |
| 4 to 6 | 89 to 111 | Average | 54% |
| 2 to 3 | 74 to 88 | Below average | 19% |
| 1 | 73 and below | Very low | 4% |
A single score is a snapshot of one day. The pattern tells you more: the gap between the four CAT4 batteries, or the change in reading scores from one term to the next. A child with a much stronger spatial score than verbal score, for example, may grasp ideas quickly but find it harder to show them in written answers.
Schools also place CAT4 next to Progress Test and NGRT results. If attainment sits well below what CAT4 suggests, the child may need extra support or more confidence. If it sits well above, the child is working hard and can be stretched further.
What Schools Do With the Results
GL Assessment data shapes decisions across the year:
- Plan teaching: teachers adjust groupings, pace and challenge to fit the class profile.
- Set targets: CAT4 indicators give a realistic starting point for target grades in later years.
- Spot hidden needs: a large gap between ability and attainment, a low reading score or a weak PASS factor prompts a closer look.
- Track progress: repeated NGRT and Progress Test results show whether support is working.
- Evaluate the school: leaders compare results year on year as part of their KHDA self evaluation.
If results raise a concern, the class teacher is the first person to speak to. When a child needs a more personalised plan, the Inclusion Support team works with teachers and parents to agree the next steps.
How Parents Can Help Before and After GL Tests
GL advises against practising for CAT4, because rehearsed answers make the scores less reliable. Each section already opens with untimed practice questions, so your child will know what to expect on the day. What helps most is calm, everyday support:
- Keep the week normal. A good night’s sleep and breakfast matter more than extra study.
- Explain the purpose simply. Tell your child the test helps teachers understand how they learn, and that there is nothing to pass or fail.
- Keep reading every day. Regular reading at home does more for NGRT and English results than any test practice.
- Ask how results are shared. Some schools send a parent report, while others go through scores at parent meetings.
- Compare over time. Put this year’s report next to last year’s instead of reacting to one score.
- Agree next steps with the teacher. Ask what the results show about strengths and what the school will focus on.
Avoid comparing scores between siblings or classmates. Each SAS is measured against children of the same age, so one number says little without the full profile behind it.
GL Assessment at Dubai Scholars
Dubai Scholars has followed the National Curriculum for England in Al Qusais since 1976, from Foundation Stage through to Sixth Form. New students sit an entry assessment as part of the admission procedure, which shows whether a child is ready to engage with the school programme.
Like every private school in Dubai, the school completes the external benchmark assessments KHDA requires. Dubai Scholars uses CAT4, GL Assessments and NGRT results, together with teacher, parent and inclusion team observations, to identify students who may need extra support. In the primary years, assessment is both formative and summative, so teachers track progress throughout the year rather than relying on a single test.
To see how teaching and learning work day to day, book a school tour.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are GL Assessment tests mandatory in Dubai?
KHDA expects every private school in Dubai to run external benchmark tests for ability, reading and curriculum attainment. Schools choose the provider, and GL Assessment’s CAT4, NGRT and Progress Test Series are a common choice in British curriculum schools.
Can my child practise for CAT4?
GL advises against it. CAT4 measures reasoning rather than learned knowledge, so practice can distort the score and hide the support a child needs.
Is a CAT4 score of 100 good?
Yes. 100 is the exact average for your child’s age, and any SAS from 89 to 111 falls in the average band. Scores of 112 and above are above average.
Is CAT4 an IQ test?
No. CAT4 gives a profile of four types of reasoning that schools read alongside classwork and other results. It is not a single measure of intelligence or a prediction of future success.
Do GL Assessment results count towards my child’s grades?
No. They are not pass or fail and do not count towards IGCSE or A Level results. Schools use them to plan teaching and support.
Are GL tests used for school admission in Dubai?
Some schools ask for recent CAT4 or Progress Test results when a child applies, while others run their own entry assessment. Check the admissions requirements of each school on your list.
How often do children take GL Assessment tests?
In Dubai, CAT4 usually runs every two years in Years 4, 6, 8 and 10, NGRT up to three times a year and the Progress Test Series once at the end of each academic year. New students without earlier CAT4 data are usually tested too.
