Understanding "CATS Testing": A Guide for Parents
Updated: 5 hours ago
Many Dallas and Houston schools tell parents that “CATS testing” is required for admissions. Most families complete the process without knowing that, for many reasons, the scores from CATS testing may not accurately reflect their child’s abilities.
There is no such thing as “the CATS test.”
Collaborative Academic Testing Service (CATS) is a company that, in its own words, “helps independent schools administer and coordinate admissions testing for young applicants.” CATS contracts with “doctoral-level providers” to administer cognitive testing as part of the admissions process for various private schools across Dallas and Houston. Those schools include Lamplighter, Hockaday, St. Mark’s, Greenhill, and ESD.
There is clear utility in the coordination that CATS provides. A child applying to five schools takes one test instead of five, and the schools get comparable data. However, many parents do not realize that there is no such thing as “the CATS test.”
CATS is a scheduling and reporting service. The “doctoral-level providers” who contract with CATS administer the Wechsler intelligence tests, the most widely used cognitive testing battery in the world. The two Wechsler tests that CATS administers are the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence (WPPSI), which is designed for children ages 2–7, and the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC), which is designed for children ages 6-16. These tests are given every day in hospital clinics, school districts, and private practices. Nothing about these tests is specific to private school admissions, and nothing about these tests requires a specific company to administer them.
An examiner who specializes in pediatric assessment is essential.
The CATS website says that your child’s testing will be conducted by “a licensed psychologist who is experienced in working with young children” and that its contracted examiners are “highly qualified, personable professionals who enjoy working with preschool and school-aged children.” They add that “only the best professionals perform our assessments.”
Savvy parents will note that “experienced in working with young children” is not clearly defined, “highly qualified” is not a credential, and “only the best professionals” is not an objective standard. CATS does not require its contracted examiners to have any specialty training or board certification — no qualifications at all beyond licensure as a psychologist.
Certainly, licensure as a psychologist in Texas is a meaningful credential, indicating that these examiners have obtained a doctoral degree and meet continuing education requirements. However, licensure is a generalist credential. A psychologist can be fully licensed in Texas without any history of ever having administered a WPPSI or WISC to a child.
Measuring a child’s cognitive ability is not as simple as measuring a child’s height. The WPPSI and WISC have scripted, standardized administration protocols, but the scores hinge on a child’s willingness to spend an hour or more in an unfamiliar room, without a parent present, showing a stranger what they know. This is why having your child tested by an examiner who specializes in pediatric assessment is essential.
A specialist in pediatric assessment knows how to build rapport with a child before the test even begins, helping the child feel comfortable engaging in the testing process. A specialist in pediatric assessment can tell the difference between a child who does not know how to complete a task and one who simply has decided not to — and can judge whether that refusal is rooted in anxiety, defiance, fatigue, hunger, or some other reason. In that moment, a specialist in pediatric assessment knows how to support that child’s optimal performance, whether through providing verbal encouragement, gently redirecting focus and attention, or offering a break from testing. In these and other ways, an examiner’s level of training in and experience with pediatric assessment can dramatically influence test scores.
You are entitled to ask whether the person who will be testing your child truly specializes in pediatric assessment and what formal training and/or credentials that person has to support any such claim.
Time constraints do not yield optimal performance.
The CATS website provides estimates for testing time that are generally less than the estimates from the test publisher, Pearson. Both companies' estimates do not appear to account for pre-test rapport building, brief breaks in the testing room, or longer breaks that might involve leaving the testing room (e.g., restroom, snacks). It is unreasonable to expect a young child to demonstrate optimal performance within a strictly defined hour of testing.
Child’s age | CATS estimate | Pearson estimate | Dr. Holland blocks |
|---|---|---|---|
2:6 to 3:11 | 20–30 minutes | 30–45 minutes | 180 minutes |
4:0 to 7:7 | 35–60 minutes | 45–60 minutes | 180 minutes |
8:0 to 12:11 | 50–80 minutes | ~60 minutes | 180 minutes |
Estimated administration time for core subtests, as published by CATS and by Pearson, compared with the appointment length I reserve. Rows follow the age bands CATS uses; Pearson’s WISC estimate applies across its full range of ages 6:0 to 16:11.
I reserve three hours for any standalone administration of the WPPSI or WISC, not because these tests take three hours to administer — they don’t — but because a child should not be penalized for needing breaks. Accurate measurement of cognitive abilities is impossible in the context of fatigue. Few four-year-olds are capable of sustained cognitive engagement for a full hour. Some need breaks every five minutes. If the test conditions are not designed to accommodate whatever breaks the child needs, the resulting scores are no longer a pure estimate of cognitive ability.
For example, several WPPSI and WISC subtests are timed. A mentally exhausted child might work slowly during those timed activities and lose points that they could have easily received credit for otherwise. Even on untimed tests, a tired child might start guessing on items that they could have solved in a more mentally refreshed state. Similarly, a child who is frustrated by inadequate frequency or duration of breaks might start to refuse test items well within their ability. Both the WPPSI and WISC dictate that subtests are discontinued after a set number of incorrect responses, which means that if a child loses energy at the wrong moment, testing might end prematurely.
For all of these reasons, behavioral observations documented by the examiner are essential for understanding whether your child’s scores accurately reflect their full potential. However, the CATS website indicates that “parents receive a summary of the evaluation results,” whereas “results of the evaluation are sent to participating schools to which the child is applying.” In other words: a summary for you; full results for the schools. Concerningly, a major omission in the summary parents receive from CATS is the behavioral observations section.
Behavioral observations clarify what test scores mean.
Behavioral observations are the examiner’s account of the conditions under which the scores were obtained. This typically includes how focused and attentive the child was during testing, how the child handled frustration and failure, and how consistently the child put forth appropriate effort. Behavioral observations also should comment on any signs of fatigue, how that was managed (e.g., with breaks, verbal encouragement, etc.), and to what degree those management strategies were effective. These are just some of the child's behaviors that an examiner must consider in making a determination as to whether the test scores are a valid estimate of the child’s ability.
A score presented without behavioral observations is merely a number that lacks meaning. For example, consider the following Full Scale IQ (FSIQ) scores obtained from the WPPSI:
Child A — FSIQ 112. Separated easily and settled within a minute, established good rapport with the examiner, worked steadily, embraced challenging test questions. Child B — FSIQ 112. Cried at separation and needed 10 minutes to settle, rushed through timed tasks, complained about items being too hard, did not carefully study all response options on multiple-choice questions.
In isolation, these scores suggest that these two children have the same intellectual ability. However, while 112 is a reasonable estimate for Child A, it is likely an underestimate of Child B’s intellectual potential. Perhaps Child B has an undiagnosed attention disorder, or perhaps she simply didn’t sleep well the night prior to the test. Either way, behavioral observations help readers of the report understand the meaning of the scores that child obtained on that particular day, during that particular window of time.
Your rights as a parent may be more extensive than CATS suggests.
The CATS registration form suggests that the company charges an additional fee for parents to access the behavioral observations from their child’s testing. The CATS registration form also states that the licensed psychologist will not disclose any information directly to the parent. Both of these statements are found in this required attestation within their registration form:
“I acknowledge my understanding that I will receive a summary report of the evaluation results within six weeks of testing. The summary report contains general information about the testing and my child’s overall performance. No other information will be disclosed to me by the licensed psychologist who is evaluating my child. Further communication about content of the report can be answered through the CATS main office for an additional fee.”
However, psychologists licensed in Texas carry an independent obligation to their own licensing board. Rule 22 TAC § 465.22 requires that within 15 days of a written request, a psychologist must either make the patient’s records available; state that they do not exist; or provide a signed, written justification for withholding. The latter is permitted only when access is “reasonably likely to endanger the life or physical safety of the patient or another person.”
Whether a test conducted for the purpose of school admissions falls within that rule, and whether checking a box during registration can waive that rule, are questions I cannot answer. A healthcare or education attorney may be a useful resource.
Schools may have more flexibility than CATS suggests.
The CATS website states, “ISAAD schools (Independent Schools Admission Association of Dallas) require CATS testing and will not consider other cognitive ability testing scores.” This statement is less clear than it appears on its surface, given that “CATS testing” is a scheduling and reporting service, not a test. Thus, the statement that ISAAD schools “will not consider other cognitive ability testing scores” appears to mean that those schools will not consider tests other than the WPPSI or WISC. Neither the WPPSI nor the WISC is proprietary to CATS. In my clinical experience, admissions offices generally are open to receiving WPPSI and WISC results reported by non-CATS examiners who specialize in pediatric assessment.
It is especially important to recognize that if your child has recently completed a neuropsychological or psychoeducational evaluation, your child likely has already taken the WPPSI or WISC. Depending on the timing of that evaluation, you may be able to submit those test scores instead of spending more money to have CATS readminister the exact same test.
Re-administration of the WPPSI or WISC within one year can result in invalid test scores. During the registration process, the CATS website asks parents to check a box to “confirm that you have read” this statement: “A child may only receive cognitive abilities testing once per ten month period. By registering with CATS, I indicate that CATS is the chosen testing service for my child for this year’s school applications.” In responding to this statement, it is important to understand that “cognitive abilities testing” is not the same as CATS testing and is a much broader term.
Any conversation with schools about alternatives to CATS has to start with you. I hope that the information I’ve shared here is helpful in advocating for your child.
You can advocate to ensure your child’s test scores are accurate.BEFORE YOU REGISTER WITH CATS— Ask CATS which instrument their contracted examiner would administer based on your child’s age at the time of testing, and verify the amount of time your child will be allowed to complete the test. — If desired, call each school’s admissions office (not CATS) to ask whether they will accept the results of that same test administered by a licensed psychologist who is not contracted with CATS. It may be helpful to explain that you are seeking to ensure that your child is tested by a specialist in pediatric assessment who will allow adequate time for your child to perform at their full potential, as is best practice for clinical assessments of young children’s cognitive ability. IF YOU REGISTER WITH CATS— CATS will assign your child to a particular psychologist’s office. Whether by reviewing their website and/or contacting that psychologist directly, do your best to determine their level of training in and experience with cognitive assessment of children your child’s age. If you are not comfortable with their answers, consider contacting CATS to ask to be reassigned. — Tell the assigned psychologist anything that might affect your child’s performance. Consider illness, poor sleep, a hard morning, separation difficulty, a recent move, a new sibling, medication, etc. AFTER THE CATS SESSION— Request from CATS the complete report: the same report that CATS sends to the schools, which includes behavioral observations. Submit this request in writing, with a reference to Rule 22 TAC § 465.22 (explained in detail above) expressing your willingness to request this directly from the psychologist who administered the test if necessary. — Pay close attention to the behavioral observations section once you receive it, since this tells you how to interpret the scores. |
A young child’s score on one morning of one week is being weighed in a decision that may shape the next several years. That is not an argument against testing. Rather, it is an argument for parents knowing what test was given, the relevant expertise of the person giving it, whether their child was given adequate time to complete the test to the best of their ability, and how their child’s behaviors may have affected his or her performance. These questions are answerable and well within your right to know as a parent.
Sources
Collaborative Academic Testing Service, P.A. — catstexas.com. Quotations regarding the description of CATS and its providers, examiner qualifications, session length, parent versus school reporting, and the ISAAD statement are taken verbatim from those pages as published at the time of writing.
Collaborative Academic Testing Service, P.A. — registration portal (portal.catstexas.com/registration/testing-session). The parent attestation regarding the summary report and disclosure, and the statement regarding cognitive testing being restricted to once per ten-month period, are taken verbatim from the registration form as presented at the time of writing.
Pearson Clinical Assessment, WPPSI and WISC product pages (pearsonassessments.com) — test administration times for specific age ranges.
Texas Administrative Code, Title 22, Part 21, Chapter 465, Rule § 465.22, Psychological Records, Test Data and Test Materials.
CATS does not publish the names of the instruments administered by its contracted psychologists. The identification of the WPPSI and WISC here reflects my own review of CATS reports in clinical practice, not a published statement by CATS.