School and College Ability Test

SCAT practice tests

The SCAT (School and College Ability Test) is the above-grade test the Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth (CTY) uses to find students for its courses. Students from Grade 2 take it online at home: a Verbal section of word analogies and a Quantitative section of quantity comparisons, 50 scored questions in 20 minutes each, with a short break between. The test is written for students a few grades older, so it shows how far a strong student reasons above their grade.

Our SCAT-style practice follows CTY's published shape: two sections of 50 questions in 20 minutes each, four choices, at the level for your child's grade (Elementary for Grades 2 and 3, Intermediate for 4 and 5, Advanced from Grade 6), written a few grades up as the real test is. Each test is new when your child starts it, and the score shows straight away.

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A look at the test

Questions in the SCAT style

Written by us in the style of the published SCAT question types.

Elementary Level, Verbal: word analogies
owl : nest
Which pair of words goes together in the same way as the pair in bold?
1. Atall : short
2. Bdog : puppy
3. Cdog : kennel
4. Dbig : huge
Show the answer and whyHide the answer
AnswerCdog : kennel
1. Say how the bold words go together in a short sentence: An owl lives in a nest.
2. Try that same sentence on each pair, keeping the words in their order.
3. A dog lives in a kennel.
4. Final answer
  dog : kennel.
Remember
Say how the bold words go together in one short sentence, like "a calf grows into a cow" or "a ruler measures length".
Elementary Level, Quantitative: comparing measures
Column A: The number of sides on one hexagon
Column B: The number of sides on one pentagon
Compare the quantity in Column A with the quantity in Column B.
1. AColumn A is greater.
2. BColumn B is greater.
3. CThe two quantities are equal.
4. DIt cannot be decided from the information given.
Show the answer and whyHide the answer
AnswerAColumn A is greater.
1. Work out both columns
  A hexagon has 6 sides, so one hexagon have 6; a pentagon has 5, so one pentagon have 5.
2. Compare the two results.
3. Final answer
  Column A is greater.
Remember
Change both columns into the same unit first: minutes, inches, cents or degrees.
Intermediate Level, Quantitative: comparing with unknowns
x is a positive whole number.
Column A: 2x
Column B: x + 3
Compare the quantity in Column A with the quantity in Column B.
1. AColumn A is greater.
2. BColumn B is greater.
3. CThe two quantities are equal.
4. DIt cannot be decided from the information given.
Show the answer and whyHide the answer
AnswerDIt cannot be decided from the information given.
1. Try more than one value
  If x = 1, 2x = 2 is less than 4; if x = 5, 2x = 10 is greater than 8. It depends on x.
2. When the bigger column changes with the value, the information given is not enough.
3. Final answer
  It cannot be decided from the information given.
Remember
If you can solve for the letter, solve it and compare.
Advanced Level, Verbal: word analogies
ornithologist : birds
Which pair of words goes together in the same way as the pair in bold?
1. Aancient : modern
2. Bfunny : serious
3. Centomologist : insects
4. Dsheep : flock
Show the answer and whyHide the answer
AnswerCentomologist : insects
1. Say how the bold words go together in a short sentence: Ornithologists study birds.
2. Try that same sentence on each pair, keeping the words in their order.
3. Entomologists study insects.
4. Final answer
  entomologist : insects.
Remember
Say how the bold words go together in one short sentence, like "a calf grows into a cow" or "a ruler measures length".

The test

Levels by grade

Level	Grades	Questions	Time	Question types in our tests
Elementary Level	Grades 2 and 3	50 + 50	20 + 20 minutes	Word analogies and quantity comparisons pitched at Grades 3 to 6.
Intermediate Level	Grades 4 and 5	50 + 50	20 + 20 minutes	Word analogies and quantity comparisons pitched at Grades 6 to 9.
Advanced Level	Grades 6 to 9	50 + 50	20 + 20 minutes	Word analogies and quantity comparisons pitched at Grades 9 to 12.

The two sections, 50 scored questions in 20 minutes each, the four choices and the level for each grade are CTY's published figures. CTY does not publish the topics inside each level; our mix is our estimate, pitched a few grades above the student's grade. CTY's own test also starts each section with two practice questions, which ours leave out.

By grade

Free practice for each grade

Pricing

Three free practice tests. Unlimited tests and answers are US$49.

A free account includes 3 practice tests. A plan opens unlimited tests and shows your child what they got right, the right answers and how to reach them, on every CogAT, NNAT, OLSAT, NGAT, SCAT, InView, matrices and spatial reasoning test. Practicing for more than one kind of test? The US bundle covers them all for US$99.

Gifted test packLaunch price

US$49

for 6 months

Which questions your child got right, after every practice test
The right answer to every question
A worked solution for every question, step by step
CogAT from Kindergarten to Grade 8, all three batteries
NNAT and OLSAT from Kindergarten to Grade 12, NGAT to Grade 9
SCAT-style Verbal and Quantitative for the CTY talent search, Grades 2 to 9
InView-style practice, all five subtests, Grades 2 to 12
Matrices-style picture reasoning from Kindergarten to Grade 8, and spatial reasoning for Grades 5 to 8

Every US testLaunch price

US$99

for 6 months

Everything in every US pack, in one payment
CogAT, NNAT, OLSAT and NGAT, for gifted and talented programs
SCAT-style practice for the CTY talent search, Grades 2 to 9
InView-style practice for gifted screening, Grades 2 to 12
Matrices-style and spatial reasoning practice
ISEE and SSAT, for private school entry
HSPT and TACHS, for Catholic high school entry
Hunter-style practice, for Hunter College High School
Math contest practice, Grades 1 to 8
MAP Growth practice, by grade and subject
i-Ready-style Math and Reading, Kindergarten to Grade 8
Early reading practice, Kindergarten to Grade 3
SHSAT practice for Grades 8 and 9, English and math
Iowa practice for Grades 3 to 8, all five Core tests
TerraNova, Stanford 10 and CTP-style practice for Grades 3 to 8
ACT-style English, Math, Reading and Science for Grades 10 to 12
SAT-style and PSAT-style practice, Grades 8 to 12, Reading and Writing and Math
State test practice: STAAR-style and CAASPP-style math and reading, Grades 3 to 8

One payment in US dollars for 6 months of access. No auto-renewal: when the 6 months end, access stops unless you buy again.

Questions

What parents ask

Are these real SCAT questions?: No. SCAT questions are secure. We write our own questions in the style of the two question types CTY describes, at the same length and time, with four choices.
Which level should my child practice?: The level for your child's grade on test day: Elementary Level for Grades 2 and 3, Intermediate Level for Grades 4 and 5, and Advanced Level from Grade 6. Choose your child's grade below.
Why are the questions so hard for my child's grade?: Because the SCAT is an above-grade test: each level is written for students a few grades older. A score that would be low on a school test can be a strong SCAT result, which is why CTY compares students with older students, not with their own grade.
What does "It cannot be decided" mean in a comparison?: It is the right answer when the information does not fix which column is bigger: for example, when x could be 2 (making x² bigger) or 1/2 (making x² smaller). If both columns can be worked out, it is never right.
Does a practice score predict CTY eligibility?: No. CTY sets eligibility from its own scaled scores and the date of the test, which only the real test can give. Our score is the number of practice questions answered correctly, and we never show a scaled score or an eligibility line.
Is it free?: A free account includes 3 practice tests. A plan opens unlimited SCAT-style tests and shows which questions were right, the right answers and a worked solution for each. The gifted pack (US$49 for six months) covers CogAT, NNAT, OLSAT, NGAT, SCAT, InView, matrices and spatial reasoning. The US bundle (US$99) covers every US test we offer.

The SCAT (School and College Ability Test) is given by the Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth (CTY). Scholar Tests is not affiliated with or endorsed by Johns Hopkins University, CTY or any school. Our SCAT-style practice questions are written by us in the style of the published SCAT question types; they are not real SCAT questions, and a practice score is not a SCAT score and says nothing about CTY eligibility.