NFER Testing

NFER Testing: Saturday 10th May 2025 at 8:30am - 12:00 noon (all students must be collected by  12.00 noon promptly)

These NFER tests are nothing to worry about. They are Cognitive Ability Tests (CATs) which assess a student's ability to think through a set of problems. They are baseline tests to assess verbal (thinking with words), quantitative (thinking with numbers) and non-verbal (thinking with shape and space) reasoning and are used widely by many schools when students transfer from primary to secondary school. The tests are not linked to the National Curriculum.

The tests are designed to be taken without any revision or preparation so they can assess a child's potential in their ability to reason. CAT tests indicate general transferable abilities, such as the ability to recognise similarities, analogies, patterns and relationships, all fundamental to understanding and assimilating new information. They are designed specifically to minimise the role of prior learning and can therefore provide an indication of potential.

The questions are multiple choice format, and the students have to select an answer from those given and mark this onto an answer sheet. CAT tests differ from the national tests (or SATs) which indicate attainment in some core areas of the curriculum and reflect how well pupils have acquired and retained specific knowledge in these areas.

These tests are used in conjunction with KS2 data (from your daughter's primary school) in order to set the students in Year 7. Setting reviews also take place during Year 7.

On NFER testing day your daughter should wear her current primary school uniform, bring a snack for break time, a pencil and an eraser. The only access to the school will be by the main gate on Shorts Road, opposite the junction with Alma Road [for SATNAV purposes, use postcode SM5 2PB]. 

Please arrive promptly by 8.30am. The students are to line up alphabetically according to surname outside the Marie Therese Hall. If raining, students will sit in the Chapel.

Please collect your daughter from the Marie Therese Hall at 12.00 noon. If your daughter cannot attend on 10th May 2025, please contact the Admissions Officer, Dr Atkins beforehand by email admissions@stphils.org.uk using ‘NFER’ as the subject. Parking will be available on the school field.

Students enjoying the Year 7 Fun Run.