CAT4 quantitative reasoning: Number Analogies and Number Series

The CAT4 Quantitative Reasoning battery has two tests: Number Analogies, where one rule turns each first number into its partner and your child completes the last pair, and Number Series, where they pick the next number in a row. GL gives them 10 and 8 minutes. The sums are simple; the skill is spotting the rule, and the free drills below have 12 original questions each.

2
number tests: 10 + 8
minutes: 36
quantitative questions (GL sample report): 2
free drills

Last checked 13 November 2026 · Tests and timings from GL Assessment; question total from GL's sample report

Free number drills: 12 original CAT4-style questions each, at the real pace, then every answer explained. No sign-up.

12
questions
6:40
time limit
Free
every answer explained

By the LifeScore Editorial Team · Updated 13 November 2026 · How we check facts · How this is scored

How does CAT4 Number Analogies work?

Your child sees two pairs of numbers made by the same rule, such as "times 3" or "double and add 1", and the first number of a third pair. They pick the number the rule makes from it.

The trap is a rule that fits the first pair but not the second. 3 → 9 could be "add 6" or "times 3"; only the second pair tells you which. The habit to build is to check every rule on both pairs before using it.

Rules get harder through the test: adding or taking away, then multiplying or dividing, then two steps, such as doubling and adding one. Squaring appears in the hardest questions.

CAT4-style question 1 · Number analogy
The same rule turns the first number into the second in each pair. Which number completes the last pair? [3 → 9] [5 → 15] [8 → ?]
1. A14
2. B16
3. C24
4. D11
5. E21
Show the worked answer
C: 24. The rule is multiply by 3: 3 → 9, 5 → 15, so 8 → 24.
1. Try the simplest rule on the first pair: 3 to 9 could be "add 6" or "times 3".
2. Test both on the second pair: 5 + 6 = 11, not 15; 5 × 3 = 15. So it is "times 3".
3. Use it on 8: 8 × 3 = 24.
The trap: 14, from "add 6", which works for the first pair only. Always check the rule on both pairs.
CAT4-style question 2 · Number analogy
The same rule turns the first number into the second in each pair. Which number completes the last pair? [4 → 9] [6 → 13] [10 → ?]
1. A15
2. B20
3. C21
4. D19
5. E25
Worked answer
C: 21. The rule is double it, then add 1: 4 → 9, 6 → 13, so 10 → 21.
1. The gaps are +5 and +7, so it is not a plain add.
2. Doubling gets close: 8 and 12, each one short. So double, then add 1.
3. 10 doubled is 20, plus 1 is 21.
The trap: 15, from "add 5", or 20, from doubling and stopping. Two-step rules need both steps.

How does CAT4 Number Series work?

Your child sees a row of numbers made by a rule and picks the one that comes next. Writing the gaps between numbers solves most of them.

Patterns that come up in our number series questions
Pattern	Example	Next
Same gap	3, 7, 11, 15	19
Growing gap	1, 2, 4, 7, 11	16
Doubling	3, 6, 12, 24	48
Two steps taking turns	2, 5, 4, 7, 6	9
Two series mixed together	1, 10, 2, 20, 3	30
Square numbers	1, 4, 9, 16	25

If the gaps are all the same, add the gap. If they change, look at the gaps as their own series. If they zig-zag, check which step comes next. That one routine, gaps first, covers almost every question.

CAT4-style question 1 · Number series
Which number comes next in the series? 3 7 11 15 19 23 ?
1. A25
2. B26
3. C27
4. D28
5. E31
Show the worked answer
C: 27. Each number is 4 more than the one before, so the next is 23 + 4 = 27.
1. Write the gaps: +4, +4, +4, +4, +4.
2. The gap is always 4.
3. 23 + 4 = 27.
The trap: Rushing and adding 3, the first number, instead of the gap.
CAT4-style question 2 · Number series
Which number comes next in the series? 12 13 15 18 22 27 ?
1. A32
2. B33
3. C34
4. D37
5. E45
Worked answer
B: 33. The gaps grow by one each time: +1, +2, +3, +4, +5, so the next gap is +6 and the next number is 33.
1. Gaps: +1, +2, +3, +4, +5.
2. The gaps go up by 1 each time, so the next gap is +6.
3. 27 + 6 = 33.
The trap: 32, from repeating the last gap of +5. When the gaps change, look at the gaps themselves as a series.
CAT4-style question 3 · Number series
Which number comes next in the series? 2 5 4 7 6 9 ?
1. A12
2. B10
3. C11
4. D8
5. E7
Show the worked answer
D: 8. The steps take turns: add 3, take away 1, add 3, take away 1. After 9 comes a "take away 1", so the answer is 8.
1. Gaps: +3, −1, +3, −1, +3.
2. They alternate, and the next one is −1.
3. 9 − 1 = 8.
The trap: 12, from adding 3 again. In a zig-zag series, check which step comes next.

More number practice, when it helps

Four more drills for each number test, and eight full CAT4-style mocks, every answer worked out.

The CAT4 Pass Pack gives you 8 full mocks on the real clock, 32 drills of 12 questions for the sections that cost you points, and a predictor that turns your mocks into the odds of reaching your target. One payment, no subscription, and your free score stays free.

Prep courses for these tests usually cost $19 to $129. The CAT4 Pass Pack is US$39 (£29), once.

See the CAT4 Pass Pack How our questions are built and checked

8
timed mocks: 32
topic drills: 1
score predictor

What maths does my child need for CAT4?

Only the basics: adding, taking away, times tables and halving. The questions are about spotting patterns, not about methods learnt in class.

That is deliberate. GL designs the quantitative battery so that a child who is weak at written maths but good at seeing patterns can show it. Quick recall of times tables does help with pace, and it is useful for everything else, so it is the one piece of practice that is worth it on its own merits.

There are no calculators and no long workings. If your child finds themselves doing a long sum, the rule is probably simpler than they think.

How fast does my child need to be on CAT4 number tests?

On our practice test, 18 questions in 10 minutes for Number Analogies and 18 in 8 minutes for Number Series: about half a minute each. Skipping a stubborn question is part of the skill.

A child who spends two minutes trying rules on one question loses easy marks later. Suggest a simple routine: try the obvious rule, check it, and if nothing fits in about thirty seconds, guess and move on. A blank scores no more than a wrong answer.

What does the CAT4 quantitative score tell a school?

How readily your child reasons with numbers, which helps teachers plan maths and science. It is not a maths attainment score.

A child with a strong quantitative score and weaker maths results may have more ability than their work shows, which is exactly what teachers want to know. The CAT4 scores page explains how the four battery scores are reported, and the verbal guide covers the word tests, which use the same thinking with words.

Where should my child practise next?

Try the two free drills above, then the free full practice test if you would like to see every format once.

The CAT4 practice test runs all eight tests on GL's clocks, and the spatial reasoning guide covers the folding and hidden-shape tests that most children find newest. More examples are on CAT4 sample questions.

GL Assessment says plainly that it advises against any kind of practice before CAT4 and does not endorse any practice materials, ours included, because CAT4 is not a test of learnt knowledge and coaching could make a score less accurate. We take that seriously. Our questions are for meeting the formats once or twice so nothing on the day is a shock, not for drilling a child towards a number.

Frequently asked questions

Can my child use a calculator in CAT4?

No. The numbers are kept simple so that a calculator is not needed.

How many number tests are on CAT4?

Two from Level A: Number Analogies (10 minutes) and Number Series (8 minutes).

Is the quantitative battery a maths test?

No. It tests reasoning with numbers, such as spotting rules, rather than methods taught in maths lessons.

Should my child learn times tables for CAT4?

Quick times tables help with pace, and with school maths generally, so they are worth having anyway.

Numbers, then the other three batteries

The free CAT4-style practice test covers all eight tests; the Pass Pack adds seven more mocks and 32 drills.