St Helen and St Katharine: Sixth-Form Entry (CAT4, Level G)
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Table of Contents
Introduction
St Helen and St Katharine (SHSK) is an independent day school for girls. It comprises a Junior Department (Years 5 and 6), a Lower School (Years 7 and 8), a Middle School (Years 9, 10 and 11) and a Sixth Form (Years 12 and 13).
The school has an enviable academic reputation, with the curriculum designed to promote critical-thinking skills and intellectual curiosity. High-quality teaching and motivated students lead to excellent results in public exams. In 2025, 87.2% of A-level grades were in the A*-B range, enabling pupils to secure places at leading universities.
Outside of the academic curriculum, there are numerous clubs and activities for girls to participate in, including cricket, choir, astronomy and cooking. Additionally, girls can enhance their debating and research skills by joining the Model United Nations from Year 9 onwards, sign up for DofE and enjoy a wide range of trips.
Excellent pastoral care is at the heart of school life. A Christian ethos places great importance on kindness and respect, creating a safe and supportive community in which girls can flourish. Form tutors get to know their tutees well, meaning they can offer appropriate guidance when needed.
If you are interested in your daughter joining SHSK in the Sixth Form, please read on.
St Helen and St Katharine: Contact Details and Lower Sixth (Year 12) Admission Details
School Details for St Helen and St Katharine
Address: Faringdon Road, Abingdon, OX14 1BE
County: Oxfordshire
Admissions info: [email protected] or 01235 530593
School type: Selective independent school for girls aged 9-18
Entrance exam: Online CAT4, Level G
Admissions Process for Entry to the Sixth Form
Visiting SHSK is the best way to start the admissions process. Doing so will allow you and your daughter to determine whether St Helen’s is the right place for her to study for her A-levels. The school recommends that you attend the Whole School Open Day in early October, when your daughter is in Year 11 or before. You can also attend an Open Morning and arrange an individual visit.
If you and your daughter decide that SHSK is a good fit for your family, you should complete the online registration form by the October deadline and pay the £180 registration fee (£300 for overseas applicants).
Your daughter will then sit the online CAT4 (Level G) in October, shortly after the registration deadline, and be interviewed in November. A reference from her current school will also be reviewed as part of the admissions process.
Conditional offers will be made at the start of December. Any offer must be accepted or declined by the deadline in January.
Your daughter must then achieve at least five grades at GCSE in the 9-7 range, including those she intends to study at A-level. Offers are confirmed towards the end of August once GCSE results have been released.
Please be aware that there is a second round of admissions, with a registration deadline in early March of Year 11, but you cannot apply for a bursary or scholarship if you follow this route.
St Helen and St Katharine: Scholarships and Bursaries for Entry to the Sixth Form
Provided your daughter is in the first round of admissions, the following scholarships are available:
- Academic
- Art
- Design & Technology
- Drama
- Music
- Sports
- All-rounder
Your daughter can hold more than one scholarship, but only the first will carry any monetary value. The financial value of scholarships is modest because they are awarded to recognise excellence in particular areas and not to provide financial assistance.
If you need financial assistance for your daughter to attend SHSK, you can apply for a bursary. Bursaries are means-tested awards that enable girls from families who cannot afford the full fees to attend St Helen’s. If you intend to apply for a bursary, you should contact the admissions team before the October registration deadline using the contact information given earlier.
The Online CAT4 for Admission to the Sixth Form at St Helen and St Katharine
The CAT4 (Cognitive Abilities Test) comprises multiple-choice questions that cover the following areas:
- Verbal Reasoning
The verbal reasoning questions will evaluate your daughter’s ability to comprehend written information.
- Non-Verbal Reasoning
The non-verbal reasoning questions will determine your daughter’s ability to analyse and make sense of visual information, such as shapes and patterns, to solve problems.
- Quantitative Reasoning
The quantitative reasoning questions will assess your daughter’s ability to solve problems using numbers.
- Spatial Reasoning
The spatial reasoning questions will gauge how well your daughter can mentally manipulate 2D and 3D shapes.
The CAT4 has different levels for different year groups. SHSK uses Level G for entry to the Lower Sixth (Year 12).
Preparing for the Online CAT4 for Admission to the Sixth Form at St Helen and St Katharine
Feeling fully prepared for the online CAT4 at St Helen’s will help your daughter approach the entrance test with a positive mental attitude, which is crucial for success. We have compiled the following tips for your daughter for the preparation period:
- Study little and often. Having short but regular study sessions will be easier for you to slot in amongst your other commitments and leave enough time for you to relax.
- Embrace healthy living. Getting plenty of sleep, eating healthily and exercising will all boost your physical and mental wellbeing, helping you cope with the demands of an entrance exam to a selective school.
- Have a growth mindset. It will keep you motivated if you embrace the principle that time and effort will improve your skills. See mistakes as a chance to learn and grow and not as setbacks.
- Read a wide range of books. Reading will widen your vocabulary and ability to interpret written language, which will be particularly beneficial for the verbal reasoning questions of the CAT4.
- Continue with your hobbies. Taking time for your hobbies will help you relax and maintain a healthy balance between study and leisure. Hobbies can also strengthen valuable skills, for example, playing music improves focus and taking part in sport develops perseverance.
- Use our CAT4 practice tests. Our CAT4 online practice tests closely mirror the actual CAT4, allowing you to get used to the types of questions you will be asked, the time constraints and the format. You won’t have any surprises on the day that could affect your performance because you will know exactly what to expect. You can use the answers and explanations provided to learn from your mistakes, leading to a polished performance on the day.
Our CAT4 practice tests are online, making them available immediately after purchase.
St Helen and St Katharine: CAT4 Practice Materials, Level G
Our CAT4 practice tests and courses are highly accurate, ensuring that students’ exam preparation is targeted and efficient. Read on to learn more!
SHSK Sixth Form CAT4 Practice Tests
Our highly rated CAT4 practice tests are available to take online immediately after purchase. Each CAT4 practice test is marked automatically and can then be reviewed. Answers and explanations are provided for every question, as well as comparative ranking statistics on a per module basis so that each student’s strengths and weaknesses can be precisely determined.
CAT4 – Level G – Practice Test 1
CAT4 – Level G – Practice Test 2
CAT4 – Level G – Practice Test 3
CAT4 – Level G – Practice Test 4
CAT4 – Level G – Practice Test 5
CAT4 – Level G – Practice Test 6
CAT4 – Level G – Practice Test 7
CAT4 – Level G – Practice Test 8
CAT4 – Level G – Practice Test 9
CAT4 – Level G – Practice Test 10
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CAT4 Level G Practice Tests 1-5 Bundle
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SHSK Sixth Form CAT4 Skill Practice
The following Skill Practice Tests each focus on one module that will come up in the CAT4 assessment. Therefore, if students find particular modules challenging, they can target them specifically, making a big improvement in a short amount of time. Across each product, we cover every possible question variation that can come up in the actual exam. These topic-based practice tests are therefore extremely efficient and effective. All tests are marked automatically and feedback, solutions and statistical rankings are provided.
Non-Verbal Reasoning
CAT4 Level G – Figure Matrices
CAT4 Level G – Figure Classification
Verbal Reasoning
CAT4 Level G – Verbal Classification
CAT4 Level G – Verbal Analogies
Quantitative Reasoning
CAT4 Level G – Number Analogies
Spatial Reasoning
CAT4 Level G – Figure Analysis
CAT4 Level G – Figure Recognition
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SHSK Sixth Form CAT4 Video Courses
The video courses provide a step-by-step framework that will allow students to answer any CAT4 question efficiently, accurately and confidently. The total length of the video lessons in each course is over 15 hours, but they can be watched in any order so students can target the specific question styles that they find the hardest. Video tutorials within each course can be revisited as often as needed, allowing for repeated review of the material.
CAT4 Quantitative Reasoning Video Course
CAT4 Non-Verbal Reasoning Video Course
CAT4 Verbal Reasoning Video Course
CAT4 Spatial Reasoning Video Course
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If you have any questions about our resources, please don’t hesitate to contact us. We will always do our best to answer your queries, as our goal is to help your daughter excel in her CAT4 entrance exam.
The information in this post was believed to be correct at the time of publishing. However, please be aware of possible future changes. We advise you to contact the school directly if you are unsure of anything. School contact details are provided within the post.
Please note that Pretest Plus is an independent publisher of practice tests and not affiliated with or endorsed by the publishers of the CAT4 or any other test publisher.
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