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The SCAT (School and College Ability Test) is an online, above-grade-level test of verbal and quantitative reasoning used by the Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth (CTY) to qualify students for its programs. It has two 20-minute sections of 50 questions each: verbal analogies and quantitative comparisons. Students in grades 2-3 take the Elementary level, grades 4-5 the Intermediate level, and grades 6 and up the Advanced level. Growing Stars offers one-on-one online SCAT prep with a risk-free trial.
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The SCAT is taken online at home and has two timed sections. Each section starts with a short unscored practice set, and students may take a break of up to 10 minutes between sections.
| Section | Time | Questions | What It Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| Verbal | 20 minutes | 50 | Word analogies: spotting the relationship between two words and finding a pair with the same relationship |
| Quantitative | 20 minutes | 50 | Quantitative comparisons: deciding which of two quantities is greater, whether they are equal, or (at higher levels) whether there is not enough information |
Each section also includes a small number of unscored experimental questions that look like the rest of the test.
| SCAT Level | Student Grade | Verbal Score Range | Quantitative Score Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary | Grades 2-3 | 401-471 | 412-475 |
| Intermediate | Grades 4-5 | 405-482 | 419-506 |
| Advanced | Grades 6 and up | 410-494 | 424-514 |
Because the SCAT is above grade level, your child is compared with older students who took the same level. Score ranges are from Johns Hopkins CTY. Check CTY for current qualifying scores for each program.
Puppy : Dog as Kitten : ?
Step 1: Name the relationship. A puppy is a young dog.
Step 2: Apply it to the second pair. A kitten is a young cat, so the answer is Cat.
Column A: 3 x 4. Column B: 2 x 6.
Step 1: Work out each side. 3 x 4 = 12 and 2 x 6 = 12.
Step 2: Compare. The two quantities are equal. Many SCAT comparisons can be solved by reasoning about the numbers without full calculation, which is a key skill tutors practice with students.
Build verbal reasoning and quantitative comparison skills with one-on-one SCAT tutoring matched to your child’s level. Start with a risk-free trial session.
The SCAT is the main qualifying test for many Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth programs. It is computer-based and taken at home. Students in grades 2-3 take the Elementary SCAT, students in grades 4-5 take the Intermediate SCAT, and students in grade 6 and up take the Advanced SCAT. Each level is written for students several grades older, which is why it is called an above-grade-level test. Results are reported as scaled scores for the verbal and quantitative sections.
A focused four-week plan works well for most students:
| Week | Focus |
|---|---|
| Week 1 | Learn the two question types and take a timed practice set to find a starting point |
| Week 2 | Analogy relationships (part to whole, young to adult, tool to use) and vocabulary building |
| Week 3 | Quantitative comparisons: number sense, fractions, estimation, and spotting when information is missing |
| Week 4 | Full timed sections, review of mistakes, and test-day routine |
Reading widely and talking about new words at home also builds the vocabulary the verbal section relies on.
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Practice matched to your child's SCAT level
Step-by-step method for verbal analogies
Number sense and estimation for quantitative comparisons
Timed practice to build pacing
Immediate feedback on every mistake
Progress updates from an Education Manager
Hard to know which mistakes matter most
No one to explain analogy relationships
Easy to practice at the wrong level
Pacing problems often go unnoticed
Practice books may not match the online format
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Find quick answers to common questions about our SCAT tutoring, session format, and student support.
The SCAT (School and College Ability Test) is a short online test of verbal and quantitative reasoning. Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth (CTY) uses it to identify advanced learners for its programs. It is an above-grade-level test, so students take a version written for older grades.
Students in grades 2-3 take the Elementary SCAT, students in grades 4-5 take the Intermediate SCAT, and students in grades 6 and up take the Advanced SCAT.
The SCAT has two scored sections, verbal and quantitative, each 20 minutes long with 50 questions. Each section starts with a short unscored practice set, and students can take a break of up to 10 minutes between sections.
The verbal section uses word analogies, where students find a word pair with the same relationship as the first pair. The quantitative section uses comparisons, where students decide which of two quantities is greater or whether they are equal.
Yes. While the SCAT measures reasoning rather than specific school content, practice with analogies, vocabulary, number sense, and timed sections helps students understand the format and work more confidently.
SCAT scores are scaled and compared with older students who took the same level. Johns Hopkins CTY sets the qualifying scores for each of its programs, so families should check CTY’s current requirements for the program they are interested in.
The SCAT is computer-based and taken at home. Families register through Johns Hopkins CTY.
Most students benefit from three to six weeks of focused practice before their test date. Starting earlier gives more time to build vocabulary, which helps on the verbal section.
Your child works one-on-one with a tutor in live online sessions. The tutor uses practice at your child’s SCAT level, explains each question type step by step, and an Education Manager keeps you updated on progress.
Yes. Growing Stars offers a risk-free trial so you can see how sessions work before choosing a plan.
