The Netherlands has one of the most developed international school ecosystems in Europe, centred on the expat-heavy cities of Amsterdam, The Hague, Rotterdam, and Eindhoven. With tens of thousands of international families living in the Netherlands — drawn by multinationals including ASML, Philips, Shell, Unilever, and dozens of international organisations — the international school sector has grown dramatically. But entry to the most sought-after schools is competitive, and the admissions process involves specific assessments families need to understand.
The International School Landscape
International schools in the Netherlands broadly fall into three categories:
Schools offering the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme (PYP), Middle Years Programme (MYP), and/or Diploma Programme (DP). The IB Diploma is widely accepted by universities worldwide. Most prestigious international schools in the Netherlands are IB authorised.
Schools following the English National Curriculum, leading to IGCSEs at 16 and A-levels or IB at 18. These are familiar to UK expat families and are common in The Hague (which has several British-origin schools due to the international organisations based there).
Schools following a US curriculum, sometimes leading to the American High School Diploma or the International Baccalaureate. Less common than IB or British schools but present in Amsterdam and The Hague.
CAT4: The Key Admissions Assessment
The Cognitive Abilities Test 4 (CAT4) — published by GL Assessment — is the most widely used admissions and setting assessment in British-curriculum international schools worldwide, including in the Netherlands. If your child is applying to a British curriculum school or a school that uses the British assessment tradition, there is a high probability they will sit the CAT4.
The CAT4 measures four reasoning batteries:
- Verbal battery: Verbal classification, verbal analogies. Measures reasoning with words and language concepts. Note: this battery is language-dependent and may disadvantage children who are not native English speakers.
- Quantitative battery: Number series, number analogies. Measures reasoning with numbers and mathematical relationships. Less language-dependent than the verbal battery.
- Nonverbal battery: Figure classification, figure matrices. Measures reasoning with abstract shapes and patterns. Language-independent.
- Spatial battery: Figure analysis (paper folding), figure recognition. Measures spatial reasoning and mental rotation. Unique to CAT4 among major admissions tests.
For non-native English speakers: The CAT4 verbal battery disadvantages children whose home language is not English. Many schools are aware of this and weight the nonverbal and spatial batteries more heavily for EAL (English as Additional Language) students. Ask specifically how the school uses CAT4 results for EAL admissions.
How Schools Use CAT4 Scores
CAT4 produces Standard Age Scores (SAS) for each battery and a mean SAS overall. The scale has a mean of 100 and a standard deviation of 15 — the same as most standardised assessments including IQ tests. An SAS of 115+ is above average; 125+ is very able; 130+ is highly able.
Schools use CAT4 in two main ways: for admissions screening (to assess whether a child will be able to access the curriculum and thrive in the school's academic environment) and for internal setting (to group students by ability in specific subjects). Most international schools in the Netherlands do not use a strict CAT4 cutoff for admissions, but they use the score as one of several factors alongside previous school reports, teacher references, and English language ability.
For the most competitive schools — particularly those with limited places and long waiting lists — a high CAT4 score (typically 115+ mean SAS) is effectively a prerequisite for a realistic admissions conversation.
English Language Assessment
Most English-medium international schools assess English language ability separately from cognitive ability. Children who are not native English speakers may be assessed using IELT (International English Language Testing), BELA (Basic English Language Assessment), or a school-designed English language screening. Children who are admitted with lower English scores are often placed in EAL (English as an Additional Language) support programmes.
For families considering international schools in the Netherlands, the most important advice is to apply early — waiting lists at popular schools such as the British School in the Netherlands (BSN), the International School of Amsterdam (ISA), and the American School of the Hague (ASH) can exceed 12–18 months. Register your interest as soon as you know you are relocating to the Netherlands, regardless of how far off the actual move date is.