Chiang Mai International School | Lanna vs VCIS Entrance Test (CAT4)

Hi everyone! 😊

One of the biggest questions I had while preparing for international schools in Chiang Mai was, “What is the entrance test actually like?”

There wasn’t much information online, especially for older students, so I thought I’d share our family’s experience.

Both of my kids took entrance assessments at Lanna International School and Varee Chiangmai International School (VCIS), and although both are British curriculum schools, their tests felt quite different.

I hope this helps other families who are getting ready for admissions!

Our children’s grade levels

* My older son took the Secondary test (Year 7 at Lanna / Year 8 at VCIS).

* My younger son took the Primary Year 6 entrance test at both schools.

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1. Test Format

Lanna

Everything was completed on the same day.

The test included:

* CAT4
* Reading
* Writing
* Interview

It took about 3.5–4 hours in total.

It was definitely a long day, but it was nice to finish everything at once.

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VCIS

VCIS used a different process.

For Primary, the Reading, Writing and Interview were completed in about an hour.

For Secondary, students first took the CAT4 and Writing test (around 2 hours).

If they passed, they came back the following week for the Reading assessment and Interview, which took about 30 minutes.

When we took the test, entrance exams were usually held on Thursdays.

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2. CAT4

Both schools use the CAT4 (Cognitive Abilities Test) as part of the admissions process.

Lanna gives the CAT4 to both Primary and Secondary students, while VCIS only used it for Secondary applicants.

If you’re new to CAT4, don’t worry!

It’s not a school knowledge test.

Instead, it measures how students think and solve problems.

The four sections are:

* Verbal Reasoning
* Quantitative Reasoning
* Non-Verbal Reasoning
* Spatial Reasoning

My kids both said,

“It felt like an IQ puzzle test.”

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3. Reading

This was one of the biggest differences between the two schools.

Lanna

Students read passages and answered questions.

The vocabulary felt a little challenging, but my kids said they could often figure out the meaning from the context.

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VCIS

VCIS felt much more like a conversation.

After reading a passage, the teacher asked follow-up questions such as:

* Why do you think that happened?
* What do you think will happen next?

My kids said this part was harder because they had to organize their thoughts and answer immediately in English.

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4. Writing

The writing tasks were also quite different.

VCIS

Students were given a topic and asked to explain their opinion with reasons.

The expected length was about one page.

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Lanna

Students were given a single word and asked to create their own story.

This also took about one page.

Personally, this felt very similar to the creative writing my children had been doing at their IB school.

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5. Interview

The interviews at both schools were friendly and relaxed.

Some of the questions included:

* Tell me about yourself.
* What’s your favorite subject?
* Why do you like it?
* What book are you reading these days?
* Can you tell me about the story?
* What are your hobbies?
* Do you have any questions for us?

Nothing felt too unexpected.

If your child is comfortable talking about themselves, their hobbies, and the books they enjoy, they should be well prepared.

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Final Thoughts

Every school may change its admissions process from time to time, but I wanted to share what our experience was like because I remember how difficult it was to find information before we applied.

For us, it felt like:

* Lanna focused a little more on creative thinking and storytelling.
* VCIS focused more on discussing ideas and explaining opinions.

Hopefully this gives you a better idea of what to expect.

If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment! 😊

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#Lanna International School
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#International School Entrance Test
#British Curriculum
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#Thailand International School