The CCAT-7 letter from TDSB
Every fall, TDSB sends every Grade 3 family a letter about its Universal Screening — a short test called the CCAT-7. Here’s what the letter means and what happens next, from the board’s own public documents. Last updated 19 September 2026.
What the letter is
TDSB calls this Universal Screening. A letter goes home to every Grade 3 family, not a chosen few, telling you the dates the test will be given at your child’s school. It usually arrives in late September.
It's opt-out, not opt-in
If you want your child to sit this one out, you tell the principal in writing before the date. If you do nothing, your child takes the test by default. That’s a change from years ago, when the letter asked for a signed permission form instead — worth knowing if you’re expecting something to sign.
What the CCAT-7 actually is
- Given to every Grade 3 student, in class, by the classroom teacher — usually in early-to-mid October.
- About 90 minutes total, split into three roughly 30-minute batteries: verbal, quantitative and non-verbal reasoning.
- Scored by an outside company. It never touches your child’s report card.
- A copy of the result is filed in your child's Ontario Student Record.
What happens if the result clears the bar
A student whose CCAT-7 result meets the board’s threshold moves to a Gifted Rating Scale — a form the classroom teacher fills out, covering things like creativity and motivation. That stage is entirely the teacher’s judgment. No practice product, ours included, has any way to influence it, and we think that’s worth saying plainly rather than implying otherwise.
Can you prepare for it?
TDSB’s own answer is no — its public page states that “no advance preparation or practice is permitted.” We’ve written a full page on exactly what that policy says, and what the board itself suggests doing at home instead: does TDSB allow test prep?
Sources
- TDSB, Universal Screening (public parent page) — tdsb.on.ca
- Palmerston Ave PS (TDSB), Gifted Screening Process for Grade 3 Students — schoolweb.tdsb.on.ca
- TDSB, CCAT-7 Parent Letter, Virtual School Students (PDF) — tdsb.on.ca
- TDSB Ward 13, Universal Screening and Gifted Programming, Ward Forum deck (PDF) — jamesli.net
CCAT-7 is a trademark of its publisher, Nelson Education. Cub Climb is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to Nelson Education, TDSB, or any school board. This page is general information, not advice — check the letter your own school sends for the current year’s dates.