3D shapes: cube stack views: 11 Plus non-verbal reasoning practice
What a stack of cubes looks like from above or from the front.
Less commonIn some papers only, mainly spatial sections and a few independent schoolsAbout 45 seconds a question in the test
The big idea
From directly above, every column shows as one square, however tall it is. From the front, you see the tallest cube in each line from left to right.
Keep left and right the same way round. A view that is a mirror image of the right answer is the most common trap.
Tips that save marks
From above: count the columns, not the cubes.
From the front: look at the height of each line of cubes.
Check the left edge of the view matches the left edge of the shape.
Now try five
Try each one before you look at the answer: answering from memory is what makes it stick. Tap an option to check it. Most children get three or four right at first; five out of five means move on to the next topic.
Question 1Aim for about 45 seconds
Which picture shows this shape seen from directly above?
Show the worked answer
Answer: D
How to work it out
From above you see one square for every column, however tall it is.
Match the pattern of columns, keeping left and right the same way round.
Why the other options are wrong
A: There is an extra square. Nothing stands there.
B: This is the view from the front, not from above.
C: A square is missing. From above, every column shows, even the short ones.
E: This is the right view flipped left to right. Keep the left side on the left.
Question 2Aim for about 45 seconds
Which picture shows this shape seen from the front? The front is the side facing you on the left.
Show the worked answer
Answer: C
How to work it out
From the front you see how tall the shape is across its width: the tallest cube in each line from left to right.
Why the other options are wrong
A: This is the right view flipped left to right. Keep the left side on the left.
B: One line of cubes is drawn a cube too short.
D: This is the view from above, not from the front.
E: One line of cubes is drawn a cube too tall.
Question 3Aim for about 45 seconds
Which picture shows this shape seen from directly above?
Show the worked answer
Answer: C
How to work it out
From above you see one square for every column, however tall it is.
Match the pattern of columns, keeping left and right the same way round.
Why the other options are wrong
A: There is an extra square. Nothing stands there.
B: This is the right view flipped left to right. Keep the left side on the left.
D: A square is missing. From above, every column shows, even the short ones.
E: This is the view from the right-hand side.
Question 4Aim for about 45 seconds
Which picture shows this shape seen from directly above?
Show the worked answer
Answer: D
How to work it out
From above you see one square for every column, however tall it is.
Match the pattern of columns, keeping left and right the same way round.
Why the other options are wrong
A: This is the view from the right-hand side.
B: There is an extra square. Nothing stands there.
C: A square is missing. From above, every column shows, even the short ones.
E: This is the view from the front, not from above.
Question 5Aim for about 45 seconds
Which picture shows this shape seen from the front? The front is the side facing you on the left.
Show the worked answer
Answer: A
How to work it out
From the front you see how tall the shape is across its width: the tallest cube in each line from left to right.
Why the other options are wrong
B: One line of cubes is drawn a cube too tall.
C: This is the view from the right-hand side.
D: One line of cubes is drawn a cube too short.
E: This is the right view flipped left to right. Keep the left side on the left.
Want a plan built around the topics your child finds hardest?
Prism starts with a free assessment across maths, English, verbal and non-verbal reasoning, then builds a weekly plan for your target schools. Parents follow progress free.