Home / 11 Plus guide / Question types / Non-Verbal Reasoning 11 Plus non-verbal reasoning: every question type 14 topics. Each one below shows an exam-standard question to try and the kinds of question inside the topic; open a topic to see it from foundation upwards.
Every question here is written by Prism in the style of the tests. None is copied from a real paper, and a fresh one is drawn each time a child practises.
What comes next in a sequence of figures?
A mark walks round the corners Dots that grow Shapes that take turns Find the break in the series
Exam standard
Question 1 Aim for about 45 seconds
Which figure comes next in the series?
A B C D E
Show the worked answer
Answer: B
How to work it out The hook turns 90° anticlockwise each step and the shading alternates; one dot is added each time.
Why the other options are wrong A : This repeats the last figure's angle (270°). The shape should turn 90° anticlockwise again, to 180°.C : The angle is right but the shading is wrong: it alternates grey and black, and the last figure was black, so this one should be grey.D : This turns one step too far: the next angle is 180°, but this is at 90°.E : The dots go 1, 2, 3, 4 so the next has 5; this has 4, the same as the last figure. Find the figure that doesn’t share the rule.
Count the strokes
Exam standard
Question 2 Aim for about 45 seconds
Which figure is the odd one out?
A B C D E
Show the worked answer
Answer: E
How to work it out In each figure the number of dots matches the number of sides of the shape, except the odd one out. Shading and angle are distractors. Why the other options are wrong A : This unshaded hexagon (upright (0°)) has 6 sides and 6 dots, so it follows the rule. Only one figure's dots differ from its sides.B : This grey square (turned to 90°) has 4 sides and 4 dots, so it follows the rule. Only one figure's dots differ from its sides.C : This unshaded pentagon (turned to 180°) has 5 sides and 5 dots, so it follows the rule. Only one figure's dots differ from its sides.D : This unshaded square (turned to 180°) has 4 sides and 4 dots, so it follows the rule. Only one figure's dots differ from its sides. Which shape could join this group?
Two rules at once The hidden sum If this then that Which cannot belong Must or cannot be true
Exam standard
Question 3 Aim for about 45 seconds
The three figures are alike in some way. Which figure goes with them?
A B C D E
Show the worked answer
Answer: C
How to work it out In every figure the number of dots matches the number of sides. Shading and angle do not matter. Why the other options are wrong A : A square has 4 sides but this one has 6 dots. In the three, the dots always match the sides.B : A square has 4 sides but this one has 5 dots. In the three, the dots always match the sides.D : A pentagon has 5 sides but this one has 4 dots. In the three, the dots always match the sides.E : A hexagon has 6 sides but this one has 5 dots. In the three, the dots always match the sides. A changes to B as C changes to ?
Find the rule Find the row that breaks the rule What was it before
Exam standard
Question 4 Aim for about 45 seconds
The first figure changes into the second. Which option changes the third figure in the same way?
A B C D E
Show the worked answer
Answer: E
How to work it out The figure becomes shaded solid, and then is reflected (mirrored). Apply both changes to the third figure. Why the other options are wrong A : This only makes the first change (the figure becomes shaded solid) and misses the second (it is reflected).B : This reflects the figure one time too many, which cancels the reflection that the rule needs.C : This is the third figure unchanged, so neither of the two changes has been made.D : This only makes the second change (the figure is reflected) and misses the first (it becomes shaded solid). Complete the grid.
Size across, shape down The hidden second rule Overlay matrices
Exam standard
Question 5 Aim for about 45 seconds
In each row the third figure is made from the first two. Which figure completes the grid?
A B C D E
Show the worked answer
Answer: B
How to work it out Look along the top row: the lines of the first figure and the second figure together make the third. The bottom row follows the same rule. Why the other options are wrong A : This is only the second figure of the row.C : This has no lines at all; the third figure keeps both.D : One of the two lines is from this row, the other is not.E : This is only the first figure of the row; the third combines the first two. Mirror images in a vertical line.
Exam standard
Question 6 Aim for about 45 seconds
Which option shows the figure reflected in a vertical mirror line?
A B C D E
Show the worked answer
Answer: A
How to work it out In a vertical mirror, left and right swap but top and bottom stay put. Imagine folding the page along a line to the right of the shape. Why the other options are wrong B : This is the original figure, unchanged. It has not been reflected, so left and right have not swapped.C : This is flipped, but then turned a further 90° from where a vertical mirror puts it.D : This is the original turned half a turn (180°). Turning is not reflecting: the shape is not flipped.E : This is the original turned a quarter turn (90°). Turning is not reflecting: the shape is not flipped. Fold, punch and unfold (CAT4 figure analysis).
Exam standard
Question 7 Aim for about 45 seconds
The paper is folded in half and in half again, then holes are punched through all the layers. What does it look like when unfolded?
A B C D E
Show the worked answer
Answer: B
How to work it out The paper was folded twice, so every hole goes through four layers and appears four times: mirrored across the vertical fold and across the horizontal fold.
Why the other options are wrong A : This unfolds only the vertical fold. The paper was folded twice, so each hole appears four times.C : This unfolds only the horizontal fold. The paper was folded twice, so each hole appears four times.D : This copies each hole to the opposite corner only. It misses the two copies beside it.E : These are only the holes that were punched. Unfolding copies each one across both folds. Recognising turned figures.
Two changes, which order What if it had been turned instead
Exam standard
Question 8 Aim for about 45 seconds
Which option is the same figure, only turned (rotated)?
A B C D E
Show the worked answer
Answer: E
How to work it out The correct figure is turned 90°. The others are mirror images, no amount of turning makes them match. Why the other options are wrong A : This is the original reflected (flipped), not turned. Turning never swaps left and right, so it can never match.B : This is the flipped figure turned a further quarter turn. It looks turned, but it is still a mirror image.C : This is the flipped figure turned half a turn. It looks turned, but it is still a mirror image.D : This is the mirror image of the correct figure. It is flipped, and turning can never undo a flip. Work out which letter stands for which feature of a figure.
Read the code From code to figure The missing letter Three letters The wrong code
Exam standard
Question 9 Aim for about 45 seconds
Each figure has a code. Each letter stands for one feature of the figure. Which code belongs to the last figure?
A ARY B AQY C DQY D DRY E DQZ
Show the worked answer
Answer: C, DQY
How to work it out Compare figures that share a letter. A and D are the shapes (hexagon, triangle); R and Q are the shadings (grey, white); Y and Z are one and two dots. The last figure is a white triangle with one dot: DQY. Why the other options are wrong A (ARY): Both letters are wrong: match each feature to its letter one at a time.B (AQY): The first letter is for the shape: this figure is a triangle, which is D.D (DRY): The second letter is for the shading: this figure is white, which is Q.E (DQZ): The third letter is for the number of dots: one dot is Y. Fold a net with symbols in your head and find the cube it makes.
Which cube from this net The opposite face Which net will not fold Which cube cannot be made
Exam standard
Question 10 Aim for about 45 seconds
This net is folded into a cube with the symbols on the outside. Which symbol is on the face opposite the ring?
A The dot B The black square C The plus sign D The cross E The hollow square
Show the worked answer
Answer: D, The cross
How to work it out Squares with one square between them in a row fold to opposite faces, so the ring and the cross are opposite. Opposite faces never share an edge. Why the other options are wrong A (The dot): The dot shares an edge with the ring once the net is folded, so it sits next to it, not opposite.B (The black square): The black square shares an edge with the ring once the net is folded, so it sits next to it, not opposite.C (The plus sign): The plus sign shares an edge with the ring once the net is folded, so it sits next to it, not opposite.E (The hollow square): The hollow square shares an edge with the ring once the net is folded, so it sits next to it, not opposite. Find a shape hidden inside a busy design, the same size and the same way up.
Which two pieces fit Hidden, but turned The design that does not have it
Exam standard
Question 11 Aim for about 45 seconds
Which design has the shape on the left hidden in it? It must be the same size and the same way up.
A B C D E
Show the worked answer
Answer: D
How to work it out Trace the parallelogram: find one of its corners in each design and follow its sides. Only one design contains every side, the same size and the same way round. Why the other options are wrong A : This design hides a mirror image of the shape. It must match exactly, the same way round.B : The shape is here, but twice as big. It must be exactly the same size.C : This design hides the shape flipped upside down. It must match exactly.E : The shape is here, but turned. It must be the same way up. Match a solid to what it looks like from directly above.
Exam standard
Question 12 Aim for about 45 seconds
Which picture shows this solid seen from directly above?
A B C D E
Show the worked answer
Answer: C
How to work it out The solid is a cuboid. Seen from directly above it looks like a long rectangle. Why the other options are wrong A : This is the view from above of a triangular prism (standing up) (a triangle).B : This is the view from above of a cube (a square).D : This is the view from above of a cylinder (a plain circle).E : This is the view from above of a hexagonal-based pyramid (a hexagon with lines from each corner to the centre). How many cubes make a 3D shape, including the hidden ones.
Fewest and most cubes
Exam standard
Question 13 Aim for about 45 seconds
How many cubes make this shape? Every cube is resting on the ground or on another cube.
A 4 B 7 C 8 D 10 E 9
Show the worked answer
Answer: E, 9
How to work it out Count each column from the back: 3 + 2, then 3, then 1. That makes 9. Only 7 can be seen; the rest are hidden underneath. Why the other options are wrong A (4): This counts the 4 columns, one cube for each top you can see, not every cube in each column.B (7): This counts only the 7 cubes you can see. 2 more are hidden underneath, holding the others up.C (8): One too few. 3 + 2 + 3 + 1 makes 9; a cube at the bottom of a column was missed.D (10): One too many. Counting column by column, 3 + 2 + 3 + 1 makes 9, not 10. What a stack of cubes looks like from above or from the front.
Which view tells them apart
Exam standard
Question 14 Aim for about 45 seconds
Which picture shows this shape seen from the front? The front is the side facing you on the left.
A B C D E
Show the worked answer
Answer: E
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 view from the right-hand side, so it shows the depth of the shape instead of its width.B : The second line from the left is 2 cubes tall, but it is drawn only 1 tall.C : The third line from the left is 1 cube tall, but it is drawn 2 tall.D : This is the right view flipped left to right. Reading from the left it should be 3, 2, 1 cubes, not 1, 2, 3. Find out where your child stands today 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.
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