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.
From foundation to exam standard
Two questions at each level. Tap an option to check it.
Foundation where a child in Year 3 or 4 starts
Question 1Aim 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?
CQ
DQ
CP
?
Show the worked answer
Answer: D, DP
How to work it out
Compare figures that share a letter.
C and D are the shapes (oval, heart); Q and P are the shadings (cross-hatched, black).
The last figure is a black heart: DP.
Why the other options are wrong
A (PD): The letters are in the wrong order: the shape letter comes first.
B (DQ): The second letter is for the shading: this figure is black, which is P.
C (CP): The first letter is for the shape: this figure is a heart, which is D.
E (CQ): Both letters are wrong: match each feature to its letter one at a time.
Question 2Aim 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?
AQ
BQ
AP
?
Show the worked answer
Answer: D, BP
How to work it out
Compare figures that share a letter.
A and B are the shapes (triangle, house); Q and P are the shadings (cross-hatched, black).
The last figure is a black house: BP.
Why the other options are wrong
A (BQ): The second letter is for the shading: this figure is black, which is P.
B (AQ): Both letters are wrong: match each feature to its letter one at a time.
C (AP): The first letter is for the shape: this figure is a house, which is B.
E (PB): The letters are in the wrong order: the shape letter comes first.
Standard the 11 Plus standard, Year 5
Question 3Aim 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?
DR
ER
DS
?
Show the worked answer
Answer: A, ES
How to work it out
Compare figures that share a letter.
D and E are the shapes (chevron, house); R and S are the shadings (striped, cross-hatched).
The last figure is a cross-hatched house: ES.
Why the other options are wrong
B (DR): Both letters are wrong: match each feature to its letter one at a time.
C (ER): The second letter is for the shading: this figure is cross-hatched, which is S.
D (DS): The first letter is for the shape: this figure is a house, which is E.
E (SE): The letters are in the wrong order: the shape letter comes first.
Question 4Aim for about 45 seconds
Each letter stands for one feature. One code has a letter missing. Which letter should it be?
BQ
CQ
BS
C?
Show the worked answer
Answer: B, S
How to work it out
The second letter is the shading.
The third figure is black and its code ends S, so black is S.
Why the other options are wrong
A (T): T appears in no code, so it cannot be worked out from the examples.
C (Q): Q stands for striped; the last figure is black, which the third figure shows is S.
D (C): C is already there as the first letter, for the pentagon; the gap is the shading letter.
E (B): B is a shape letter (oval); the missing letter is in the second place, where the shading letter goes.
Exam standard what the papers ask in Year 6
Question 5Aim 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?
BQY
CQX
BSX
?
Show the worked answer
Answer: A, CSY
How to work it out
Compare figures that share a letter.
B and C are the shapes (circle, hexagon); Q and S are the shadings (white, grey); Y and X are one and two dots.
The last figure is a grey hexagon with one dot: CSY.
Why the other options are wrong
B (BQY): Both letters are wrong: match each feature to its letter one at a time.
C (CQY): The second letter is for the shading: this figure is grey, which is S.
D (BSY): The first letter is for the shape: this figure is a hexagon, which is C.
E (CSX): The third letter is for the number of dots: one dot is Y.
Question 6Aim 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?
CSY
BSZ
CRZ
?
Show the worked answer
Answer: C, BRY
How to work it out
Compare figures that share a letter.
C and B are the shapes (circle, square); S and R are the shadings (grey, white); Y and Z are one and two dots.
The last figure is a white square with one dot: BRY.
Why the other options are wrong
A (CRY): The first letter is for the shape: this figure is a square, which is B.
B (BRZ): The third letter is for the number of dots: one dot is Y.
D (BSY): The second letter is for the shading: this figure is white, which is R.
E (CSY): Both letters are wrong: match each feature to its letter one at a time.
The kinds of question in this topic
Each kind asks something different of a child, even when the numbers or shapes look alike.
Read the code
Each letter stands for one feature; give the code of the last figure.
Standard
Question 7Aim 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?
BP
AP
BR
?
Show the worked answer
Answer: C, AR
How to work it out
Compare figures that share a letter.
B and A are the shapes (hexagon, kite); P and R are the shadings (grey, black).
The last figure is a black kite: AR.
Why the other options are wrong
A (BP): Both letters are wrong: match each feature to its letter one at a time.
B (RA): The letters are in the wrong order: the shape letter comes first.
D (BR): The first letter is for the shape: this figure is a kite, which is A.
E (AP): The second letter is for the shading: this figure is black, which is R.
From code to figure
Given a code, find the figure it describes.
Standard
Question 8Aim for about 45 seconds
Each figure has a code; each letter stands for one feature. Which figure has the code AP?
CQ
AQ
CP
Show the worked answer
Answer: D
How to work it out
C and A are the shapes (triangle, heart); Q and P are the shadings (striped, grey).
AP is a grey heart.
Why the other options are wrong
A: The hexagon has no letter in the examples, so it cannot be A; A is the heart.
B: A grey triangle is CP: C is the letter for the triangle, and the code asks for A, the heart.
C: This is the first example, CQ: both letters are wrong for AP.
E: A striped heart is AQ: the shape is right but P means grey, not striped.
The missing letter
One code has a letter missing; which letter?
Standard
Question 9Aim for about 45 seconds
Each letter stands for one feature. One code has a letter missing. Which letter should it be?
AP
CP
AR
C?
Show the worked answer
Answer: A, R
How to work it out
The second letter is the shading.
The third figure is checked and its code ends R, so checked is R.
Why the other options are wrong
B (P): P stands for striped; the last figure is checked, which the third figure shows is R.
C (C): C is already there as the first letter, for the hexagon; the gap is the shading letter.
D (A): A is a shape letter (square); the missing letter is in the second place, where the shading letter goes.
E (S): S appears in no code, so it cannot be worked out from the examples.
Three letters
Shape, shading and size, one letter each.
Exam standard
Question 10Aim for about 45 seconds
Each figure has a three-letter code: one letter for its shape, one for its shading and one for its size. Which code belongs to the last figure?
APX
BPZ
ARZ
BRX
?
Show the worked answer
Answer: D, BRZ
How to work it out
A/B are the shapes (heart, square), P/R the shadings (cross-hatched, striped), X/Z the sizes (large, small).
The last figure is a small striped square: BRZ.
Why the other options are wrong
A (ARZ): The first letter is the shape: this figure is a square, which is B.
B (BRX): The third letter is the size: this figure is small, which is Z.
C (BPZ): The second letter is the shading: this figure is striped, which is R.
E (ARX): The shape letter and the size letter are both wrong; take one feature at a time.
The wrong code
Five labelled figures; one label is wrong.
Exam standard
Question 11Aim for about 45 seconds
Each letter stands for one feature. One of the five codes is wrong. Which figure has the wrong code?
BP
BQ
DQ
BQ
DP
Show the worked answer
Answer: E, Figure 2
How to work it out
The other four codes fix the letters: B is the chevron, D the circle, Q grey, P white.
Figure 2 is a grey circle, so its code should be DQ, not BQ.
Why the other options are wrong
A (Figure 5): Figure 5 is a white circle and its code DP fits: D for the circle, P for white.
B (Figure 3): Figure 3 is a grey circle and its code DQ fits: D for the circle, Q for grey.
C (Figure 1): Figure 1 is a white chevron and its code BP fits: B for the chevron, P for white.
D (Figure 4): Figure 4 is a grey chevron and its code BQ fits: B for the chevron, Q for grey.
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