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
Which picture shows this shape seen from the front? The front is the side facing you on the left.
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 above, not from the front.
B: The first line from the left is 3 cubes tall, but it is drawn only 2 tall.
C: The first line from the left is 3 cubes tall, but it is drawn 4 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.
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: 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: The second line from the left is 2 cubes tall, but it is drawn 3 tall.
B: The second line from the left is 2 cubes tall, but it is drawn only 1 tall.
C: This is the view from the right-hand side, so it shows the depth of the shape instead of its width.
D: This is the right view flipped left to right. Reading from the left it should be 3, 2, 2 cubes, not 2, 2, 3.
Standard the 11 Plus standard, Year 5
Question 3Aim for about 45 seconds
Which picture shows this shape seen from directly above?
Show the worked answer
Answer: B
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 front, not from above.
C: The second column from the left should show 3 squares from above, but only 2 here. Every column shows, even the short ones.
D: This is the view from the right-hand side, so it shows the depth of the shape instead of its width.
E: The first column from the left should show 3 squares from above, but this has 4. Nothing stands in the extra square.
Question 4Aim for about 45 seconds
These two stacks of cubes look the same from the front. Which view would show that they are different?
Show the worked answer
Answer: D, From the side
How to work it out
From the front only the tallest stack in each column shows, and those match.
From the side the stacks rise to different heights across the rows, so that view separates them.
Why the other options are wrong
A (From the back): The back view is the front view mirrored, so it is the same for both stacks.
B (From above): From above the two stacks look the same as well; only one view separates them.
C (No view: the stacks are the same): The stacks are different: they use 8 and 7 cubes, which from the side shows.
E (From the front): The front views are the same: that is given, so this view cannot tell them apart.
Exam standard what the papers ask in Year 6
Question 5Aim for about 45 seconds
These two stacks of cubes look the same from the front. Which view would show that they are different?
Show the worked answer
Answer: B, From the side
How to work it out
From the front only the tallest stack in each column shows, and those match.
From the side the stacks rise to different heights across the rows, so that view separates them.
Why the other options are wrong
A (From above): From above the two stacks look the same as well; only one view separates them.
C (No view: the stacks are the same): The stacks are different: they use 8 and 7 cubes, which from the side shows.
D (From the front): The front views are the same: that is given, so this view cannot tell them apart.
E (From the back): The back view is the front view mirrored, so it is the same for both stacks.
Question 6Aim 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: The second column from the left should show 3 squares from above, but only 2 here. Every column shows, even the short ones.
B: The second column from the left should show 3 squares from above, but this has 4. Nothing stands in the extra square.
D: This is the right view flipped left to right. Reading from the left it should be 3, 3, 1 squares, not 1, 3, 3.
E: This is the view from the right-hand side, so it shows the depth of the shape instead of its width.
The kinds of question in this topic
Each kind asks something different of a child, even when the numbers or shapes look alike.
Which view tells them apart
Two stacks look the same from the front; which view shows the difference?
Exam standard
Question 7Aim for about 45 seconds
These two stacks of cubes look the same from the front. Which view would show that they are different?
Show the worked answer
Answer: E, From the side
How to work it out
From the front only the tallest stack in each column shows, and those match.
From the side the stacks rise to different heights across the rows, so that view separates them.
Why the other options are wrong
A (No view: the stacks are the same): The stacks are different: they use 9 and 11 cubes, which from the side shows.
B (From the front): The front views are the same: that is given, so this view cannot tell them apart.
C (From above): From above the two stacks look the same as well; only one view separates them.
D (From the back): The back view is the front view mirrored, so it is the same for both stacks.
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.