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 figure comes next in the series?
?
Show the worked answer
Answer: C
How to work it out
The lightning bolt turns 90° anticlockwise each step and its shading stays dotted.
One more turn from the last figure gives the answer.
Why the other options are wrong
A: This turns one step too far: it is two turns of 90° anticlockwise on from the last figure, not one.
B: This keeps the last figure’s angle. The shape turns again on every step, so the next one must be turned further.
D: This is half a turn away from the right angle: count the turn from the last figure again, step by step.
E: This is the mirror image of the right figure. The series only turns the lightning bolt; it never flips it, and no turn makes a flipped one match.
Question 2Aim for about 45 seconds
Which option is the same figure, only turned (rotated)?
Show the worked answer
Answer: E
How to work it out
The right figure is the P shape turned 90° clockwise.
The others are its mirror image, and no turn ever undoes a flip.
Why the other options are wrong
A: This is the mirror image of the right answer: it is flipped, and turning cannot undo a flip.
B: This is the flipped P shape turned 90° clockwise. It looks turned, but it is still a mirror image.
C: This is the P shape flipped, not turned. Turning never swaps left and right, so it can never match.
D: This is the flipped P shape turned half a turn (180°). It looks turned, but it is still a mirror image.
Standard the 11 Plus standard, Year 5
Question 3Aim for about 45 seconds
Which shape looks the same after half a turn but has no line of symmetry?
Show the worked answer
Answer: B
How to work it out
The pinwheel fits on itself after half a turn, yet no fold makes its halves match.
Check both parts for every shape.
Why the other options are wrong
A: This P shape has no line of symmetry, but half a turn changes how it looks.
C: This regular heptagon looks different after half a turn, and it has a line of symmetry too.
D: This rhombus does look the same after half a turn, but it also has lines of symmetry.
E: This cloud has no line of symmetry, but half a turn changes how it looks.
Question 4Aim for about 45 seconds
How many straight sides does this shape have?
Show the worked answer
Answer: A, 12
How to work it out
The pinwheel has 12 straight sides.
Put a finger on one corner and count every side all the way round until you are back where you started.
Why the other options are wrong
B (13): This is one too many: a side has been counted twice. Stop when you reach the side you started on.
C (10): This misses two sides. Short sides, such as the ends of a thick line, are sides too.
D (14): This counts two sides twice. Count each side once only, all the way round.
E (11): This is one too few: one side has been missed. Mark the side you start on so you know when you are back.
Exam standard what the papers ask in Year 6
Question 5Aim for about 45 seconds
Which option shows the figure reflected in a vertical mirror line?
Show the worked answer
Answer: D
How to work it out
In a vertical mirror line, left and right swap and top and bottom stay put.
Imagine folding the page along a line just to the right of the shape.
Why the other options are wrong
A: This is flipped, but then turned a little from where the mirror puts it.
B: This is reflected the right way, but the shading has changed to striped. A reflection keeps the shading.
C: This is the figure unchanged. It has not been reflected at all.
E: This is the figure turned a little. Turning is not reflecting: the shape has not been flipped.
Question 6Aim for about 45 seconds
Which option is the same figure, only turned (rotated)?
Show the worked answer
Answer: E
How to work it out
The right figure is the cloud turned 135° clockwise.
The others are its mirror image, and no turn ever undoes a flip.
Why the other options are wrong
A: This is the mirror image of the right answer: it is flipped, and turning cannot undo a flip.
B: This is the flipped cloud turned half a turn (180°). It looks turned, but it is still a mirror image.
C: This is the cloud flipped, not turned. Turning never swaps left and right, so it can never match.
D: This is the flipped cloud turned 90° clockwise. It looks turned, but it is still a mirror image.
Practise straight away at your child’s school year in maths and English, with verbal and non-verbal reasoning for the 11 Plus, and every answer explained. A free check, whenever you like, shows what to practise next and builds a weekly plan, for their year or for your target schools. Parents follow progress free.