Diagrammatic Reasoning Test
Flowcharts, operators, sequences and process logic, in the formats employers actually set. Every question comes with a worked solution, so you learn to read operators at speed.
- 10 questions
- 10 minutes
- Worked solutions
- Printable PDF
Free · No sign-up · Scored the moment you finish
What is a diagrammatic reasoning test?
A diagrammatic reasoning test measures how well you follow processes and rules shown as diagrams. Employers use it for roles that involve logic, processes or systems before interview. You are shown flowcharts or sets of operators that change an input, and you work out the output or the missing step, choosing the best answer from the options provided. It rewards tracking each rule in order without losing your place.
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Free Diagrammatic Reasoning Test
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Question 1 of 10
Which shape comes next in the sequence?
- Figure A
- Figure B
- Figure C
- Figure D
Show the answer
Answer: D. Figure D
The answer is D. Each triangle turns 90° clockwise from the one before it. Continuing the turn gives the triangle at 0°. Figure A over-rotates by one extra 90° step. Figure B repeats the last shape without applying the final turn. Figure C turns back the way the sequence came instead of continuing.
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Question 2 of 10
Which shape comes next in the sequence?
- Figure A
- Figure B
- Figure C
- Figure D
Show the answer
Answer: B. Figure B
The answer is B. The triangle is flipped left-to-right at each step, so the orientation alternates. After the fourth shape (flipped) the sequence returns to the original, right angle at the bottom-left. Figure A rotates the triangle 90° clockwise rather than reflecting it. Figure C rotates the triangle 180° rather than reflecting it. Figure D keeps the flipped orientation instead of alternating back.
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Question 3 of 10
Which shape comes next in the sequence?
- Figure A
- Figure B
- Figure C
- Figure D
Show the answer
Answer: B. Figure B
The answer is B. The shaded cell moves one position clockwise around the grid at each step. The next clockwise position is the top-left cell. Figure A skips a cell, moving two positions clockwise instead of one. Figure C leaves the marker where it was, ignoring the move. Figure D moves the marker anticlockwise, the wrong way round.
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Question 4 of 10
Which shape comes next in the sequence?
- Figure A
- Figure B
- Figure C
- Figure D
Show the answer
Answer: A. Figure A
The answer is A. The shapes repeat in a fixed three-step cycle: triangle, then square, then pentagon. After the cycle restarts with the triangle, the next shape is the square. Figure B jumps to the third shape in the cycle, skipping one. Figure C introduces a hexagon, a shape the cycle never uses. Figure D repeats the shape just shown rather than advancing the cycle.
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Question 5 of 10
Which shape comes next in the sequence?
- Figure A
- Figure B
- Figure C
- Figure D
Show the answer
Answer: C. Figure C
The answer is C. The square alternates between shaded and unshaded at each step. The fourth shape is unshaded, so the next one is shaded again. Figure A shades the shape correctly but enlarges it, though the size never changes. Figure B leaves the shape unshaded instead of toggling the fill back to shaded. Figure D both fails to shade the shape and enlarges it.
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Question 6 of 10
Which shape comes next in the sequence?
- Figure A
- Figure B
- Figure C
- Figure D
Show the answer
Answer: D. Figure D
The answer is D. Each arrow turns 90° clockwise from the one before it. Continuing the turn gives the arrow at 0°. Figure A over-rotates by one extra 90° step. Figure B repeats the last shape without applying the final turn. Figure C turns back the way the sequence came instead of continuing.
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Question 7 of 10
Which shape comes next in the sequence?
- Figure A
- Figure B
- Figure C
- Figure D
Show the answer
Answer: A. Figure A
The answer is A. The triangle is flipped left-to-right at each step, so the orientation alternates. After the fourth shape (flipped) the sequence returns to the original, right angle at the bottom-left. Figure B rotates the triangle 180° rather than reflecting it. Figure C rotates the triangle 90° clockwise rather than reflecting it. Figure D keeps the flipped orientation instead of alternating back.
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Question 8 of 10
Which shape comes next in the sequence?
- Figure A
- Figure B
- Figure C
- Figure D
Show the answer
Answer: B. Figure B
The answer is B. The shaded cell moves one position clockwise around the grid at each step. The next clockwise position is the top-left cell. Figure A leaves the marker where it was, ignoring the move. Figure C skips a cell, moving two positions clockwise instead of one. Figure D moves the marker anticlockwise, the wrong way round.
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Question 9 of 10
Which shape comes next in the sequence?
- Figure A
- Figure B
- Figure C
- Figure D
Show the answer
Answer: D. Figure D
The answer is D. The shapes repeat in a fixed three-step cycle: triangle, then hexagon, then square. After the cycle restarts with the triangle, the next shape is the hexagon. Figure A introduces a diamond, a shape the cycle never uses. Figure B jumps to the third shape in the cycle, skipping one. Figure C repeats the shape just shown rather than advancing the cycle.
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Question 10 of 10
Which shape comes next in the sequence?
- Figure A
- Figure B
- Figure C
- Figure D
Show the answer
Answer: D. Figure D
The answer is D. The diamond alternates between shaded and unshaded at each step. The fourth shape is unshaded, so the next one is shaded again. Figure A leaves the shape unshaded instead of toggling the fill back to shaded. Figure B shades the shape correctly but enlarges it, though the size never changes. Figure C both fails to shade the shape and enlarges it.
How to interpret your score
| Score | What it suggests |
|---|---|
| 9 to 10 | Comfortably above the bar for most graduate schemes |
| 7 to 8 | Around the typical pass mark. Worth practising for speed |
| 5 to 6 | Below most employer thresholds. Focus on method before speed |
| 4 or fewer | Work through the worked solutions above before retrying |
Employers set their own thresholds and many sift on the top percentage of applicants rather than a fixed mark, so treat these as a guide.
Practise with the full pack
One test tells you the style. A pack gives you the pace: batches under time pressure, marked, with the working shown.
- 11
- Diagrammatic Reasoning tests
- 110
- questions, all solved
Types of diagrammatic reasoning question
Most tests are built from three question formats. Each guide below covers one, with practice questions.
Sequencing
Follow a sequence of diagrams and work out which one comes next.
Practise sequencing questionsSimilar shapes
Work out the rule a set of shapes shares, then pick the shapes that follow it.
Practise similar shapes questionsUnfolded shapes
Fold and unfold nets and punched patterns in your head.
Practise unfolded shapes questionsOperators
A symbol stands for a fixed change. Deduce what each one does, then apply the chain.
How operators workInput and output
Name every single thing that changed between input and output; the rule is that complete list.
How input-output questions workComparing sets
Find the one feature every diagram in a set shares, then place the new diagram.
How comparing sets worksHow are diagrammatic reasoning tests scored?
Most employers score you against other candidates, not against a fixed pass mark: your raw score becomes a percentile. Attempting questions matters, because most tests are built so few candidates finish, and guessing usually pays: negative marking is rare, but check the instructions.
Practice Aptitude Tests · Original data
How our test takers score
Results from every test in our Diagrammatic Reasoning pack, past and present.
Key finding59% of Diagrammatic Reasoning test takers score 80% or more.
How scores spread
59% scored 80% or more, and 8% scored under 40%.
Share of sittings in each score band.
Practice pays
Regular practisers went from 78% on their first test to 82% on their fifth.
15,590 people who took five or more tests.
Does speed help?
Speed makes little difference here.
Typical pace: 40 seconds a question.
Share this data
Video tutorials
The methods behind the questions above, from our team
