Non-verbal reasoning is the ability to solve problems using shapes, patterns and diagrams rather than words or numbers. A non-verbal reasoning test shows you a series or grid of figures that change according to hidden rules, and asks you to work out the rules and pick the figure that completes the pattern or does not belong. It measures how well you spot logical relationships in information you have not seen before.
You can see the question styles for yourself in a free non-verbal reasoning test, which has a worked solution for every question.
What a non-verbal reasoning test looks like
Each question shows a set of figures made of simple shapes, lines, dots and shading. Something about them changes in a regular way. A shape might rotate, a dot might move round a square, the number of sides might rise by one each time. You choose the answer, usually from four or five options, that fits the rule.
The tests are almost always multiple choice and timed. They are often taken online as part of a job application, alongside verbal and numerical reasoning tests. In the UK, non-verbal reasoning is also a common part of the 11+ entrance exams for some secondary schools.
What non-verbal reasoning measures
Because there is almost nothing to read, a non-verbal test is less affected by language and vocabulary than other aptitude tests. What it measures is your ability to:
- Notice what changes and what stays the same across a set of figures.
- Turn those observations into a rule.
- Hold two or three rules in mind at once and apply them together.
- Picture shapes being rotated, reflected or folded.
This is sometimes described as fluid reasoning: thinking logically about new problems rather than drawing on what you already know. Employers value it for roles where people have to make sense of unfamiliar information quickly, such as engineering, IT, analysis and many graduate schemes.
A quick example
Question. Four frames show an arrow and a dot. In frame 1 the arrow points up and the dot is in the top left corner. In frame 2 the arrow points right and the dot is in the top right corner. In frame 3 the arrow points down and the dot is in the bottom right corner. What does frame 4 show?
Answer: the arrow points left and the dot is in the bottom left corner.
There are two rules running side by side. The arrow turns 90 degrees clockwise each frame: up, right, down, then left. The dot moves one corner clockwise each frame: top left, top right, bottom right, then bottom left. Neither rule is hard on its own. The skill is spotting both and applying them together.
For more worked questions across every format, see our non-verbal reasoning examples.
The main question types
Most non-verbal tests are built from a handful of formats:
- Series: which figure comes next in a sequence.
- Matrices: which figure completes a grid, usually three by three.
- Odd one out: which figure does not share the rule the others follow.
- Similar shapes and analogies: which figure belongs with a group, or completes a pair in the same way as an example pair.
- Codes: letters stand for features of a shape, and you work out the code for a new one.
- Spatial items: rotations, reflections, nets of cubes and folded paper.
Each type has its own method. Our guide to non-verbal reasoning question types explains how to tackle each one.
The rules to look for
Nearly every non-verbal question is built from a short list of changes, and learning them turns the test into recognition rather than guesswork.
- Rotation: a shape turns by a fixed angle each step.
- Reflection: a shape flips to its mirror image, which rotation alone can never produce.
- Movement: an element moves a set distance or around the edge of a figure.
- Alternation: something switches between two states, such as black and white, on a cycle.
- Number: the count of sides, dots, lines or shapes rises or falls steadily.
- Size and shading: scale and fill change on their own cycle.
Real questions layer two or three of these at once, so keep looking for a second rule after you have found the first.
How to approach the questions
Work through one element of the figure at a time rather than trying to read the whole thing at once. A question that looks complicated is usually two or three simple rules running side by side.
- Be clear what is being asked: the next in a sequence, the odd one out or the missing cell.
- Track one element at a time. Follow a single shape or feature across every figure and note how it changes, then do the same for the next one.
- Note what does not change. A feature that stays fixed still rules out options that alter it.
- Predict the answer before you look at the options. This stops a plausible distractor from leading you.
- Sketch it if you can. Drawing a rotation or a fold on scrap paper is faster and more reliable than holding it in your head.
Non-verbal, abstract, inductive and diagrammatic reasoning
You will see several names for tests that look very similar. Abstract reasoning and inductive reasoning tests use the same kind of shape patterns and ask you to find the rule. Diagrammatic reasoning tests often add flowcharts or processes, where symbols change shapes as they pass through. Spatial reasoning focuses on rotating and folding shapes in your head. “Non-verbal reasoning” is the broadest name, and a non-verbal test can include any of these.
Can you get better at it?
Yes. The rules repeat across tests, so the more you practise the faster you recognise them. Most people find their speed improves noticeably after a few practice sessions. For practical advice, read how to pass a non-verbal reasoning test.
Try a non-verbal reasoning test
The quickest way to understand non-verbal reasoning is to try some questions. Take a timed non-verbal reasoning practice test and read the solutions to anything you got wrong.
