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To do an abstract reasoning test well, stop hunting for the answer and start running a checklist. Almost every item is built from a small set of pattern families: counting, position and movement, rotation, reflection, progression, adding or removing elements, and shading or colour. Check for each family in the same order every time, confirm the rule holds across at least two transitions, then eliminate the options that break it.
That fixed order is what raises scores. Candidates who struggle usually spot one plausible rule, commit to it, and never check whether something simpler explains the whole sequence. Candidates who do well test the cheap rules first, and only reach for a complicated explanation when nothing simple fits.
This guide sets out the pattern families, the order to check them in, and worked walk-throughs that show the reasoning in full. For the background on what these tests measure, who uses them and what a full question set looks like, see our abstract reasoning tests page. If you want the verbal equivalent, our guides on logical reasoning tests and inductive reasoning tests cover the same ground for words and arguments.
How abstract reasoning tests work
An abstract reasoning test is typically timed, multiple-choice, and entirely visual. Each question presents a pattern or relationship, followed by several possible answers, only one of which follows the same underlying rule.
Typical test structure
Most abstract reasoning tests share the following features:
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Strict time limits, often between 30 and 90 seconds per question
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Increasing difficulty as the test progresses
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No calculators or written working
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Visual information only, with no words or numbers
What the test is really assessing is not intelligence, but how quickly and accurately you can learn new rules under pressure.
Why time pressure matters
Difficulty in abstract reasoning tests comes from a combination of novelty, pace, and complexity. Even simple rules become challenging when time is limited. This is why having a consistent method matters more than spotting “clever” solutions.
Common pitfalls
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Focusing on one complex rule and missing a simpler change
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Ignoring obvious differences like shape count or position
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Spending too long on a single question and running out of time
What to expect
In the first 60 seconds of any abstract reasoning test:
- Read the instructions carefully
- Note how many questions and total time
- Check whether guessing is penalised
- Use practice questions to calibrate your speed
You do not need advanced maths, you need a method. For a deeper breakdown, see our guide on how to prepare for abstract reasoning tests.
Types of abstract reasoning questions
While abstract reasoning questions may look varied, most fall into a small number of familiar categories. Learning to recognise the type quickly is one of the fastest ways to improve performance.
Sequence or series questions
You’re shown a sequence of images and asked to identify what comes next.
Check first:
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Number of shapes
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Direction or movement
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Rotation or reflection
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Shading or colour changes
Matrix or grid questions
Usually presented as a 2×2 or 3×3 grid with one missing cell.
Check first:
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Patterns across rows
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Patterns down columns
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Combined rules (row + column)
Odd-one-out questions
You must identify which option does not follow the shared rule.
Check first:
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What all the others have in common
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Whether one breaks a quantity or movement rule
Analogy pairs
These follow the format A → B, C → ?
Check first:
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What changes from A to B
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Apply the same transformation to C
For more pattern-recognition strategies, see our guide on identifying and solving logic patterns.
The pattern families, and how to test each one
Almost every abstract reasoning item is built from one or two of the families below. Knowing the family is only half of it: what actually saves time is knowing the specific check that confirms or kills each one.
Counting
What it looks like: the number of something changes across frames. It might be whole shapes, sides, dots, line segments, intersections, or enclosed areas.
The check: write a number under each frame and read the run. A steady run such as 2, 3, 4, 5 is a progression. An alternation such as 2, 3, 2, 3 is a toggle. If the numbers refuse to form a pattern, you are probably counting the wrong thing, so count a different feature before abandoning the family.
Position and movement
What it looks like: an element travels around the frame, often wrapping from one edge or corner back to the start.
The check: number the possible positions, corners one to four or a clock face, and record where the element sits in each frame. Movement rules are almost always a constant number of steps in a constant direction, so one inconsistent step means the rule is wrong.
Rotation
What it looks like: the same shape in a different orientation.
The check: pick one asymmetric feature, a notch, an arrowhead, a longer arm, and track only that feature. Then confirm the step size is constant, whether that is 45, 90 or 180 degrees, and that the direction does not change halfway through the sequence.
Reflection
What it looks like: very similar to rotation, which is exactly why it is the most commonly missed family.
The check: rotation never changes which way round the parts of a shape sit relative to each other, and reflection reverses it. Trace the outline in a consistent direction and note the order in which you meet two identifiable features. If the order reverses, it is a reflection, not a turn.
Progression
What it looks like: a property grows or shrinks by a fixed step. Size, number of sides, line thickness, the proportion of a shape that is shaded.
The check: state the step in words and apply it to the last given frame. If the step has to change size to fit your reading, it is not a progression.
Adding and removing elements
What it looks like: two frames combine to produce a third. This is the standard rule in matrix questions with three cells per row.
The check: there are only three plausible combination rules and you can test them in seconds. Union keeps everything that appears in either frame. Intersection keeps only what appears in both. Difference keeps what appears in exactly one and drops anything shared. Test all three against a complete row, then confirm the winner on a second row before you use it.
Shading and colour
What it looks like: fills alternate, cycle through a fixed order, or depend on another feature.
The check: first try alternation and cycling. If neither works, test whether shading is conditional, for example every shape with an even number of sides is filled. Conditional shading is common and easy to miss because it does not change in a straight line.
Size, layering and distractors
What it looks like: scaling, overlap, or foreground and background swapping. Some features are put there purely to occupy your attention and never change at all.
The check: note anything that stays identical in every frame and consciously ignore it for the rest of the question.
The order to check them in
Run the families cheapest first, because the cheap ones resolve most questions:
- Counting
- Position and movement
- Rotation, then reflection
- Progression
- Adding and removing elements
- Shading and colour
- Size and layering
When two rules run at once, which is normal above the easiest questions, you will find the first rule quickly and then stall. That stall is the signal to restart the checklist rather than stare harder at the frames.
Worked walk-throughs
Walk-through 1: a sequence with two rules
Four frames, each showing a square with one corner marked by a dot, plus a number of small triangles. Frame 1 has the dot at the top left and two triangles. Frame 2 has the dot at the top right and three triangles. Frame 3 has the dot at the bottom right and four triangles. Frame 4 has the dot at the bottom left and five triangles. What comes fifth?
Counting first: 2, 3, 4, 5, so frame 5 holds six triangles. Position second: the dot moves one corner clockwise each time, so from the bottom left it wraps back to the top left. Rotation, reflection, shading and size never change, so they can be discarded. The answer is a square with six triangles and the dot back at the top left.
Expect a wrong option with six triangles and the dot in the wrong corner, and another with the dot correct and five triangles. When two rules run together, the distractors usually satisfy exactly one of them.
Walk-through 2: a matrix that combines cells
A three by three grid where the third cell in each row is built from the first two. In row one, cell A holds a vertical line and a circle, cell B holds a horizontal line and a circle, and cell C holds a vertical line and a horizontal line with no circle. In row two, cell A holds a triangle and a square, cell B holds a square and a star, and cell C holds a triangle and a star. Row three has a circle and a cross in cell A, a cross and an arrow in cell B, and an empty cell C.
Test the three combination rules against row one. Union would keep everything, so cell C would still show the circle. It does not, so union is out. Intersection would keep only what appears in both cells, which is the circle alone. That is wrong too. Difference, keeping what appears in exactly one cell, gives the vertical line and the horizontal line and drops the circle the two cells share. That matches.
Confirm it on row two before trusting it: the square appears in both cells and is dropped, the triangle and the star each appear once and survive. It matches again. Now apply it to row three. The cross appears in both cells and is dropped. The circle and the arrow each appear once and survive. The missing cell holds a circle and an arrow.
Walk-through 3: an odd one out that turns on reflection
Five options, four of which share a rule. Each shows a right-angled triangle with a small notch cut into the side opposite the right angle. Four of them are the same triangle simply turned to different orientations. The fifth has been mirrored.
Counting does not separate them, because every option has three sides and one notch. Shading does not separate them either. The separating feature is handedness. Trace each outline clockwise starting from the right angle and note the order in which you meet the notch and the longest side. Four options give one order and the fifth gives the reverse. That fifth option is the odd one out.
This is the most valuable distinction to drill, because a rotated shape and a reflected shape look nearly identical at the speed these tests demand.
How to improve abstract reasoning
Improving abstract reasoning scores comes down to three things: running the checklist every time, controlling your pace, and reviewing errors by pattern family rather than by score.
The repeatable solving method
Use the same five steps on every question:
- Scan: note what obviously changes between frames
- Hypothesise: state one rule in plain words
- Test: check it across at least two transitions
- Eliminate: remove every option that breaks the rule
- Decide: commit and move on
If step 3 fails, go back to the checklist and take the next family in order. Do not patch a rule that has already failed once, because a patched rule almost always needs a second patch.
Speed tactics
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Time-box each question and hold the limit
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Eliminate as soon as you have one confirmed rule, rather than waiting until you have the whole explanation
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Recognise the family instead of starting from scratch
Accuracy tactics
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Verify every rule across more than one row or transition
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Distrust complicated explanations, because real rules tend to be simple ones stacked together rather than single clever ones
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If you reach your time limit, eliminate what you can, choose, and move on
Review by pattern family, not by score
After each practice set, log every wrong answer against the family it involved: counting, position, rotation, reflection, progression, combination, shading or size. A couple of sets is usually enough to show that most of your losses sit in one or two families, and drilling those families is what moves a score. Counting how many you got wrong tells you nothing you can act on.
A one-week practice plan
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Days 1 and 2: learn the families and the checking order, in short untimed sessions
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Days 3 and 4: pattern recognition drills, still untimed, naming the family before you solve
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Day 5: mixed practice with the clock running
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Day 6: review your error log and drill your weakest family
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Day 7: a full test under exam conditions
Abstract reasoning compared with logical reasoning
Both test problem solving, but abstract reasoning is discovery from visual information, while logical reasoning works on stated rules, statements and arguments. The habits transfer, the material does not, so practise the format you will actually sit.
Practice abstract reasoning questions
The checklist only becomes fast through use. Work full sets of abstract reasoning tests with the clock running, then broaden into the closely related formats: diagrammatic reasoning tests for process and flow rules, inductive reasoning tests for rule discovery, and non-verbal reasoning tests for a broader mix. Our free aptitude tests are a good place to start if you have never sat one, and you can see where the format sits in a real recruitment process on our Accenture assessments page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is abstract reasoning a skill you can learn or improve over time?
Yes. Abstract reasoning is a learnable skill. With structured practice and familiarity with common patterns, most candidates see clear improvements.
How long does it take to see improvement in abstract reasoning test scores?
Many candidates notice improvements within a week or two of focused practice, especially when reviewing mistakes by pattern family.
Are abstract reasoning tests the same for all employers and industries?
No. While patterns are similar, difficulty, time limits, and formats vary by employer and test provider.
What is the best way to practise abstract reasoning if you are short on time?
Short, focused sessions of roughly 15 to 25 minutes, spent on one pattern family at a time, beat long unfocused practice.
How do you solve an abstract reasoning question you cannot see the rule in?
Go through the families in order, counting first, and test one feature at a time. If nothing resolves within your time limit, eliminate the options you can rule out and move on rather than losing the questions that follow.
Do abstract reasoning tests require maths knowledge?
No. Abstract reasoning tests assess pattern recognition and logic, not numerical ability.