11+ Non-Verbal Patterns
Non-verbal patterns test visual logic. A fixed checklist of features turns guesswork into method.
Non-verbal reasoning shows shapes that follow a hidden visual rule. Questions ask you to continue a series, complete a grid, or find the odd one out.
Run a quick checklist on every figure: number of sides, shading (black/white/striped), size, rotation, number of shapes, and position. The rule almost always lives in one or two of these features.
Change one feature at a time in your head. If everything matches except shading, the rule is about shading — apply it to find the answer.
Worked examples
Q. A series of shapes gains one extra side each time. What comes next after a pentagon?
Count the sides: triangle (3), square (4), pentagon (5) → the next shape has six sides, a hexagon.
Q. Four figures are identical except one is shaded differently. Which is the odd one out?
Using the checklist, all features match except shading on one figure — that one is the odd one out.
Common mistakes
- Looking only at shape and missing shading or rotation rules.
- Trying to track several changes at once instead of one feature at a time.
- Rushing before running the feature checklist.
FAQs
Is non-verbal reasoning something you can improve with practice?+
Yes — children improve quickly once they learn a consistent feature checklist and practise enough sets to recognise the common rule types.
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