11+ Non-verbal reasoning practice
Non-verbal reasoning tests how well your child spots patterns in shapes and diagrams, with no words or numbers to lean on. It's about noticing what changes and what stays the same, and it improves quickly with practice once children have a method.
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What the test covers
Non-verbal reasoning questions look at features like shape, shading, size, number, position and rotation. Our questions fall into six groups:
- Series: Spot how shapes change from box to box.
- Analogies: Copy a change from one pair to another.
- Most alike and odd one out: Find what figures share, or which doesn't belong.
- Grids: Complete a grid using row and column patterns.
- Codes: Crack the letter codes for shape features.
- Spatial reasoning: Turn, flip, fold and find hidden shapes.
How our non-verbal reasoning papers work
There are 20 non-verbal reasoning papers, each with 80 multiple-choice questions to answer in 40 minutes. That's 30 seconds a question, so working methodically matters more than staring. Between them the papers use 7 section types, each introduced with its own instructions. Every diagram is drawn by us and reads clearly on a phone, tablet or computer.
Sample questions
These questions come from Non-verbal Reasoning Paper 1, one or two from each section. Try each one, then open the answer to see the rule.
Series
Each row has five boxes in order, but one is empty. Work out how the pattern changes from box to box, then choose the box (A–E) that fills the gap.
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Show the answer
Analogies
The second figure is made by changing the first figure in some way. Make the same change to the third figure and choose the answer (A–E).
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Most alike
The figures on the left are alike in some way. Choose the figure (A–E) that is most like them.
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Codes
Each code has two letters. Each figure on the left has a code. Every letter stands for one feature, such as the shape, the shading or the number of dots. Work out what the letters mean, then choose the code (A–E) for the test shape.
Show the answer
Tips for each skill
These are the same tips your child sees on the results page, next to the skills that lost them marks.
Series
Look at one thing at a time: count the shapes, then check the shading, then the direction something points or where it sits. Say the rule out loud (for example 'turns a quarter clockwise'), then test it on every box before you choose.
Analogies
List every difference between the first two figures: shape, shading, size, number, turning or flipping. Then make exactly those changes to the third figure, and check that nothing else has changed in your answer.
Most alike and odd one out
Find the one feature that every example shares, and ignore features that change from figure to figure. Check sides, shading, the number of small shapes and how the parts relate to each other, such as an arrow pointing at a dot.
Grids
Read across each row, then down each column, and name what changes. In three-by-three grids, check whether every row and column has one of each shape or shading, then pick the one that is missing.
Codes
Take one letter position at a time. Find two figures with the same letter there and ask what they have in common that the others do not. Once you know what each letter means, build the test shape's code and match it exactly.
Spatial reasoning
A turned shape keeps its parts in the same order round it; a flipped (mirror) shape reverses them. For nets, remember that two faces opposite each other on a cube can never be seen at the same time. For hidden shapes, check every line is there and the same size.
Questions parents ask
What is non-verbal reasoning?
It's a test of visual problem-solving. Children find the next shape in a series, copy a change from one pair of shapes to another, spot which shape is most like a group or the odd one out, complete grids, and crack codes that stand for features like shading or shape.
Can non-verbal reasoning be taught?
Yes. Children who struggle usually look at the whole picture at once. Teaching them to check one feature at a time (number, shape, shading, size, direction) turns most questions into a short checklist.
Why is timing so tight?
Non-verbal papers give around 30 seconds a question. If your child is stuck, it's better to make a best guess, move on and come back at the end. Our test timer can be paused for practice at home, and results show time taken so you can see progress.
Does my child need to draw anything?
No. Every question is multiple choice. Some children like to sketch a rotation or reflection on rough paper, which is allowed in most tests and a good habit when practising.
Is Paper 1 really free?
Yes. Create a free account and your child can sit Paper 1 in every subject, as often as they like. The full pack is a single payment, and we give free places to families who can't afford it.
Try a full paper free
Create a free account and your child can sit the whole of Paper 1 in every subject, timed like the real test. It's marked straight away, with an explanation for every answer.