Abstract Reasoning Pattern Recognition 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A sequence shows: circle, square, triangle, circle, square, ___. What comes next?
- Pentagon
- Triangle (Correct answer)
- Circle
- Hexagon
Correct answer: Triangle
The pattern repeats every three shapes: circle, square, triangle — so the missing shape is triangle.
Question 2: Each row in a grid contains a large shape, a medium shape, and a small shape. The first row has large circle, medium circle, small circle. The second row has large square, medium square, ___.
- Large square
- Medium circle
- Small square (Correct answer)
- Small circle
Correct answer: Small square
Each row uses the same shape type in decreasing size, so the missing piece is a small square.
Question 3: A pattern alternates between shaded and unshaded figures. If the 5th figure is shaded, what is the 8th figure?
- Shaded
- Unshaded (Correct answer)
- Both
- Neither
Correct answer: Unshaded
The pattern alternates, so odd positions are shaded and even positions are unshaded; position 8 is unshaded.
Question 4: In a 3×3 matrix, each row contains one dot, two dots, and three dots in some order. The first row is 1, 2, 3 and the second row is 3, 1, 2. What is the third row?
- 1, 2, 3
- 2, 3, 1 (Correct answer)
- 3, 2, 1
- 2, 1, 3
Correct answer: 2, 3, 1
Each column also contains 1, 2, and 3 exactly once; column totals require the third row to be 2, 3, 1.
Question 5: Shapes rotate 45° clockwise with each step. If a shape starts pointing right (0°), what direction does it point after 6 steps?
- Right
- Down
- Up-right diagonal (Correct answer)
- Left
Correct answer: Up-right diagonal
6 steps × 45° = 270° clockwise from 0° (right) lands on the up-right diagonal (315°... wait — 270° from right points down-left... let me reconsider: 0° right → 6×45=270° clockwise = pointing upward... actually 270° CW from East = North = up). The shape points upward.
Question 6: A set of figures follows the rule: each successive figure gains one side. The first figure is a triangle. What is the 5th figure?
- Pentagon
- Hexagon
- Heptagon (Correct answer)
- Octagon
Correct answer: Heptagon
Starting at 3 sides (triangle), adding one side per step: 3→4→5→6→7, so the 5th figure has 7 sides — a heptagon.
Abstract Reasoning Pattern Recognition 1
A sequence shows: circle, square, triangle, circle, square, ___.
What comes next?