Abstract Reasoning Cheat Sheet 2026

The 30 highest-yield Abstract Reasoning facts, distilled from real exam questions. Print it, save it as a PDF, or study it here — free, no sign-up.

1. A square is rotated 45°. What does it now resemble? → A diamond (rhombus)
2. How can abstract reasoning be strengthened? → Through practice and exposure to different types of problems or puzzles
3. Which factor is abstract reasoning closely aligned to? → G-factor
4. What type of design was used in this study? → Experimental design
5. An L-shaped piece is rotated 90° clockwise. Which description matches the result? → The long arm now points right
6. Shape A is twice as large as Shape B. Shape C is 6 cm wide. If the same proportional relationship holds, how wide is Shape D? → 3 cm
7. If shape A implies shape B, and shape B implies shape C, and shape C is absent, what can you conclude? → Shape A is absent
8. A figure shows 3 circles arranged in a row. Its analogous figure shows 3 squares in a column. If the next input is 4 triangles in a row, the analogy predicts: → 4 triangles in a column
9. Shapes in a sequence grow by adding one segment each step: line, angle (2 segments), triangle (3), ___. What has 4 segments? → Square
10. What does abstract reasoning refer to? → Thinking beyond concrete facts and objects
11. In a figure analogy, 1 large shape becomes 4 small shapes. Following this rule, 2 large shapes become: → 8 small shapes
12. What is one example of how abstract reasoning is used? → Solving puzzles by identifying patterns or sequences
13. In an analogy test, a shape is rotated 90° clockwise. If a right-pointing arrow is the input, what is the output? → A downward-pointing arrow
14. What do abstract reasoning tests measure? → Ability to think analytically and solve problems in unfamiliar or complex situations
15. A pattern alternates between shaded and unshaded figures. If the 5th figure is shaded, what is the 8th figure? → Unshaded
16. How does abstract reasoning benefit decision-making processes? → By helping individuals envision multiple possibilities and consider different outcomes
17. A sequence shows shapes that each have one fewer corner than the previous: octagon, heptagon, hexagon, pentagon, ___. → Square
18. What is the overall weighted mean for creative problem solving? → 3.41
19. A triangle with 1 interior dot pairs with a triangle with 3 interior dots. A square with 2 interior dots pairs with a square with how many interior dots? → 6
20. Shape A has diagonal hatching (lines going top-left to bottom-right). Shape B has no hatching. Shape C has horizontal hatching. Shape D has: → No hatching
21. A figure analogy shows a shape decreasing in a series: large → medium → small → ___. What logically comes next? → Extra small
22. A pattern sequence contains: pentagon, hexagon, pentagon, hexagon, ___. What is the 7th figure? → Pentagon
23. Every circle in the set is blue, and every blue shape is large. Shape Z is a circle. What must be true about Shape Z? → Shape Z is blue and large
24. In a matrix, each row's shading gets darker from left to right: white, gray, black. The middle cell of the last row is missing. The row shows white, ___, black. → Gray
25. What statistic suggests the distribution of scores is approximately symmetrical for abstract reasoning? → The value of the skewness
26. What do abstract reasoning tests rely on instead of text? → Images, patterns, and diagrams
27. Shapes rotate 45° clockwise with each step. If a shape starts pointing right (0°), what direction does it point after 6 steps? → Up-right diagonal
28. In a figure analogy, 'big circle + small circle = one merged oval' follows which analogy rule? → Combination rule
29. A shape alternates between filled and outline, and also rotates 90° clockwise each step. After 4 steps from a filled shape pointing up, what is the shape? → Filled, pointing up
30. In an odd-one-out question: circle, oval, ellipse, square. Which is the odd one out? → Square