GCAT Figural Pattern Completion 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A grid pattern has small shapes inside large shapes. Row 1: triangle inside circle. Row 2: circle inside triangle. Row 3: square inside circle. What belongs in row 4 to continue the alternating inner/outer pattern?
- Circle inside square (Correct answer)
- Triangle inside square
- Square inside triangle
- Circle inside circle
Correct answer: Circle inside square
The pattern swaps inner and outer shapes each row, so row 4 reverses row 3 to give circle inside square.
Question 2: Each figure in a sequence is divided into more equal sections: 2 sections, 4 sections, 8 sections. How many sections does the next figure have?
- 10
- 12
- 16 (Correct answer)
- 24
Correct answer: 16
The number of sections doubles each step: 2→4→8→16.
Question 3: A 3×3 matrix has X marks that total 1 in row 1, 2 in row 2, and 3 in row 3. Column 1 has X only in row 3, column 2 has X in rows 2 and 3. How many X marks are in column 3?
- 0
- 1
- 2
- 3 (Correct answer)
Correct answer: 3
Column 3 needs X in rows 1, 2, and 3 to satisfy both the row totals and no overlap with columns 1 and 2.
Question 4: In a pattern series, a star's points increase by 1 each step: 4-pointed, 5-pointed, 6-pointed, 7-pointed. The stars also alternate between black and white. What is the 5th figure?
- 8-pointed black star (Correct answer)
- 8-pointed white star
- 9-pointed black star
- 7-pointed white star
Correct answer: 8-pointed black star
The 5th figure has 8 points (4+4 steps) and is black (odd positions 1,3,5 are black).
Question 5: A sequence of overlapping shapes shows: circle overlapping square (circle in front), square overlapping triangle (square in front), triangle overlapping circle (triangle in front). What is the layering rule?
- Each shape alternates between front and back
- Each shape takes a turn being in front in rotation (Correct answer)
- The larger shape is always in front
- The darker shape is always in front
Correct answer: Each shape takes a turn being in front in rotation
Circle, square, and triangle each take exactly one turn being the front shape in a rotating sequence.
Question 6: Figures in a row show squares with diagonal lines: 1 diagonal, then an X (2 diagonals), then a grid with both diagonals and a cross (4 lines total). What comes next?
- Square with 5 lines
- Square with 6 lines and additional divisions
- Square with 8 lines (Correct answer)
- Square with 3 lines
Correct answer: Square with 8 lines
The number of lines doubles each step (1→2→4→8), adding more internal divisions.
Question 7: A matrix pattern has shapes that grow larger left to right in each row, but shrink top to bottom in each column. The top-right cell has a large shape and the bottom-left has a large shape. What size is the bottom-right shape?
- Largest of all
- Medium
- Smallest of all (Correct answer)
- Same as top-left
Correct answer: Smallest of all
Bottom-right combines both rules (rightmost = large, bottommost = smallest), so the two gradients conflict and the net result is the smallest.
GCAT Figural Pattern Completion 3
A grid pattern has small shapes inside large shapes.
Row 1: triangle inside circle.
Row 2: circle inside triangle.
Row 3: square inside circle.
What belongs in row 4 to continue the alternating inner/outer pattern?