NNAT - Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test — Questions and Answers

Question 1: A row has large and small shapes. What size should the missing shape be?

Large
Any unused size
Medium (Correct answer)
Small

Correct answer: Medium

Each row contains all three sizes; medium completes the set.

Question 2: What comes next in the pattern? 5, 10, 15, 20, __

25 (Correct answer)
21
23
30

Correct answer: 25

Each number increases by 5, so 20 + 5 = 25.

Question 3: Shapes progressively add sides: triangle, square, pentagon. What comes next?

Octagon
Circle
Triangle
Hexagon (6 sides) (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Hexagon (6 sides)

Each shape adds one side: 3, 4, 5, so next is 6 sides.

Question 4: An analogy shows 90-degree clockwise rotation. How do you apply this?

Rotate counterclockwise
Rotate the third shape 90 degrees clockwise (Correct answer)
Flip upside down
Keep same orientation

Correct answer: Rotate the third shape 90 degrees clockwise

The rotation direction and degree must match exactly.

Question 5: Why might different-looking figures belong to the same group?

They share an abstract attribute like number of sides or enclosed regions (Correct answer)
Similar figures always look alike
They must look identical
Classification is only about color

Correct answer: They share an abstract attribute like number of sides or enclosed regions

Classification often relies on abstract properties rather than surface appearance.

Question 6: Why is memorizing shapes or formulas a poor preparation strategy for the NNAT?

The NNAT measures fluid reasoning ability, so practicing visual pattern problems is far more beneficial than rote memorization (Correct answer)
There are no shapes presented on the NNAT
The NNAT provides a reference sheet of all shapes used on the test
Memorization always hurts performance on all standardized tests

Correct answer: The NNAT measures fluid reasoning ability, so practicing visual pattern problems is far more beneficial than rote memorization

The NNAT assesses reasoning with novel visual patterns, which is best developed through practice rather than memorized content.

Question 7: When you cannot determine the answer, what should you do?

Leave it blank
Spend extra time until certain
Eliminate wrong choices, make your best guess, and move on (Correct answer)
Skip without attempting elimination

Correct answer: Eliminate wrong choices, make your best guess, and move on

Eliminating wrong choices improves odds; most tests do not penalize guessing.

Question 8: A pattern shows alternating blue and yellow squares. What determines the color of the missing piece?

Always the lighter color
The alternating sequence from adjacent squares (Correct answer)
A new color
Always the first color mentioned

Correct answer: The alternating sequence from adjacent squares

In alternating patterns, count from adjacent squares to determine which color comes next.

Question 9: How many lines of symmetry does an equilateral triangle have?

3 (Correct answer)
6
2
1

Correct answer: 3

An equilateral triangle has 3 lines of symmetry, each drawn from a vertex to the midpoint of the opposite side.

Question 10: What number comes next? 1, 3, 7, 15, 31, __

63 (Correct answer)
55
62
47

Correct answer: 63

Each term is found by doubling the previous term and adding 1: 31 × 2 + 1 = 63.

Question 11: In a 2x2 matrix, the top row shows a small triangle and a large triangle. The bottom row shows a small circle and ___. What piece is missing?

Small square
Small circle
Large square
Large circle (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Large circle

The pattern scales the shape from small to large across each row, so a large circle completes the bottom row.

Question 12: Each row of a matrix contains circle, square, triangle. The last cell is empty. What goes there?

The most common shape
A new shape
Whichever shape is missing from that row and column (Correct answer)
All three combined

Correct answer: Whichever shape is missing from that row and column

The missing cell must complete both the row and column sets.

Question 13: If a large circle becomes small in the analogy, and C is a large triangle, what is the answer?

A small circle
A large square
A small triangle (Correct answer)
A large triangle

Correct answer: A small triangle

The transformation is size reduction. Applied to a large triangle, it produces a small triangle.

Question 14: Three figures share a trait the fourth does not. What is the first step?

Choose the most different one
Identify what the three have in common (Correct answer)
Look only at size
Count total figures

Correct answer: Identify what the three have in common

Examine the three that belong together and identify their shared attribute.

Question 15: Sequence: small circle, medium circle, large circle, small square, medium square. Next?

Medium circle
Large square (Correct answer)
Small triangle
Large circle

Correct answer: Large square

Each shape appears in three sizes before moving to the next shape.

Question 16: A shape rotates 45 degrees each step. After four steps, total rotation is?

90 degrees
360 degrees
180 degrees (Correct answer)
45 degrees

Correct answer: 180 degrees

4 steps x 45 degrees = 180 degrees total.

Question 17: In a figural analogy A:B::C:?, how do you find the answer?

Choose the most complex option
Choose the shape most similar to B
Identify the transformation from A to B, then apply the same to C (Correct answer)
Choose the shape similar to C

Correct answer: Identify the transformation from A to B, then apply the same to C

Identify what changed (rotation, size, color) between A and B, then apply identical changes to C.

Question 18: Three figures are symmetrical, one is not. What is the classification rule?

Size
Symmetry (Correct answer)
Shape
Color

Correct answer: Symmetry

The classification is based on whether figures have a line of symmetry.

Question 19: What is a double transformation in figural analogies?

Two changes happen simultaneously, like rotating and changing color (Correct answer)
The analogy repeats twice
Shapes doubled in number
Two correct answers

Correct answer: Two changes happen simultaneously, like rotating and changing color

Double transformations involve two simultaneous changes.

Question 20: Each column uses a different color. The missing cell is in column 3. How determine its color?

Match the color used by other shapes in column 3 (Correct answer)
Use a color not seen anywhere
Match adjacent cells
Choose the most common color

Correct answer: Match the color used by other shapes in column 3

Column consistency means the missing cell matches its column color.

Question 21: A letter F is rotated 180 degrees. What does it look like?

A mirror image F
The same F
The letter E
An upside-down and backwards F (Correct answer)

Correct answer: An upside-down and backwards F

A 180-degree rotation turns the figure completely upside down and reverses its horizontal direction.

Question 22: What is the most effective approach to difficult classification problems?

Go with first instinct
Systematically check multiple attributes: shape, size, color, number, orientation, symmetry (Correct answer)
Focus on the odd figure out
Only look at the obvious feature

Correct answer: Systematically check multiple attributes: shape, size, color, number, orientation, symmetry

A systematic approach checking each possible attribute finds the correct rule.

Question 23: For a Serial Reasoning question on the NNAT, which approach is most reliable?

Choose the answer with the most complex design
Pick the answer that looks most similar to the first cell
Analyze both rows and columns to identify a rule that holds consistently throughout the entire matrix (Correct answer)
Focus only on the last row of the matrix

Correct answer: Analyze both rows and columns to identify a rule that holds consistently throughout the entire matrix

Serial Reasoning requires finding a rule that works consistently across all rows and columns, not just one direction.

Question 24: A circle with a dot inside becomes an empty circle. What rule applies?

The shape changes
Dots always disappear
The shape gets smaller
Internal elements are removed; outer shape preserved (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Internal elements are removed; outer shape preserved

The transformation removes interior elements while keeping the outer shape.

Question 25: A square paper is folded in half and a triangle is cut from the fold. What appears when unfolded?

A diamond or rhombus shape (Correct answer)
Two separate triangles
A circle
A triangle on one side

Correct answer: A diamond or rhombus shape

Cutting from the fold creates a symmetrical shape when unfolded.

Question 26: What preparation activities are most helpful for NNAT?

Reading comprehension practice
Pattern puzzles, tangrams, building blocks, visual-spatial activities (Correct answer)
Studying math formulas
Memorizing vocabulary

Correct answer: Pattern puzzles, tangrams, building blocks, visual-spatial activities

NNAT tests nonverbal reasoning, so visual-spatial activities are most relevant.

Question 27: How do you distinguish between a rotation and a reflection of a figure?

They produce identical results
A rotation preserves the same orientation (handedness); a reflection reverses it (Correct answer)
Reflections only work on symmetrical figures
Rotations change size; reflections do not

Correct answer: A rotation preserves the same orientation (handedness); a reflection reverses it

A key difference is that rotation preserves handedness (a clock stays clockwise) while reflection reverses it (a clock becomes counter-clockwise).

Question 28: Three figures contain 2 internal shapes, one contains 3. What is the classifying attribute?

Size of figures
Number of internal elements (Correct answer)
Type of shapes
Background color

Correct answer: Number of internal elements

The classification is based on counting internal elements.

Question 29: Why check all answer choices before selecting?

The first plausible answer may not be the best match for all pattern rules (Correct answer)
There is always a trick answer
Checking wastes time
Only the last choice is correct

Correct answer: The first plausible answer may not be the best match for all pattern rules

Multiple choices may seem correct; reviewing all ensures the best match.

Question 30: A white shape becomes shaded. The next shape has stripes. What should the answer look like?

White without stripes
Only shading replacing stripes
A different shape with shading
The same shape with stripes and added shading (Correct answer)

Correct answer: The same shape with stripes and added shading

The transformation adds shading without removing existing features.

Question 31: How many right angles (90°) does a rectangle have?

1
3
2
4 (Correct answer)

Correct answer: 4

Every rectangle has four right angles by definition, which is why its corners always form perfect 90-degree angles.

Question 32: What is the main danger of 'overthinking' on the NNAT?

You may invent overly complex rules that don't exist and accidentally eliminate the correct answer (Correct answer)
It always leads to the correct answer because more analysis is always better
Overthinking makes the test go faster by building confidence
It always improves your score by catching careless mistakes

Correct answer: You may invent overly complex rules that don't exist and accidentally eliminate the correct answer

NNAT pattern rules are usually clean and simple; imagining complex rules often leads you away from the correct answer.

Question 33: What does a student's performance on the NNAT primarily reflect?

Their visual-spatial reasoning and problem-solving ability with nonverbal patterns (Correct answer)
How quickly they can draw or copy geometric shapes freehand
How much academic content they studied the week before the test
Their reading comprehension and vocabulary skills

Correct answer: Their visual-spatial reasoning and problem-solving ability with nonverbal patterns

The NNAT measures nonverbal reasoning ability, which is largely independent of academic content knowledge.

Question 34: In a pattern matrix, shapes in the left column are white, shapes in the middle column are gray, and shapes in the right column are black. A triangle appears in the left and middle columns. What belongs in the right column?

Gray circle
Black square
Black triangle (Correct answer)
White triangle

Correct answer: Black triangle

The shape (triangle) stays the same across the row, but the fill darkens from left to right, giving a black triangle.

Question 35: Shapes alternate black/white while increasing in size. What must the answer satisfy?

Both the correct color AND the correct larger size (Correct answer)
Only correct size
A new color
Only correct color

Correct answer: Both the correct color AND the correct larger size

Multiple simultaneous patterns must all be satisfied.

Question 36: Two shapes have the same form but one is larger than the other. What are they called?

Congruent
Parallel
Symmetric
Similar (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Similar

Similar shapes have the same angles and proportional side lengths but differ in size, unlike congruent shapes which are identical.

Question 37: What do you call two lines in the same plane that never intersect, no matter how far they extend?

Perpendicular
Intersecting
Parallel (Correct answer)
Diagonal

Correct answer: Parallel

Parallel lines maintain the same distance apart and never meet, unlike intersecting or perpendicular lines.

Question 38: A 3D figure rotated 180 degrees around a vertical axis. You were facing the front. What do you see?

The back of the figure (Correct answer)
The bottom
The top
The same front

Correct answer: The back of the figure

Half turn around a vertical axis shows the opposite face.

Question 39: Three figures have curved lines, one has only straight. What is the classification?

Direction they face
Total number of lines
Presence or absence of curved lines (Correct answer)
Size of each figure

Correct answer: Presence or absence of curved lines

The distinction is between figures with curves and those with only straight lines.

Question 40: Look at the top squares. In certain ways, they complement one another. Choose the square from the answer choices that fits in the empty area because it belongs with the square(s) on the bottom in the same manner as the squares on top do.

B
C (Correct answer)
E
D
A

Correct answer: C

The correct answer, C, completes the visual analogy by applying the same transformation observed in the top row to the bottom row. If the first image in the top row transforms into the second by adding a specific element or rotating, then the bottom image must undergo the identical transformation to become answer C. This ensures a consistent relationship across both pairs.

Question 41: Shapes darken: white, light gray, dark gray. What comes next?

Light gray
No change
White
Black (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Black

The progression goes from lightest to darkest; black follows dark gray.

Question 42: A pattern shows: 1 dot, 2 dots, 3 dots, 1 dot, 2 dots, ___. What fills the blank?

2 dots
3 dots (Correct answer)
1 dot
4 dots

Correct answer: 3 dots

The sequence repeats in groups of three (1, 2, 3), so the next is 3 dots.

Question 43: A matrix's transformation rule is that each row rotates the previous row's shapes by 180 degrees. Row 1 has a shape pointing up-right. What direction does the same shape point in row 3?

up-left
down-right
up-right (Correct answer)
down-left

Correct answer: up-right

Two 180-degree rotations equal 360 degrees, returning the shape to its original up-right orientation.

Question 44: A figure has rotational symmetry of order 4. What does this mean?

It has 4 sides
It looks the same after rotations of 90, 180, 270, and 360 degrees (Correct answer)
It has 4 colors
It can only be rotated 4 times

Correct answer: It looks the same after rotations of 90, 180, 270, and 360 degrees

Order 4 rotational symmetry means the figure maps onto itself 4 times during a full 360-degree rotation (at 90° intervals).

Question 45: Parent: Say to your child, "Take a look at this puzzle." Point to the empty box and say, "Something is missing." Point to the answer options and say, "Which of these answer choices goes here?" Return to the empty box when you say "here."

C
E (Correct answer)
D
B
A

Correct answer: E

The correct answer, E, completes the matrix by adhering to the visual rules established by the other elements. This might involve a progression of shapes, a change in shading or size, or a combination of elements across rows and columns. Option E is the only choice that maintains the consistent pattern, ensuring the matrix is logically complete.

Question 46: Check out the images in the top two boxes. Do you see how they fit together in a specific way? Now look at the image on the bottom row. Which photo pairs with the picture in the bottom row in the same manner as the pictures in the top row do?

D
E
B (Correct answer)
C
A

Correct answer: B

The correct answer, B, completes the visual analogy by applying the same transformation observed in the top row to the bottom row. For example, if the first image in the top row transforms into the second by adding a specific element or rotating, then the bottom image must undergo the identical transformation to become answer B. This ensures a consistent relationship across both pairs.

Question 47: Which mental strategy is most useful for solving Spatial Visualization questions on the NNAT?

Mentally rotating or flipping shapes to test how they would fit the pattern (Correct answer)
Memorizing the names of common geometric shapes
Counting the total number of sides on each shape
Choosing the answer with the highest number of right angles

Correct answer: Mentally rotating or flipping shapes to test how they would fit the pattern

Mentally transforming shapes through rotation or reflection is the core skill tested in Spatial Visualization questions.

Question 48: Which shape has exactly 4 sides of equal length AND 4 right angles?

Square (Correct answer)
Rectangle
Rhombus
Trapezoid

Correct answer: Square

A square is the only quadrilateral with both four equal sides and four right angles.

NNAT - Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test

The NNAT (Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test) is a nonverbal measure of general ability used to identify gifted and talented students in grades K–12. It uses geometric shapes and figures to assess reasoning and problem-solving skills independent of language and cultural background.

Questions

30 min

Time Limit

70%

To Pass

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These practice questions were written with AI tools. They are not real exam questions. Exam facts are checked against the official sources listed below. Not reviewed by a subject-matter expert. Editorial policy

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