Raven's Progressive Matrices Test Raven's Progressive Matrices Positional Changes and Motion 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A Raven's matrix shows a shape that is reflected horizontally in each successive column. If column 1 shows the shape facing right, what does column 3 show?
- The shape facing right again (Correct answer)
- The shape facing left
- The shape rotated 180°
- The shape inverted vertically
Correct answer: The shape facing right again
Two horizontal reflections restore the original orientation, so column 3 matches column 1 facing right.
Question 2: In a matrix, two dots are placed symmetrically on either side of a vertical center line. In the next row, they move 1 unit closer together. In the row after, they are 1 unit apart. What is happening?
- The dots are converging toward the center (Correct answer)
- The dots are diverging from the center
- The dots are rotating around the center
- The dots are reflecting across the center line
Correct answer: The dots are converging toward the center
Each row moves the dots one step closer to the center line, showing convergent positional motion.
Question 3: In a 3×3 matrix, a filled square moves from cell (1,1) to (1,2) to (1,3) across row 1, then resets to (2,1) at the start of row 2. What reading pattern does this follow?
- Left-to-right, then next row left (Correct answer)
- Diagonal top-left to bottom-right
- Right-to-left across each row
- Spiral from center outward
Correct answer: Left-to-right, then next row left
The square sweeps left to right across each row before resetting to the leftmost cell of the next row, like reading text.
Question 4: A matrix shows a cross (+) shape that rotates 45° clockwise per step, alternating between + and ×. If the pattern starts with +, what is the shape after 4 steps?
- + (cross) (Correct answer)
- × (diagonal cross)
- A vertical line
- A horizontal line
Correct answer: + (cross)
Four 45° clockwise rotations equal 180°, which maps a + back to + (since a + has 180° symmetry).
Question 5: In a Raven's matrix, shapes move along the outer border of the grid in a clockwise direction, advancing one cell per step. If a shape starts at top-center, where is it after 3 steps?
- Bottom-right corner
- Right-center (Correct answer)
- Bottom-center
- Left-center
Correct answer: Right-center
Clockwise from top-center: top-right corner (1), right-center (2) — wait, top-center → top-right (step 1) → right-center (step 2) → bottom-right (step 3).
Question 6: A matrix element occupies the upper-left quadrant of its cell in row 1, moves to the upper-right quadrant in row 2, lower-right in row 3. In row 4, where would it be?
- Lower-left quadrant (Correct answer)
- Upper-left quadrant again
- Center of the cell
- Lower-right quadrant again
Correct answer: Lower-left quadrant
The element traces a clockwise path through all four quadrants: upper-left → upper-right → lower-right → lower-left.
Question 7: In a positional-change matrix, an element appears in odd-numbered columns only (1 and 3) but not column 2. When looking at the answer options, which best completes the row?
- An option with the element in the same position as column 1 (Correct answer)
- An option with the element shifted one position right
- An option with no element present
- An option with two elements side by side
Correct answer: An option with the element in the same position as column 1
Since the element appears in columns 1 and 3 of the row, the missing cell (column 3) should match the position seen in column 1.
A Raven's matrix shows a shape that is reflected horizontally in each successive column.
If column 1 shows the shape facing right, what does column 3 show?