Raven's Progressive Matrices Element Combination and Subtraction Flashcards

In a 3×3 matrix, each row contains a circle, a square, and a triangle. The shapes are filled with horizontal lines, vertical lines, and crosshatch. The bottom-right cell is missing. Which combination completes the pattern?

Answer: Triangle with crosshatch

Each shape and each fill pattern appears exactly once per row and column, so the missing cell must be a triangle with crosshatch.

A matrix shows elements where each row's third element is formed by combining (overlaying) the first two elements and removing any features they share. Two overlapping circles each containing a dot yield which result?

Answer: A circle with no dot

The combination-subtraction rule removes shared features (the dot appears in both, so it cancels), leaving a plain circle.

In an element-subtraction matrix, figure 1 has three internal lines and figure 2 has one internal line. The result of subtracting figure 2 from figure 1 shows how many lines?

Answer: 2 lines

Subtraction removes the features present in figure 2 from figure 1, so 3 minus 1 equals 2 remaining lines.

A Raven's matrix uses an additive rule: each cell adds one small element per column from left to right. Row 3 starts with 4 dots. How many dots are in the missing cell at row 3, column 3?

Answer: 6 dots

Adding one dot per column step: column 1 has 4, column 2 has 5, column 3 has 6.

Three shapes are shown: a large pentagon, a medium pentagon, and a small pentagon. Inside each, the number of internal segments equals the number of sides minus two. How many internal segments does the small pentagon have?

Answer: 3 segments

A pentagon has 5 sides; 5 minus 2 equals 3 internal segments.

In a combination matrix, overlaying a shape with a diagonal line and a shape with a vertical line produces which result when shared features cancel?

Answer: A shape with both a diagonal and a vertical line

Since the diagonal line and vertical line are different (not shared), both remain in the combined result.

A matrix row shows: [star + shading] → [star, no shading] → [?]. The rule subtracts shading when present. The second row shows [diamond + dots] → [diamond, no dots] → [?]. What is the missing element in row 2?

Answer: Diamond with no dots

Applying the same subtraction rule, shading/dots are removed in the third column, yielding a plain diamond.