RCAT Abstract Reasoning 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: In a sequence of shapes, each figure rotates 45° clockwise and gains one side. If the sequence starts with a triangle, what is the 5th shape?
- Heptagon (Correct answer)
- Hexagon
- Octagon
- Pentagon
Correct answer: Heptagon
The sequence is triangle (3), square (4), pentagon (5), hexagon (6), heptagon (7) — the 5th shape is a heptagon.
Question 2: Each row of a 3×3 matrix contains a circle, square, and triangle. Each column contains a shaded, striped, and white shape. What shape and fill is missing if row 3 has a white circle and striped triangle, and columns 1–3 each already contain two of the three fills?
- Shaded square (Correct answer)
- White square
- Striped square
- Shaded triangle
Correct answer: Shaded square
Row 3 needs a square; column 2 already has white and striped, so the missing fill is shaded — giving a shaded square.
Question 3: A pattern alternates: large dark circle → small light circle → large dark square → small light square → large dark circle... What comes after 'small light square'?
- Large dark circle (Correct answer)
- Small light circle
- Large dark triangle
- Small light triangle
Correct answer: Large dark circle
The four-element cycle repeats, so after 'small light square' the pattern returns to 'large dark circle'.
Question 4: In a matrix, each row's third shape is the result of overlapping the first two shapes and keeping only the non-overlapping parts. Row 3 has shapes A and B partially overlapping — what is the third shape?
- The non-overlapping regions of A and B combined (Correct answer)
- Shape A only
- Shape B only
- The overlapping region only
Correct answer: The non-overlapping regions of A and B combined
The rule is XOR (exclusive OR) — only the parts not shared between A and B appear in the third shape.
Question 5: Which figure does NOT belong: a circle with a dot inside, a square with a dot inside, a triangle with a dot inside, a pentagon with a dot inside, or a hexagon with a line inside?
- Hexagon with a line inside (Correct answer)
- Pentagon with a dot inside
- Triangle with a dot inside
- Square with a dot inside
Correct answer: Hexagon with a line inside
All other shapes contain a dot inside; the hexagon contains a line, making it the odd one out.
Question 6: A sequence shows: 1 black dot → 2 black dots → 4 black dots → 8 black dots. Following this rule, the next figure would contain how many black dots?
- 16 (Correct answer)
- 12
- 10
- 32
Correct answer: 16
The number of dots doubles each step: 1, 2, 4, 8, 16.
RCAT Abstract Reasoning 1
In a sequence of shapes, each figure rotates 45° clockwise and gains one side.
If the sequence starts with a triangle, what is the 5th shape?