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thinking skillsNon-Verbal Reasoningcore

Pattern Recognition

Identify rules and sequences in visual patterns to predict the next item or find the odd one out.

Key Ideas

  • Look for changes in: Shape, Size, Colour/Shading, Number, Position, and Orientation (Rotation/Reflection).
  • Use the mnemonic 'SCANSPO' (Shape, Colour, Arrangement, Number, Size, Position, Orientation).
  • Check if elements are moving clockwise or anti-clockwise.
  • Look for alternating patterns (e.g., black, white, black, white).

Worked Examples

Example 1

A square rotates 90 degrees clockwise in each step. It starts at the top. Where is it after 3 steps?

Explanation

Start: Top (12 o'clock).

Step 1: 90° clockwise -> Right (3 o'clock).

Step 2: 90° clockwise -> Bottom (6 o'clock).

Step 3: 90° clockwise -> Left (9 o'clock).

Answer: The square is on the left.

Ready to Practice?

Test your understanding of Pattern Recognition with targeted questions from our bank.

Common Mistakes
  • ×Focusing on too many elements at once. Pick one element and track it through the sequence.
  • ×Confusing clockwise and anti-clockwise rotation.
Exam Tip

"Draw the next step yourself before looking at the options to avoid being distracted by wrong answers."