Abstract & diagrammatic reasoning: the pattern playbook

By Marin Devereux·6 min read·Updated 2026-04-12

Abstract reasoning (also called diagrammatic or non-verbal reasoning) tests your ability to spot rules in visual sequences. The good news: there are only about six pattern families, and once you know them, you will recognise them instantly.

The six pattern families

1. Movement (translation)

An element moves across the frame — left to right, top to bottom, or diagonally. Track its position in each frame and extrapolate.

2. Rotation

An element rotates by a fixed angle (45°, 90°, 180°) between frames. Sometimes only part of the figure rotates while the rest stays fixed.

3. Element count

The number of shapes increases or decreases by a fixed amount. Variants include alternating +2, −1 patterns or Fibonacci-like sequences.

4. Shading / fill

Shapes cycle through fills: empty → striped → solid → empty. Or fills toggle between black and white in a specific order.

5. Layering / overlap

Shapes are stacked. The rule might be that the top shape moves to the bottom each frame, or overlapping regions change colour.

6. Arithmetic / logical operation

Frame 1 + Frame 2 = Frame 3 (union of shapes), or Frame 1 XOR Frame 2 = Frame 3 (elements present in one but not both).

Pattern identification

A sequence shows a triangle rotating 45° clockwise each frame, with the number of dots inside increasing by one. Frame 1 has 2 dots. What does Frame 5 look like?

Rotation: 4 × 45° = 180° from Frame 1 (so the triangle is flipped). Dots: 2 + 4 = 6 dots inside a 180°-rotated triangle.

This is a two-rule pattern. Always check if multiple rules operate simultaneously.

The systematic scan

When you see a sequence, scan for each family in order: movement → rotation → count → shading → layering → arithmetic. Most questions use one or two families. If you cannot spot the rule in 20 seconds, skip and return.

Common traps

Distractor elements. Some shapes are static decoration. Focus on what changes between frames.
Two simultaneous rules. E.g., rotation + shading change. Solve each rule independently.
Reflection vs rotation. A 180° rotation looks the same as a horizontal reflection for symmetrical shapes. Check with asymmetric details.

Time is the real enemy

Most candidates can solve abstract patterns given enough time. The test is whether you can do it in under 60 seconds. Practice builds pattern-recognition speed — there is no shortcut.

Drill pattern recognition on forge

304 pattern recognition questions across SHL, Talent Q, and AON — sorted by pattern family and difficulty.

Start practising

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