32 | P A G E
Figural Reasoning Question Explanations:
1. There are four patterns in this series of figures. First, there is always one box with a single
shape in it, and the location of that box rotates clockwise. That is, it starts in the lower left
corner, then in the next figure it is in the upper left corner, etc. Second, there is another
box with shapes in it, and the location of the box also rotates clockwise. Third, the number
of shapes in that box decreases by one shape with each successive figure. That is, in the
first figure there are five shapes, then four in the second, three in the third, two in the
fourth, meaning that there should only be one shape in the corresponding position in the
fifth figure. Fourth, the pattern of shading reverses each time, where the single shape is
unshaded, then shaded, then unshaded. Correspondingly, the box with multiple shapes
switches back and forth from the shapes being shaded, to not shaded to shaded. The only
option following all patterns is option C. In options A, D and E all of the patterns are
violated. In option B, the first pattern is violated. Also, note that the changing of shapes in
the figures (for example, in the first figure there are stars and a square, while in the
second figure there are circles and a triangle) is random and has no bearing on the
pattern.
2. There are three patterns in this series of figures. First, every figure has two shapes
stacked on top of each other, and the stacked shapes rotate right to left. Second, in each
figure, there is one shape that is shaded while the other is not shaded, and in each
successive figure the position of the shading switches such that the top shape is
unshaded, then shaded, then unshaded, etc. The third pattern relates to the number of
sides on each shape. Specifically, the shape on the bottom always has one more side than
the shape on the top. The number of sides of the top shape is random (that is, it goes from
4 to 5 to 3 to 5). However, regardless of what the top shape is, the bottom shape always
has one more side than the top shape. The only option that matches all three of these
patterns is option B. In option A, the third pattern is violated. In option C, the second
pattern is violated. In option D, the first pattern is violated. In option E, all three patterns
are violated.
3. There are two patterns in this series of figures. First, the columns contain 2, 1 or 3 shapes.
Second, the number of shapes in the columns rotates from left to right. That is, in the first
shape there are two shapes in the column on the left, one shape in the middle, and three
shapes on the right. In the next figure, all of those numbers rotate to the right, such that
the number of shapes that were on the left (2) is now in the middle, the number of shapes
that was in the middle (1), is now on the right, and the number of shapes that was on the
right (3) has moved back to the start (that is, the left side). Notice that the type of shape
(e.g., star, circle, square, etc.) does not matter. Thus, option A is the correct answer. In
options B, D, and E the second pattern is violated. In option C both patterns are violated.
4. There are two patterns in this series of figures. First, the shaded box that starts second
from left (the lower of the two shaded boxes) moves two positions to the right in each
new figure. Second, the other shaded box moves one position to the right each time. Thus,
in the third figure the two shaded boxes are actually occupying the same position.
Consequently, option D is the correct answer. In options A and B, the first pattern is
violated. In options C and E both patterns are violated.