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What is non-verbal reasoning in the 11+?

Updated 2026-11-04

Non-verbal reasoning uses shapes, patterns and pictures instead of words. It can look strange at first, but most question types follow a small number of rules that children can learn to spot.

What non-verbal reasoning is

Non-verbal reasoning questions ask children to find patterns and rules in diagrams. Because there are no words to read, these questions test problem-solving more than vocabulary or school knowledge.

Spatial reasoning is a close cousin. It asks children to picture shapes in their head: turning them, flipping them, or folding them into solid objects. Some tests, Kent’s among them, are understood to include spatial questions alongside other non-verbal types.

Not every area tests non-verbal reasoning, so check with your council or school what your child will sit.

The rules behind the pictures

Almost every non-verbal question is built from a few features that can change from one shape to the next. Teaching your child to check them one at a time is the single most useful habit.

Number: how many shapes, sides, lines or dots are there?
Shape: which shapes appear, and are they the same or different?
Size: are things getting bigger or smaller?
Shading: black, white, grey or patterned?
Position: where is each part, and is it moving around?
Direction: which way do arrows or lines point?

When a question seems hard, going through this list usually reveals the rule. Often two or three features change at once.

Series, odd one out and analogies

In a series question, a row of pictures changes step by step, and the child chooses what comes next or fills a gap. A dot might move one corner clockwise each time while the shape gains a side.

Odd one out questions show several pictures that share a rule, plus one that does not. For example, four shapes might each have one shaded section, except one with two.

Analogy questions show a pair of pictures and ask the child to apply the same change to a new picture. If a large white circle becomes a small black circle, then a large white square should become a small black square.

Similar types include finding the picture most like a group, and completing a grid where rows and columns each follow a rule.

Reflections and rotations

Reflection questions ask what a shape looks like in a mirror line. Everything flips across the line, so a flag pointing right in a vertical mirror points left in its reflection.

Rotation questions turn a shape around a point, often by a quarter turn or half turn. The shape itself stays the same; only its direction changes.

The commonest trap is confusing the two. A rotated shape can never become its mirror image, however far it turns. Children who understand this can rule out wrong answers quickly. Practising with tracing paper, or a real mirror, helps them see what is happening.

Cube nets and codes

A cube net is a flat pattern of six squares that folds into a cube. Questions may ask which net makes a given cube, or which cube a net could make.

A useful rule: faces that are opposite each other on the cube never touch in the net. In a straight row of four squares, the first and third are opposite, as are the second and fourth. Cutting out and folding a few paper nets makes this click for many children.

Code questions give each picture a pair of letters, where each letter stands for a feature such as shape or shading. The child works out which letter means which feature, then codes a new picture. Comparing two pictures that share a letter is usually the quickest way in.

Common mistakes and timing

Non-verbal questions can be answered quickly once the rule is clear, but small details catch many children out.

Spotting one rule and stopping, when a second feature also changes.
Missing small details such as a tiny dot, a thin line or the direction of shading stripes.
Choosing a mirror image when the question asked for a rotation.
Looking at the answer options first and being drawn to one that only looks right.

A good method is to find the rule from the question pictures before looking at the options, then check every option against it. If time is short, ruling out two or three clearly wrong options and making a sensible choice is better than leaving a gap, unless the test is known to penalise wrong answers.

How to practise

Begin with one question type at a time and no timer. Ask your child to say out loud which rule they have found; this builds the habit of checking features systematically.

Use real objects: building blocks, paper nets, mirrors and tracing paper.
Play pattern and puzzle games, including tangrams and spot-the-difference.
Encourage ruling out wrong answers rather than hunting for the right one straight away.
Add timing only once the question types feel familiar.
Review mistakes by finding which feature was missed.

Non-verbal sections are often fast-paced, so in the final months short timed sets help. Children who struggle at first often improve quickly once they see the patterns.

Questions parents ask

Can non-verbal reasoning be learned?

Yes. The underlying ability matters, but knowing the common question types and checking features systematically make a real difference for most children.

What is the difference between non-verbal and spatial reasoning?

Non-verbal reasoning covers pattern questions using shapes and diagrams. Spatial reasoning is a part of it that focuses on picturing shapes in your head, such as rotations and cube nets.

My child finds cube nets very hard. What helps?

Making real nets from paper and folding them is the best way in. Learning that opposite faces never touch in a net also rules out many wrong answers.

Want to see what a paper set out like your child's test looks like? Every pack and handbook has a free sample. Find your test area or try the free flash cards.

Test areas mentioned

Kent Test: format and practice papers