Logical reasoning test practice: 8 questions against the clock
This free logical reasoning test is 8 shape-and-rule questions in 8 minutes, in 3 formats: next in series, grid and odd one out. When you finish, every question comes with a worked explanation of the rule and a note on why each wrong option looked right.
On a real test the shapes are rarely what beats you. The clock is: one stubborn figure eats the minute meant for the next three. Find out which rules slow you down here, while a wrong answer still costs nothing. Try one question below, then start the set.
Which figure comes next?
Check your answer
Answer: C. Large solid triangle in the centre, pointing down
Rotation: the triangle turns 45° clockwise at each step.
- Look only at where the triangle points: up, up-right, right, down-right.
- Each step is an eighth of a turn clockwise.
- One more eighth of a turn from down-right points it straight down.
- A. Points down-right, like the last frame. The triangle turns at every step.
- B. Points right, so it has turned back. The triangle only turns clockwise.
- D. Points down-left: two steps in one. Each step is an eighth of a turn.
- E. Points left: three steps in one. Each step is an eighth of a turn.
What is on a logical reasoning test?
Employers often use online tests early in hiring, to screen applicants before anyone is interviewed. In this kind of test you see a few figures made of simple shapes. Something changes from one figure to the next, and you pick the figure that fits the rule.
This set uses three formats:
- Next in series. Four or five figures in a row. You choose the one that comes next.
- Grid. A 3×3 grid with the last cell missing. Each row or column follows a rule, and you fill the gap.
- Odd one out. Five figures. Four share a rule, and you pick the one that breaks it.
What can change: shape, shading, size, position, rotation and how many shapes there are. Easier questions change one thing. Harder ones combine two or three rules at once.
Is a logical reasoning test the same as abstract or inductive reasoning?
Often, yes. Test publishers use different names, and logical, abstract and inductive reasoning are commonly used for the same shape-and-pattern format. If your invitation uses one of those names, the questions here are good practice. Diagrammatic tests, where a symbol changes a figure, are a related format that this set does not cover. If you are not sure which test you will get, ask the person who invited you.
Try one from the grid format:
Which figure completes the grid?
Check your answer
Answer: E. Medium grey star in the centre
Shape stays the same down each column. Each row holds one empty, one grey and one solid shape.
- Shape first: the left column is all diamonds, the middle all hexagons, the right all stars. The gap needs a star.
- Shading: every row has one empty, one grey and one solid shape.
- The bottom row has empty and solid already, so the missing star is grey.
- A. Empty star. Grey then empty looks like it will alternate, but the top row ends solid. The bottom row lacks grey.
- B. Solid star. The bottom row already has a solid shape, so the missing one is grey.
- C. A hexagon. Hexagons belong to the middle column; the right column is all stars.
- D. A diamond. Diamonds belong to the left column; the right column is all stars.
How do you find the rule faster in a reasoning test?
- Track one thing at a time. Look only at rotation, then only at the count. One hard puzzle becomes several easy ones.
- Check the rule on every figure. A common trap is a rule that fits the first two figures and breaks on the third. Some wrong answers in this set are built exactly that way.
- Cross out options. Each rule you confirm removes some answers. Two rules usually leave one.
- Know when to move on. If you are past your budget and still have no rule, pick your best guess, flag the question and move on.
How much time do you get per question in a logical reasoning test?
Aptitude tests often give you about a minute per question, and timed reasoning tests are usually built so that very few people finish everything. So before you start, divide the time by the number of questions. That is your budget for one question. This set gives you 8 minutes for 8 questions.
While you work, the pace bar under each question warns you as you near 60 seconds and again when you pass it. Flagged questions sit in a list, so you can jump back to them before the clock runs out. In this set an unanswered question counts as wrong, so a quick guess beats a blank.
What happens after you finish this logical reasoning test?
You get a time map: the seconds you spent on each question, with anything over 60 seconds marked. If a few questions ate most of your time, it tells you how much. If one rule type is clearly slower for you than another, it names both. It also shows whether flagging and coming back paid off.
Then comes a rule walkthrough for every question: the rule in one line, the steps one rule at a time, and why the option you picked does or does not fit. Take the set again and you get a new set of 8, so you can compare two time maps. There are 24 questions in total, free to use, with no sign-up.
Practising for a numbers test as well? Our numerical reasoning practice works the same way. To see how we write and check our questions, read our methodology. Or go straight to the set above and start your first 8 questions.