ADF abstract reasoning: how to identify patterns

Describe the visible features

Count shapes, lines and shaded areas. Note position, orientation and size. Separating these properties prevents a striking visual feature from distracting you from a simpler relationship.

Test one rule at a time

Try rotation, reflection, alternating fill and changes in number. A useful rule must explain every relevant figure, not just the first pair. If it fails on a later figure, revise it rather than forcing the answer.

Use elimination carefully

Remove options that clearly violate the rule you can establish. Keep the remaining possibilities until you have checked all features. Some questions combine two changes, such as rotation and shading, so do not stop after noticing only one.

Review your process

After a practice attempt, record the feature you missed and how you could have noticed it. Begin unfamiliar pattern types without a timer, then use mixed timed practice to see how your method holds up under pressure.

Use a fixed observation order

When a diagram feels confusing, describe it before trying to name a rule. Start with the number of shapes, then their type, position, orientation and shading. Finally, note how shapes relate to one another. A fixed observation order can make your own review more systematic because you can identify which feature you overlooked.

For an original example, imagine one black dot at the top of a square, then at the right, then at the bottom. A possible continuation is the left side if the dot moves one side clockwise each time. That rule accounts for every shown transition. It does not establish that all visual sequences use rotation; it illustrates how to test one proposed rule against the evidence.

Distinguish rotation from reflection

A rotated figure turns while retaining the arrangement of its parts. A reflection reverses the figure across a line. Use an asymmetric shape, such as an arrow with a mark on only one side, when practising this distinction. A symmetrical shape can hide the difference and make an explanation seem correct for the wrong reason.

In your notes, describe the transformation precisely: “quarter-turn clockwise” is clearer than “it moves”. If an answer requires a different transformation from one step to the next, check whether the sequence supplies evidence for that change. Do not add an extra rule solely to rescue your preferred option.

Check simple explanations before complicated ones

A sequence might vary two features at once. For example, a shape could change position while its shading alternates. Test the position rule and shading rule separately, then check their combination against the choices. If one option matches only the position, it is not a complete match.

When several ideas compete, prefer the explanation that accounts for the displayed examples without unnecessary exceptions. This is a practical reasoning approach, not a guarantee that a particular pattern is intended. The point of review is to explain why a rule fits all the information you were given, including any feature that makes an attractive answer incorrect.

Review diagrams in words

After an optional practice test, describe the rule in a sentence and identify the decisive feature. “The answer is C” gives you little to reuse. “The mark advances one position while the fill alternates” is something you can test in a new example. Include a note if you chose correctly but could not explain why.

When practising on a small screen, enlarge a diagram if details are difficult to distinguish. A missed tiny mark and a misunderstood pattern are different errors. Use the larger display for careful review and reserve timed sessions for conditions in which you can actually read the material. The official assessment's device instructions remain separate from mobile practice access.