CAT4 lessonsSpatial reasoning
CAT4 figure analysis
A square of paper is folded, then holes are punched in it. Your child picks how the paper looks when it is opened out again.
What your child sees
Level C, Year 6, a question like this one
A square of paper is folded, and then a hole is punched through it. Which picture shows the paper when it is opened out?
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
Worked example
The same question, one step at a time.
- 1Every hole goes through every layer of the folded paper.
- 2Open the folds one at a time, last fold first. Each fold works like a mirror: every hole gets a twin the same distance from the fold line on the other side.
- 3This paper was folded in half from left to right, then in half again from bottom to top, so the hole becomes 4 holes in all.
- 4Final answer: the square with 4 holes, each mirrored across the fold lines.
Common traps
Every wrong choice is built from a mistake children really make.
Forgetting to open it out
The choice shows only the holes that were punched. Opening the paper adds a hole on the other side of every fold.
In the example: choice B.
Opening only one fold
Each fold doubles the holes, so two folds give four times as many. Open the folds one at a time, last fold first.
In the example: choices A and E.
Mirroring across the wrong line
A hole lands on the other side of its fold line, the same distance away. Find the fold line before you move any hole.
Where it is on the test
Figure analysis is one of the two tests in the spatial reasoning battery. Each test has its own time limit.
| Level | Questions | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Level A (Year 4) | 18 | 9 minutes |
| Level B (Year 5) | 18 | 9 minutes |
| Level C (Year 6) | 18 | 9 minutes |
| Level D (Year 7) | 18 | 9 minutes |
| Level E (Year 8) | 18 | 9 minutes |
| Level F (Years 9 and 10) | 18 | 9 minutes |
| Level G (Year 11 and above) | 18 | 9 minutes |
Times are GL Assessment's published figures; question counts are ours where GL publishes none.
Try it
Practise this test online, new every time with the score at the end, or print the free worksheets.
The other test in this battery
CAT4 is a registered trademark of GL Assessment Limited, a Renaissance company. Scholar Tests is not affiliated with or endorsed by GL Assessment, Renaissance or any school. Our practice questions are written by us in the style of CAT4's published question types; they are not real CAT4 questions, and a practice score is not a CAT4 score.