CAT4 lessonsSpatial reasoning
CAT4 figure recognition
A shape, and then five busy pictures. Exactly one picture has the shape hidden inside it, the same way round. Your child finds it.
What your child sees
Level C, Year 6, a question like this one
Which picture has this shape hidden in it? The shape must be the same way round.
- A
- B
- C
- D
- E
Worked example
The same question, one step at a time.
- 1Pick out one side of the shape that is easy to spot, such as a sloping side or the longest side.
- 2Look for a line like it in each picture. The shape's sides may carry on into longer lines.
- 3From that line, check that every other side is there too, joined at the same angles.
- 4If the shape is there but flipped or turned, it is not the answer.
Common traps
Every wrong choice is built from a mistake children really make.
The shape flipped over
The shape is there, but it is the mirror image. It has to be the same way round.
In the example: choice B.
The shape turned
The shape is there, but it has been turned. Hold the page still: the shape does not turn.
In the example: choice E.
Nearly the shape
One corner is in a different place. Check every corner, not just the general look.
In the example: choices C and D.
Where it is on the test
Figure recognition is one of the two tests in the spatial reasoning battery. Each test has its own time limit.
| Level | Questions | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Level X (Year 2) | 10 | 11 minutes |
| Level Pre-A (Year 3) | 12 | 9 minutes |
| 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
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