Ecole nationale d’administration -ENA

French National School of Administration

Preparation for European Institutions

Open Competitions

The Abstract Reasoning Test

The Abstract Reasoning Test

Assessed Competencies

• Assessing the ability to think flexibly and

resolve new problems.

• Assessing candidates'ability to draw inferences

and understand the relationship between
various concepts.
The Abstract Reasoning Test

• Symbols or shapes

• Linear or planar geometric analogies

• No spatial (3 dimensional) geometric reasoning

• No word, no number

• Possibility to appeal to number in the form of pictorial

representation
The Abstract Reasoning Test

• Multiple-choice questions

• Only one correct answer among 4 to 6 proposals

• Approximate duration: 20 minutes

The Abstract Reasoning Test

Classic Questions

• Which figure completes the series ?

• What is the odd one out ?

• Which figure completes the statement :

A is to B as C is to D ?
The Abstract Reasoning Test

Classic Questions
• Which figure completes the series ?

Réponse : D
The Abstract Reasoning Test

Classic Questions

• What is the odd one out ?

Réponse : D
The Abstract Reasoning Test

Classic Questions
Which figure completes the statement :
A is to B as C is to D ?

Réponse : C
Some advice on methodology

• Objective : to identify the rule

Method:
• Observe
• Identify the rule
• Foresee the next result
General advices

Similarly to all other logic tests :

• Read the instructions carefully

• Remain focused
• Manage your time

A key word : Training!

Identify the characteristics
of the diagrams
Identify the elements of the diagrams

• Number of elements
• Shapes: circle, squares, etc.
• Colours of the shapes and/or alternation of colours
• Relative dimension : « big square », « small square »,etc.
• Meaningful symbols: arrows,etc.
• Direction of the movement : left to right, bottom-up, etc.
Identify specific structures of the diagrams

• Series of diagrams

• Matrices : logical link between rows or colonnes of

symbols

• Analogy (A is to B as C is to D)
Identify the evolution of the elements
of the diagrams

• Identical elements in every diagram

Réponse : C
Identify the evolution of the elements
of the diagrams

• Progression : addition or removal of some elements from

one diagram to the next.

Réponse : C
Some frequent rules
Some frequent rules

Rotations
• Rotation of one or several elements from one diagram to
another
• Rotation of the same diagram

Important : Pay attention to the direction

• Clock-wise
• Or anti clock-wise
Some frequent rules

Rotations
• Rotation of one or several elements from one diagram to
another

Réponse : C
Some frequent rules

Rotations
• Rotation of the same diagram.

Réponse : D
Some frequent rules

Symmetry

• Symmetry to an axis

• Symmetry to a point
Some frequent rules
Dominos

• Ascending sequences or descending sequences of the

dominos
For the top-halves, bottom-halves of the dominos.... :
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, blank, 1, 2....
6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, blank, 6, 5, 4, 3..

• Cross-referenced series

• Sums, substraction, products of dominos,etc

Some frequent rules
Dominos

• Ascending sequences or descending sequences of the

dominos

Réponse : C
Some frequent rules
Dominos

• Cross-referenced series

Réponse : C
Some frequent rules
Dominos

• Observe the domino as a whole

• Observe the top-half or the bottom-half of the domino

Some frequent rules
Series of diagrams
Linear series : diagram 1 (D1) is linked to D2, D2
is linked to D3, etc ...

Réponse : B Example, source EPSO

Some frequent rules
Series of diagrams

• Alternation: diagramme 1 (D1) is linked to D3, D2 is linked

to D4, etc ...
Example, source EPSO :

Réponse : C
Some frequent rules
Series of diagrams

Sequences: D1, D2 et D3 are in a sequence which is repeated in

D4, D5 and D6.
Example, source EPSO :

Réponse : D
Abstract reasoning : example of on-line test
Resources

• Documents provided during the training

• www.psychometric-success.com: Abstract reasoning for
all levels
• Tests de logique aux concours des écoles de commerce.
Sabine Duhamel,Marie-Lorène Giniès, Gérard Roudaut, William
Seck, Hubert Silly.Studyrama 2009.
 Thank you for your attention

Anne-Catherine Gutknecht
Preparation for European institutions’ open competitions

Mail: anne-catherine.gutknecht@ena.fr
https://www.facebook.com/Prepa.concours.UE