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Inductive reasoning tests are designed to examine a candidate’s abstract reasoning ability;
their ability to see patterns and consistencies in data and to work flexibly with unfamiliar
information.
One of the main benefits of inductive reasoning tests is that they are not dependent upon
language, which makes them a good tool for assessing international candidates or
candidates for whom English is not their first language. Moreover they are usually very
good for predicting problem solving ability, which is imperative in many jobs.
While inductive reasoning questions test your ability to think broadly and creatively about a
set of data, there are some techniques that you can use to help you. We will explore these
in the practice questions that follow below.
The answer in each case is just below the diagram, so don't scroll down too far!
There are many variants on this theme. On the most basic level, the elements move around
within the box and you need to understand why they are moving in the order they are.
Question 1: Which box is next in the sequence?
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In the example above, the black circle is moving around the box in a clockwise direction,
each time moving half of the length of the box. This means that the next box in the
sequence is B.
In many cases there will be multiple items that move around within the box and each will
have its own sequence rule. This is shown in the question below.
This also illustrates a trick to watch out for – the black circle has become invisible because it
is now behind the stripey square.
There are several ways that elements can have relationships with one another, for example:
To solve these types of questions you need to identify what the rule that governs the
relationship is. Some examples will be explored in the questions below.
In this sort of question remember to also look for relationships between odd and even
numbers.
Be careful when looking at the sizes of shapes, as they can sometimes look distorted by the
other shapes around them. In the example above, the circles with shapes inside give the
impression of being smaller than they are. Optical illusions like this are sometimes used in
inductive reasoning tests, so watch out for them.
Spatial rotation
Spatial rotation is the ability to mentally imagine an item from another perspective.
Within inductive reasoning tests, spatial rotation often involves either imagining what a 3D
image looks like from a different perspective, or what shape a flat shape might become
when made 3D.
Question 5: Which box contains the same shape as the top series?
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The correct answer is D. When the other options are spatially rotated, they are a mirror
image of the target image.
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The tests are timed, and typically there is time pressure. Most online tests are designed to
be completed within the time allocated.
Practice makes perfect
It can be really helpful to practise some inductive reasoning tests before you have to
complete one under test conditions. This is because they are very different from the sorts of
problems one tends to encounter in everyday life. Familiarity with the types of questions
they include will help ensure that you don’t panic or freeze when you first see them.
Moreover, the more examples you work through, the more sorts of patterns you will
encounter and the more of a ‘feel’ you will get for the materials. Make sure that
you memorise the patterns discussed above but don’t let them blind you to creative
alternative solutions.
Sometimes there may be questions where however much you look at them, you can’t see
the pattern. Once you have given the question a good try move on. Don’t waste your time
wrestling with one question at the expense of your overall performance.
Even though the terms inductive reasoning, diagrammatic reasoning and abstract
reasoning are sometimes used interchangeably by employers when referring to aptitude
tests, you need to be clear about which type of questions you can expect. You can then
practice the questions to make sure that you are comfortable with each type. This will allow
you to spend your time answering the question rather than trying to work out how to
answer it.