How to Approach These Items
Matrix-style reasoning questions ask you to find a hidden rule. The rule may involve order, rotation, shape count, shading, position, or a combination of several features. The examples below are not copied from the live test; they are original practice items created to explain the thinking process.
For each item, look for one change at a time. If the shape changes, ask whether color, count, position, or direction also changes. Most mistakes happen when someone notices the first rule but misses a second rule.
Practice Examples
1. Alternating Sequence
Answer: B
The rule alternates between A and B. Because the fifth item is A, the sixth item should return to B.
2. Growing Count
Answer: 4 dots
The number of dots increases by one at each step. No change in color or direction is needed; count is the active rule.
3. Position Shift
Answer: bottom-left
The position moves clockwise around the four corners. After bottom-right, the next corner in the cycle is bottom-left.
4. Two Rules at Once
Answer: large black circle
Size and shading alternate together, while the shape changes after two steps. The fourth item keeps the circle shape and applies the large-black alternation.
5. Row Relationship
Answer: choose the option that contains both features.
Some matrix questions combine features across a row. If the first cell has a triangle and the second has a stripe, the third may be a striped triangle.
6. Elimination Strategy
Answer: C
When several rules are possible, eliminate answers that violate any confirmed rule. The best option is the one that satisfies all visible constraints, not just the most obvious one.
What These Examples Teach
- Start simple: count items, compare shape families, and inspect direction.
- Check more than one feature: hard items often combine two or three rules.
- Use elimination: remove options that break a confirmed rule.
- Avoid overfitting: do not invent a complex rule when a simple pattern explains every cell.
These examples are meant to make the live test more understandable, not to train a fixed answer key. The live test uses different items and randomized order within difficulty sets.
Next Steps
After reviewing these examples, take the full IQ Spark pattern reasoning test. To understand how results are mapped, read the scoring methodology.
Last reviewed: July 5, 2026.