Find out more about non-verbal reasoning and how to support your child.
What is non-verbal reasoning?
Non-verbal reasoning is a form of visual problem-solving that uses shapes and pictures rather than words and is based on logic and patterns. It is a key element of the 11+ exams but for the majority of students it is also one of the most challenging areas to revise as it is not part of the National Curriculum so isn’t taught in school.
There are a variety of NVR question types, including:
- Identifying which shape is the odd one out.
- Identify reflections, rotations and symmetry of the original shape.
- Find the cube that can be made from the net.
- Following folds to work out the new pattern.
- Find the missing shape in the series.
- Find which 3D shapes can make the original shape.
- Work out which diagram comes next in a sequence.
- Use letter codes that represent features of a shape to find the rule and apply it to the new shape.
How to Approach Non-Verbal Reasoning Questions?
Typically secondary schools will say that there is no need to prepare for NVR exams as they test natural ability, or that it is impossible to prepare but we know that this is not the case.
Some students are naturally good at NVR questions and can identify the answer without necessarily being able to explain how they found it. This is a great skill but it is still important for these students to slow down and think about the method and steps they used to find the answer so that they know what to do when faced with a challenging question.
Students who are not naturally confident with NVR can develop these skills by familiarising themselves with the different NVR questions types and also learning what techniques to apply to each question. One advantage that students have is that NVR questions typically require the same approach over and over again so once students are confident with the main rules they will have the tools to tackle all NVR question types.
Below are some top tips for how to approach NVR questions and how you can improve these skills.
Tips for Answering NVR Questions!
Look at the Qualities of Shapes
Once you have identified what type of NVR question you are looking at, the next step is to look at the shapes in the question and their qualities. Once you have done this you can then begin to look for similarities/differences between the shapes and patterns. The main ones to watch out for are:
- Shapes - what shapes are there? Are they regular or irregular?
- Size - How large or small are they?
- Position - where in the pattern are they positioned. Top, middle or bottom? Right or Left?
- Colour - Are all the shapes the same colour or different?
- Pattern - Stripes, dots, zig-zags?
- Direction - Are the shapes pointing the same direction? Are any on an angle? If there is a striped pattern are the lines in the same direction?
Identifying the Rule
Most NVR questions will involve some form of rule and trying to identify what it is to either choose the shape that fits or doesn’t fit the pattern or determine what will come up next.
Process of Elimination
There are two ways that students can use the process of elimination when tackling an NVR question. Firstly, as your child works through a question they may find it helpful to immediately eliminate any obvious incorrect answers. This will reduce the number of remaining options which they can then look at in more detail.
The second way that students can use the process of elimination is once they have identified the rule that is being applied to the question they can test it on each of the answer options to see which one fits or doesn’t fit.
Tips for Improving NVR Skills!
Visual Aids
It can be confusing for students to try and keep track of multiple shapes in their head at once and makes it easy to get confused. When revising, and also in the exam if possible, we encourage students to use pencil and paper to draw out the different shapes to help them visualise the answer more clearly. Below are some examples for how to make the most of visual aids while revising.
- Rotation questions: If students draw the shape they can physically rotate the page to see what it would look like rather than trying to imagine it.
- Following the Fold questions: Following folds is a common area that students find challenging. When revising one of the best things to do is get an A4 page and pair of scissors and follow the instructions to make the pattern that is being described.
- 3D Nets and Cubes: Again this is a common area of difficulty for many students and it can be extremely beneficial for students to have a go at making their own nets and experimenting to see what happens when they fold them in different ways.
Practice and Repetition
Repetition is extremely important for Non-Verbal Reasoning especially as it is not a subject that will be covered regularly in school. The more students familiarise themselves with the different NVR question types the more natural it will become. This will also help improve speed which is an element that many students struggle with in NVR.
Games in Everyday Life
Alongside formal revision there are many activities and games that students can play day to day to improve their NVR ability. Games such as Sudoku, Jigsaw Puzzles, Spot the Difference and Tangrams will help improve logic and attention to detail. Others such as Lego and even Minecraft are great ways to practice shape building and visualisation.
Lesson Library
Another great resource for helping students improve their NVR ability is Atom’s Lesson Library. Here students can access recordings of all previous Live Lessons including many looking at NVR trickiest topics such as Nets and Cubes and Extending a Pattern.
In order to access our Non-Verbal Reasoning resources, you need to upgrade to our Exam Preparation package. You can find out how to do this here or alternatively, you can get in touch with our Education Experts at support@atomlearning.co.uk and a member of the Customer Success Team can support you with this.