IQ Practice Questions: Sample Types and How to Approach Them

What these questions are actually measuring

Despite the variety of formats, most reasoning items tap a small number of cognitive abilities. Pattern and matrix items target fluid reasoning — your capacity to spot rules in novel material. Number series tap quantitative reasoning. Verbal analogies lean on a mix of vocabulary (a crystallized ability) and relational reasoning. Spatial items test mental rotation and visualisation. A good test samples across these so the total score approximates general reasoning rather than any single narrow skill.

The main question types, with worked methods

Pattern / matrix items

You see a grid of shapes with one cell missing and pick the option that completes it. Work one dimension at a time: scan along the rows for a rule (a shape rotating, an element being added, a colour alternating), then check whether the same or a different rule runs down the columns. Name the rule out loud in your head before you look at the answer options — that stops the distractors from talking you out of the correct logic.

Number series

Given 2, 6, 12, 20, 30, … find the next term. Compute the differences between consecutive terms (4, 6, 8, 10) and look at those: here they rise by 2 each time, so the next difference is 12 and the answer is 42. If first differences aren't obvious, check ratios (is each term multiplied?) or whether two interleaved sequences are alternating.

Verbal analogies

"Hand is to glove as foot is to ___?" State the relationship precisely — 'a glove is worn on a hand' — then apply that exact relationship to the second pair, giving 'sock'. The trap is choosing a word merely associated with 'foot' (like 'shoe' or 'toe') rather than one that preserves the relationship.

Logical deduction

From statements like 'All A are B; some B are C', decide what must follow. Only accept conclusions that are guaranteed by the premises, not ones that merely seem plausible. Sketching a quick diagram or substituting concrete examples exposes invalid leaps.

Spatial reasoning

Mental-rotation and paper-folding items ask which 3-D object matches a rotated view, or how a folded-and-punched sheet looks unfolded. Fix one distinctive feature (a corner, an arrow) and track only that feature through the transformation rather than trying to rotate the whole object at once.

Try a few yourself

The sampler below cycles through representative item types so you can practise the methods above on live examples before sitting a full test.

General test-taking strategy

Reasoning ability matters most, but a clear approach stops you from losing easy marks. These habits help on almost any timed reasoning test:

1. Read the whole item before touching the answer options — distractors are designed to look tempting.
2. Articulate the rule explicitly, then verify it against every given element before choosing.
3. Budget your time: if an item resists you for more than about a minute, mark a best guess and move on.
4. Never leave blanks on tests without a wrong-answer penalty — a guess has positive expected value.
5. Sleep, food and a quiet room affect your score more than people expect; treat them as part of preparation.