Non-Verbal Series
About 7 min · General Intelligence and Reasoning · English
Time worked out from the lesson's 467 words at 150 words a minute, plus a minute for each question.
Non-Verbal Series questions present a sequence of figures or patterns where you must identify the underlying rule and choose the next figure that logically continues the series.
Key ideas
- Sequential Logic: Every non-verbal series follows a rule that applies consistently from one figure to the next. Your task is reverse-engineering this rule from the given examples.
- Multiple Element Tracking: Figures often contain several independent elements (outer shape, inner shape, dots, lines) that each follow their own progression pattern simultaneously.
- Direction of Change: Changes can be progressive (each step adds something), cyclical (pattern repeats after N steps), or alternating (odd/even positions differ). Identifying the change pattern is half the battle.
- Common Transformations: The most frequent operations are rotation (90°, 180° clockwise/anticlockwise), reflection (horizontal/vertical flip), addition/removal of elements, position shifts (clockwise/anticlockwise movement around a frame), and shading alternations.
- Elimination Strategy: When stuck between two options, work backwards — imagine each option as the next figure and check if it maintains the established rule consistently across all previous transitions.
Quick reference
- Compare consecutive pairs — Check 1→2, 2→3, 3→4 transitions individually; the same rule must work for all.
- Rotations default to 90° or 180° — These are most common; look for quarter-turn or half-turn patterns first.
- Track each element separately — Outer shape, inner shape, dots, lines and shading can each follow independent rules.
- Alternating = two rules — Odd positions follow one pattern, even positions follow another; check positions 1,3,5 versus 2,4.
- Work backwards from options — If unsure, test each answer choice: "If this were next, does the rule still hold for all previous steps?"
Check yourself: 3 questions
1. In the following series, identify the next figure. Figure 1: A circle with 1 dot inside. Figure 2: A circle with 2 dots inside. Figure 3: A circle with 3 dots inside. Figure 4: ?
2. Observe the following series of figures: Figure 1: A square. Figure 2: A square rotated 45 degrees (appearing as a diamond). Figure 3: A square. Figure 4: A square rotated 45 degrees (appearing as a diamond). Figure 5: ?
3. Observe the series below: Figure 1: A hexagon divided into 6 equal triangular sections. 1 section is shaded, at the top. Figure 2: A hexagon divided into 6 equal triangular sections. 2 adjacent sections are shaded, starting from the top and moving clockwise. Figure 3: A hexagon divided into 6 equal triangular sections. 3 adjacent sections are shaded, starting from the top and moving clockwise. Figure 4: ?
This lesson is cut from the topic's note, not rewritten. Fact-checked on 18 Oct 2026: an AI-assisted check of this note against cited sources; the errors it found were corrected that day. Some errors may remain. The questions are from Shishya's validated question bank.
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