Test: Position Patterns - UCAT MCQ

Set A – The hexagon in the top-right has the most sides.

Pattern: In Set A, the element with the most sides is situated in a corner; in Set B, the element with the most sides is situated on an edge.

Method: It should go without saying that Orientation, Colour and Size, and also simple Number, are unlikely to be relevant to the pattern. This leaves Position and Shape/Number. As it happens, the pattern concerns the position of shapes with a particular number of sides. The best way to spot this pattern is by focussing on the unusual shapes first – for instance, the cross only appears once, in a corner, in Set A, but twice, along an edge, in Set B. That said, the Sets are littered with red-herrings. Learning the hierarchy of these shapes by number of sides will help you spot similar patterns in the future.

C – The most-sided shape is the octagonal star – but there are copies of it both in a corner and along edges.

Pattern: In Set A, the element with the most sides is situated in a corner; in Set B, the element with the most sides is situated on an edge.

Method: It should go without saying that Orientation, Colour and Size, and also simple Number, are unlikely to be relevant to the pattern. This leaves Position and Shape/Number. As it happens, the pattern concerns the position of shapes with a particular number of sides. The best way to spot this pattern is by focussing on the unusual shapes first – for instance, the cross only appears once, in a corner, in Set A, but twice, along an edge, in Set B. That said, the Sets are littered with red-herrings. Learning the hierarchy of these shapes by number of sides will help you spot similar patterns in the future.

C – The shape with the most sides is the ten-sided star in the central position.

Pattern: In Set A, the element with the most sides is situated in a corner; in Set B, the element with the most sides is situated on an edge.

Method: It should go without saying that Orientation, Colour and Size, and also simple Number, are unlikely to be relevant to the pattern. This leaves Position and Shape/Number. As it happens, the pattern concerns the position of shapes with a particular number of sides. The best way to spot this pattern is by focussing on the unusual shapes first – for instance, the cross only appears once, in a corner, in Set A, but twice, along an edge, in Set B. That said, the Sets are littered with red-herrings. Learning the hierarchy of these shapes by number of sides will help you spot similar patterns in the future.

Set A – The cross in the bottom-left has the most sides.

Pattern: In Set A, the element with the most sides is situated in a corner; in Set B, the element with the most sides is situated on an edge.

Method: It should go without saying that Orientation, Colour and Size, and also simple Number, are unlikely to be relevant to the pattern. This leaves Position and Shape/Number. As it happens, the pattern concerns the position of shapes with a particular number of sides. The best way to spot this pattern is by focussing on the unusual shapes first – for instance, the cross only appears once, in a corner, in Set A, but twice, along an edge, in Set B. That said, the Sets are littered with red-herrings. Learning the hierarchy of these shapes by number of sides will help you spot similar patterns in the future.

C – The most-sided shape is the octagonal star – but there are copies of it both in a corner and along an edge.

Pattern: In Set A, the element with the most sides is situated in a corner; in Set B, the element with the most sides is situated on an edge.

Method: It should go without saying that Orientation, Colour and Size, and also simple Number, are unlikely to be relevant to the pattern. This leaves Position and Shape/Number. As it happens, the pattern concerns the position of shapes with a particular number of sides. The best way to spot this pattern is by focussing on the unusual shapes first – for instance, the cross only appears once, in a corner, in Set A, but twice, along an edge, in Set B. That said, the Sets are littered with red-herrings. Learning the hierarchy of these shapes by number of sides will help you spot similar patterns in the future.

Set B – The circle in the bottom-right has a triangle immediately above it.

Pattern: Members of Set A feature a triangle (either right-angled or isosceles) immediately below a circle. Members of Set B feature a triangle (either right-angled or isosceles) immediately above a circle.

Method: Treat this pattern in a similar manner to the previous pattern, eliminating categories and then trying unusual shapes first. Crosses and ten- or eight-pointed stars appear randomly throughout both sets, whether centrally, along edges or in corners. Equally, arrows, hexagons, pentagons, hearts and crescents do not appear consistently enough to form a pattern. Nevertheless, each box happens to contain at least one triangle and one circle, which should help you towards the answer – the top-left member of each set can be used for helpful comparison, as highlighted in red.

Set A – The triangle in the bottom-left has a circle immediately above it.

Pattern: Members of Set A feature a triangle (either right-angled or isosceles) immediately below a circle. Members of Set B feature a triangle (either right-angled or isosceles) immediately above a circle.

Method: Treat this pattern in a similar manner to the previous pattern, eliminating categories and then trying unusual shapes first. Crosses and ten- or eight-pointed stars appear randomly throughout both sets, whether centrally, along edges or in corners. Equally, arrows, hexagons, pentagons, hearts and crescents do not appear consistently enough to form a pattern. Nevertheless, each box happens to contain at least one triangle and one circle, which should help you towards the answer – the top-left member of each set can be used for helpful comparison, as highlighted in red.

Set B – The circle in the bottom-left has a triangle immediately above it.

Pattern: Members of Set A feature a triangle (either right-angled or isosceles) immediately below a circle. Members of Set B feature a triangle (either right-angled or isosceles) immediately above a circle.

Method: Treat this pattern in a similar manner to the previous pattern, eliminating categories and then trying unusual shapes first. Crosses and ten- or eight-pointed stars appear randomly throughout both sets, whether centrally, along edges or in corners. Equally, arrows, hexagons, pentagons, hearts and crescents do not appear consistently enough to form a pattern. Nevertheless, each box happens to contain at least one triangle and one circle, which should help you towards the answer – the top-left member of each set can be used for helpful comparison, as highlighted in red.

C – This box features a triangle with a circle immediately above it, but also the opposite.

Pattern: Members of Set A feature a triangle (either right-angled or isosceles) immediately below a circle. Members of Set B feature a triangle (either right-angled or isosceles) immediately above a circle.

Method: Treat this pattern in a similar manner to the previous pattern, eliminating categories and then trying unusual shapes first. Crosses and ten- or eight-pointed stars appear randomly throughout both sets, whether centrally, along edges or in corners. Equally, arrows, hexagons, pentagons, hearts and crescents do not appear consistently enough to form a pattern. Nevertheless, each box happens to contain at least one triangle and one circle, which should help you towards the answer – the top-left member of each set can be used for helpful comparison, as highlighted in red.

Set B – The central triangle has a circle directly below it.

Pattern: Members of Set A feature a triangle (either right-angled or isosceles) immediately below a circle. Members of Set B feature a triangle (either right-angled or isosceles) immediately above a circle.

Method: Treat this pattern in a similar manner to the previous pattern, eliminating categories and then trying unusual shapes first. Crosses and ten- or eight-pointed stars appear randomly throughout both sets, whether centrally, along edges or in corners. Equally, arrows, hexagons, pentagons, hearts and crescents do not appear consistently enough to form a pattern. Nevertheless, each box happens to contain at least one triangle and one circle, which should help you towards the answer – the top-left member of each set can be used for helpful comparison, as highlighted in red.

C – This features a circle in the top half and a circle in the bottom half.

Pattern: Members of Set A feature at least one circle in the top half of the box; members of Set B feature at least one circle in the bottom half of the box.

Method: Size ought to be your first thought. However, there is no consistent rule relating the largest shapes across each set to Shape, Position, Orientation or Colour. Thus, isolate the top two members of Set A and the middle-right of Set B for comparison. The mixture of black and white shapes is striking, but more so is the preponderance of circles. You can work out the pattern from these simpler cases and test it across the other members of each set.

Set A – This contains one circle, which is in the top half of the box.

Pattern: Members of Set A feature at least one circle in the top half of the box; members of Set B feature at least one circle in the bottom half of the box.

Method: Size ought to be your first thought. However, there is no consistent rule relating the largest shapes across each set to Shape, Position, Orientation or Colour. Thus, isolate the top two members of Set A and the middle-right of Set B for comparison. The mixture of black and white shapes is striking, but more so is the preponderance of circles. You can work out the pattern from these simpler cases and test it across the other members of each set.

C – This circle is equally distributed between the top and bottom halves.

Pattern: Members of Set A feature at least one circle in the top half of the box; members of Set B feature at least one circle in the bottom half of the box.

Method: Size ought to be your first thought. However, there is no consistent rule relating the largest shapes across each set to Shape, Position, Orientation or Colour. Thus, isolate the top two members of Set A and the middle-right of Set B for comparison. The mixture of black and white shapes is striking, but more so is the preponderance of circles. You can work out the pattern from these simpler cases and test it across the other members of each set.

C – This contains no circles.

Pattern: Members of Set A feature at least one circle in the top half of the box; members of Set B feature at least one circle in the bottom half of the box.

Method: Size ought to be your first thought. However, there is no consistent rule relating the largest shapes across each set to Shape, Position, Orientation or Colour. Thus, isolate the top two members of Set A and the middle-right of Set B for comparison. The mixture of black and white shapes is striking, but more so is the preponderance of circles. You can work out the pattern from these simpler cases and test it across the other members of each set.

Set A – This contains one circle, which is in the top half of the box.

Pattern: Members of Set A feature at least one circle in the top half of the box; members of Set B feature at least one circle in the bottom half of the box.

Method: Size ought to be your first thought. However, there is no consistent rule relating the largest shapes across each set to Shape, Position, Orientation or Colour. Thus, isolate the top two members of Set A and the middle-right of Set B for comparison. The mixture of black and white shapes is striking, but more so is the preponderance of circles. You can work out the pattern from these simpler cases and test it across the other members of each set.