EPSO Abstract Reasoning Practice

This week’s five questions, with the answers

Real questions from the bank, free and with no account. The set is the same for everyone all week and rotates every Monday.

1. Question 1 of 5Difficulty 4/5

   From the options available, please choose which diagram would come next in the series above.

   • A
   • B
   • C
   • D
   • E
   Show the answer and the reasoning

   Correct answer: A

   Why

   Nine glyphs sit in a 3x3 grid and TWO moves take turns — the change from one frame to the next is never the same twice in a row. On the odd steps (frame 1→2, 3→4 and 5→6), the eight outer glyphs turn one cell clockwise round the grid, while the centre stays put. On the even steps (2→3 and 4→5), all three rows move one cell to the right (the right-most glyph wraps round to the left). Frame 6 comes from an odd step, so apply the turn of the outer ring to frame 5 — and only that one. Tip: every shape appears several times, so counting them tells you nothing; pin each move on a few cells, confirm it on the next pair of frames, and compare the options cell by cell.

   Option by option

   • ACorrect — frame 6 applies the turn of the outer ring to frame 5 exactly once: the eight outer glyphs turn one cell clockwise round the grid, while the centre stays put.
   • BIncorrect — this repeats on frame 5 the change that produced frame 5 itself (the row move). But the two moves take turns, so frame 6 needs the turn of the outer ring. Trap: repeating the last change you saw is the natural reflex.
   • CIncorrect — the right move, but two neighbouring glyphs have traded places. Once you have built frame 6, compare it with the option cell by cell, not at a glance.
   • DIncorrect — the glyphs turned two places instead of one: on every step they advance exactly one place.
   • EIncorrect — only the corner glyphs moved. When the outer ring turns, all eight outer glyphs turn together, including the ones in the middle of each side.
2. Question 2 of 5Difficulty 5/5

   From the options available, please choose which diagram would come next in the series above.

   • A
   • B
   • C
   • D
   • E
   Show the answer and the reasoning

   Correct answer: A

   Why

   Nine glyphs sit in a 3x3 grid and TWO moves take turns — the change from one frame to the next is never the same twice in a row. On the odd steps (frame 1→2, 3→4 and 5→6), the left and right columns move one cell up (the top glyph wraps round to the bottom), while the middle column moves one cell down: the middle one always goes against the other two. On the even steps (2→3 and 4→5), the top and bottom rows move one cell to the left (the left-most glyph wraps round to the right), while the middle row moves one cell to the right. Frame 6 comes from an odd step, so apply the column move to frame 5 — and only that one. Tip: every shape appears several times, so counting them tells you nothing; pin each move on a few cells (1→2, then 2→3), confirm it on 3→4 and 4→5, and compare the options cell by cell.

   Option by option

   • ACorrect — frame 6 applies the odd-step move to frame 5 exactly once: the left and right columns move one cell up (the top glyph wraps round to the bottom), while the middle column moves one cell down. The rows are not touched on this step — their move belongs to the even steps.
   • BIncorrect — the right move, but two neighbouring glyphs have traded places. In this series the options can differ by a single pair of cells: once you have built frame 6, compare it with the option cell by cell, not at a glance.
   • CIncorrect — the middle column moved in the same direction as the outer columns. Look again at frames 1→2 and 3→4: the middle column always goes the opposite way.
   • DIncorrect — every column moved two cells instead of one. On a line of three cells, two cells one way land exactly where one cell the other way would, so this is also what you get by reading the directions backwards. Frame 6 moves each column exactly one cell, in the directions seen on 1→2 and 3→4.
   • EIncorrect — only the outer columns moved; the middle column stayed as it was in frame 5. On every odd step all three columns move — the middle one against the other two.
3. Question 3 of 5Difficulty 5/5

   From the options available, please choose which diagram would come next in the series above.

   • A
   • B
   • C
   • D
   • E
   Show the answer and the reasoning

   Correct answer: B

   Why

   Nine glyphs sit in a 3x3 grid and TWO moves take turns — the change from one frame to the next is never the same twice in a row. On the odd steps (frame 1→2, 3→4 and 5→6), the top and bottom rows move one cell to the left (the left-most glyph wraps round to the right), while the middle row moves one cell to the right: the middle one always goes against the other two. On the even steps (2→3 and 4→5), the left and right columns move one cell down (the bottom glyph wraps round to the top), while the middle column moves one cell up. Frame 6 comes from an odd step, so apply the row move to frame 5 — and only that one. Tip: every shape appears several times, so counting them tells you nothing; pin each move on a few cells (1→2, then 2→3), confirm it on 3→4 and 4→5, and compare the options cell by cell.

   Option by option

   • AIncorrect — this applies the even-step move to frame 5: the left and right columns move one cell down (the bottom glyph wraps round to the top), while the middle column moves one cell up. That is the move that produced frame 5 itself; frame 6 is an odd step, so it is the rows that move. Trap: repeating the last change you saw is the natural reflex — here the two moves take turns.
   • BCorrect — frame 6 applies the odd-step move to frame 5 exactly once: the top and bottom rows move one cell to the left (the left-most glyph wraps round to the right), while the middle row moves one cell to the right. The columns are not touched on this step — their move belongs to the even steps.
   • CIncorrect — the right move, but two neighbouring glyphs have traded places. In this series the options can differ by a single pair of cells: once you have built frame 6, compare it with the option cell by cell, not at a glance.
   • DIncorrect — both moves were applied to frame 5, first the rows and then the columns. Each step performs exactly ONE of the two moves, in turn; frame 6 only needs the row move.
   • EIncorrect — every row moved two cells instead of one. On a line of three cells, two cells one way land exactly where one cell the other way would, so this is also what you get by reading the directions backwards. Frame 6 moves each row exactly one cell, in the directions seen on 1→2 and 3→4.
4. Question 4 of 5Difficulty 5/5

   From the options available, please choose which diagram would come next in the series above.

   • A
   • B
   • C
   • D
   • E
   Show the answer and the reasoning

   Correct answer: B

   Why

   Nine glyphs sit in a 3x3 grid and THREE different moves repeat in a fixed cycle. Step 1→2: the top and bottom rows move one cell to the right (the right-most glyph wraps round to the left), while the middle row moves one cell to the left. Step 2→3: the left and right columns move one cell down (the bottom glyph wraps round to the top), while the middle column moves one cell up. Step 3→4: the eight outer glyphs turn one cell anticlockwise round the grid, while the centre stays put. Then the cycle starts again — 4→5 is the row move once more — so 5→6 is the second move of the cycle: apply the column move to frame 5, and only that one. Tip: name the change between every pair of consecutive frames before you look at the options; the order of the moves is the rule. In parallel, one cell is shaded, and the shading follows a rule of its own: in every frame it moves to the next corner anticlockwise. The shading belongs to the grid, not to the glyphs — it moves on its own, whatever the glyphs do, so separate the two layers before you read the moves.

   Option by option

   • AIncorrect — only the outer columns moved; the middle column stayed as it was in frame 5. On this step all three columns move.
   • BCorrect — frame 6 applies the column move to frame 5 exactly once: the left and right columns move one cell down (the bottom glyph wraps round to the top), while the middle column moves one cell up. The shaded cell has also taken its next place.
   • CIncorrect — the right move, but two neighbouring glyphs have traded places. Once you have built frame 6, compare it with the option cell by cell, not at a glance.
   • DIncorrect — this applies the turn of the outer ring, the move that comes AFTER the one frame 6 needs. After the row move (4→5) the cycle continues with the column move; the turn of the outer ring only comes at 6→7.
   • EIncorrect — this repeats on frame 5 the change that produced frame 5 itself (the row move). But the three moves always come in the same order, so frame 6 needs the column move. Trap: repeating the last change you saw is the natural reflex.
5. Question 5 of 5Difficulty 5/5

   From the options available, please choose which diagram would come next in the series above.

   • A
   • B
   • C
   • D
   • E
   Show the answer and the reasoning

   Correct answer: D

   Why

   Nine glyphs sit in a 3x3 grid and THREE different moves repeat in a fixed cycle. Step 1→2: the top and bottom rows move one cell to the left (the left-most glyph wraps round to the right), while the middle row moves one cell to the right. Step 2→3: the left and right columns move one cell down (the bottom glyph wraps round to the top), while the middle column moves one cell up. Step 3→4: the eight outer glyphs turn one cell anticlockwise round the grid, while the centre stays put. Then the cycle starts again — 4→5 is the row move once more — so 5→6 is the second move of the cycle: apply the column move to frame 5, and only that one. Tip: name the change between every pair of consecutive frames before you look at the options; the order of the moves is the rule.

   Option by option

   • AIncorrect — the right move, but in the opposite direction. Look again at frames 2→3: the direction never changes.
   • BIncorrect — the middle column moved with the other two. Look again at frames 2→3: the middle column always goes the opposite way.
   • CIncorrect — only the outer columns moved; the middle column stayed as it was in frame 5. On this step all three columns move.
   • DCorrect — frame 6 applies the column move to frame 5 exactly once: the left and right columns move one cell down (the bottom glyph wraps round to the top), while the middle column moves one cell up.
   • EIncorrect — two moves were applied to frame 5 in a single step: the column move and then the turn of the outer ring. Each step performs exactly ONE move; frame 6 needs only the column move.