NNAT®2 Question Type: Serial Reasoning

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In this post, we start with an overview of "Serial Reasoning" question types. We also provide a sample question, accompanied by tips and strategies that every student can use to perform successfully on "Serial Reasoning" questions during the official NNAT-2® exam.

Serial Reasoning Questions: What To Expect?

With this question type, the student is shown a series of shapes that change across the rows and columns throughout the design.

These questions require the child to understand how the objects in rows and columns relate to each other. The child must isolate and apply the rule/s in order to identify which object from the answer choices fits the empty box in the bottom right-hand corner of the matrix.

Serial Reasoning Sample Question

ANSWER:  4

ANSWER:  4

Serial Reasoning Questions: Test Prep Tips

When you first start working on 'Serial Reasoning' practice questions with your child, before each question, say to your him or her:

“Look at the picture. A piece is missing where you see the question mark. Show me the piece that is missing in the answer choices.”

After a few questions, your child will probably not need this prompt and will spontaneously point to or mark an answer.

Additional Strategies:

Encourage your student to discover the pattern by looking in each direction.

  • Horizontally across the rows. Ask: “How do the objects change in the first row? Do you see a pattern? Do the objects change in the same way in the second row? The third row?”

  • Vertically down the columns. Ask: How do the objects change in the first column? Do you see a pattern? Do the objects change in the same way in the second column? The third column?”

  • Diagonally (if the item is a 6-box matrix). Ask: “How do the objects change across the diagonal? Do you see a pattern?”

    • Encourage your student to isolate one element (e.g: outer shape, inner shape/s) and identify how it changes.

  • How does the color/shading of the element change as it moves along the row/column?

  • Does the element change positions as it moves along the row/column?Does it move up, down or around (i.e.: clockwise, counter-clockwise). Does the element move to the opposite position?

  • Does the element get bigger, smaller or stay the same as it moves?

  • Does the element disappear and appear again as you move along the row/column?

    • What's Next?

    Learn more about the different question types on the NNAT®2, including Pattern Completion, Reasoning by Analogy, and Spatial Visualization.