Grid patterns — often called matrices — are one of the most reliable mark-earners in the GL Assessment non-verbal reasoning (NVR) paper, and one of the few 11+ question families where method beats instinct almost every time. A matrix shows a grid of shapes with one cell left blank; your child works out the rule that governs the rows and columns, then picks the missing cell from five options. Children who learn to interrogate a grid systematically routinely overtake 'naturally spatial' peers who guess, because a matrix is not a test of artistic eye — it is a test of whether you check every attribute in order.
What the grid pattern question looks like
In a GL-style paper the classic version is a 2x2 or 3x3 grid with a question mark in one cell, usually the bottom-right. The answer is multiple choice: five shapes labelled A to E, marked on a separate answer sheet. Expect several matrices per NVR paper, and in reasoning-heavy regions the NVR section can carry a large slice of the total marks, so these are questions worth drilling until they are automatic. The pattern is never random: something changes as you move across each row, and usually something else changes as you move down each column. Your job is to name both changes.
Grid patterns sit alongside the other GL NVR families — series, analogies, most-alike (similarities), most-unlike (odd one out), rotations, reflections, codes and nets — and the exam board does not tell you in advance which types appear or in what order. Our full NVR types list maps the whole territory so nothing in the paper is a surprise.
The step-by-step method
Work the grid in a fixed order every single time. A repeatable routine is what stops panic when the pattern looks busy.
- Read the rows first. Look at the top row and ask: what changes from the first cell to the second, and the second to the third? Name it out loud — 'the arrow rotates 90 degrees clockwise' or 'one dot is added each time'.
- Read the columns next. Now look down the left-hand column and name that rule separately. Rows and columns often carry two different rules at once.
- Predict the missing cell. Before you even glance at the options, say what the answer should contain — shape, shading, orientation, number of elements. This stops the wrong options 'talking you out of' the right one.
- Match to the options. Find the option that fits your prediction. If two look close, go back and check the one attribute that separates them.
- Eliminate, don't hope. Cross off any option that breaks a rule you have already confirmed. Process of elimination is faster than admiring each option in turn.
The attributes to scan — every time
Nine times out of ten a wrong answer comes from checking the shape but missing a second, simultaneous change. Train your child to run down this checklist for every matrix until it becomes a reflex:
- Number of elements or sides (is a dot, line or side added each step?)
- Shading / fill (white, black, striped, dotted — does the fill cycle?)
- Size (growing, shrinking, alternating large-small)
- Orientation (is a shape rotating, and by how much?)
- Position (top, bottom, inside, outside — does an element move around the cell?)
- Line thickness and line style (solid vs dashed)
- Symmetry and reflection (is the shape mirrored rather than rotated?)
- Count of separate elements in each cell
The single biggest cause of dropped marks is spotting one change and stopping. Real GL matrices frequently run two rules together — for example, the shape rotates and the fill darkens across the row. Scan the whole list before committing.
A worked 3x3 matrix
Imagine a 3x3 grid of triangles. Reading across each row, the triangle rotates 90 degrees clockwise from cell to cell. Reading down each column, the triangle gains one internal dot per row (one dot in the top row, two in the middle, three at the bottom). The bottom-right cell is blank. Apply both rules: the bottom row's triangle should be rotated to the row's third orientation, and it should carry three dots because it sits in the third row. Predict 'triangle pointing left with three dots', then pick the matching option. Notice we named the row-rule (rotation) and the column-rule (adding dots) separately — that separation is the whole technique.
The classic traps
Examiners design the wrong options to catch predictable mistakes. Knowing the traps is half the battle:
- Assuming a row repeat when it is diagonal. Some grids cycle along the diagonal, not the row. If the rows 'don't work', test the diagonal before giving up.
- Confusing rotation with reflection. A rotated shape and its mirror image can look identical for symmetrical shapes but differ for asymmetrical ones. Check a distinctive corner or a single stray line to tell them apart.
- Missing a second simultaneous change. The shape changed — but so did the shading. Always finish the attribute checklist.
- Ignoring a shading or colour cycle that differs from the shape cycle. The fill may follow its own three-step loop independent of the shape.
- Red-herring options. An option that matches the shape but breaks the count, or matches the count but faces the wrong way, is there to tempt a hurried guess.
Timing and pacing
GL NVR papers are tightly timed at roughly 35 to 50 seconds per question, so a matrix cannot become a five-minute puzzle. Teach the skip-and-return habit: if the rule has not revealed itself within about a minute, mark the question, move on, and come back with fresh eyes. On the separate OMR answer sheet, check the question number matches the row you are filling — a slipped answer line can cost a whole page of marks.
| Guide | Typical figure |
|---|---|
| Paper length | about 50 minutes |
| Target per question | 35–50 seconds |
| Matrix strategy | name row-rule + column-rule, predict, then match |
| Stuck? | skip, mark it, return at the end |
How scoring works
Raw NVR marks are converted to a Standardised Age Score (SAS), typically on a scale from roughly 69 to 141 with 100 as the average. The score is adjusted for your child's exact age in months, so a younger child in the year group is not disadvantaged against an older classmate. Many grammar schools look for scores around 111 or above, but exact qualifying marks vary by area and year, so never chase a fixed number — chase accuracy on the harder types, because getting matrices and rotations right is what lifts the standardised score.
How to practise this type at home
Do grid patterns in short, focused bursts — ten questions, mark them, then review every error out loud with one question: 'which attribute did I miss?' That parent-marking habit turns a wrong answer into a lesson. Our free NVR worksheet sets isolate matrices so your child drills one skill at a time, the full NVR types list shows how grids relate to series and analogies, and timed mock papers knit the types back together at real exam pace. When you are ready for full centre-style conditions, the centre-specific mocks and the revision hub pull everything together, and the GL paper guide explains the exact format your child will meet on the day.
Frequently asked questions
What is a grid pattern (matrix) question?
It is a grid of shapes with one cell blank. Your child works out the rule governing the rows and columns, then chooses the missing shape from five multiple-choice options marked on a separate answer sheet.
Why do children lose marks on matrices?
Almost always because they spot one change and stop. Real GL matrices usually run two rules at once — a row-rule and a column-rule — so the fix is to scan the full attribute checklist (number, shading, size, orientation, position) before answering.
How long should each question take?
Around 35 to 50 seconds. If a matrix has not cracked within about a minute, skip it, mark it, and return at the end with fresh eyes rather than burning time you need elsewhere.