Non-Verbal Reasoning (NVR) tests visual pattern recognition rather than words or numbers, and for many children it is the least familiar of the four 11+ skill areas. The reassuring news is that the shapes and grids are not random: most GL Assessment NVR papers draw on a small, predictable set of question families. Once your child can name which family a question belongs to, they already know which rule to hunt for, and half the puzzle is solved. This guide lists every standard NVR question type, shows how to spot each one, and links each to a free Quest Arena worksheet so practice maps one-to-one onto the real paper.
How NVR fits the 2026 11+ landscape
GL Assessment is now the dominant 11+ provider across most grammar-school regions, after CEM's separate 11+ tests were phased out around 2022-2023. GL NVR papers are multiple-choice, with answers marked A to E on a separate answer sheet, no calculator, and tight timing of roughly 35 to 50 seconds per question. Independent senior schools often use the ISEB Common Pre-Test, and the Essex CSSE consortium runs its own exam, but the NVR skills below transfer across all of them. Our GL papers guide and 11+ process guide explain exactly how the format differs by area.
The NVR question families
The types below cluster into six families. Learning them by family, rather than as 21 isolated puzzles, means a child recognises the underlying logic faster under time pressure.
| Family | Question type | What the child does |
|---|---|---|
| Similarities | Most Like / Find the pair | Choose the shape that follows the same rule as a given set |
| Differences | Most Unlike / Odd One Out | Find the shape that breaks the rule the others share |
| Series | Sequences | Continue a row of shapes by spotting the step-by-step change |
| Analogies | A is to B as C is to ? | Work out the A to B change, then apply it to C |
| Matrices | 2x2 and 3x3 grids | Find the missing cell using separate row and column rules |
| Codes & spatial | Codes, rotations, reflections, nets/cubes | Decode letter tags or fold, rotate and reflect shapes in the mind |
Matrices: naming the row rule and the column rule
A 3x3 matrix has one empty cell, and the trap is trying to see the whole grid at once. The reliable method is to read across the top row and name what changes, then read down the left column and name what changes there. For example, if each row adds one dot moving left to right, and each column rotates the arrow 90 degrees clockwise, the missing bottom-right cell must obey both rules together: three dots and a fully rotated arrow. Say the two rules out loud before looking at the options. Our revision hub has a step-by-step matrix walkthrough with labelled diagrams.
Rotation versus reflection: the confusable pair
More marks are lost here than almost anywhere else in NVR, because a rotated shape and its mirror image can look deceptively similar. A rotation turns a shape around a point by 90, 180 or 270 degrees, clockwise or anticlockwise, keeping the same "handedness". A reflection flips it across a mirror line, swapping left and right (or top and bottom) so any asymmetric detail lands on the opposite side. The quick check: find one asymmetric feature, such as a notch or a short tail, and track where it ends up. If the whole shape has simply spun, it is a rotation; if it has become a mirror twin, it is a reflection.
Nets and cubes: the opposite-faces rule
Cube-net questions ask which flat net folds into a given 3D cube, or which cube a net makes. Two rules crack almost all of them. First, there are only 11 valid nets of a cube, so a net that cannot possibly fold (too many faces in a row, or a shape that overlaps when folded) is an instant elimination. Second, and most usefully, faces that are opposite on the cube are never next to each other on the net — they always sit one face apart. So if two symbols appear side by side on the net, they cannot be on opposite faces of the finished cube, and any option that places them opposite is wrong.
The visual attributes to scan every time
Whatever the question family, wrong answers are usually built by changing one attribute the child forgot to check. Train your child to scan this checklist in order:
- Number of shapes, sides, dots or lines
- Shading and fill — solid, striped, dotted or white
- Size of each element, large versus small
- Orientation — which way each shape points
- Position — top, bottom, inside or overlapping
- Line thickness and whether lines are solid or dashed
- Symmetry and rotation of the whole figure
The single biggest error is spotting one change and stopping. Many GL questions apply two changes at once — for instance a shape rotates and gains a line — so always finish the whole checklist before committing.
Timing and how NVR is scored
Because NVR papers run at roughly 35 to 50 seconds per question, pacing matters as much as skill. Teach a skip-and-return habit: if a question is not cracked in about 45 seconds, mark the answer sheet lightly, move on, and come back with the time saved. Raw scores are converted to a Standardised Age Score (SAS), typically on a scale of about 69 to 141 with 100 as the average. The score is adjusted for a child's exact age in months, so a summer-born child is not disadvantaged against an autumn-born classmate. Many grammar schools look for around 111 or above, but exact pass marks vary by area and year. Getting the harder types — matrices, nets and reflections — right is what lifts the SAS, because those questions separate the field.
| Guide | Typical questions | Time allowed | Target per question |
|---|---|---|---|
| Short NVR section | ~40 | ~30 min | ~45 sec |
| Full NVR paper | ~50 | ~50 min | ~40 sec |
Note these are guides for pacing practice, not fixed for every centre — always check your target school's own format.
Frequently asked questions
How many NVR question types are there?
Most 11+ NVR papers draw on about 20 to 21 recognisable types, which group into six families: similarities, differences, series, analogies, matrices, and codes/spatial. Learning the families is faster than memorising each type separately.
Does GL tell you which types will appear?
No. GL Assessment does not disclose in advance which question types a given paper contains, so children should be comfortable with the full range rather than a favourite few. Practising across a mixed mock paper mirrors the real experience best.
What is a good NVR score?
Scores are reported as a Standardised Age Score, usually around 69 to 141 with 100 as average. Many grammar schools need roughly 111 or higher, but the exact qualifying mark depends on the school, the region and the year, so treat any single figure as a rough target rather than a guarantee.