Non-Verbal Reasoning Practice: Official Materials and How to Use Them

Non-verbal reasoning practice often uses pictures, patterns and spatial tasks. A worksheet can give a child examples to discuss, but more pages do not guarantee better scores. Start with the format used by the school or local authority your child is applying to.

Find familiarisation materials for the target test

There is no single 11+ NVR worksheet format. ISEB describes its Pre-Tests as online, adaptive, multiple-choice tests taken on a computer, with non-verbal reasoning as one of four tests. Its family toolkit offers downloadable example postcards. GL Assessment offers free PDF familiarisation materials, including non-verbal reasoning and combined non-verbal reasoning and maths. Buckinghamshire, Kent, Medway, Warwickshire and Bexley each publish guidance for their own test arrangements. Check the latest source for the relevant entry year before choosing practice.

• ISEB non-verbal reasoning postcards
• GL Assessment free familiarisation materials
• Buckinghamshire Secondary Transfer Test guide
• Medway Test information
• Warwickshire 11+ information
• Bexley Selection Test information

Publisher examples are for familiarisation. They are not a promise that every local or school test uses the same item types, timings or difficulty. For instance, Buckinghamshire's current familiarisation booklet describes four five-minute non-verbal reasoning sections inside a combined maths and non-verbal test. Medway publishes four individually timed spatial and non-verbal sections totalling 20 minutes, plus a 25-minute verbal section. These local details should not be transferred to another test.

Use a short practice sheet thoughtfully

This page does not provide a twelve-family printable worksheet pack. The examples in our non-verbal reasoning questions with answers are written out on the page, and the non-verbal reasoning guide includes a short interactive practice set. The online set draws ten questions from a bank of twelve on each attempt, so some questions can repeat. It does not reproduce a local paper or printable answer sheet.

For any worksheet or familiarisation question, invite your child to describe what changes: for example, the shape turns, the number of marks increases, or the shaded part moves. Check that the proposed rule works for the other figures too. If more than one rule seems possible, reread the directions and look for a feature that distinguishes the choices.

A simple way to review an answer is:

1. Say which visible features you noticed.
2. Explain the rule you used.
3. Check the rule against another part of the question.
4. Compare the answer with one alternative and identify the difference.

These prompts are suggestions for discussion, not a proven method for raising test scores. If your child is unsure, show an official worked example or leave the item and return later. Avoid treating one short worksheet or online score as a diagnosis of ability.

Decide how much to practise

A weekly question count cannot account for every assessment, child or amount of time available. Choose the type and amount of preparation based on the target test, the child’s response and any advice from their school. A short session may be enough to discuss one unfamiliar question; another child may prefer a longer session. Stop if practice is becoming tiring or upsetting and revisit the plan with the school or tutor if needed.

When the test is timed, practise timing only in a way that matches the published instructions. Do not assume that a worksheet’s suggested time, question count or difficulty corresponds to the admissions test. For example, current Buckinghamshire and Medway materials use separately timed non-verbal sections, while ISEB’s Pre-Tests are online and adaptive. Use the instructions for the child’s own test.

For more worked examples, see our guide to non-verbal reasoning question types, including its matrix examples. For a practice-paper overview, see free 11+ practice papers.