Serial Reasoning (NNAT3 Level A)
Serial Reasoning shows a sequence of figures that changes step by step; the child selects the figure that comes next. The sequence may be a row of three or four figures with a blank at the end, or a series with one missing middle term. Level A sequences are short and use concrete visual rules: growing or shrinking, alternating colors, rotating a shape, adding or removing a part, or moving an element along a path.
Core rules
- Test one attribute at a time across the whole sequence.
- Look for a constant step, not just a one-time difference: small → medium → large implies the next is larger, not merely “different.”
- For movement, note direction and how many positions the element moves per step.
- For rotation, note clockwise versus counterclockwise and the angle.
- If two rules operate, track both; the correct answer must satisfy both.
Worked example
A black dot moves clockwise around the four corners of a square: top-left, top-right, bottom-right. The next position is bottom-left. The dot stays black and stays on a corner; only its position changes. An answer with the dot at top-left repeats the start, and an answer with the dot in the center breaks the path rule.
Traps that cost marks
- Assuming simple alternation when the change is cumulative.
- Reversing the direction of rotation or movement.
- Following only the last step instead of the whole sequence.
- Choosing a figure that matches the style of the sequence but is not the next step.