NNAT3 Level C key terms

An arrangement of shapes, colors, or lines that repeats or follows a rule. Recognizing the rule lets you predict what comes next or what is missing.

The empty section of a design that you must fill in. The correct choice fits both the shapes and the surrounding lines at the edges.

The task of choosing the option that finishes a partly shown design. The answer must continue the shapes, colors, and lines without breaking the overall design.

Checking that lines and shapes at the border of a missing piece line up exactly with the lines touching the empty space. Mismatched edges rule out a choice.

The quality of lines, curves, or color regions flowing smoothly from the shown part of a design into the answer choice. Broken or shifted lines signal a wrong answer.

A property where one half of a figure mirrors or rotates onto the other half. Symmetric designs let you infer hidden parts from the visible side.

An imaginary line that divides a figure into two halves that are mirror images. Folding along this line makes the halves coincide exactly.

A set of rows and columns forming equal square cells. Grids organize designs so positions can be named and compared across rows and columns.

A horizontal line of cells or figures in a grid. Rules in serial puzzles often apply across each row separately.

A vertical line of cells or figures in a grid. Comparing columns helps reveal rules that move downward through a puzzle.

A comparison stating that two pairs of items relate in the same way. If A relates to B, then C must relate to D by the same rule.

The connection between two figures, such as size change, color change, rotation, or added parts. Naming the relationship is the core step in analogy puzzles.

A change applied to a figure, such as turning, flipping, enlarging, or recoloring. Identifying the transformation links the first pair to the second pair.

Turning a figure around a fixed point by a certain angle. The shape keeps its size and form but its orientation changes.

Turning in the direction hands move on a clock face: rightward at the top, downward on the right side. Puzzle rules often state a quarter or half turn clockwise.

Turning in the opposite direction to clock hands: leftward at the top, downward on the left side. It is the reverse of a clockwise turn.

A flip of a figure across a line, producing a mirror image. Left and right swap places while up and down stay the same when flipping across a vertical line.

The result of flipping a figure across a line, so it looks reversed. A mirror image is not the same as a rotated copy for most shapes.

The direction a figure faces, described by which way its top, point, or opening is turned. Orientation can change while shape and size stay the same.

Making a figure larger or smaller while keeping its proportions. In analogy puzzles a shape may grow or shrink by a consistent amount.

The relative size of parts within a figure or between figures. Keeping proportions means a resized shape is not stretched or squashed.

A series of figures arranged in order that follow a step-by-step rule. Each item changes from the one before in a predictable way.

The pattern of change from one item in a sequence to the next, such as adding a side or turning a quarter turn each time.

The consistent principle that governs how figures change or repeat in a puzzle. Stating the rule in words makes choosing the answer much easier.

A pattern in which two or more features take turns, such as big, small, big, small. Recognizing the alternation predicts the next item.

A pattern where a feature grows steadily, such as the number of sides or dots rising by one each step. The next figure continues the increase.

A pattern where a feature shrinks steadily, such as dots or sides dropping by a fixed amount each step. The next figure continues the decrease.

A measurable feature of a figure, such as color, size, shape, number of sides, or fill. Puzzles usually change one attribute at a time.

Any visible detail of a figure that can be compared with others, including outline, shading, position, and count of parts.

The outline or form of a figure, such as a triangle, square, or star. Shape is separate from size, color, and orientation.

How large or small a figure appears relative to others. Size changes are often the key difference between the first and second pair in an analogy.

The ability to picture how a figure looks after it is turned, flipped, folded, or combined. It supports solving puzzles without physically moving pieces.

Imagining a figure turned in your mind to see whether it matches a choice. It helps separate true matches from mirror images.

Bending a flat shape along a line so parts overlap, often used to test symmetry or paper-folding ideas. The folded result must align exactly.

Placing one figure on top of another to see how they combine. Overlays reveal whether lines, colors, or shapes cancel, merge, or stack.

Joining two or more figures into a single result, such as merging outlines or adding shaded parts. The combined figure must account for every part.

A wrong answer choice designed to look plausible, often matching some but not all features. Checking every attribute helps eliminate distractors.

Removing answer choices that clearly break the rule, then comparing the rest. This narrows options quickly and reduces careless errors.

The figure that does not share the common rule followed by the others. Finding the shared attribute of the majority reveals the exception.