Serial Reasoning
Serial Reasoning shows a sequence of figures and asks which figure comes next. At Level C the series usually changes one or two features in a regular step: rotation, color alternation, growing or shrinking, position cycling, or a repeated shape pattern.
Find the step, not the story
Compare consecutive figures. A shape may rotate 90 degrees clockwise each time; a dot may move one corner clockwise; the number of sides may increase by one; colors may alternate. The next figure must continue the same step. If the series is 1, 2, 3, 4, the answer is 5 under the same rule.
Worked example
A black dot starts in the top-left corner of a square and moves one corner clockwise each step: top-left, top-right, bottom-right, bottom-left. The next position is top-left again. If one option shows the dot in the top-left, it continues the cycle; an option in the bottom-left repeats the previous figure and is wrong.
Check the whole series
Some sequences alternate two rules, such as rotate 90 degrees then reflect, or add a side then change color. Test your rule against every consecutive pair, including the last pair before the blank.
Traps
- Using only the last two figures and ignoring the earlier pattern.
- Continuing a shape's color change but missing its rotation.
- Choosing a figure that repeats the previous one instead of advancing.
- Assuming a simple +1 count when the step is +2 or alternating.