Pattern Completion
Pattern Completion is one of the four item types on NNAT3 Level D. Each item shows a grid, matrix, or framed design with one part missing, and you choose the option that completes the pattern. The test is nonverbal: the rule lives in the arrangement of shapes, not in written instructions. Your task is to infer the governing rule from the visible cells and apply it to the gap.
What to inspect
- Count the elements in each row and column. Many Level D grids increase or decrease by a constant amount, such as one dot per cell.
- Track position and orientation. A shape may move one cell right, rotate 90°, or alternate between two corners.
- Compare attributes separately: size, shading (black, gray, white), outline versus filled, number of sides, and internal marks.
- Test symmetry only after checking rows and columns. A design can look symmetric and still follow a row-wise count rule.
Worked example
A 3×3 grid has three rows. The top row is a triangle, a triangle with a vertical line, and a triangle with a horizontal line. The middle row is a square, a square with a vertical line, and a square with a horizontal line. The bottom row is a circle, a circle with a vertical line, and a blank. The base shape is constant within each row: triangle, square, circle. The second column adds a vertical line; the third column adds a horizontal line. The missing cell must be a circle with a horizontal line. A circle with a vertical line matches the base shape but breaks the column rule.
Traps
- Choosing an option that matches only the outer shape and ignores the internal mark.
- Assuming a diagonal rule when rows and columns already explain every visible cell.
- Fitting the candidate to one row but not checking the third row.
- Missing a count that changes by two rather than one.
Before you commit, place your candidate into the grid and verify every row and column.