NNAT3 Level E cheat sheet

Pattern Completion items show a grid or matrix with one region removed and ask which option restores the missing region so the overall design continues without break.

Decision rule: match the missing piece at its edges first - the colors, line angles, and shapes touching the cut boundary must continue exactly across the seam.

A correct option must satisfy three tests simultaneously: edge continuity, internal repetition (the piece repeats the grid's unit cell), and overall symmetry of the completed design.

Common unit cells in these puzzles are 2x2, 3x3, and diagonal stripes; identify the cell size by counting how many squares repeat before the motif restarts.

Rotation is a distractor: an option that is the right motif turned 90 degrees will fail edge continuity even though it looks familiar.

When two options both fit the edges, compare interior detail - the number of small shapes, their orientation, and their spacing must match the repeating unit.

Overlapping motifs (e.g., a checkerboard plus a diagonal) require checking both layers; an option correct for one layer may break the other.

Color-count check: count each color in the intact region and confirm the option preserves the same proportion across the completed figure.

Analogy items take the form A is to B as C is to ?; the relationship between A and B must be applied unchanged to C.

Classify the A-to-B change into one operation: addition, subtraction, rotation, reflection, size change, color inversion, or count change.

If A to B involves two operations (e.g., rotate then recolor), the answer must apply both operations to C in the same order.

Direction rule: if A grows larger toward B, C must grow larger toward the answer; if A shrinks, C shrinks - the direction of change is fixed, not the absolute size.

Reflection versus rotation: a reflection reverses handedness (a left-pointing flag points right), while rotation preserves handedness; check a distinctive asymmetric feature.

Position mapping: number the elements of A left to right and confirm each maps to the same relative position in B before applying the map to C.

Eliminate options that apply the reverse relation (B to A) - a frequent trap when the relation is symmetric-looking, such as size change.

When shapes are nested or overlapping, the analogy may concern only the inner shape, only the outer shape, or their relative count; state which before choosing.

Serial Reasoning items present a sequence of 3-5 figures with a blank; the rule advances by a constant step from one frame to the next.

Quantitative progressions: count sides, dots, or shaded cells per frame and compute the constant difference; the blank continues that arithmetic sequence.

Rotation series: measure the angle between consecutive frames (commonly 45 or 90 degrees); the next frame rotates by the same angle in the same direction.

Alternating series: some sequences change two features on separate cycles (e.g., color flips every frame, shape rotates every two frames); track each feature independently.

Growth series: a shape may add one side or one concentric ring per frame; verify the increment is constant before extrapolating.

Position series: a marker may move one cell clockwise, bounce at a boundary, or shift by an increasing step (1, 2, 3); test which pattern fits all given frames.

Rule confirmation: a candidate rule must explain every given frame, not just the last two; a rule that fits only the final pair is likely a coincidence.

If two rules fit the visible frames, choose the simpler one - the test sequences use a single consistent operation, not a compound irregular rule.

Spatial Visualization items ask you to mentally fold, rotate, reflect, or combine figures and pick the result; no physical manipulation is allowed.

Paper-folding rule: folds create mirror symmetry across the fold line; unfold step by step in reverse order, reflecting each hole across its fold line.

Rotation versus reflection test: rotate the figure mentally and check whether a distinctive notch or flag lands where the option shows it; reflection flips it to the opposite side.

Cube and net folding: opposite faces of a cube never touch; two faces separated by one square in a net end up opposite, so they cannot appear adjacent on the folded cube.

Transparent-overlay items: superimpose the two figures and keep every line that appears in either; the answer contains the union, not the intersection, unless stated.

Counting method for tiling or overlay: count line segments and enclosed regions before and after; the correct option preserves the total unless the operation removes overlap.

Mirror-image distractors are the most common trap; identify one asymmetric feature (a dot off-center, a slanted edge) and verify its side in each option.

When a figure is rotated, the clockwise order of its features is preserved; if an option reverses that order, it is a reflection and therefore wrong.