Matrix puzzles, the grids with one missing shape, are the heart of many IQ tests. They look mysterious, but a small set of rules repeat again and again.
The rules that keep coming back
- Progression: a shape grows, shrinks, or gains one part each step.
- Rotation: a shape turns by a fixed angle each step.
- Addition and subtraction: the third shape in a row is the first plus or minus the second.
- Counting: the number of dots, lines or sides changes by a set amount.
- Alternation: colours or shapes swap in a repeating pattern.
- Distribution of three: each row contains the same three elements in different order.
A step-by-step method
- Cover the answers. Do not let the options bias you.
- Look along rows first, then columns. Which feature changes, and how?
- Tackle one attribute at a time: shape, then colour, then size, then position.
- Predict the missing piece in words or a quick sketch.
- Find it among the options, then eliminate wrong ones for violating any rule.
If you are stuck
Count things. Many hidden rules turn out to be counts of lines, corners or dots. Also check whether two rules act at once: one for shape, one for colour.
How to practise
Do a few every day, then review the ones you missed and name the rule you overlooked. Naming rules builds a library in your head, and that library is what makes experts look fast.
Put it to use in the Real IQ Test and keep your skills sharp with the Daily Challenge.