Read one row at a time
A grid like this follows a rule. Read the top row from left to right and name what changes.
Here the count grows by one: one circle, two circles, three circles.
1Read a row from left to right. Name what changes.
2Check that the same change holds down a column.
3Look at the answer options last.
Check the rule down a column
Every row in this grid counts up: one, two, three. The empty cell is third in its row, so it holds three shapes.
Now read down the last column. Three circles, then three squares. The count stays at three, and the shape changes with each row.
The bottom row is triangles, so the empty cell holds three triangles.
These grids change one thing at a time. In the practice a grid can combine more than one rule, and the symbols also vary in fill and direction.
Try a new grid
This grid uses a different rule. Read the top row from left to right, then check down the last column.
Try it
What belongs in the empty cell?
- One triangle
- One circle
Show the answer
One circle
Each row goes three, two, one, so the empty cell holds one shape. Down every column the shape changes square, triangle, circle, so the bottom row is circles. One circle is the only choice that fits both rules.
Enable JavaScript to answer interactively and save your place.