The Systematic Scan Method

You now know the individual pattern categories: shape, colour, number, size, position, rotation, and symmetry. But knowing each category in isolation is not enough. Under the pressure of 14 seconds per question, you need a rapid, systematic method for scanning a set of shapes and identifying the rule. This lesson introduces the SCANS method — a proven checklist that gives you a structured approach to every AR question.

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Why You Need a System

Without a system, most candidates approach AR questions like this:

1. Stare at Set A
2. Notice something that seems consistent
3. Get excited and assume it is the rule
4. Test it against Set B
5. Realise it does not hold
6. Start again from scratch
7. Run out of time

This "stare and hope" approach is inefficient and unreliable. A systematic scan ensures you check the most common pattern categories in a logical order, reducing wasted time and missed patterns.

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The SCANS Framework

S — Shape C — Colour (shading) A — Arrangement (position, containment, symmetry) N — Number (count of shapes, sides, intersections) S — Size