Type 2 Questions: Which Set?

Type 2 questions are a variation on the set-based reasoning of Type 1, but with a crucial twist: instead of two sets and three answer options, you are presented with four sets and must determine which one a test shape belongs to. This increases the cognitive load significantly and requires efficient comparison strategies.

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How Type 2 Questions Are Structured

Feature	Detail
Sets shown	4 sets (A, B, C, D), each containing several boxes of shapes
Test shapes	Typically 1 test shape per question
Answer options	A, B, C, or D
Key difference from Type 1	More rules to identify; no "Neither" option

Each set follows its own distinct rule. You must identify all four rules (or at least narrow down the options) to determine where the test shape belongs.

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Why Type 2 Is More Challenging

Increased Cognitive Load

• In Type 1, you hold 2 rules in working memory
• In Type 2, you hold 4 rules in working memory
• This means each individual rule tends to be simpler than in Type 1 (the test designers compensate for the added complexity)

No "Neither" Option

• Every test shape must belong to exactly one of the four sets
• This is actually helpful: you know the answer is always A, B, C, or D — there is no ambiguous "Neither" to worry about

Typically Fewer Questions per Cluster

• Type 2 questions often come with fewer test shapes per set of rules, which means you have slightly less time to "earn back" the investment of identifying four rules

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The Systematic Approach

Strategy 1: Identify All Four Rules (Ideal but Time-Consuming)

1. Scan Set A → identify Rule A
2. Scan Set B → identify Rule B
3. Scan Set C → identify Rule C
4. Scan Set D → identify Rule D
5. Test the shape against all four rules

When to use: When the rules are simple and identifiable within 2–3 seconds each.

Strategy 2: Narrow by Elimination (Faster and Often Sufficient)

1. Look at the test shape and note its most prominent features
2. Scan the four sets for which ones could plausibly match
3. Eliminate sets that clearly cannot contain the test shape
4. Focus on identifying the rule only for the remaining 1–2 candidate sets

When to use: When the test shape has an obvious distinguishing feature (e.g., it is the only one with a circle, or it has a specific colour pattern).

Strategy 3: The Distinctive Feature Approach

1. What makes each set visually distinctive at a glance?
2. Often the four sets look quite different from each other — one might have mostly black shapes, another mostly curved shapes, etc.
3. Match the test shape to the set it most closely resembles visually, then verify the rule

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Efficient Comparison Strategies

Use a Feature Matrix

Mentally (or on your whiteboard) construct a quick comparison:

Feature	Set A	Set B	Set C	Set D	Test Shape
Curved shapes present?	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes
All shapes same colour?	Yes	No	No	Yes	No
3+ shapes per box?	No	Yes	Yes	No	Yes

From this matrix, the test shape has curved shapes (eliminates B, D), not all same colour (eliminates A), and 3+ shapes (matches C). The answer is likely Set C.

Check the Simplest Distinguishing Feature First

If you notice that:

• Set A always has a triangle
• Set B never has a triangle
• Set C always has exactly 2 shapes
• Set D always has shapes of different sizes

And the test shape has a triangle and 4 shapes of the same size, then:

• Could be Set A (has triangle) ✓
• Not Set B (has triangle) ✗
• Not Set C (has 4 shapes, not 2) ✗
• Not Set D (same size, not different) ✗
• Answer: Set A

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Worked Example: Four Colour-Based Sets

The Four Sets

Set A — Every box contains shapes that are all black Set B — Every box contains shapes that are all white (outlines only) Set C — Every box contains a mix of black and white shapes, with more black than white Set D — Every box contains a mix of black and white shapes, with more white than black

Test Shape Analysis