How AR Questions Work

Before you can master Abstract Reasoning, you must understand exactly what the subtest is asking you to do. Every AR question — regardless of its type — is built on a single foundational concept: a rule governs a set of shapes, and you must identify that rule. This lesson dismantles that concept thoroughly so that you never walk into a question unsure of what is being tested.

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The Fundamental Concept: Rules and Sets

Imagine you are given twelve boxes, each containing a collection of abstract shapes. The first six boxes are labelled Set A. The second six are labelled Set B.

Here is the critical insight: every box in Set A obeys the same rule. It does not matter that the boxes look different from one another — they all share a hidden property. Similarly, every box in Set B obeys a different, consistent rule.

Your job is to figure out what those rules are.

Think of it this way: Set A is a club with a membership criterion. Every box that is "in the club" satisfies the criterion. Set B is a different club with a different criterion. A test shape is a prospective member — you must decide which club it qualifies for, or whether it qualifies for neither.

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What Counts as a "Rule"?

A rule is any consistent, objective property shared by every box in a set. Rules are always about the shapes themselves — their type, number, colour, size, position, or relationships. Rules are never about subjective aesthetics or hidden meanings.

Valid rules	NOT valid rules
"Every box contains at least one triangle"	"The boxes look nice"
"The total number of shapes is always even"	"The shapes seem random"
"All shapes are black"	"It feels like Set A"
"The largest shape is always in the top-left corner"	"The boxes are more complex"

Rules must be absolute: they apply to every single box in the set without exception. If you think you have identified a rule but one box violates it, your rule is wrong.

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How Type 1 Questions Are Structured

Type 1 questions are the most common format in the AR subtest and the format you will spend the most time practising. Here is the exact structure:

What You See

1. Set A — six boxes arranged in a row (or two rows of three), each containing one or more shapes
2. Set B — six boxes arranged identically, each containing one or more shapes
3. Five test shapes — presented one at a time below the two sets

What You Must Do

For each test shape, select one of three options:

• Set A — the test shape follows the rule for Set A
• Set B — the test shape follows the rule for Set B
• Neither — the test shape does not follow the rule for Set A or Set B

A Complete Worked Example

Set A boxes:

• Box 1: One large black circle, two small white squares
• Box 2: One large black triangle, one small white rectangle
• Box 3: One large black pentagon, three small white circles
• Box 4: One large black hexagon, one small white triangle
• Box 5: One large black diamond, two small white pentagons
• Box 6: One large black arrow, one small white square, one small white circle

Set B boxes:

• Box 1: Two large white circles, one small black square
• Box 2: One large white rectangle, two small black triangles
• Box 3: Three large white hexagons, one small black circle
• Box 4: One large white pentagon, one small black arrow
• Box 5: Two large white triangles, three small black squares
• Box 6: One large white diamond, one small black rectangle

Identifying the rules:

Look at Set A. What do all six boxes have in common?

• The large shape(s) are always black
• The small shape(s) are always white
• Rule A: Large shapes are black; small shapes are white

Look at Set B. What do all six boxes have in common?

• The large shape(s) are always white
• The small shape(s) are always black
• Rule B: Large shapes are white; small shapes are black

Test shape 1: One large white triangle, two small white circles

• Large shape is white → could be Set B
• But small shapes are also white → violates Set B's rule (small shapes should be black)
• Also violates Set A's rule (large shape should be black)
• Answer: Neither

Test shape 2: One large black square, one small white hexagon

• Large shape is black ✓ (Set A)
• Small shape is white ✓ (Set A)
• Answer: Set A

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The Concept of "Neither"

"Neither" is one of the most important — and most misused — answer options. Many candidates feel uncomfortable choosing it because it seems like giving up. It is not. "Neither" is a legitimate, deliberate answer.

A test shape belongs to Neither when:

• It violates the rule for Set A and violates the rule for Set B
• It partially satisfies one rule but not completely
• It satisfies a rule that is superficially similar but not identical to either set's actual rule

Common trap: A test shape might share visual features with Set A (e.g., contains triangles, like several Set A boxes) but not actually follow Set A's rule. Visual similarity is irrelevant — only rule compliance matters.

When to Suspect "Neither"

• The test shape seems to half-fit both sets
• You cannot make a confident case for Set A or Set B
• The test shape has a feature that contradicts both rules you have identified
• On balance, roughly 10-15% of Type 1 answers are "Neither" in a typical UCAT paper

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How the Other Question Types Relate

While Type 1 (Set A / Set B / Neither) dominates the subtest, the other three types are all variations on the same fundamental concept.

Question type	Core task	Key difference from Type 1
Type 1	Determine if a test shape belongs to Set A, Set B, or Neither	The baseline format
Type 2	Determine which of the next shape continues a sequence	No sets — you identify a progressive change
Type 3	Complete an analogy ("A is to B as C is to ?")	You identify a transformation, not a static rule
Type 4	Given Set A and Set B, select which of 4 options belongs to a specified set	Like Type 1, but you choose from options rather than classifying a single test shape

Every type requires the same underlying skill: identifying a pattern or rule from visual information. The techniques you learn for Type 1 directly transfer to the other types.

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The Anatomy of a Rule

Rules in AR questions are constructed from a small number of building blocks. Understanding these building blocks is essential because it tells you what to look for.

Single-Attribute Rules

The simplest rules involve one attribute:

• "Every box contains a circle" (shape type)
• "Every box has exactly three shapes" (number)
• "Every box has a black shape in the centre" (colour + position)

Compound Rules

Many questions — especially harder ones — involve two or more attributes combined:

• "Every box contains an even number of shapes AND at least one shape is a triangle"
• "The largest shape is always black AND there are always exactly four shapes"

Relational Rules

Some rules describe relationships between shapes within a box:

• "The shape with the most sides is always the largest"
• "Circles are always inside squares"
• "The arrow always points towards the smallest shape"

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Building Your Mental Model

As you progress through this course, you will build a systematic mental model for approaching AR questions. The foundation of that model is this:

1. Every set follows a rule — your job is to find it
2. Rules are objective and consistent — they apply to every box without exception
3. Rules are built from a finite set of attributes — shape, colour, number, size, position, rotation, symmetry
4. Distractors exist — not every feature you see is part of the rule
5. Speed comes from having a checklist — the SCANS method (introduced in Lesson 9) gives you a systematic way to scan for rules quickly

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Key Takeaways

• AR questions present sets of shapes governed by hidden rules — your task is to identify those rules
• Type 1 questions (Set A / Set B / Neither) are the most common format
• "Neither" is a legitimate answer — roughly 10-15% of Type 1 answers are "Neither"
• Rules are always objective, consistent, and built from shape attributes (type, colour, number, size, position)
• Compound rules (two or more conditions) are common in harder questions
• All four AR question types test the same fundamental skill: pattern recognition from visual information

In the next lesson, we will begin examining specific pattern categories, starting with shape-based patterns — the most intuitive and common rule type.