Position and Arrangement Patterns

Position-based patterns focus on where shapes appear within each box — not what the shapes are, but where they are placed. These rules can be subtle because your eye naturally focuses on the shapes themselves rather than their spatial arrangement. Training yourself to notice positional patterns is a significant advantage.

---

How Position Is Defined in AR Boxes

Each box in an AR question can be mentally divided into regions:

┌─────────────────────┐
│ Top-left  │  Top-right  │
│           │             │
├───────────┼─────────────┤
│ Bottom-left│ Bottom-right│
│           │             │
└─────────────────────┘

Or more precisely:

Region	Description
Centre	The middle of the box
Top	Upper portion
Bottom	Lower portion
Left	Left side
Right	Right side
Corners	Top-left, top-right, bottom-left, bottom-right
Edges	Along the sides but not in the corners

---

Category 1: Fixed Position Rules

A shape always appears in the same position across every box.

Worked Example

Set A:

• Box 1: A small black circle in the top-right corner, plus various shapes elsewhere
• Box 2: A small black circle in the top-right corner, plus a triangle and a square elsewhere
• Box 3: A small black circle in the top-right corner, plus three pentagons elsewhere
• Box 4: A small black circle in the top-right corner, plus an arrow and a diamond
• Box 5: A small black circle in the top-right corner, plus two hexagons
• Box 6: A small black circle in the top-right corner, plus four rectangles

Rule: Every box in Set A has a small black circle in the top-right corner. All other shapes are distractors.

Why this is easy to miss: The other shapes (triangles, squares, pentagons) vary wildly between boxes, drawing your attention. The one constant — the small black circle in the top-right — is easy to overlook because it is small and consistent.

---

Category 2: Positional Relationships Between Shapes

Rather than a fixed position, the rule may describe the relative positions of shapes.

Common Relational Position Rules

Rule	Description
"Circle is always above the triangle"	Vertical relationship between two specific shapes
"The largest shape is always in the centre"	Size determines position
"Black shapes are always on the left; white shapes on the right"	Colour determines position
"The arrow points towards the smallest shape"	Direction indicates a relationship
"Shapes are arranged clockwise by size"	Order of arrangement matters

Worked Example: Black Left, White Right

Set A:

• Box 1: Black square on the left, white circle on the right
• Box 2: Two black triangles on the left, one white hexagon on the right
• Box 3: Black pentagon on the left, two white rectangles on the right
• Box 4: Black arrow on the left, white diamond on the right
• Box 5: Three black circles on the left, two white triangles on the right
• Box 6: Black hexagon on the left, white star on the right

Rule: Black shapes are positioned on the left side of the box. White shapes are positioned on the right side. Colour and position are linked.

Test shape: A white triangle on the left, a black circle on the right.

• This is the reverse of Set A's rule.
• Answer: Not Set A. (Might match Set B if Set B has the reverse rule.)

---

Category 3: Arrangement Patterns

These rules concern the layout or formation of shapes, not individual positions.

Common Arrangement Rules

• Linear arrangement: Shapes are always in a row (horizontal or vertical)
• Diagonal arrangement: Shapes always follow a diagonal line
• Circular arrangement: Shapes are arranged in a ring around the centre
• Clustered: All shapes are grouped together in one area of the box
• Dispersed: Shapes are spread to different areas of the box

Worked Example: Diagonal Arrangement

Set A:

• Box 1: Three shapes arranged diagonally from top-left to bottom-right
• Box 2: Two shapes on a top-left to bottom-right diagonal
• Box 3: Four shapes following the top-left to bottom-right diagonal
• Box 4: Three shapes on the diagonal
• Box 5: Two shapes on the diagonal
• Box 6: Five shapes along the diagonal

Set B:

• Box 1: Three shapes arranged diagonally from top-right to bottom-left
• Box 2: Two shapes on a top-right to bottom-left diagonal
• (and so on)

Rule A: Shapes are arranged on the top-left to bottom-right diagonal. Rule B: Shapes are arranged on the top-right to bottom-left diagonal.

---

Category 4: Symmetry of Arrangement

The arrangement of shapes may exhibit symmetry — either left-right (vertical axis), top-bottom (horizontal axis), or rotational.