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11+ Non-Verbal Reasoning · Year 5–6 · Free lesson

Reading NVR Figures

Non-verbal reasoning looks like magic until you know what to look at. Every figure varies in just five ways, and scanning them in a fixed order is the foundation for every question type that follows.

N1Reading NVR Figures
Five things to check in every figure.
NVR figures vary in five ways: shape, shading, size, count and position — check them in order.
The 5-point scan.
SHAPESHADINGSIZECOUNTPOSITION
Scan in the same order every time: Shape → Shading → Size → Count → Position.
1

Learn the Scan

1Shape first.

Count the sides: triangle 3, square 4, pentagon 5, circle. Sides are the most common rule.

2Then shading and size.

White, grey, black, striped — and is the figure big or small? Two more dials the setter can turn.

3Then count and position.

How many items? Where do they sit — inside, outside, corner? Small dots love to sneak about.

💡 Key IdeaA fixed scan order means nothing gets missed — most NVR errors are unnoticed dials, not wrong logic.
2

Worked Example

Describe this figure fully:

Shape: square (4 sides)
Shading: grey
Size: medium
Count: 1 shape + 1 dot
Position: dot at centre
✓ Why it matters
Whatever the question type, the answer hides in one (or two) of these five dials.
3

Watch Out! Common Mistakes

✕
Staring instead of scanning.

Eyes need a route! Without a scan order, children see ‘shapes’ but miss the one dial that changed. Same order, every figure.

✕
Missing the small marks.

Dots and lines count! A tiny dot switching corners IS the pattern in many questions. The Count and Position steps exist for them.

✕
Describing vaguely.

Words pin it down! Saying ‘grey square, dot at centre’ in your head beats a wordless glance — description forces noticing.

⬇ Cheat Sheet

READING NVR FIGURES
  1. Scan order: Shape → Shading → Size → Count → Position.
  2. Count sides to name shapes.
  3. Shades: white, grey, black, striped.
  4. Describe the figure in words — it forces noticing.
Scan: 'grey square, medium, one centre dot' — five dials, five answers.

📖 Continue Your Journey

N1 Reading NVR FiguresN2 Shape SeriesN3 Odd One Out (Figures)N4 Shape AnalogiesN5 MatricesN6 Rotation vs ReflectionN7 Mirror ImagesN8 Nets and CubesN9 Paper Folding and Hole PunchingN10 Shape CodesN11 Counting and OverlapsN12 NVR Exam Technique
→
Next Lesson: N2 Shape SeriesWhat changes each step? Say it, then extend it.
📄 Free printable: Download the Reading NVR Figures cheat sheet (PDF) — keep it by your child's desk.

Quick summary

Frequently asked questions

What should children look at in NVR figures?

Five things, always in order: the shape (count sides), the shading, the size, how many items there are, and where they're positioned.

Why do children miss NVR patterns?

Usually not weak logic — an unnoticed dial. A dot that moves corners or shading that darkens goes unseen without a scan routine.

Is NVR a talent or a skill?

A skill. The five-dial scan plus the question-type methods in this course are learnable by any child — practice makes them fast.

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N2 Shape Series
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