Paper Folding & Cutting Test
25 original figure-based practice questions with answers and explanations — built for ISSB screening and Pakistan Army, PAF and Pak Navy initial test preparation.
What Is a Paper Folding & Cutting Test?
In a paper folding and cutting test, you are shown a square sheet of paper, the folds made in it, and a punch or cut made while it is folded. Your task is to picture the sheet opened out again and choose the pattern of holes or cuts it will show. Every fold doubles the layers, so a single punch through a twice-folded sheet leaves four holes — always arranged symmetrically around the fold lines.
Paper folding questions are a favourite in ISSB screening and in the Pakistan Army, PAF and Pak Navy initial tests, including the tests for PMA Long Course, PAF airman and aerotrade entries and Pak Navy sailor recruitment, because they measure spatial visualisation — the ability to hold and manipulate a picture in your mind. There is no formula to learn; the method is to unfold the sheet one fold at a time in your head, mirroring every hole across the fold you are opening. Candidates who rush usually mirror across the wrong line or forget the final fold completely. The 25 original questions below start with single folds and build up to double folds and diagonal folds, and the answer key explains the mirror logic behind every pattern.
25 Practice Questions
In each question, a square sheet is folded and then punched or cut as shown. Choose the figure (A, B, C or D) that shows the sheet opened out again.
Question 1
A square sheet is folded in half, then punched as shown. Which figure shows the sheet opened out again?
PAPER
FOLDED
PUNCHED
A
B
C
D
Question 2
A square sheet is folded in half, then punched as shown. Which figure shows the sheet opened out again?
PAPER
FOLDED
PUNCHED
A
B
C
D
Question 3
A square sheet is folded twice, then punched as shown. Which figure shows the sheet opened out again?
PAPER
FOLDED
PUNCHED
A
B
C
D
Question 4
A square sheet is folded in half, then a square hole is punched as shown. Which figure shows the sheet opened out again?
PAPER
FOLDED
PUNCHED
A
B
C
D
Question 5
A square sheet is folded in half, then punched twice as shown. Which figure shows the sheet opened out again?
PAPER
FOLDED
PUNCHED
A
B
C
D
Question 6
A square sheet is folded along its diagonal, then punched as shown. Which figure shows the sheet opened out again?
PAPER
FOLDED
PUNCHED
A
B
C
D
Question 7
A square sheet is folded twice, then punched near the corner as shown. Which figure shows the sheet opened out again?
PAPER
FOLDED
PUNCHED
A
B
C
D
Question 8
A square sheet is folded in half from right to left, then punched as shown. Which figure shows the sheet opened out again?
PAPER
FOLDED
PUNCHED
A
B
C
D
Question 9
A square sheet is folded in half, then a triangular hole is punched as shown. Which figure shows the sheet opened out again?
PAPER
FOLDED
PUNCHED
A
B
C
D
Question 10
A square sheet is folded twice, then punched as shown. Which figure shows the sheet opened out again?
PAPER
FOLDED
PUNCHED
A
B
C
D
Question 11
A square sheet is folded in half, then a semicircular notch is cut on the fold as shown. Which figure shows the sheet opened out again?
PAPER
FOLDED
PUNCHED
A
B
C
D
Question 12
A square sheet is folded in half, then a semicircular notch is cut on the fold as shown. Which figure shows the sheet opened out again?
PAPER
FOLDED
PUNCHED
A
B
C
D
Question 13
A square sheet is folded twice, then punched as shown. Which figure shows the sheet opened out again?
PAPER
FOLDED
PUNCHED
A
B
C
D
Question 14
A square sheet is folded along its diagonal, then punched as shown. Which figure shows the sheet opened out again?
PAPER
FOLDED
PUNCHED
A
B
C
D
Question 15
A square sheet is folded in half, then punched twice as shown. Which figure shows the sheet opened out again?
PAPER
FOLDED
PUNCHED
A
B
C
D
Question 16
A square sheet is folded in half, then a diamond hole is punched as shown. Which figure shows the sheet opened out again?
PAPER
FOLDED
PUNCHED
A
B
C
D
Question 17
A square sheet is folded twice, then punched as shown. Which figure shows the sheet opened out again?
PAPER
FOLDED
PUNCHED
A
B
C
D
Question 18
A square sheet is folded in half, then a circle and a square hole are punched as shown. Which figure shows the sheet opened out again?
PAPER
FOLDED
PUNCHED
A
B
C
D
Question 19
A square sheet is folded along its diagonal, then a square hole is punched as shown. Which figure shows the sheet opened out again?
PAPER
FOLDED
PUNCHED
A
B
C
D
Question 20
A square sheet is folded twice, then punched as shown. Which figure shows the sheet opened out again?
PAPER
FOLDED
PUNCHED
A
B
C
D
Question 21
A square sheet is folded in half, then punched near the edge as shown. Which figure shows the sheet opened out again?
PAPER
FOLDED
PUNCHED
A
B
C
D
Question 22
A square sheet is folded in half, then a triangular hole is punched as shown. Which figure shows the sheet opened out again?
PAPER
FOLDED
PUNCHED
A
B
C
D
Question 23
A square sheet is folded twice, then punched twice as shown. Which figure shows the sheet opened out again?
PAPER
FOLDED
PUNCHED
A
B
C
D
Question 24
A square sheet is folded along its diagonal, then punched as shown. Which figure shows the sheet opened out again?
PAPER
FOLDED
PUNCHED
A
B
C
D
Question 25
A square sheet is folded in half, then the shaded corner is cut off. Which figure shows the sheet opened out again?
PAPER
FOLDED
CUT
A
B
C
D
Answer Key with Explanations
| Q | Answer | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | A | A centre-height punch on a vertical fold mirrors to the same height on the left half. |
| 2 | C | A horizontal fold mirrors the hole to the same column in the top half. |
| 3 | B | Two folds make four layers, so one punch appears in all four quarters. |
| 4 | D | The square hole mirrors across the vertical fold to the same height on the left. |
| 5 | B | Each of the two punches is mirrored by the horizontal fold, giving four holes. |
| 6 | A | A diagonal fold mirrors the hole across the diagonal to the opposite corner area. |
| 7 | D | The corner punch is mirrored by both folds into all four corners. |
| 8 | C | Folding right onto left still mirrors the punch across the centre line. |
| 9 | A | The fold flips the triangle point-down in the mirrored half. |
| 10 | B | One punch through four layers appears once in each quarter of the sheet. |
| 11 | D | A notch cut on the fold line itself opens out into a single whole circle. |
| 12 | C | The half-circle on the fold joins its mirror image to make one full circle. |
| 13 | B | Both folds mirror the punch, placing four holes around the centre. |
| 14 | A | Across the anti-diagonal fold, the hole mirrors to the opposite corner. |
| 15 | D | Each punch mirrors across the vertical fold, keeping its own height. |
| 16 | C | The horizontal fold mirrors the diamond to the top half, point for point. |
| 17 | B | Quarter folds mirror the punch into the other three quarters. |
| 18 | A | Each shape is mirrored separately: circle to the left, square to the left, at the same heights. |
| 19 | D | The diagonal fold swaps the square’s position across the diagonal line. |
| 20 | C | Both fold lines mirror the punch into all four quarters. |
| 21 | B | The horizontal fold lifts the hole into the top half in the same column. |
| 22 | A | Mirroring flips the triangle so the pair point at each other. |
| 23 | C | Two punches through four layers make eight holes in the opened sheet. |
| 24 | D | The anti-diagonal fold mirrors the hole to the matching point across the line. |
| 25 | B | The corner cut is mirrored by the fold, so both top corners are cut. |
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- Figure Analogies Test
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- Cubes and Dice Test
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- ISSB Non-Verbal Mock Test 2