Shape Series Test

NON-VERBAL SERIES • ISSB PRACTICE

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 Shape Series Test?

A shape series test shows you a short row of figures that change in a regular way, and asks you to choose the figure that comes next. The change might be in the number of sides, the number of dots or lines, the shading, the size, or the direction in which a shape turns. Nothing is random: every step follows one clear rule, and your job is to spot that rule quickly. This type of question is a favourite in ISSB screening and in the initial tests of the Pakistan Army, the Pakistan Air Force and the Pak Navy, because it measures pure reasoning speed without needing any language or mathematics.

In the real Army initial test and in ISSB screening, non-verbal questions come in long sets against the clock, often with less than a minute for each figure set. Candidates for PMA Long Course, PAF airman and aerotrade courses, and Pak Navy sailor and officer entries all meet shape series questions. The good news is that the same few rules repeat: count, rotate, shade, swap and grow. Learn to check those five things in order and most series solve themselves.

Tip 1: Count first — sides, dots, lines and elements — because counting rules are the commonest.

Tip 2: Watch the shading: filled, empty and gold often cycle in a fixed order.

Tip 3: Track one element at a time if two things change at once.

Tip 4: Practise against a timer, aiming for 30 to 40 seconds per question.

25 Practice Questions

Study each series carefully and choose the option (A, B, C or D) that comes next. The full answer key with explanations follows the questions.

Question 1

The number of sides increases by one each step. What comes next?

Question 2

One more dot is added each step. What comes next?

Question 3

The arrow turns 90 degrees clockwise each step. What comes next?

Question 4

Filled and empty squares alternate. What comes next?

Question 5

The circle grows by the same amount each step. What comes next?

Question 6

One more horizontal line is added each step. What comes next?

Question 7

Triangle and circle alternate. What comes next?

Question 8

The dot moves one corner clockwise each step inside the square. What comes next?

Question 9

One more small square is added each step. What comes next?

Question 10

The shaded quarter moves one corner clockwise each step. What comes next?

Question 11

The square shrinks by the same amount each step. What comes next?

Question 12

The number of sides falls by one each step. What comes next?

Question 13

The circle and square swap places each step. What comes next?

Question 14

The shading cycles gold, navy, empty — then repeats. What comes next?

Question 15

The arrow turns 45 degrees clockwise each step. What comes next?

Question 16

One more ring is added each step. What comes next?

Question 17

The diagonal flips direction each step. What comes next?

Question 18

Two more dots are added each step. What comes next?

Question 19

The triangle flips 180 degrees each step. What comes next?

Question 20

The shaded part grows by the same width each step. What comes next?

Question 21

The house shape turns 90 degrees clockwise each step. What comes next?

Question 22

One more vertical bar is added each step. What comes next?

Question 23

The inner shape alternates circle, triangle, circle. What comes next?

Question 24

The gold dot moves a quarter-turn clockwise around the circle each step. What comes next?

Question 25

Sides increase by one, and the shading cycles empty, navy, gold — then repeats. What comes next?

Answer Key with Explanations

Q	Answer	Explanation
1	B	Sides rise 3, 4, 5, so the next figure has 6 sides — a hexagon.
2	C	Dot count rises 1, 2, 3, so four dots come next.
3	C	The arrow turns 90° clockwise: up, right, down, so it points left next.
4	B	Filled and empty alternate, so an empty square follows the filled one.
5	A	The radius grows by 6 each step (14, 20, 26), so 32 comes next.
6	B	Line count rises 1, 2, 3, so four lines come next.
7	C	Triangle and circle strictly alternate, so a circle follows the triangle.
8	B	The dot moves clockwise: top-left, top-right, bottom-right, so bottom-left is next.
9	A	Small squares rise 1, 2, 3, so four come next.
10	C	The quarter moves clockwise to the bottom-left corner next.
11	B	The side shrinks by 12 each step (64, 52, 40), so 28 comes next.
12	D	Sides fall 6, 5, 4, so a 3-sided triangle comes next.
13	B	The two shapes swap sides each step, so the square is on the left again.
14	C	The shading cycle gold, navy, empty repeats, so gold comes next.
15	A	The arrow turns 45° clockwise: NE, E, SE, so it points south next.
16	D	Rings rise 1, 2, 3, so four rings come next.
17	B	The diagonal flips each step (\, /, \), so / comes next.
18	C	Two dots are added each step (2, 4, 6), so eight dots come next.
19	D	The triangle flips 180° each step (up, down, up), so down comes next.
20	A	The shaded width grows 15, 30, 45, so the full 60-wide square is next.
21	C	The house turns 90° clockwise each step, so it points left (270°) next.
22	A	Vertical bars rise 1, 2, 3, so four bars come next.
23	D	The inner shape alternates circle, triangle, circle, so a triangle is next.
24	A	The dot moves clockwise: top, right, bottom, so left is next.
25	B	Sides rise to 6 and the shading cycle restarts at empty — an empty hexagon.

More ISSB Non-Verbal Tests

Keep preparing with the full ISSB non-verbal series:

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Shape Series Test — 25 Practice Questions with Answers