Abstract Reasoning Tests

The aptitudes and abilities measured by verbal and numeric reasoning tests can easily be related to real world tasks and
jobs, as many jobs require some degree of skill with words and numbers. Abstract reasoning tests on the other hand,
seem to consist of questions which have little or no application in the real world. Yet these types of question appear in
most graduate and management aptitude tests. Why is this?

Abstract reasoning tests date back to the research done by the psychologist Charles Spearman in the 1920’s. Spearman
used a statistical technique called factor analysis to examine relationships between people’s scores on different tests or
sub-tests of intelligence. He concluded that people who do well on some intelligence tests also do well on others (e.g.
vocabulary, mathematics, spatial abilities). Conversely, if people do poorly on an intelligence test, they also tended to do
poorly on other intellectual tests. This led him to believe that there are one or more factors that are common to all
intellectual tasks.

As a result of this research Spearman developed a two-factor theory of intelligence.

  

As the diagram shows, Spearman said that intelligence is

mainly made up of ‘g’, with bright people having a lot,
and dull people having less. People may also vary
according to their specific abilities, ‘s’, i.e. one person
might be better at maths, while another would be very
good verbally. However, Spearman placed much more
importance on ‘g’ and believed that the most important
information about someone’s intellectual ability is an
estimate or measurement of ‘g’. Even though
Spearman’s research was done many years ago, his
theory of ‘g’ is still widely accepted by psychologists and
a great deal of research has supported it.

Spearman defined ‘g’ as:

“the innate ability to perceive relationships and educe co-

relationships”

If we replace the word ‘educe’ with ‘work out’ then you can see why abstract reasoning questions are seen to be a good
measure of general intelligence, as they test your ability to perceive relationships and then to work out any co-
relationships without you requiring any knowledge of language or mathematics.

Example Questions

1. Which symbol in the Answer Figure completes the sequence in the Problem Figure ?

 
 

2. Which of the Answer Figures belongs in neither group?

3. Which of the Answer Figures belongs in neither group?

4. Which of the Answer Figures fits the missing space in the Question Figure?
 

Answers
1. C - The question figure is rotated clockwise through 90 degrees each time.
2. D & E - Group 1 shapes are all straight lines, group 2 shapes are all curved.
3. A, B & D - Same color shapes are diagonally opposite (Group1) or above/below (Group 2).
4. D - Each row and column contains one line of each type.

These tests are of particular value when the job involves dealing with abstract ideas or concepts as many technical jobs
do. However, as they also provide the best measure of your general intellectual ability they are very widely used and you
will usually find some questions of this type whichever particular tests you are given.

These tests are particularly valued where the job you are applying for involves:

 A high degree of problem solving

 Dealing with complex data or concepts
 Developing strategies or policies
 Performing non-routine tasks where initiative is required

Abstract Reasoning assesses your ability to understand complex concepts and assimilate new information beyond
previous experience. The questions consist of items which require you to recognize patterns and similarities between
shapes and figures. As a measure of reasoning, it is independent of educational and cultural background and can be used
to provide an indication of intellectual potential.

 The term diagrammatic reasoning is often used interchangeably with abstract reasoning. Some of the
companies who produce psychometric tests refer to abstract reasoning tests as diagrammatic reasoning tests.
This is presumably because abstract tests use diagrams or pictures rather than words or numbers. If you are told
that you need to sit a diagrammatic reasoning test then it may be just another name for an abstract reasoning
test. Or it may not.

If you are applying for a job in information technology then you may be faced with questions which test your
abstract reasoning ability in a very specific way. These are referred to on this web site as diagrammatic
reasoning tests to differentiate them from 'normal' abstract reasoning tests.

These diagrammatic reasoning tests measure your ability to infer a set of rules from a flowchart or similar
diagram and then to apply those rules to new situation. These questions are often found in tests aimed at
selecting information technology specialists who need to work through complex problems in an analytical way.

Example Questions
1) The functions 'M' and 'S' transform the input shapes in a certain way. You need to use the diagram to
determine what effect each of these functions has. Apply them to the input shape in the question to arrive at the
correct output.

Another type of question that appears in these tests measures your ability to follow a set of logical instructions.
In the next example, the operators are defined in the first diagram. Each operator acts on the figure that it is
attached to. The sequence of operations is from top to bottom. Use this information to answer the questions.

 
 

In the street plan above, for example, Shakespeare Road is one-way between Cole Street and Trenchtown Road.
This means that if you were driving south on Trenchtown Road you could not turn right into Shakespeare
Street.

2) Which figure results from the operations shown?

3) Which figure results from the operations shown?

Answers

1. B - Function 'M' inverts color (black > white and white > black). Function 'S' rotates shape
anticlockwise through 90 degrees.
2. B - work from top to bottom, making a note of the effect of each operator at each stage.
3. D - Remember some of the operations involve changing the relative position of figures.
Remember, you are unlikely to be asked questions if this type unless the job calls for a high level of analytical
abstract reasoning skills. These types of question are usually restricted to technical jobs in information
technology but may also be used to select for technical jobs in the finance industry.

If the employer has made any mention of diagrammatic reasoning then you should ask them to clarify exactly
what they mean, and if possible to supply some example questions.