Abstract Reasoning – UCAT

Rule Making in Abstract Reasoning:

- Intrinsic Features (properties of an object)
- Extrinsic Features (relationships between objects)

Intrinsic Features of Shapes:

- Texture within a shape: empty
- Outline of a shape: straight
- Types of angles: Right Angled
- Lines of Symmetry: 4
- Number of Sides: 4

SCANS:
S – Shape
C – Color / Fill
A – Arrangement / Angles
N – Number
S – Symmetry

Extrinsic Features of Shapes:

- Number of Shapes
o Absolute Numbers
o Odd / Even Numbers
o More than / Less than
o At least one

- Size of Shapes:
o Position in-box (always at highest or lower / bottom left or right / always left)
o Arrow Directions (Pointed away or towards a shape ex.)

In A, B, or neither; The rules are always mutually exclusive. (Odd in A Even in B)

Look at the 2 SIMPLEST frames in Set A and COMPARE

Abstract Reasoning – Subtypes:

Number
Shape Features – Number of Sides or Angles
Number of lines (if present)
Number of Intersections
Number of Overlaps

Color
Specific shapes have a particular color (curved edges are black etc. / Larger shapes black)
Color is found in particular location (all shaded shapes on one side) / (always in one corner)
Specific Number of Shaded / Unshaded Shapes
Shape
The presence of a specific shape (being in same color and location in box)
The presence of intrinsic shape features (curved sides, right angle, irregular edges)
Symmetry (all shapes in set A vertical symmetry / set B horizontal symmetry)

Position Rules
Specific shape in a specific location in each frame
Specific Types of Shape (specific color, size, or shape types positioned in a specific way)
Relative Positioning (One above other relative to color and / or size of the shapes)

- Check the corners of frame for a specific shape. Then compare 2 frames seeing if any
shapes in similar position are relative to other shapes.

Orientation
(All) Arrows pointing in a particular direction
Arrows pointing towards an object (relative from / to a specific shape)
Equal number of arrows pointing up / down (left / right)

Size
Objects of different size (with specific color or positioning or shape type)
Only applicable when there are different shapes (not same)
Shape being consistently bigger / smaller than other shapes.

When Stuck:
- Prime Numbers (Check Number List and Compare)

Advanced: Formulaic Rules

- Each object or aspect of an object has a specific numerical value, e.g. square = 1 pt.
- Each frame in set sums to a specific number or type of number e.g. even or multiples

Other Options:
- Color into consideration (Shaded counts as double)
- Aspect of shape (ex. Number of sides in combination with another factor e.g. the
value for number of sides is doubled in shaded shapes.