How to Pass the EPSO Abstract Reasoning Test (AD5 Guide)

The abstract reasoning test is the most unusual of the three EPSO CBTs. Unlike verbal and numerical reasoning, it requires no language skills and no mathematical knowledge. Instead, it tests your ability to identify patterns in sequences of visual shapes — a pure measure of logical and spatial reasoning.

The Format

• 10 questions in 10 minutes
• Each question shows a sequence of 6 panels with geometric shapes
• The last panel shows a question mark
• You choose from 5 answer options which figure correctly completes the sequence

One minute per question sounds manageable, but identifying the pattern and checking your answer takes practice to do reliably within that time.

The Most Common Pattern Types

EPSO abstract reasoning questions use a limited set of pattern rules. Learning to recognise them quickly is the core preparation strategy.

1. Shape Rotation

A shape rotates by a fixed amount (45°, 90°, or 180°) from one panel to the next. Look at the orientation of arrows, asymmetric shapes, or lines.

2. Colour / Fill Alternation

Shapes alternate between filled (black), outline (white), and grey. The pattern may alternate every panel, every two panels, or follow a more complex cycle.

3. Size Progression

Shapes grow or shrink in a consistent sequence — small, medium, large, or the reverse. Sometimes multiple shapes change size simultaneously.

4. Count Changes

The number of shapes in each panel changes by a fixed amount (+1 per panel, or −1, or +2). Count carefully — sometimes shapes partially overlap.

5. Position Shifts

A shape moves across the panel in a consistent direction or pattern — left to right, diagonally, or rotating around a fixed point.

6. Addition / Removal of Features

A detail is added or removed from the shape in each panel — an extra line, a dot, a notch. Look for shapes that change slightly rather than dramatically.

7. Combination Rules

Most EPSO questions combine two or more rules simultaneously. For example: the large shape rotates 90° clockwise each panel AND the small shape alternates between filled and empty. Identifying both rules is required to choose the correct answer.

How to Approach Each Question

1. Scan the full sequence first — look at all six panels before focusing on any single element
2. Identify the most obvious change — what is the biggest visible difference between panels?
3. Confirm the rule holds across all panels — a rule must be consistent, not just visible in two panels
4. Check secondary elements — once you have one rule, look for a second rule in a different element
5. Use the answer options — if you are unsure, look at how the five options differ from each other. Often two or three can be eliminated quickly.

Time Management

10 minutes for 10 questions leaves no room for hesitation. If you spend 90 seconds on a difficult question, you are borrowing time from a question you might answer in 30 seconds.

Tips:

• Set a mental limit of 60 seconds per question during practice
• If you cannot identify the pattern in 45 seconds, eliminate obviously wrong options and make your best guess
• Do not leave questions unanswered — there is no penalty for wrong answers in EPSO tests

Elimination Strategy

Even if you cannot identify the full pattern, you can often eliminate options:

• If a rotation is clearly involved, eliminate options that are not rotated versions of the target shape
• If the count increases by 1 each panel, the answer must have one more shape than the previous panel — eliminate options with the wrong count
• If the colour in the previous panel was black and the alternation gives white next, eliminate all filled options

Eliminating two or three options improves your chances significantly even when guessing.

Why This Test Is Different

Abstract reasoning is the hardest test to prepare for using traditional study methods. You cannot memorise facts or formulas. What you can do is:

• Increase pattern recognition speed through repetition
• Build a mental vocabulary of pattern types so you recognise them faster
• Reduce anxiety about unfamiliar question formats by practising in conditions similar to the real test

Most candidates improve their abstract reasoning score more than any other score with consistent practice — because the starting point is often low (the test feels alien at first) and the pattern types are finite and learnable.

What Score Do You Need?

As with the other CBTs, the minimum threshold is approximately 50% — 5 out of 10. To be competitive, aim for 7 or higher. Strong candidates in competitive cycles are often scoring 8–9 out of 10.

The abstract reasoning test rewards pattern recognition and calm, systematic thinking. Once you have practised enough to recognise the main pattern types quickly, the test becomes much more manageable within the time limit.