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11+ Spatial Reasoning: every question type explained

See exactly how nets, rotations, block combinations, plans, fold-and-punch and hidden-shape questions work, with real diagrams and step-by-step worked examples, then practise the same skills free. Most guides cover 5 question types; GL-style exams use 8, and this page shows all of them.

Get the free practice paper See the question types ↓
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Could you count the hidden blocks? Question type 8 shows you how.

Quick answer: spatial reasoning is the part of 11+ non-verbal reasoning that tests whether a child can mentally fold, turn, combine and re-view 2D and 3D shapes. It appears in GL Assessment exams in some regions (notably Kent, Buckinghamshire and Lincolnshire), in the ISEB Common Pre-Test used by independent schools, and in the CAT4. It is not taught in school, which is exactly why familiarity with the eight question types below produces fast improvement.

🧩 Part of non-verbal reasoning 🏫 Used by grammar & independent schools 📚 Not on the national curriculum ✅ Multiple choice, A to E 📈 Highly coachable

The 8 question types, at a glance

Every spatial question your child can meet falls into one of these. Each card shows the task and the one rule that solves it. The three green cards are the types most guides skip, and they appear in real GL-style spatial papers.

1 · Nets & cubes

Fold the flat net in your head. Rule: faces separated by one square in a straight line end up opposite, so they can never both be visible.

GLISEBCAT4

2 · Nets from 3D shapes

The reverse: which net makes this cube? Rule: check how neighbouring faces point at each other, then check the fold keeps that relationship.

GLISEB

3 · Rotating 3D shapes

Which option is the same solid, turned? Rule: count the blocks in each arm first; rotations never change counts or proportions.

GLISEBCAT4
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4 · Combining shapes

Which set of blocks builds the solid? Rule: find the most distinctive piece first (an L or T block), then eliminate sets that lack it.

GLISEB

5 · 3D shapes from above

Pick the bird's-eye plan. Rule: work row by row from the back, and count the gaps as carefully as the blocks.

GLCAT4
MOST GUIDES SKIP THIS

6 · Fold & punch

Paper is folded, holes are punched, then it is unfolded. Rule: holes double with every fold and mirror across each fold line.

GLCAT4
MOST GUIDES SKIP THIS

7 · Hidden shapes

Find the target shape inside a busier figure, same size and same way round. Rule: anchor on the target's most unusual angle and scan for it.

GLCAT4
MOST GUIDES SKIP THIS
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8 · Block counting

How many cubes are in the pile, including ones you cannot see? Rule: count column by column; every floating block must be held up by a hidden one.

GL

Worked examples, with the elimination logic

The fastest way to learn each type is to watch the elimination happen. Try each one with your child first, then open the answer. The green box marks the correct option.

Example 1 · Nets and cubes

Solving rule: opposite faces can never be seen together
The net on the left folds into a cube. Which of the cubes below could it make?
A
B
C
D
E
Show the answer and the elimination, step by step

First find the opposite pairs. On a cross-shaped net, faces separated by exactly one square in a straight line end up opposite each other: the black circle and the star are opposite, the triangle and the white diamond are opposite, and the cross and the white circle are opposite (the two side flaps).

A shows the black circle next to the star: an opposite pair side by side, so it is impossible. B shows the triangle next to the white diamond: same problem. D shows the cross next to the white circle: the third opposite pair. C shows a black diamond, which is not on the net at all: a classic "dud cube".

That leaves E: triangle on top, black circle at the front, white circle on the right. All three of those faces are neighbours on the net, so E is correct.

Example 2 · 3D shapes from above

Solving rule: work row by row, and count the gaps
Which plan shows this solid viewed directly from above? The top row of each plan is the back row of the solid.
A
B
C
D
E
Show the answer and the elimination, step by step

Go row by row from the back. The back row has blocks in the left and middle positions only, so the top row of the plan must be filled-filled-empty. That eliminates B (extra block on the right) and E (missing the middle).

The middle row has blocks in the middle and right positions: empty-filled-filled. That eliminates D, which has an extra block on the left.

The front row has blocks at the left and right with a gap in the middle: filled-empty-filled. That eliminates A, which fills the middle. Only C matches all three rows, so C is correct.

Example 3 · Fold and punch

Solving rule: holes double with each fold and mirror across the fold line
A square of paper is folded in half along the dotted line (the left half folds onto the right). Two holes are punched, as shown. What does the paper look like unfolded?
A
B
C
D
E
Show the answer and the elimination, step by step

Count first. One fold doubles every hole: 2 punches become exactly 4 holes. A has only 2 holes, so whoever drew it forgot the unfold entirely.

Then check the mirror line. The fold line is vertical and down the middle, so the new holes must be mirror images of the punched ones across that centre line. C mirrors across a horizontal line (wrong axis), D mirrors across the paper's right-hand edge, and E scatters the holes with no symmetry at all.

B has 4 holes, perfectly mirrored across the centre fold line, so B is correct.

Which exams actually test it?

Coverage varies by exam provider and region, so check what your target school uses before prioritising practice time.

ExamWhere spatial reasoning appearsRead next
GL AssessmentInside non-verbal reasoning papers, in short separately-timed sections. A dedicated spatial element is used in some regions, notably Kent, Buckinghamshire and Lincolnshire.GL 11+ explained · Kent Test · Bucks Transfer Test
ISEB Common Pre-TestThe 30-minute non-verbal reasoning section includes questions that manipulate 3D figures and diagrams, used by many independent senior schools.ISEB Pre-Test explained
CAT4Part 3 tests figure analysis (fold-and-punch style visualisation) and figure recognition (hidden shapes), both spatial skills, used by some independent schools.All 11+ exam types

The 3-stage practice plan

Spatial reasoning rewards method before speed. This is the order that works.

1

Learn the rule for each type

One type at a time, untimed. Make it physical at first: print and fold a real net, build block shapes, punch and unfold a folded sheet once. The mental version clicks much faster after the hands-on version.

2

Drill short, single-type sets

Five to ten questions of one type in a sitting, talking through the elimination out loud. The free Pip app generates unlimited reasoning questions with instant marking, so drilling never runs out.

3

Move to timed, mixed practice

Only once the methods are automatic, add time pressure with full papers. GL allows roughly 30 to 45 seconds per question, so rehearse leaving a hard question and coming back.

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📄 Free 24-question NVR paper

A full Non-Verbal Reasoning paper at real exam difficulty, including spatial-style puzzles (rotations, mirror imposters, plans of shaded regions), with a printable answer sheet and a worked answer key for every question.

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♾️ Unlimited practice in the app

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🖨️ All 11+ printables

Free English, Maths, Verbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal Reasoning papers, each with worked answers, plus vocabulary flashcards and interactive tools.

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Spatial reasoning FAQ

What is spatial reasoning in the 11+?+

It is the part of non-verbal reasoning that tests how well a child can mentally manipulate 2D and 3D shapes: folding a net into a cube, rotating a solid, combining blocks, working out a plan view, unfolding punched paper and finding hidden shapes. It is multiple-choice and is not taught in the national curriculum.

Which 11+ exams test spatial reasoning?+

GL Assessment includes it in some regions, notably Kent, Buckinghamshire and Lincolnshire. The ISEB Common Pre-Test includes spatial questions in its non-verbal reasoning section, and the CAT4 tests figure analysis and figure recognition. Coverage varies by region, so check your target school's exam format.

How many question types are there?+

Eight cover what 11+ exams use: nets and cubes, nets from 3D shapes, rotating 3D shapes, combining shapes, 3D shapes from above, fold and punch, hidden shapes and block counting. Most articles cover only the first five.

Is it taught in school?+

No, it is not part of the national curriculum, so most children meet these questions for the first time during 11+ preparation. That also makes it one of the most coachable parts of the exam.

How can my child improve?+

Learn each type's solving rule first, drill short single-type sets untimed, then move to timed mixed papers. Physical practice early on (folding real nets, building block shapes, punching folded paper) makes the mental version click much faster.

What is the opposite-faces rule?+

On a cross-shaped net, two faces separated by exactly one face in a straight line end up on opposite sides of the cube, so they can never both be visible in one drawing. Any option showing an opposite pair together is instantly wrong.

Keep going: how to prepare for non-verbal reasoning covers the 2D families this page builds on, the free NVR practice paper puts it all under exam conditions, and 11+ exam types explained shows exactly what your region tests. For everything else, the 11+ Info Hub has the full library.