What is an Abstract Reasoning Test?
Abstract reasoning measures a student's ability to identify patterns, relationships and rules between shapes, figures and sequences — without relying on words or numbers. Because it tests raw problem-solving potential rather than memorised content, the Abstract Reasoning Test Australia uses has become a core part of almost every Abstract Reasoning Test for Selective Schools, scholarship and gifted programs.
On this page you'll find a Free Abstract Reasoning Practice Test to download, worked Abstract Reasoning Practice Questions, an Abstract Reasoning Practice Test with Answers approach, and a clear map of where abstract reasoning appears across each major Australian exam — plus how Selectivetrial helps your child practise effectively.
Pattern recognition
Spot the rule that links a sequence of figures and predict what comes next.
Transformations
Track rotation, reflection, shading, size and position changes across a series.
Odd-one-out & analogies
Identify the figure that breaks the rule, or complete the matrix logically.
Abstract reasoning across Australian selective & scholarship exams
The same core skill is tested under different names. Whether it's an abstract reasoning for selective school test question inside Thinking Skills, or a standalone section in WA, strong familiarity transfers across all of them.
OC Test
Abstract reasoning patterns appear within the Thinking Skills component of the Opportunity Class test.
Selective High School
The abstract reasoning test year 7 entry questions sit inside the Thinking Skills paper of the NSW Selective test.
WA ASET
The Academic Selective Entrance Test contains a dedicated Abstract Reasoning section (35 questions in 20 minutes).
HAST
The Higher Ability Selection Test includes Abstract Reasoning — the abstract reasoning test year 8-11 for HAST test used by many independent schools.
Abstract reasoning is also a mainstay of abstract reasoning for scholarship exams (ACER, Edutest and AAS-style scholarship papers) and the wider gifted and talented abstract reasoning test screening used to identify high-potential students. Mastering it once pays off across every exam your child may sit.
Types of abstract reasoning questions in the HAST test
The Higher Ability Selection Test (HAST) — sat in abstract reasoning test year 8-11 for HAST test entry — uses a recurring set of non-verbal question styles. Knowing each one by sight is the fastest way to lift accuracy. These are the core HAST abstract reasoning question types every student should master.
Complete the Pattern
A grid or matrix has one cell missing. Work out the rule running across the rows and columns, then choose the figure that completes the pattern.
Find the Middle
Given a start and end figure, identify the figure that logically belongs between them — tracking how the shape transforms step by step.
Next in Sequence
A series of figures changes by a consistent rule (rotation, shading, count or position). Pick the figure that comes next in the sequence.
Shape Combination
Two or more shapes are merged or overlaid. Determine which answer option shows the correct combined figure once the shapes are joined.
Selectivetrial's HAST practice pack includes full abstract reasoning practice papers across these HAST question types, with worked answers.
Spatial reasoning & spatial pattern questions
Alongside abstract pattern questions, the NSW OC and Selective tests include spatial reasoning — questions that ask students to mentally manipulate shapes in 2D and 3D. These spatial pattern items are a close cousin of abstract reasoning and reward the same visual, rule-based thinking. Here are the common formats students meet.
Mental rotation
A shape is shown, then displayed at a different rotation — is it the same shape or a mirror image?
Paper folding
A square of paper is folded and punched with a hole — where do the holes appear when it is unfolded?
Cube nets
A flat net is shown — which 3D cube does it fold into?
Hidden figures
A complex pattern contains a smaller shape — identify the hidden figure within it.
💡 Strategy tips
- For rotation tasks, fix a reference point — a corner or an asymmetric detail — and mentally move only that point rather than the whole shape.
- For paper folding, track each fold in sequence one step at a time, instead of trying to visualise the final unfolded result all at once.
Selectivetrial's OC and NSW Selective packs include spatial reasoning and spatial pattern practice as part of complete abstract reasoning test preparation — see the practice packs on the right.
Download a Free Abstract Reasoning Practice Test
Start with these official, free abstract reasoning sample questions straight from the test authorities — perfect for seeing the genuine question style before you begin structured practice.
WA ASET — Abstract Reasoning Practice Test
Official Western Australia ASET sample abstract reasoning questions for Year 7 entry — ideal first abstract reasoning practice papers for GATE families.
⬇ Download WA ASET SampleACER — Abstract Reasoning Sample Questions
Official ACER abstract reasoning sample questions, widely used across scholarship and selective testing — a great free abstract reasoning mock test australia starter.
⬇ Download ACER SamplesLinks open the official PDFs on the WA Department of Education and ACER websites. After trying these, continue with Selectivetrial's full abstract reasoning test online australia mock papers for unlimited timed practice with answers.
Abstract & spatial reasoning sample questions
Genuine OC, NSW Selective and HAST-style abstract reasoning sample questions — work out the rule, then choose your answer from the figures shown.
Every Selectivetrial paper includes hundreds more abstract reasoning sample questions like these — covering pattern series, missing sections, mental rotation, paper folding and more — with full worked solutions inside the platform.
How Selectivetrial helps students practise abstract reasoning
We've built a deep bank of abstract reasoning practice papers from past papers, the test curricula and government-published samples — so practice mirrors the real exam in pattern, difficulty and timing. It's complete abstract reasoning test preparation in one place.
- Exam-accurate question bank covering rotation, reflection, series, matrices, odd-one-out and analogy types.
- Timed mock exams that replicate the real on-screen interface and pacing of each abstract reasoning mock test australia.
- Full answer explanations — every paper is an Abstract Reasoning Practice Test with Answers and worked reasoning.
- Unlimited attempts so students can revisit tricky question types until the rules click.
- Performance reports showing accuracy and speed per question type, relative to peers.
- Mapped to each exam — OC, NSW Selective, WA ASET and HAST, so practice always targets the right format.
Frequently asked questions
The Abstract Reasoning Test Australia uses measures non-verbal problem solving — identifying patterns and rules among shapes and figures. It appears in OC and NSW Selective Thinking Skills, the WA ASET, HAST and many scholarship exams, assessing potential rather than memorised content.
Start with the official free downloads on this page — the WA Department of Education ASET sample and the ACER abstract reasoning sample questions. Then move on to Selectivetrial's full abstract reasoning test online australia mock papers for unlimited timed practice with answers.
Yes. In NSW, abstract-reasoning-style questions appear within the Thinking Skills component of both the Opportunity Class (OC) and Selective High School placement tests, making it essential abstract reasoning for selective school test practice.
Yes — the Higher Ability Selection Test (HAST) contains an Abstract Reasoning section. It's the abstract reasoning test year 8-11 for HAST test that many independent schools use for scholarship and entry selection.
Begin with the free official samples, learn the common rule types (rotation, reflection, series, matrices), then practise consistently under timed conditions. Selectivetrial provides structured abstract reasoning test preparation with mock papers, full answer explanations and performance tracking.