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CogAT Grade 5 Figure Classification Practice Questions

Practice Figure Classification questions for the Cognitive Abilities Test — Grade 5 (Level 11). Every question includes a full explanation of why the correct answer is right and why the tempting distractors are wrong.

24 questions available · medium difficulty · CogAT Grade 5 · Free, no registration required

What Figure Classification measures

Three figures are shown that share something, and the child picks the fourth that belongs with them. It sounds simpler than the matrix items and often is not, because nothing announces the shared property - working out which of the many things the three figures have in common is the one that matters is most of the task.

What a grade 5 figure classification question looks like

Two shared properties become common, and only the correct answer satisfies both. Every wrong option is built to match one of them, so a choice that feels obviously right after a quick look is frequently the one that matches on the more visible property and fails on the other.

At level 11 — grade 5

At Level 11 two-property items become common, bringing with them a distractor set where every wrong option is right about something. A grade 5 child who checks their rule against all five choices picks up marks a faster child leaves behind.

Where children go wrong

Settling for one property when there are two

The shared feature at these levels is often a pair - the same shape and the same fill, say - and every wrong option matches one half. Checking that only one option survives the rule is how a child knows the rule is complete.

Treating rotation as a difference

The same figure turned is still the same figure, and children often rule out the correct answer because it is oriented differently from the three. Rotation is occasionally the shared property itself, but far more often it is simply irrelevant.

Being pulled by the option that looks most alike

Children tend to choose the option most resembling the three figures overall rather than the one sharing the defining feature. Similar and belonging are different things, and this subtest is built entirely on the difference.

How to practise this at home

Have your child state the rule and then test it against every option rather than stopping at the first that fits. The specific habit worth drilling is noticing when a rule leaves two options standing, because that is the signal a second property is in play. It is a quick check and it converts most of the near-misses at this level.

Common questions about Figure Classification

How do I know when I have found the right rule?

When exactly one answer choice satisfies it. A rule that is true of the three figures but leaves two options standing is incomplete, and at these levels that usually means a second property is waiting.

Should my child spend long on these?

No. Classification items tend to resolve quickly or not at all, which makes them the right place to save time for paper folding, where extra seconds actually convert into marks.

Is figure classification easier than figure matrices?

Most children score higher on it, though the gap narrows at the upper levels once two-property items become standard. The reasoning is less structured, which suits some children and unsettles others.

Sample Figure Classification Questions with Answers

10 example questions with full explanations. Use the interactive practice above to work through the complete set.

Question 1easy

The three figures below go together. Which figure belongs with them?

A row of three figures that go together: one small solid flag; then one large unfilled flag; then one medium dotted flag.
  • A.one large half-filled flagone large half-filled flag✓
  • B.one large half-filled hexagonone large half-filled hexagon
  • C.one large dotted circleone large dotted circle
  • D.one small solid triangleone small solid triangle

Correct answer: A

Start by asking what the three figures have in common. They differ in size and in how they are shaded, so neither of those is the answer — but they are all flags. Option A is one large half-filled flag, the only choice that shares that, so it is the one that belongs with them. Option D copies the first figure's size and shading exactly, but it is a triangle — and shading is not what the three have in common. Option B is a hexagon, not a flag. Option C is a circle; every one of the three figures is a flag.

Question 2medium

The three figures below go together. Which figure belongs with them?

A row of three figures that go together: one medium solid triangle; then one small solid pentagon; then one large solid circle.
  • A.one medium unfilled triangleone medium unfilled triangle
  • B.one large half-filled flagone large half-filled flag
  • C.one large solid ellone large solid ell✓
  • D.one medium dotted squareone medium dotted square

Correct answer: C

Start by asking what the three figures have in common. They differ in shape and in size, so neither of those is the answer — but they are all solid. Option C is one large solid ell, the only choice that shares that, so it is the one that belongs with them. Option A is the first figure at the same size, but unfilled rather than solid. Option D is dotted; the three figures are all solid. Option B is half-filled, so it does not match how the three figures are filled.

Question 3easy

The three figures below go together. Which figure belongs with them?

A row of three figures that go together: one large dotted ell; then one large unfilled triangle; then one large hatched diamond.
  • A.one small unfilled starone small unfilled star
  • B.one small solid arrowone small solid arrow
  • C.one large unfilled flagone large unfilled flag✓
  • D.one small dotted ellone small dotted ell

Correct answer: C

Start by asking what the three figures have in common. They differ in shape and in how they are shaded, so neither of those is the answer — but they are all large. Option C is one large unfilled flag, the only choice that shares that, so it is the one that belongs with them. Option D is the first figure exactly, except that it is small rather than large. Option A is shaded the same way as the right answer, but shading is not what the three figures share — their size is. Option B is small, while all three figures are large.

Question 4easy

The three figures below go together. Which figure belongs with them?

A row of three figures that go together: three small half-filled circles; then three small unfilled pentagons; then three small dotted triangles.
  • A.two small dotted arrowstwo small dotted arrows
  • B.three small solid flagsthree small solid flags✓
  • C.one large hatched starone large hatched star
  • D.one small solid squareone small solid square

Correct answer: B

Start by asking what the three figures have in common. They differ in shape and in how they are shaded, so neither of those is the answer — but they each show three copies. Option B is three small solid flags, the only choice that shares that, so it is the one that belongs with them. Option D shows a single shape; each of the three figures shows three. Option A shows two copies rather than three. Option C shows a single shape; each of the three figures shows three.

Question 5medium

The three figures below go together. Which figure belongs with them?

A row of three figures that go together: one medium unfilled arrow, rotated 180 degrees; then one medium hatched arrow, rotated 180 degrees; then one medium half-filled arrow, rotated 180 degrees.
  • A.one medium hatched arrowone medium hatched arrow
  • B.one medium unfilled arrow, rotated 135 degreesone medium unfilled arrow, rotated 135 degrees
  • C.one medium half-filled arrow, rotated 45 degreesone medium half-filled arrow, rotated 45 degrees
  • D.one medium dotted arrow, rotated 180 degreesone medium dotted arrow, rotated 180 degrees✓

Correct answer: D

Start by asking what the three figures have in common. They differ only in how they are shaded, so neither of those is the answer — but they all point the same way. Option D is one medium dotted arrow, rotated 180 degrees, the only choice that shares that, so it is the one that belongs with them. Option B is turned 135 degrees rather than 180, so it does not point the way the three figures do. Option A is the same arrow left upright, while the three figures are all turned the same way. Option C is turned 45 degrees rather than 180, so it does not point the way the three figures do.

Question 6easy

The three figures below go together. Which figure belongs with them?

A row of three figures that go together: one medium dotted flag; then one small unfilled flag; then one large hatched flag.
  • A.one small solid flagone small solid flag✓
  • B.one medium dotted crossone medium dotted cross
  • C.one medium solid ellone medium solid ell
  • D.one small solid squareone small solid square

Correct answer: A

Start by asking what the three figures have in common. They differ in size and in how they are shaded, so neither of those is the answer — but they are all flags. Option A is one small solid flag, the only choice that shares that, so it is the one that belongs with them. Option B copies the first figure's size and shading exactly, but it is a cross — and shading is not what the three have in common. Option D is a square, not a flag. Option C is a ell; every one of the three figures is a flag.

Question 7medium

The three figures below go together. Which figure belongs with them?

A row of three figures that go together: one medium dotted star; then one large dotted hexagon; then one small dotted circle.
  • A.one medium half-filled starone medium half-filled star
  • B.one small dotted diamondone small dotted diamond✓
  • C.one small unfilled squareone small unfilled square
  • D.one small solid flagone small solid flag

Correct answer: B

Start by asking what the three figures have in common. They differ in shape and in size, so neither of those is the answer — but they are all dotted. Option B is one small dotted diamond, the only choice that shares that, so it is the one that belongs with them. Option A is the first figure at the same size, but half-filled rather than dotted. Option C is unfilled; the three figures are all dotted. Option D is solid, so it does not match how the three figures are filled.

Question 8easy

The three figures below go together. Which figure belongs with them?

A row of three figures that go together: one small unfilled star; then one small solid arrow; then one small hatched ell.
  • A.one large hatched circleone large hatched circle
  • B.one small hatched hexagonone small hatched hexagon✓
  • C.one large unfilled starone large unfilled star
  • D.one large hatched flagone large hatched flag

Correct answer: B

Start by asking what the three figures have in common. They differ in shape and in how they are shaded, so neither of those is the answer — but they are all small. Option B is one small hatched hexagon, the only choice that shares that, so it is the one that belongs with them. Option C is the first figure exactly, except that it is large rather than small. Option D is shaded the same way as the right answer, but shading is not what the three figures share — their size is. Option A is large, while all three figures are small.

Question 9easy

The three figures below go together. Which figure belongs with them?

A row of three figures that go together: three small unfilled hexagons; then three small dotted pentagons; then three small hatched triangles.
  • A.two small dotted ellstwo small dotted ells
  • B.one medium unfilled arrowone medium unfilled arrow
  • C.one large hatched starone large hatched star
  • D.three small solid squaresthree small solid squares✓

Correct answer: D

Start by asking what the three figures have in common. They differ in shape and in how they are shaded, so neither of those is the answer — but they each show three copies. Option D is three small solid squares, the only choice that shares that, so it is the one that belongs with them. Option B shows a single shape; each of the three figures shows three. Option A shows two copies rather than three. Option C shows a single shape; each of the three figures shows three.

Question 10medium

The three figures below go together. Which figure belongs with them?

A row of three figures that go together: one medium unfilled flag, rotated 180 degrees; then one medium solid flag, rotated 180 degrees; then one medium hatched flag, rotated 180 degrees.
  • A.one medium dotted flag, rotated 180 degreesone medium dotted flag, rotated 180 degrees✓
  • B.one medium unfilled flagone medium unfilled flag
  • C.one medium hatched flag, rotated 90 degreesone medium hatched flag, rotated 90 degrees
  • D.one medium solid flag, rotated 135 degreesone medium solid flag, rotated 135 degrees

Correct answer: A

Start by asking what the three figures have in common. They differ only in how they are shaded, so neither of those is the answer — but they all point the same way. Option A is one medium dotted flag, rotated 180 degrees, the only choice that shares that, so it is the one that belongs with them. Option B is the same flag left upright, while the three figures are all turned the same way. Option D is turned 135 degrees rather than 180, so it does not point the way the three figures do. Option C is turned 90 degrees rather than 180, so it does not point the way the three figures do.