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CogAT Grade 6 Figure Classification Practice Questions

Practice Figure Classification questions for the Cognitive Abilities Test — Grade 6 (Level 12). Every question includes a full explanation of why the correct answer is right and why the tempting distractors are wrong.

63 questions available · medium difficulty · CogAT Grade 6 · 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 6 figure classification question looks like

Two properties, chosen from the less obvious end: how a shape is filled, whether it is repeated, which way it points. The items look easy and are not, and the gap between how they look and what they need is wider here than at any other level.

At level 12 — grade 6

Level 12 leans on the less obvious properties and away from the ones a child notices first. Items look easy and are not, which makes this the subtest where overconfidence costs the most at this level.

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.

Looking at outline before fill

Once a child has learned to check shape first, an item whose rule is about shading or pattern can pass unnoticed entirely. Fill is as legitimate a property as form, and at this level it carries the rule about as often.

Over-thinking a simple item

Not every item hides a subtle rule. Some of them really are all triangles. Searching for depth that is not there costs time the harder items need, and this subtest is where the extra seconds for paper folding are supposed to come from.

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 1hard

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 hatched star; then one small half-filled star.
  • A.one large half-filled circleone large half-filled circle
  • B.one large unfilled starone large unfilled star
  • C.one small solid hexagonone small solid hexagon
  • D.one small dotted starone small dotted star✓

Correct answer: D

Start by asking what the three figures have in common. They are each shaded differently, but they are alike in TWO ways at once: they are all stars, and they are all small too. Finding just one of those is not enough, because more than one answer matches it. Option D is one small dotted star — the only choice that matches the three figures in BOTH ways, so it is the one that belongs with them. Option A matches the three figures in neither way: it is a circle and it is large. Option B is a star like the three figures, but it is large rather than small — it matches them in only one of the two ways. Option C is small like the three figures, but it is a hexagon rather than a star — again only one of the two ways.

Question 2hard

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

A row of three figures that go together: one large solid hexagon; then one large unfilled hexagon; then one large dotted hexagon.
  • A.one large hatched hexagonone large hatched hexagon✓
  • B.one small solid crossone small solid cross
  • C.one large dotted squareone large dotted square
  • D.one small half-filled hexagonone small half-filled hexagon

Correct answer: A

Start by asking what the three figures have in common. They are each shaded differently, but they are alike in TWO ways at once: they are all hexagons, and they are all large too. Finding just one of those is not enough, because more than one answer matches it. Option A is one large hatched hexagon — the only choice that matches the three figures in BOTH ways, so it is the one that belongs with them. Option B matches the three figures in neither way: it is a cross and it is small. Option C is large like the three figures, but it is a square rather than a hexagon — again only one of the two ways. Option D is a hexagon like the three figures, but it is small rather than large — it matches them in only one of the two ways.

Question 3hard

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

A row of three figures that go together: one small solid cross; then one small dotted cross; then one small unfilled cross.
  • A.one large half-filled crossone large half-filled cross
  • B.one small half-filled crossone small half-filled cross✓
  • C.one small hatched starone small hatched star
  • D.one large hatched ellone large hatched ell

Correct answer: B

Start by asking what the three figures have in common. They are each shaded differently, but they are alike in TWO ways at once: they are all crosss, and they are all small too. Finding just one of those is not enough, because more than one answer matches it. Option B is one small half-filled cross — the only choice that matches the three figures in BOTH ways, so it is the one that belongs with them. Option A is a cross like the three figures, but it is large rather than small — it matches them in only one of the two ways. Option C is small like the three figures, but it is a star rather than a cross — again only one of the two ways. Option D matches the three figures in neither way: it is a ell and it is large.

Question 4hard

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

A row of three figures that go together: one large unfilled flag; then one large hatched flag; then one large half-filled flag.
  • A.one large dotted arrowone large dotted arrow
  • B.one small hatched flagone small hatched flag
  • C.one large solid flagone large solid flag✓
  • D.one small hatched hexagonone small hatched hexagon

Correct answer: C

Start by asking what the three figures have in common. They are each shaded differently, but they are alike in TWO ways at once: they are all flags, and they are all large too. Finding just one of those is not enough, because more than one answer matches it. Option C is one large solid flag — the only choice that matches the three figures in BOTH ways, so it is the one that belongs with them. Option A is large like the three figures, but it is a arrow rather than a flag — again only one of the two ways. Option B is a flag like the three figures, but it is small rather than large — it matches them in only one of the two ways. Option D matches the three figures in neither way: it is a hexagon and it is small.

Question 5medium

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

A row of three figures that go together: one medium solid flag, rotated 135 degrees; then one medium hatched flag, rotated 135 degrees; then one medium unfilled flag, rotated 135 degrees.
  • A.one medium hatched flagone medium hatched flag
  • B.one medium solid flag, rotated 45 degreesone medium solid flag, rotated 45 degrees
  • C.one medium unfilled flag, rotated 180 degreesone medium unfilled flag, rotated 180 degrees
  • D.one medium half-filled flag, rotated 135 degreesone medium half-filled flag, rotated 135 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 half-filled flag, rotated 135 degrees, the only choice that shares that, so it is the one that belongs with them. Option A is the same flag left upright, while the three figures are all turned the same way. Option B is turned 45 degrees rather than 135, so it does not point the way the three figures do. Option C is turned 180 degrees rather than 135, 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 small solid cross; then one large half-filled cross; then one medium unfilled cross.
  • A.one small dotted crossone small dotted cross✓
  • B.one small dotted squareone small dotted square
  • C.one small half-filled hexagonone small half-filled hexagon
  • 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 crosss. Option A is one small dotted cross, the only choice that shares that, so it is the one that belongs with them. Option B is a square, not a cross. Option C is a hexagon; every one of the three figures is a cross. 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.

Question 7medium

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

A row of three figures that go together: one small half-filled cross; then one medium half-filled hexagon; then one large half-filled triangle.
  • A.one small dotted arrowone small dotted arrow
  • B.one small half-filled ellone small half-filled ell✓
  • C.one small hatched crossone small hatched cross
  • D.one small unfilled pentagonone small unfilled pentagon

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 half-filled. Option B is one small half-filled ell, the only choice that shares that, so it is the one that belongs with them. Option A is dotted, so it does not match how the three figures are filled. Option C is the first figure at the same size, but hatched rather than half-filled. Option D is unfilled; the three figures are all half-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 circle; then one small hatched square; then one small solid cross.
  • A.one large dotted flagone large dotted flag
  • B.one large unfilled circleone large unfilled circle
  • C.one small dotted pentagonone small dotted pentagon✓
  • D.one large solid diamondone large solid diamond

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 small. Option C is one small dotted pentagon, the only choice that shares that, so it is the one that belongs with them. 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 the first figure exactly, except that it is large rather than small. Option D 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: two small half-filled pentagons; then two small unfilled squares; then two small dotted stars.
  • A.three small dotted hexagonsthree small dotted hexagons
  • B.one small hatched crossone small hatched cross
  • C.four small dotted ellsfour small dotted ells
  • D.two small half-filled circlestwo small half-filled circles✓

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 two copies. Option D is two small half-filled circles, the only choice that shares that, so it is the one that belongs with them. Option A shows three copies rather than two. Option B shows a single shape; each of the three figures shows two. Option C shows four copies rather than two.

Question 10hard

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

A row of three figures that go together: one small hatched triangle; then one small unfilled triangle; then one small dotted triangle.
  • A.one small half-filled triangleone small half-filled triangle✓
  • B.one large dotted triangleone large dotted triangle
  • C.one large hatched pentagonone large hatched pentagon
  • D.one small unfilled starone small unfilled star

Correct answer: A

Start by asking what the three figures have in common. They are each shaded differently, but they are alike in TWO ways at once: they are all triangles, and they are all small too. Finding just one of those is not enough, because more than one answer matches it. Option A is one small half-filled triangle — the only choice that matches the three figures in BOTH ways, so it is the one that belongs with them. Option B is a triangle like the three figures, but it is large rather than small — it matches them in only one of the two ways. Option C matches the three figures in neither way: it is a pentagon and it is large. Option D is small like the three figures, but it is a star rather than a triangle — again only one of the two ways.