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CogAT Grade 7 Figure Classification Practice Questions

Practice Figure Classification questions for the Cognitive Abilities Test — Grade 7 (Level 13/14). Every question includes a full explanation of why the correct answer is right and why the tempting distractors are wrong.

43 questions available · medium difficulty · CogAT Grade 7 · 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 7 figure classification question looks like

Two properties, finely discriminated - a fill pattern that differs slightly, a count that differs by one. The task has not changed since grade 5; what has changed is how close the wrong answers sit to the right one, with the same half-minute available to tell them apart.

At level 13/14 — grade 7

By Level 13/14 the two-property structure is standard and the properties themselves are fine-grained. The task is unchanged since grade 5; the discrimination required is finer and the time available is the same.

Where children go wrong

Answering before checking all five options

A rule that is nearly right admits two choices, and stopping at the first one that fits means never discovering that. Running the rule past every option is the check that reveals a second property is in play.

Missing a difference of one

When the distinguishing property is a count that differs by one part, or a fill that is slightly denser, the wrong options sit visually adjacent to the right one. Deciding what the property is before comparing options is what makes the comparison quick enough to be worth doing.

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.

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 large unfilled square; then one large solid square; then one large half-filled square.
  • A.one large dotted starone large dotted star
  • B.one small hatched squareone small hatched square
  • C.one large dotted squareone large dotted square✓
  • D.one small dotted hexagonone small dotted 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 squares, 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 dotted square — 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 star rather than a square — again only one of the two ways. Option B is a square 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 2hard

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

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

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 pentagons, 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 half-filled pentagon — the only choice that matches the three figures in BOTH ways, so it is the one that belongs with them. Option A is a pentagon like the three figures, but it is large rather than small — it matches them in only one of the two ways. Option B matches the three figures in neither way: it is a square and it is large. Option C is small like the three figures, but it is a star rather than a pentagon — again 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 large unfilled pentagon; then one large hatched pentagon; then one large half-filled pentagon.
  • A.one large solid pentagonone large solid pentagon✓
  • B.one large half-filled hexagonone large half-filled hexagon
  • C.one small unfilled pentagonone small unfilled pentagon
  • D.one small hatched squareone small hatched square

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 pentagons, 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 solid pentagon — the only choice that matches the three figures in BOTH ways, so it is the one that belongs with them. Option B is large like the three figures, but it is a hexagon rather than a pentagon — again only one of the two ways. Option C is a pentagon 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 square and it is small.

Question 4medium

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

A row of three figures that go together: one medium half-filled ell, rotated 45 degrees; then one medium solid ell, rotated 45 degrees; then one medium unfilled ell, rotated 45 degrees.
  • A.one medium half-filled ell, rotated 180 degreesone medium half-filled ell, rotated 180 degrees
  • B.one medium dotted ell, rotated 45 degreesone medium dotted ell, rotated 45 degrees✓
  • C.one medium unfilled ell, rotated 90 degreesone medium unfilled ell, rotated 90 degrees
  • D.one medium solid ell, rotated 135 degreesone medium solid ell, rotated 135 degrees

Correct answer: B

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 B is one medium dotted ell, rotated 45 degrees, the only choice that shares that, so it is the one that belongs with them. Option A is turned 180 degrees rather than 45, so it does not point the way the three figures do. Option C is turned 90 degrees rather than 45, so it does not point the way the three figures do. Option D is turned 135 degrees rather than 45, so it does not point the way the three figures do.

Question 5hard

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

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

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 hexagons, 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 dotted hexagon — the only choice that matches the three figures in BOTH ways, so it is the one that belongs with them. Option A is a hexagon like the three figures, but it is small rather than large — it matches them in only one of the two ways. Option B matches the three figures in neither way: it is a square and it is small. Option D is large like the three figures, but it is a pentagon rather than a hexagon — again only one of the two ways.

Question 6hard

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

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

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 hexagons, 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 half-filled hexagon — 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 cross and it is large. Option B is small like the three figures, but it is a star rather than a hexagon — again only one of the two ways. Option C is a hexagon like the three figures, but it is large rather than small — it matches them in only one of the two ways.

Question 7hard

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

A row of three figures that go together: one large hatched square; then one large solid square; then one large unfilled square.
  • A.one large dotted squareone large dotted square✓
  • B.one small dotted squareone small dotted square
  • C.one large solid arrowone large solid arrow
  • D.one small dotted circleone small dotted circle

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 squares, 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 dotted square — the only choice that matches the three figures in BOTH ways, so it is the one that belongs with them. Option B is a square like the three figures, but it is small rather than large — it matches them in only one of the two ways. Option C is large like the three figures, but it is a arrow rather than a square — again only one of the two ways. Option D matches the three figures in neither way: it is a circle and it is small.

Question 8medium

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

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

Correct answer: B

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 B is one medium solid ell, rotated 45 degrees, the only choice that shares that, so it is the one that belongs with them. Option A is turned 180 degrees rather than 45, so it does not point the way the three figures do. Option C is the same ell left upright, while the three figures are all turned the same way. Option D is turned 135 degrees rather than 45, so it does not point the way the three figures do.

Question 9hard

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

A row of three figures that go together: one large solid diamond; then one large unfilled diamond; then one large hatched diamond.
  • A.one small solid ellone small solid ell
  • B.one large solid triangleone large solid triangle
  • C.one small dotted diamondone small dotted diamond
  • D.one large dotted diamondone large dotted diamond✓

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 diamonds, and they are all large too. Finding just one of those is not enough, because more than one answer matches it. Option D is one large dotted diamond — 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 ell and it is small. Option B is large like the three figures, but it is a triangle rather than a diamond — again only one of the two ways. Option C is a diamond like the three figures, but it is small rather than large — it matches them in only one of the two ways.

Question 10hard

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

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

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 diamonds, 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 dotted diamond — the only choice that matches the three figures in BOTH ways, so it is the one that belongs with them. Option B is large like the three figures, but it is a square rather than a diamond — again only one of the two ways. Option C matches the three figures in neither way: it is a flag and it is small. Option D is a diamond like the three figures, but it is small rather than large — it matches them in only one of the two ways.