AFPSAT Abstract Reasoning: Practice Guide & Sample Questions
AFPSAT Abstract Reasoning is the tightest section by far — 50 items in just 12 minutes, or under 15 seconds per item. It tests pattern recognition: rotation, reflection, alternation, and other figure-based sequences, rather than any verbal or numerical content. Because this type of reasoning typically isn't taught in a standard school curriculum, it's often the least familiar section for examinees — and because sample questions here can't show actual images, this page describes each pattern in words instead, which is also a genuinely useful skill: being able to precisely describe what a pattern is doing is often what separates confidently correct answers from guesses under time pressure.
This page walks through the common pattern types described in words, the traps that catch examinees rushing under the section's extreme time pressure, and worked sample questions. Below the study material, a full practice quiz pulls Abstract Reasoning questions from Pasa's question bank — note that on the live quiz, these items are shown as actual images, not word descriptions.
Pasa is an independent study aid, not affiliated with the CSC or AFP.
What's tested
Rotation patterns show a shape or figure that turns by a consistent angle at each step. Reflection patterns show a figure mirrored across an axis, either at every step or alternating. Alternation patterns switch between two or more distinct states in a repeating cycle. Progressive addition/subtraction patterns add or remove an element at each step, often at a constant rate. Size/shape progression patterns show a figure consistently growing, shrinking, or changing its number of sides.
| Pattern type | What it looks like |
|---|---|
| Rotation | A figure turns by a consistent angle each step |
| Reflection | A figure mirrors across an axis |
| Alternation | Repeating cycle between two or more states |
| Progressive addition/subtraction | An element is added or removed at a constant rate |
| Size/shape progression | A figure grows, shrinks, or changes its number of sides |
Because the real exam presents these as images rather than descriptions, the actual skill being tested is fast visual pattern-matching — but the underlying LOGIC is identical whether the pattern is shown as an image or described in words, which is why practicing the reasoning explicitly transfers directly to the timed, image-based version on the real test.
Sample Questions
1. A sequence shows a figure with 1 dot, then a figure with 3 dots, then a figure with 6 dots, then a figure with 10 dots. How many dots should the next figure have?
- A. 12
- B. 13
- C. 14
- D. 15
Correct answer: D — 15
The number of added dots increases by one each step: +2, +3, +4, so the next addition should be +5, giving 10 + 5 = 15. A common mistake is assuming a constant addition (like the most recent +4, giving 14) instead of checking whether the amount being added is itself increasing.
2. A sequence shows an arrow pointing up, then an arrow pointing right, then an arrow pointing down. If the pattern continues by rotating 90 degrees clockwise at each step, which direction should the arrow point next?
- A. Up
- B. Left
- C. Right
- D. Down
Correct answer: B — Left
Each step rotates the arrow 90 degrees clockwise: up, right, down, left. Since the sequence has reached "down," the next rotation points the arrow left. A common mistake is rotating counter-clockwise instead, which would incorrectly suggest "right" as the next term, retracing the previous step.
3. A sequence shows a triangle pointing up, then a triangle pointing down, then a triangle pointing up, then a triangle pointing down. What should come next?
- A. Triangle pointing up
- B. Triangle pointing down
- C. Square pointing up
- D. Triangle pointing sideways
Correct answer: A — Triangle pointing up
The pattern strictly alternates between two states — up, down, up, down — so the next term continues the alternation back to "up." Counting the given terms (up-down-up-down, 4 terms) confirms the 5th term returns to "up," matching the position of the 1st and 3rd terms.
4. A sequence shows a small square, rotated slightly, followed by a medium square, rotated a bit more, followed by a large square, rotated further still. Which best describes what should come next?
- A. A small square, rotated back to the original position
- B. An even larger square, rotated further in the same direction
- C. A medium square, not rotated at all
- D. A large square, rotated in the opposite direction
Correct answer: B — An even larger square, rotated further in the same direction
Two attributes are changing simultaneously and consistently: size is increasing and rotation is progressing further in the SAME direction at each step. The correct continuation must match BOTH trends — larger still, and rotated further the same way. The other options each capture only one trend, or reverse it — a common trap on two-dimension patterns is an option that continues only ONE of the changing attributes.
5. A sequence shows a shaded circle, an unshaded circle, a shaded circle, an unshaded circle, a shaded circle. What should come next?
- A. Shaded circle
- B. Unshaded circle
- C. Shaded square
- D. Unshaded square
Correct answer: B — Unshaded circle
The shape stays constant while the shading strictly alternates: shaded, unshaded, shaded, unshaded, shaded. Following the alternation, the 6th term should be unshaded. A common mistake is losing count and repeating the most recent term (shaded) instead of continuing to alternate.
6. A sequence shows a heptagon (7 sides), then a hexagon (6 sides), then a pentagon (5 sides), then a square (4 sides). Following this pattern, what should come next?
- A. A pentagon (5 sides)
- B. A triangle (3 sides)
- C. A hexagon (6 sides)
- D. A circle
Correct answer: B — A triangle (3 sides)
The number of sides decreases by one at each step: 7, 6, 5, 4 — so the next shape should have 3 sides, a triangle. A common mistake is reversing direction and picking a shape with MORE sides than the previous term, which would only be correct if the pattern were increasing rather than decreasing.
7. A sequence shows a clock hand pointing to 12, then to 3, then to 6. If the pattern continues by rotating 90 degrees clockwise each step, where should the hand point next?
- A. 9
- B. 12
- C. 3
- D. 6
Correct answer: A — 9
Each step rotates the clock hand 90 degrees clockwise: 12, 3, 6, 9. Since the sequence has reached 6, the next rotation points to 9. A common mistake is reverting back toward 12, effectively reversing the established rotation direction instead of continuing it.
8. A sequence shows a large shaded circle, a small unshaded circle, a large shaded circle, a small unshaded circle. What should come next?
- A. A large shaded circle
- B. A small shaded circle
- C. A large unshaded circle
- D. A small unshaded circle
Correct answer: A — A large shaded circle
Both size and shading alternate together as a paired cycle: (large, shaded) then (small, unshaded), repeating. Since the most recent term was (small, unshaded), the next term returns to (large, shaded), matching the 1st and 3rd terms. A common mistake is alternating only ONE attribute instead of recognizing both change together as a linked pair.
9. A sequence shows a figure with 2 lines crossing at a point, then a figure with 3 lines crossing at a point, then a figure with 4 lines crossing at the same point. How many lines should the next figure have, crossing at that same point?
- A. 4
- B. 5
- C. 6
- D. 8
Correct answer: B — 5
The number of lines increases by exactly one at each step: 2, 3, 4 — so the next figure should have 5 lines. A common mistake is doubling the most recent count (4 × 2 = 8) instead of recognizing the simpler, constant +1 pattern already established by the first three terms.
10. A sequence shows a shape with a longer side on the left, then the same shape mirrored so the longer side is on the right, then the original version again (longer side on the left). What should come next?
- A. The longer side on the left again
- B. The longer side on the right
- C. A completely different shape
- D. The shape with no longer side (all sides equal)
Correct answer: B — The longer side on the right
The pattern alternates between the original orientation and its mirror image: left, right, left — so the next term should be the mirrored version again, with the longer side on the right. A common mistake is repeating the most recent term (left) instead of continuing the strict alternation between the two mirrored states.
Common Traps
The most common trap is identifying only ONE dimension of change when the actual pattern involves TWO simultaneous changes — always check whether more than one attribute is changing before locking in an answer. Another frequent trap is assuming a pattern continues in the same DIRECTION indefinitely, when it's actually alternating or cyclical.
Under this section's extreme time pressure, the biggest trap is spending too long trying to consciously verbalize the pattern for a difficult item instead of trusting quick visual comparison. Conversely, for genuinely tricky items, resisting the urge to guess immediately and instead checking each option against ALL the changing attributes prevents falling for an option that matches PART of the pattern but not all of it.
Study Routine
Since this section can't be practiced with real-world material the way vocabulary or arithmetic can, the most useful preparation is repeated exposure to the common pattern types until recognizing each becomes fast and automatic. Practice explicitly naming what's changing in each sequence you encounter, since this habit is what catches two-dimensional patterns that a purely visual glance might miss. Given the extreme time pressure, timed practice matters more here than in any other section — untimed accuracy on Abstract Reasoning items doesn't reliably predict how you'll perform once the clock is running.
