How to Answer Abstract Reasoning Tests: SCANS Method

7 min read · IQ Tester

The fastest way to answer an abstract reasoning test is to stop staring at the whole picture and check one feature at a time with a fixed checklist. We use SCANS: Shape, Color and shading, Angle, Number, Size and position. Run each feature through the sequence, spot the one that changes, and predict the answer before you look at the options.

If abstract puzzles make you rush and then freeze, IQ Tester works out whether that's the real problem or whether it's pattern spotting, and trains the right one: Find my weak spots.

What abstract reasoning tests look like

An abstract reasoning test shows you shapes, lines and symbols that follow a hidden rule. You have to work out the rule and use it. There's usually no text beyond the instructions, which is why these are sometimes called non-verbal, diagrammatic or inductive reasoning tests.

You'll meet them in school entrance tests, job applications, apprenticeship schemes and IQ-style tests. The formats vary, but most fall into a few families:

Question type	What you're asked	Where SCANS helps most
Series	What comes next in a row of pictures	Tracking one change at a time
Odd one out	Which picture breaks the group's rule	Finding the shared feature
Next in the grid	Which piece completes a 3×3 matrix	Checking rows and columns
Sets (A/B/neither)	Which group a new shape belongs to	Comparing two rules

Most tests are timed, often tightly. So the goal isn't just to get answers right, but to have a routine that's quick enough to use under pressure.

The SCANS checklist

When you look at an abstract reasoning question, your eyes jump everywhere. SCANS gives them a path.

Shape. Do the shapes change? Does one type get swapped for another? Does a shape gain or lose a side?
Color and shading. Are shapes filled, empty, striped or grey? Does the shading move from one shape to the next?
Angle. Is anything rotating? By how much? Clockwise or counterclockwise? Is anything flipping (a mirror image)?
Number. Count everything: shapes, sides, lines, dots, corners. Is a count going up or down?
Size and position. Is something getting bigger or smaller? Moving around the frame, corner to corner, inside to outside?

You won't need all five every time. Usually one or two features are changing and the rest are distractions. SCANS just makes sure you check them all rather than locking onto the first thing you see.

How to use SCANS fast

Go through the letters in order, spending a couple of seconds on each.
The moment you find a change, say it in words: "The dot moves one corner clockwise."
Test that rule on every step of the sequence, not just the last one.
Then keep going through SCANS. A second rule is common.

Series questions: how to answer abstract reasoning fast

A series question shows four or five boxes in a row and asks what comes next.

Example (described in words):

Box 1: a square with one black dot in the top-left corner
Box 2: a square with two dots, the black one now top-right
Box 3: a square with three dots, the black one bottom-right
Box 4: a square with four dots, the black one bottom-left
Box 5: ?

Run SCANS:

Shape: square every time. Constant.
Color: one dot is always black; the others are white. Constant.
Angle / position: the black dot moves one corner clockwise each step.
Number: dots go 1, 2, 3, 4.

So box 5 has five dots, with the black one back in the top-left corner. Any option with four dots or the black dot in the wrong place is out.

Series items often use a steady change, the same kind of step you see in number puzzles. If that clicks for you, how to solve number series questions shows how to check steps in a set order.

Odd one out

Here, five shapes are shown and one doesn't fit.

Example: four figures each contain a triangle inside a circle, with an odd number of lines crossing them. One has a triangle inside a circle with an even number of lines.

With SCANS:

Shape: same in all five. Not the rule.
Color: same. Not the rule.
Angle: triangles point different ways. That varies randomly, so it's probably a distraction.
Number: lines are 1, 3, 5, 3 and 2. The one with 2 lines is the odd one out.

The trap in these questions is picking a difference that doesn't split the group cleanly. For a full method, including what to do when two rules compete, read how to solve odd one out questions.

Honest question: when you run out of time on abstract reasoning, is it because you're slow at spotting patterns, or because you rush early and freeze later? Most people can't tell from the inside. IQ Tester's two-minute check separates "rushing then freezing" from pattern spotting and scattered attention, then gives you one drill a day for the one that's actually costing you. Find my weak spots

Next in the grid

Grid questions show a 3×3 matrix with the last cell missing. SCANS still works, but you apply it along each row, then down each column.

Example:

Row 1: one white circle, two white circles, three white circles
Row 2: one grey circle, two grey circles, three grey circles
Row 3: one black circle, two black circles, ?
Color: constant across each row, changes down the columns (white, grey, black).
Number: 1, 2, 3 across each row.

Answer: three black circles.

Grid items can use harder rules too, like three values spread across a row or shapes adding together. Those are covered in detail in how to solve matrix reasoning.

Timing and guessing: how to pass an abstract reasoning test

Knowing the method is one thing. Using it under a timer is another. Here's how to answer abstract reasoning questions easily when the clock's running.

Before the test

Find out the format. How many questions, how long, and is there a penalty for wrong answers? Most don't have one, but check.
Do a practice test. Even one abstract reasoning practice test takes the surprise out of the format.

During the test

Work out your time per question. If there are 30 questions in 20 minutes, that's 40 seconds each.
Predict before you peek. Decide what the answer should look like, then find it.
Eliminate one feature at a time. If you know it's got five dots, cross out every option without five dots.
Cap each question. If you hit your time limit, pick the best remaining option, flag it and move on.
Never leave blanks if there's no penalty for guessing. An educated guess after eliminating two options beats an empty answer.
Come back to flagged items if time allows. Fresh eyes often see the rule instantly.

Abstract reasoning test tips for nerves

Breathe out slowly before you start. It's simple and it helps you settle.
If a question looks impossible, it may be one of the hard ones placed early. Skipping it is a strategy, not a failure.
Remember that most test-takers don't finish every item. You don't need a perfect score.

Get a checklist for your own weak spots

You now have a way to answer abstract reasoning test questions: run SCANS, predict, eliminate, and manage your time. What you don't yet know is which part slips for you. IQ Tester finds that in 16 questions and about two minutes, gives you a reasoning tier, and sets one tip and one 10-minute drill a day, weighted toward your weak spots.

Find my weak spots

FAQ

What is abstract reasoning?

Abstract reasoning is the ability to spot patterns and rules in unfamiliar information, usually shapes and symbols, and use them to solve problems. It doesn't depend on reading or math knowledge. Tests measure it with series, odd one out, grid and grouping questions.

How do I pass an abstract reasoning test?

Use a fixed checklist like SCANS (shape, color, angle, number, size and position) so you check every feature quickly. Predict the answer before you look at the options, eliminate wrong ones feature by feature, and keep to a time limit per question. A little practice with the format beforehand helps a lot.

What are the best tips on how to answer abstract reasoning questions fast?

Look for one change at a time instead of the whole picture. Say each rule out loud in a few words, test it on every box, and move on once it fits. Skipping and coming back is faster than getting stuck.

Is there an abstract reasoning practice test for teens?

Many sites offer sample questions, often aimed at job applicants. For teens who want practice matched to their own weak spots, IQ Tester is built for ages 13 and up and includes pattern drills in a daily 10-minute session.

Are abstract reasoning and diagrammatic reasoning the same?

They're close. Abstract reasoning tests focus on finding a pattern in a series or group of shapes. Diagrammatic reasoning often adds flowcharts or symbols that transform shapes, so you follow a process. Both use the same core skill of spotting and applying rules.