Raven's Progressive Matrices (APM & SPM) Test Preparation: Free Sample Questions and Guide for Students and Parents

Each figure in the matrix contains a different number and arrangement of arrows, following two consistent patterns:

• Left to Right (Rows): An arrow is added to the figure in a counterclockwise direction.
• Top to Bottom (Columns): An arrow is removed from the figure in a clockwise direction.

To determine the missing figure, we need to apply both patterns:

• It should have one more arrow than the figure to its left, added counterclockwise.
• It should have one fewer arrow than the figure above it, removed clockwise.

This means the missing figure must have five arrows. Among the answer choices with five arrows, only one matches the correct counterclockwise addition and clockwise removal pattern, making it the correct answer.

This matrix follows three distinct patterns:

• Across each row (left to right): The shape rotates 45° counterclockwise.
• Across each row: The shape appears once in black, once in white, and once in gray.
• Down each column (top to bottom): The shape rotates 45° clockwise and also changes shape, progressing from a triangle to a rectangle, and then to an oval. Each row features a different shape.

Looking at the third row, the shapes are ovals. The oval immediately to the left of the missing figure is upright, meaning the missing figure must be rotated 45° counterclockwise from that position. Additionally, the only color missing from the last row is gray.

Therefore, the correct answer is a gray oval with its ends pointing to the upper left and bottom right.

Each shape in the matrix is composed of three layers: an outer, middle, and inner shape. Across each row, all three distinct shape combinations and all three distinct color arrangements appear exactly once.

The three shape combinations used are:

• Outer circle, middle square, inner star
• Outer square, middle star, inner circle
• Outer star, middle circle, inner square

The three color combinations are:

• Outer black, middle gray, inner white
• Outer gray, middle white, inner black
• Outer white, middle black, inner gray

Looking at the third row and the third column, the only missing shape combination is the one with an outer circle, middle square, and inner star. The only missing color combination is outer black, middle gray, and inner white. Since this specific combination does not appear elsewhere in the matrix and completes both the shape and color sets, it is the correct answer.

The figures in the matrix feature a white square, a black square, and a star, all positioned inside a rotating shape.

There are two consistent patterns:

Across each row (left to right):

• The white square and the star move one step clockwise in each figure. However, the star becomes hidden behind another shape in the second column.
• The black square follows a back-and-forth motion, moving between opposite sides of the outer shape.

Down each column (top to bottom):

• The entire shape rotates 90° clockwise with each step.

Because both patterns are consistent, the puzzle can be solved by examining either the rows or the columns.

Looking at the third row:

• In the second figure, the star is hidden under the black square (right position). In the next step, it must move one step clockwise to the bottom.
• The white square, now on the left, must move to the top.
• The black square, now on the right, must move back to the left, following its alternating pattern.

Therefore, the correct figure is one where:

• The star is at the bottom
• The white square is at the top
• The black square is on the left

All figures in the matrix are made from the same basic shape: a circle with two halves and an inner circle. The solution lies in identifying three distinct color patterns.

Each row and column contains three figures, and each figure consists of three parts:

1. One figure has a black part, a patterned gray part, and a white part.
2. Another figure has two polka-dotted parts and one white part.
3. The third figure has a gray part, a patterned gray part, and a polka-dotted part.

The color arrangement changes from row to row, with each figure appearing once in the matrix, and each of the figures’ three parts being colored differently across the rows.

To determine the missing figure, we can observe that the color configuration missing from the last row is the one that includes a gray part, a patterned gray part, and a polka-dotted part. The only configuration missing in the matrix is one where the gray part is at the bottom, the patterned gray part is at the top, and the polka-dotted part is in the middle.

Thus, the correct answer is the figure with this specific color arrangement.