Parent guide
Marking 11+ non-verbal reasoning
Why NVR is the easiest paper to mark
Almost every NVR question is multiple choice with a single correct option. You compare letters against the answer key. That's it. Diagnosing whyyour child got it wrong is a different job — that's where you spend the time.
Five patterns to watch
| Pattern | What trips kids up |
|---|---|
| Rotation | Which way — clockwise or anti-clockwise? By how many degrees? Is the shape symmetrical (so rotation is invisible)? |
| Reflection | Mirror line horizontal or vertical? Does shading also flip? |
| Odd one out | Count sides, count dots, check shading, check symmetry. It's usually one of those four. |
| Sequences | Same rule across every step, or does the rule itself change? Look for repeating blocks. |
| Cube nets | Which faces are opposite? Imagine folding. A classic trap: two shaded faces that would be adjacent on the cube but non-adjacent in the net. |
Parent questions
Is non-verbal reasoning easy to mark?▾
Yes — it's almost always multiple choice. You check the lettered answer against the key. Where parents go wrong is explaining why the child got it wrong, not marking it.
Why does my child get NVR questions wrong?▾
Usually one of three reasons: (1) missed a tiny detail (dot position, shading), (2) applied the right rule to the wrong shape, or (3) didn't consider all the options before picking. NVR rewards systematic elimination.
How many marks per question?▾
Almost always one. NVR is a quantity game — 50+ questions in a short time. Accuracy under pressure matters more than perfect analysis.
Should I buy NVR-specific practice books?▾
Yes. NVR patterns (rotations, reflections, Venn diagrams, odd-one-out, cube nets) are consistent across most exams. Exposure to the patterns is most of the battle. Bond 11+ and CGP are reliable.
My child can do NVR but runs out of time. What now?▾
Time under exam conditions, with a strict per-question budget (e.g. 30 seconds). If a question is taking too long, the rule is: mark your best guess and move on. Blank answers score zero; informed guesses score sometimes.
NVR marked in seconds
Scan every page of the paper. We check each answer against the key and group the mistakes by pattern (rotation slip, shading slip, cube-net confusion) so you know what to practise next.