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Thomas the Rhymer How to solve a Raven's IQ test Post: #1

Alpha Male PART ONE

The next few posts in this thread are going to be how to approach a Raven's progressive matrix test, a test to measure IQ. As I
mentioned in another post, I believe that with most of these tests you can work out the solution if you are able to identify the
underlying rules.

I've had to divide the entire write-up into separate parts because the forum does not allow more than 8 attachments per post,
so I wasn't able to squeeze all the examples into a single post.
Posts: 1,347
Joined: Feb 2012 It won't necessarily make you a genius overnight but hopefully after reading this you may have a better idea of how to
Reputation: 53
approach a Raven's test and get a higher IQ score than you would have ordinarily gotten.

If you have no idea what a Raven's test is, go to http://www.iqtest.dk/main.swf and have a look.

For an alternative method to solve Raven's tests, you can go to http://www.jperla.com/blog/post/how-to-ace-an-iq-test, which
also has all the answers for the test at the link above.

(What you can also do is just buy the Raven's test books and memorise the answers, if you have $1000 US lying around to buy
all the different versions.)

There are 2 reasons why you'd want to do well on a Raven's test:

1) Your potential employer may decide to make you write it as a pre-employment test
2) You may want to get into Mensa or a similar high IQ society for networking purposes. For example, if you are moving from
city to city, Mensa can arrange a welcoming at your destination so that at least you know someone in your new city.
(WARNING: not all Mensa branches use the Raven test.)

Here's a tip: Always claim to be suffering from the flu when writing a Raven's test. Sickness has been shown to drop your score
by a few points on these tests and your examiners may decide to add a few points rather than retesting you when you are
'well.'

So how does a Raven's test look like? Basically it's a 3 x 3 sequence of blocks:

|_|_|_|
|_|_|_|
|_|_|_|

And in these blocks are patterns and shapes and things, and the lower right block is left blank. Based on your assessment of the
shapes and patterns, you have to guess what the image will be in the lower right block, based on logical rules you deduce by
checking out the other blocks.

To make discussion easier, I'm going to assign a letter to each block, like so:

|A|B|C|
|D|E|F|
|G|H|I|

To deduce the missing pattern (block I) you will have to figure out the underlying logic of the pictures. Generally, a specific
logic rule runs in the rows or columns.

So a specific rule may apply to ABC and then DEF (the rows), you then apply the same rule to figure out sequence GHI.

Or the rule may apply to columns, so a rule will exist in ADG and BEH, which you then have to extrapolate to CFI.

The easier puzzles will usually have rules that apply both to columns and rows, so you can choose to look at either to solve the
puzzle. Harder puzzles however will either use only rows or only columns, and it will be up to you to quickly decide which one
has applicable rules of logic.

On some harder puzzles, crossway rules will apply. CEG will follow a rule that you have to then extrapolate to AEI.

So how do you discover the underlying logic in the puzzle? Actually, Raven's tests use only a few puzzle elements and if you
approach the test methodically by checking for each potential puzzle element, you should be able to solve the problem without
too much thought going into it.

These are the questions you need to ask to identify the puzzle elements:
1) What are the large shapes involved?
2) What are the small shapes involved?

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3) What are the symbols involved?

4) What are the lines doing?
5) What are the colours doing?
6) What are the dots doing?
7) In 3x3 within 3x3 problems: Check if the answers lies in the fact that the columns in each 3 x 3 successive matrix shift one
column to the right, and in doing so, the shapes change each time according to a logical rule?
8) Can you stack the boxes on each other?
9) Is there a numerical sequence?

Now let's go through each of these questions in detail one by one. I will use various examples that I culled from the net, but
especially the online version at: http://www.iqtest.dk/main.swf While this online version is not actually from the Raven test
book, it will give you enough of an idea when faced with the real thing, since many of the online puzzles at that website are
just remixed Raven's tests anyway.

What are the large shapes involved?

In general, the third row must always contain the same large shapes as rows 1 and 2, in the same proportion. For easier tests,
this usually applies to columns also. For harder tests, it may only apply to rows or only to columns.

Let's start off with a very basic puzzle. Look at this example:

This one is easy. ABC and DEF both have 3 circles. Therefore GHI must also have 3 circles. Therefore I must be a circle in order
to complete the sequence.

Note that ADG and BEH also have 3 circles each. Therefore CFI must also have 3 circles, so I needs to be a circle.

Look at the next one. For now, please ignore the lines, and just look at the circles:

Ignoring the lines, we still know that in I there has to be a circle, for the same reason as the previous example: if the first two
rows have 3 circles, then I has to be a circle to follow the rule.

Next example. Ignore the lines and the small circle. Just look at the large shapes (the triangles):

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Both ABC and DEF have two triangles pointing up and one down. Note that the same rule applies for ADG and BEH. In order for
GHI and CFI to match the other two, then I must be a triangle pointing down in order not to break the pattern.

The last example. Ignore the lines and focus just on the shapes for now:

You'll see that the top two rows and left two columns both contain one square, one triangle and one diamond each. Therefore I
must be a square in order not to break the sequence.

My approach to these Raven's test is to always first look at the big shapes (ignoring other elements) and first work out what big
shape needs to go into I.

Once the large shape is identified (or if there are no large shapes to work with), the next question to ask is:

What are the small shapes involved?

Much as for large shapes: in general, the third row must always contain the same small shapes as rows 1 and 2, in the same
proportion. For easier tests, this usually applies to columns also. For harder tests, it may only apply to rows or only to columns.

Have a look at this example:

We have a sequence of large shapes with smaller shapes within them. The first rule as taught about is to ask 'What are the
large shapes involved?' and to figure which large shape will be in I (in this example it will be the square). The next question is
'What are the small shapes involved?' Looking at ABC and DEF, we get a small dark square and a small dark circle in each row.
The columns ADG and BEH follow the same pattern. So in order to continue the sequence, GHI and CFI should both only have
one small dark circle and one small dark square. However, these conditions are already satisfied, so actually no small shape is
required in I. So the final shape in I is simply a large square with nothing in it.

Let's go back to the triangle example from above (we can ignore the lines for now):

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We already know that in I we should have an upside down large triangle. But should it have a circle in it? Looking at the rows,
we see each row has only one circle; furthermore each column also has only one circle. Putting a circle in I would violate this
rule of only one circle so there are no small shapes in I, so no small shape is required in I.

As you can see, for large shapes and small shapes the rules tend to be quiet logical.

Now we start moving on to trickier territory:

What are the symbols involved?

Various symbols may be present, like multipliers, plusses, minuses, division symbols, etc.

Their behaviour can be odd, sometimes they act as ‘rules’, altering the behaviour of things around them

Here's an easy enough example to start off with:

First we can work out that the large shape is a square. Note that the rows and columns are operating with different rules for
large shapes. The rows are operating on a 'one-of-each' principle while the columns are 'three-of-a-kind' for large shapes. There
are no small shapes, so we can skip that question. The symbols consist of a diamond, a star, and a plus-sign, and follow the
inverse rule to the large shapes : the rows are three-of-a-kind, and the columns are one-of-each. In I we get a square with a
plus-sign inside of it.

Now let's go on to a puzzle where the symbols start developing weird rules of their own:

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There are shapes here, but they at first seem to be doing their own thing. But actually they are being transformed by the
symbols. Symbols often have rules which you have to dissect. Consider ADG. The large square suddenly becomes a smaller
square. It appears that a plus-sign causes a shape to decrease in size - in other words, ADG can be read as 'Large square in A is
diminished in size by the symbol in D, causing a small square to result in G.'

BEH does not have a plus-sign though, it has a diagonal line. Rather than having an effect on size, it appears to have an effect
on orientation, causing objects to revolve by 45 degrees. So BEH can be read as 'S-shaped line in B is forced to revolve by
diagonal line in E, resulting in an s-shape that has been nudged 45 degrees in H'. Consider also DEF as 'Plus sign in D is forced
to revolve by diagonal line in E, resulting in a plus sign that has been nudged 45 degrees in F'.

Look at ABC, the s-line appears to transform shapes without changing shapes or orientation i.e 'The square in A becomes
transformed by the s-shape line in B, resulting in a clover shape in C.'

So let's solve for I now. Based on the observations above, we know that: 1) the plus sign causes the top shape to diminish into
a smaller bottom
shape 2) the s-shaped lines cause the shape on the left to transform into something different on the right hand side. 3)
diagonal lines change orientation

Following the rules and looking at CFI, the large clover needs to be come diminished into a smaller clover in I; likewise looking
at GHI, the small square needs to be transformed into a small clover in I; however both the plus sign in F is skew, and now has
diagonal lines, so we can assume the small clover changes in orientation. This gives our answer as a small clover with a slight
orientation change i.e. answer 'e'

Once you've sorted out the large shapes, small shapes and symbols, the next question to ask is:
"What are the lines doing?"

TO BE CONTINUED.

Circumstances permitting, I'll try to post Part 2 and Part 3 within the next few days.

A beginner's guide and reading list to jobhunting and networking

08-03-2013 03:54 AM

The following 9 users Like Thomas the Rhymer's post:

Hades, Atlantic, Divorco, SpiderKing, gringochileno, alphaspiraton, Bad Hussar, LeBeau, Gorgiass

Atlantic RE: How to solve a Raven's IQ test Post: #2

Alpha Male Very good. But will this get me laid?

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Joined: Feb 2012
Reputation: 65

08-03-2013 04:25 AM

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The following 1 user Likes Atlantic's post:

PhilE

bachelor tax RE: How to solve a Raven's IQ test Post: #3

Game Denialist I thought the entire purpose of this test was to measure your ability to figure out these patterns on the fly, ie: your intelligence. Going in
with advanced knowledge like this will defeat the entire purpose of the test and give you an inaccurate score.

What is the purpose of gaming an IQ test? To get into Mensa? What's the point?

Posts: 61
Joined: Feb 2012
Reputation: 0

08-03-2013 06:09 AM

InternationPlayboy RE: How to solve a Raven's IQ test Post: #4

International Playboy Yeah, I see no point in studying to an IQ test if the results aren't going to actually represent you IQ.

Posts: 4,400
Joined: Nov 2008
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08-03-2013 06:15 AM

Gmac RE: How to solve a Raven's IQ test Post: #5

International Playboy Mensa game?

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Joined: Mar 2011
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08-03-2013 06:51 AM

Thomas the Rhymer RE: How to solve a Raven's IQ test Post: #6

Alpha Male For the people who've replied to this post:
Some jobs require you to get an IQ test, and the Raven's test is popular. So this might help people who want to get an edge for
the interview process.

Otherwise, Mensa does have an international networking wing, and since any network is better than no network, there's no
reason not to include it in your networking arsenal if you can get into it. You only need to pass the IQ test once, and even if
your membership in Mensa expires you can ask them to check your old records whenever you feel like renewing it.

Posts: 1,347 I doubt that this guide will be useful except for a small minority, but for what it's worth, here it is. Maybe one or two people will
Joined: Feb 2012 find it useful.
Reputation: 53

Anyway, on to PART TWO:

What do the lines do?
Lines typically delete or add on to one another. Sometimes a line or a part of it will rotate.

Here's a good example of deletion:

Much like in the above examples from symbols, the blocks in the above sequence work almost like an equation. For ABC, all the
lines in A and B which are held in common will be deleted, leaving only the leftover lines to form C. The same rules hold for
DEF, ADG, BEH. Therefore both CFI and GHI yield the same result - a short diagonal line in the left hand corner.

In the next puzzle, the lines do something else:

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The lines are rotating, one small segment at a time. First in A, the lower right hand line segment rotates 90 degrees. This forms
a new picture which is presented in B. Then the upper left hand segment (i.e. the segment directly opposite) in B rotates 90
degrees to form the picture in C.
Exactly the same rule applies to DEF.

The columns follow a similar rule, except it involves first the lower left segment, then moves on to the opposite line in the
upper right segment.

You can solve for I either by looking at the rows or columns, but in either case the answer is the same: it will be 'e.'

So in summary, lines can be used in a number of ways, but for most of the time in Raven's tests they are deleting one another.
Often this deletion will work almost like a formula eg (lines in A) - (lines in B) = C
If the lines are not deleting, then most of the time some segment of line is rotating.

Having figured out what the lines are doing, the next step is to ask:
What are the colours doing?

Colours can expand, shrink, or move, or otherwise change according to a logical rule.

Have a look at this example:

For rows ABC and DEF, a new colour is added to the sequences in a clockwise directions.

For the columns a different rule applies. In ADG and BEH, the colours move in a clockwise direction one segment at a time.

Colours are generally not too much of a challenge in Raven's tests, they are usually added merely to add complexity or as a red
herring (an example of colour as a red herring will be shown below). Sometimes colours do follow bizarre rules, but they
usually expand/shrink/move, so just decide which one is the most applicable and take it from there.

The next question is:

What are the dots doing?

Dots are the most likely element in Raven's tests to have peculiar random placements in order to confuse the puzzle solver,
although there is usually some logic to their movements. However, if you cannot find any underlying logic in their movements,

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try assuming that the placement is random and see if there is any other logical element behind the dots.

Have a look at this one:

Looking at the large shapes first (and ignoring the dots), it's clear that we have to have a triangle in I. As for the dots, in ABC
we have: an inner dark dot, an inner white dot, and an outer white dot. Same for DEF. The columns follow the same rule. Not
that the positioning of the dots is otherwise random and does not follow any logical rule. Since we already have two white dots
in GHI and CFI, I must have an inner black dot. The answer for this puzzle will therefore be any triangle with a dark dot in it,
therefore it will be 'b'

The next example is a bit more complicated, but shows that dot movement isn't necessarily random:

Basically the two circles move one square to the right in the next box. If they are at the end of the row, that circle will instead
move on to the first square of the next row. After entering a black area, the circles change colour: a white circle will become
black, and a black circle will become white. Following the movements with the circles, we find that the answer will end up as 'h'

Follow the above steps, look at each puzzle aspect in isolation and you should be able to solve most Raven problems - most
Raven problems are really just combinations of simpler puzzles but you have to be able to look at the individual elements in
isolation to see this.

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However, there is a particularly brutal class of Raven problem consisting of 3x3 grids within the 3x3 grid, which deserves some
discussion in and on its own:
The grids-within-a-grid puzzle

TO BE CONTINUED IN PART THREE

A beginner's guide and reading list to jobhunting and networking

08-05-2013 08:10 AM

The following 2 users Like Thomas the Rhymer's post:

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alphaspiraton RE: How to solve a Raven's IQ test Post: #7

Chubby Chaser Damn very nice breakdown and explanations TTR. Always good for a man to expand his knowledge/way of thinking. Much appreciated
(This post was last modified: 08-05-2013 09:29 AM by alphaspiraton.)

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08-05-2013 09:29 AM

Basil Ransom RE: How to solve a Raven's IQ test Post: #8

International Playboy Great breakdown - when I finish reading and if everything checks out, I'll be glad to rep you. Did you write this all yourself?

Would be very helpful if you have to take IQ tests in the future, if they resemble this at all.

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08-05-2013 11:56 AM

Mack Four RE: How to solve a Raven's IQ test Post: #9

Banned Oh. OOOOHHHH....

Okay. I, uh, I was thinking...

You know...
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Joined: Aug 2013 Ravens.

08-05-2013 02:40 PM

The following 1 user Likes Mack Four's post:

Thomas the Rhymer

Thomas the Rhymer RE: How to solve a Raven's IQ test Post: #10
Alpha Male PART THREE

The grids-within-a-grid puzzle

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The problem with these grids-in-a-grid puzzles is that they are often so complex that there can logically be multiple correct answers,
and which is the actual correct answer is really up to the whimsy of the tester. This is the point where a Raven's test can become less
a measure of intelligence of the test-taker and more of a measure of the tester's predisposition.
Posts: 1,347
Joined: Feb 2012
I still struggle with these, but based on the few examples I could find on the net, here is a potential rule to try out:
Reputation: 53
Check if the answers lies in the fact that the columns in each 3 x 3 successive matrix shift one column to the right, and in doing so,
the shapes change each time according to a logical rule.

Look at this one:

Look at A. See that leftmost column that forms cross-triangle-cross? This column shifts one column to the right in B, and also
changes shapes to circle-cross-circle, and then shifts columns once more in C and becomes triangle-circle-triangle. If you look at the
other columns in all the rows, you'll see that all the columns shift space and change shape in this similar manner, with cross always
becoming a circle, a triangle always becoming a cross, and a circle always becoming a triangle. This makes it suddenly easy to find I,
which must be 'b', because that is the only option that will allow H to shift columns/change shapes without violating the rule set.

Now have a look at this one:

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In this one the columns shift to the left, rather than to the right, but they also change symbols according to specific rules. For
example, the right most column in A shifts to the left in B, with clubs changing to hearts, and hearts to diamonds.

Another thing to check for, if you can't figure out the answer to the puzzle, is to check for this rare puzzle:
Can you stack the boxes on each other?

Have a look here:

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Basically, ABC can be put next to each other to make continuously running lines. DEF can be stacked on top of one another to make
continuous lines. Then GHI goes back to having lines next to each other. Note that there is no logical rule for the columns, this is a
rows only puzzle.

The last question to ask is:

Is there a numerical sequence?

Some puzzle just follow a 1-2-3 sequence. If you are struggling to see any sequence upon asking the earlier questions, quickly check
whether you are not confusing yourself where a simple 1-2-3 relationship exists.
An example:

Now let's go through a few examples of what I consider to be 'layered' puzzles, where multiple puzzle elements are combined in a
way intentionally meant to confuse the puzzle solver.

Example 1:

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So this is a combination of a large shapes test with a lines test, but the trick here is that the side of the shape is used as a line. Each
row/column has to have a partial line, a blank line, and a full line. To complete the sequence we need to use answer 'h'

Example 2:

This actually consists of 2 seperate line puzzles. The inside lines (touching the dot) and the outer lines are two separate components
to consider. Inner lines will delete whatever line is held in common, whereas outer lines will only preserve whatever line is held in
common.

So for the inner lines: lines in A + lines in B = lines in C, but removing the lines that are held in common.

For the outer lines: lines in C = lines held in common by A and B

Following the same rules for GHI, the answer will be '2'

That's it for my tutorial on how to tackle a Raven's progressive matrix. The key to solving them successfully is to understand all the

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different tools that Raven used to build the puzzles in the first place, and to dissect the puzzle into it's most basic elements.
Practicing the test at http://www.iqtest.dk/main.swf will help you get used to going through the steps.

By understanding how the puzzles are put together and through a bit of practice, I suspect that anyone could do much better than
they ordinarily would have done on this particular IQ test.

A beginner's guide and reading list to jobhunting and networking

08-07-2013 09:10 AM

The following 1 user Likes Thomas the Rhymer's post:

Divorco

kimleebj RE: How to solve a Raven's IQ test Post: #11

Banned [url=http://kryten.mm.rpi.edu/COURSES/LOGAIS02/carpenter.pdf]

Posts: 423
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Five rules can solve all the problems.

1) Constant (e.g., a square in each figure).

2) Quantitative progression (e.g., shapes getting progressively larger).

3) Figure addition or subtraction.

4) Distribution of three values (e.g., square, circle, triangle in each row).

5) Distribution of two values (e.g., square, circle, and blank in each row).

11-03-2013 10:32 PM

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