How the ACER abstract reasoning test works
Every question is a set of shapes that change by a rule, with multiple-choice answers. ACER names three styles: choose the shape that comes next in the sequence, find the missing shape in a pattern, and put a set of shapes in order and choose the one in the middle.
The same test runs at two very different speeds. Victoria Police gives 45 questions in 20 minutes, about 27 seconds each. Queensland Police and Fire Rescue Victoria give 30 questions in 35 minutes, about 70 seconds each. Check which one your invitation is for before you practise.
In the police and fire exams the result is a scale score against a pass mark: 105 or more at Victoria Police, Standard Met or Not Met at Fire Rescue Victoria. When an employer buys the TAR on its own, ACER reports your raw score as a percentile and a stanine against Australian adult norms from 2009 to 2011.
How to find the rule
Check the same features in the same order on every question:
- Count: how many shapes, sides, dots or lines are there, and does the number go up or down?
- Turn: does anything rotate, and by how much each step?
- Fill and size: does shading, outline or size change?
- Position: does anything move around the frame or swap places?
- Usually one or two features are changing and the rest are noise. Once you have a rule, test it on every step, then pick the answer that fits.
- For a middle-of-sequence question, order all five shapes by the rule first, then take the third. An end shape is never the answer.
Worked example: middle of sequence
Five boxes are shown in a jumbled order, each with an arrow and some dots. A: arrow pointing right, 3 dots. B: arrow pointing up, 1 dot. C: arrow pointing down, 5 dots. D: arrow pointing up and right, 2 dots. E: arrow pointing down and right, 4 dots. Which box belongs in the middle of the sequence?
Two rules run together: the arrow turns 45 degrees clockwise and one dot is added each step. In order that is B, D, A, E, C, so the middle box is A. The dots alone give the same order, which is a useful check.
Tips for the real ACER abstract reasoning test
- On the Victoria Police clock, name the feature that is obviously changing and take the first answer that fits. There is no time to test every rule.
- On the 35-minute clock, keep looking after you find one rule. A second change is often running underneath.
- Guess rather than leave a blank. ACER says to mark an answer even if you are not certain, then come back later if you have time.
- Learn the middle-of-sequence style before the day. It is the one most candidates have not seen.
- In the Fire Rescue Victoria test, expect a few extra unscored questions, with extra time added for them.
Practise ACER abstract reasoning on CogniPrep
Our ACER Abstract Reasoning test lets you choose the clock: 45 questions in 20 minutes for Victoria Police, or 30 in 35 minutes for Queensland Police and Fire Rescue Victoria. All three ACER styles appear in turn and get harder as you go, with five answers to choose from. The shapes are generated fresh each time, so a repeat run does not show you the same questions. You can move back and forth, nothing is deducted for a wrong answer, and you get a score out of 100 and a percentile against other CogniPrep users.