How scales cls works
Aon lists scales cls as a test of inductive-logical thinking: in 12 tasks over 12 minutes, you understand the common rules in the patterns you are given, then assign new images to the pattern they fit. Aon has not published what the screens look like. It is a different test from scales ix, which asks for the odd one out of nine objects.
How to approach a scales cls task
Find what separates the groups before you look at the new image:
- Ask what one group’s examples share that the other group’s do not.
- Check one property at a time: how many shapes, which shapes, whether they are all one type, their shading or colour.
- Test your rule on every example. A rule that fits two examples out of three is the wrong rule.
- Then check the new image on that property alone and assign it.
Worked example
In the style of our practice game: Group 1 has three grids, each holding three shapes. Group 2 has three grids, each holding five. The shapes and their positions vary within both groups. A new grid holds three shapes.
The only property that separates the groups is the number of shapes, so the new grid belongs to Group 1. Its shapes and positions do not matter, because they vary inside each group.
Tips for the real scales cls test
- 12 tasks in 12 minutes gives you about a minute each, more than most Aon tests. Use it to check your rule against every example.
- Look for the difference between the groups, not everything one group has in common. Examples can share features by chance.
- If two rules point different ways for the new image, skip. Aon says wrong answers usually cost points.
- Check your invitation for the test name. scales cls, scales clx and scales ix are different tests on different clocks.
Practise scales cls on CogniPrep
Our scales cls game gives you 12 tasks on a 12-minute clock. Each shows Group 1 and Group 2, with three 3x3 example grids each, and an unmarked grid that you place in one of them. Grids are generated fresh each time, and the rules are ours: the number of shapes, which shapes appear, whether they are all one type, and which colour is in the majority. A right answer earns a mark, a wrong one loses a mark, a skip costs nothing, and there is no Back button.