How the Attention to Detail (Visual) test works
The 12 scored questions share one 10-minute clock and come one per screen, after a few practice questions that do not count. Each shows one or more images, and you either pick an option or type a number.
TestGorilla’s practice set shows the four tasks. Differences: two images side by side, and you say how many differences there are, from none to three. Identical pair: several similar images, and you pick the pair that matches exactly from a list of pairings. Squares: a line figure, and you type how many squares it contains. Fragment: a small cut-out labelled FIG. 1 and a larger image divided into a lettered and numbered grid, and you pick the cell it came from.
TestGorilla rates the test Intermediate and aims it at roles such as designers, manufacturing staff and lab technicians, where a small visual error matters.
A method for each image task
Each task rewards a fixed search pattern over free scanning:
- Differences: split both images into the same imaginary grid and compare one cell at a time, left to right, top to bottom. Look at shape, shade, size and direction in each cell before moving on.
- Identical pair: with four images there are only six possible pairs. Find one detail that differs in one image and you rule out every pair that includes it, which is three of the six.
- Squares: count by size. Count the smallest squares first, then squares two units wide, then larger ones, writing each subtotal down. Squares built from smaller squares count.
- Fragment: pick the most distinctive mark in the fragment, such as an odd shape or a corner, and look only for that mark across the grid cells.
Worked example: counting squares
A large square is divided into a 3 by 3 grid of equal small squares. How many squares does the figure contain?
Count by size. There are 9 small squares. Squares two units wide can sit in 2 positions across and 2 down, so there are 4 of them. The whole figure is 1 more square. That gives 9 + 4 + 1 = 14. The common wrong answers are 9, from counting only the small squares, and 10, from adding just the outline.
Tips for the real Attention to Detail Visual test
- Use pen and paper for square counts and running tallies. TestGorilla allows them.
- At 50 seconds a question, give a difficult square count your best total rather than starting again from scratch.
- Type digits only in the square count. A typed answer is marked on an exact match.
- Use a laptop or desktop screen if you can. The test runs on mobile, but small details are easier to see on a larger screen.
- Never leave a question blank. A skip counts as wrong, the same as a wrong guess.
Practise Attention to Detail (Visual) on CogniPrep
Ours has 12 questions on one 10-minute clock, three of each task, with the square count typed as on the real test. Our images are generated patterns of shapes and tones rather than TestGorilla’s pictures, so the tasks and timing match but the look does not. One question per screen, no going back and a skip marked wrong. You get a raw percentage and a percentile against CogniPrep players, with harder questions weighted more, plus feedback on each task.