How Logisch Figuurlijk Inzicht works
Each of the 15 items shows a series of figures or a matrix with some logic in it. Depending on the question, you either decide which figure belongs where the question mark is, or which figure does not belong in the series.
TMA says it measures the ability to see patterns and regularity in figures and shapes, for example by mentally rotating figures, completing objects or finding regularity in forms. You have about 10 minutes.
It uses almost no language, and it is scored on its own against a norm group at MBO or HBO/WO level.
How to solve a figure item
Start by reading the question, because the two kinds need opposite thinking:
- Missing figure: list what changes from frame to frame, one feature at a time: position, number, rotation, size, shading.
- Look for a second rule running alongside the first. Many items move one element and turn another.
- Predict the missing figure, then eliminate every option that breaks any rule.
- Odd one out: find what four figures share and look for the one that lacks it.
- A mirror image cannot be turned into the original, however you rotate it. It is a common odd one out.
Worked examples
Series: four circles, each with a line through the centre and some dots. The line is vertical, then turns 45 degrees clockwise each frame (vertical, top right to bottom left, horizontal), and the dots go 1, 2, 3. The next frame has 4 dots and the line running from top left to bottom right.
Odd one out: five L shapes. Four are the same L turned through 0, 90, 180 and 270 degrees. The fifth has its foot on the other side, so it is a mirror image. No rotation turns it into the others, so it is the one that does not belong.
Tips for the real subtest
- Read the question line every time. Choosing a missing figure on an odd-one-out item costs a mark you could have had.
- Track one feature at a time. Trying to see the whole pattern at once is slower.
- At about 40 seconds an item, guess and move on when a pattern will not come.
- Answer every item. No source mentions marks taken off for a wrong answer.
Practise Logisch Figuurlijk Inzicht on CogniPrep
Our version has 15 items on a 10-minute clock with both question forms, five options each, and figures generated fresh each sitting. Tapping a figure moves you on, with a Skip and no going back, and it scores the number right. You get a 1 to 9 practice score with TMA’s Dutch label, against people practising here.