How the image matching section works
Each item shows a target picture and a set of options that look almost the same. Only one matches the target exactly; the others each differ in some small way, and you click the match.
TSA’s job announcements say the TAB evaluates “x-ray interpretation aptitude”, and its careers page says “image interpretation aptitude”. Despite that wording, this section uses ordinary pictures, not X-ray scans of bags. What it tests is how quickly and accurately you compare detail.
How to find the match
Compare by feature, not by whole picture:
- Pick one feature of the target, such as a handle or a row of dots, and check it across every option.
- Cross off each option the moment it fails. You are looking for differences, not similarities.
- Move to the next feature and check only the options still standing.
- Check the kinds of detail that usually change: a part missing, a different count, a part on the other side, or a shape swapped.
- When one option is left, click it. You do not need to confirm every feature of the last one.
Worked example
The target is a teapot with its spout on the left, a round knob on the lid and three dots on the body. Option A has the spout on the right. Option B has a square knob. Option C has two dots. Option D matches on every point. Option E has no handle.
Start with the spout: A is out. Then the knob: B is out. Then the dots: C is out. Now look for anything else on D and E, and E has lost its handle. The answer is D, found in four checks rather than by studying five whole pictures.
Tips for the real image matching section
- Keep moving. One slow item costs time you could spend on several easy ones.
- Use the same order of checks on every item, so nothing gets skipped when you speed up.
- Watch for left and right swaps. They are easy to miss when you look at the whole picture.
- Practise on a computer screen rather than a phone, so the pictures are the size you will see on the day.
Practise image matching on CogniPrep
Our Image Matching game gives you 3 minutes to answer as many items as you can, each a target with five options, one identical and four that each change one small detail. The pictures are our own line drawings, never rotated or resized. Your score is correct answers minus a quarter of each wrong one, measured against 120 in three minutes, so random clicking gains nothing and 100 is out of reach. The window, option count and scoring are ours, because TSA publishes none.