How to Solve Spatial Reasoning Problems
Spatial reasoning involves mentally manipulating the rotation and reflection of figures. Learn how to spot the "mental rotation" that appears frequently in Raven's matrices.
Solving tips
- Figures with a clear orientation, such as arrows or triangles, often rotate by a fixed angle in each row.
- Identify the rotation angle per step (45°/90°/120°), then advance the blank by that same angle again.
- Distinguish rotation from reflection (mirror image). If left and right swap, suspect a reflection.
Worked examples
Example 1：The arrow rotates 90° clockwise in each row. What is the third cell?
Options
A ✓
B
C
D
Answer：A
Since it rotates 90° per step, the blank is the orientation that advances another 90° from the one before it.
This is the Spatial Reasoning domain of the IQ test
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