Year 4 11+ Reasoning Diagnostic
Check verbal, non-verbal and spatial reasoning — and separate unfamiliar question types from genuine reasoning difficulties.
A child can be doing very well at school and still find 11+ reasoning unfamiliar. That does not automatically mean they are weak. It may simply mean nobody has explicitly taught the question type yet.
Verbal reasoning sample
1. Bird is to nest as bee is to ____.
2. Rapid is closest in meaning to: quiet / swift / rough / late.
3. If CAT becomes DBU by moving each letter forward one, what does DOG become?
4. Which two words are most opposite: narrow / wide / short / long?
Non-verbal and spatial sample
5. A shape rotates 90° clockwise each step. How will it face after four steps compared with the start?
6. A triangle gains one side each step: triangle, square, pentagon, ____.
7. If two faces of a cube are opposite, can they share an edge when the cube is folded? Explain.
Worked method: say the rule aloud
Weak: “It changes.”
Secure: “It turns.”
Strong: “The shape rotates 90 degrees clockwise each step while keeping the same size and shading.”
Why the strong version works: precise language makes the rule repeatable. A child who can describe the transformation is less dependent on guessing.
What to look for
Notice whether your child can describe direction, angle, position, number of sides, shading and sequence. Also note whether the difficulty disappears once the question type is explained — that is a very different learning need from not understanding the rule after teaching.
For a broader starting-point check, use our free Year 4 11+ readiness assessment or read the full Year 4 preparation guide.
Loughton Year 4 Taster / Assessment Seven Kings Year 4 Taster / Assessment
Want help interpreting the results?
Tell us your child’s year group and preferred centre. We can recommend the right Year 4 class or taster/assessment route.