Example 1 · level 1 — a gentle start
The paper is folded, then holes are punched through it. How does it look unfolded?
Answer: — Every hole appears again on the other side of each fold — so one fold doubles them, and two folds make four.
11+ folding and punching questions
Folding and punching is pure pattern-spotting — no reading, no arithmetic. Here is what the figures are doing, the order to check things in, and five worked examples with the reasoning written out, easiest first.
Non-verbal reasoning · examined by GL and CEM · 5 worked examples
What your child needs to know
- The paper is folded, then holes are punched through BOTH layers at once.
- When you open it out, every hole appears again on the other side of the crease.
Where marks get lost: Two folds means each hole appears four times, one in each quarter.
Worked examples
Every question below is generated by the same engine your child practises on, and every answer is derived by our checker rather than written by hand — which is why we can put them on a public page at all.
Example 2 · level 2 — typical of early practice
The paper is folded, then holes are punched through it. How does it look unfolded?
Answer: — Every hole appears again on the other side of each fold — so one fold doubles them, and two folds make four.
Example 3 · level 3 — standard paper difficulty
The paper is folded, then holes are punched through it. How does it look unfolded?
Answer: — Every hole appears again on the other side of each fold — so one fold doubles them, and two folds make four.
Example 4 · level 4 — a harder paper
The paper is folded, then holes are punched through it. How does it look unfolded?
Answer: — Every hole appears again on the other side of each fold — so one fold doubles them, and two folds make four.
Example 5 · level 5 — the level that separates candidates
The paper is folded, then holes are punched through it. How does it look unfolded?
Answer: — Every hole appears again on the other side of each fold — so one fold doubles them, and two folds make four.
How to practise this at home
- Non-verbal reasoning improves fastest with a fixed checking order — count, then look at shading, then rotation, then position.
- Encourage your child to say the rule out loud before choosing. A rule they can state is a rule they can apply to the options.
- Do not rush to timed papers. Accuracy on the rule comes first; the speed follows it, never the other way round.
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