Example 1 · level 1 — a gentle start
Which one is the odd one out?
Answer: — Three are the same shape; one is not.
11+ odd one out (shapes) questions
Odd one out (shapes) 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 · 5 worked examples
What your child needs to know
- Three shapes share something. One does not. Find what the THREE have in common first.
- Check one thing at a time: the shape, then the shading, then how many there are.
Where marks get lost: Careful: a shape that is simply turned round is still the same shape.
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
Which one is the odd one out?
Answer: — Three are the same shape; one is not.
Example 3 · level 3 — standard paper difficulty
Which one is the odd one out?
Answer: — Three are the same shape; one is not.
Example 4 · level 4 — a harder paper
Which one is the odd one out?
Answer: — Three are the same shape; one is not.
Example 5 · level 5 — the level that separates candidates
Which one is the odd one out?
Answer: — Three are shaded the same way; one is not.
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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