Figure Matrix: Concepts, Videos, Questions and Solved Examples

Figure Matrix questions contain a grouping of diagrams or figures in the shape of a rectangular matrix. This arrangement of diagrams in the form of a matrix forms the Figure Matrix. Each diagram in the figure matrix is there as a result of some rule. You will have to figure out this rule and make necessary decisions using this knowledge.

Figure Matrix

In this type of questions, more than one set of figures is given in the form of a matrix, all of them following the same rule. The candidate is required to analyse the complete sets; find out the common rule and then on its basis, find the missing figure in the incomplete set.

The non-verbal reasoning relies heavily on checking the student’s ability to access shapes and symbols that are related through a rule. For example, in a number series, several numbers are related to each other through a rule. Similarly, in the figure matrix, each segment is connected through a rule. Let us solve some examples and see what we exactly mean by this.

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Learn Grouping of Figures here.

Solved Examples

Example 1: In the following question, find out which of the answer figures (a), (b), (c) and (d) completes the figure matrix?

Problem Figure:

Answer Figures:

(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
None of these

Answer: Clearly, in the upper row, the number of dots in the second is twice the number of dots in the first figure. Similarly, in the lower row, the number of dots in the second figure must be twice the number of dots in the lower first figure. So, the number of dots in the missing segment is = 2×3 = 6. Thus the correct answer is D. (d).

Example 2: In the following question, find out which of the answer figures (a), (b), (c) and (d) completes the figure matrix?

Problem Figure:

Answer figures:

(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
none of the above

Answer: The two parts of the first figure are rearranged and joined along the longer sides. The common side is then removed to form the second figure. Hence the answer is B. (b).

Example 3: In the following question, find out which of the answer figures (a), (b), (c) and (d) completes the figure matrix?

Problem Figure:

Answer Figures:

(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
none of the above

Answer: Clearly, in each row, the number of elements in the third figure is equal to the difference in the number of elements in the first and second figures. Also, the third figure has the same types of elements ass that of the first figure. Therefore, the answer is clearly C. (c).

Learn Counting of Figures here.

Examples Of Higher Order

Example 4: In the following question, find out which of the answer figures (a), (b), (c) and (d) completes the figure matrix?

Problem Figure:

Answer Figures:

(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
none of these

Answer: In the question figure, all the arrows are headed in the same direction. They are all pointing in an anticlockwise direction. So the answer can either be (b) or (d). In (b), the shape of the arrow is unnecessarily peculiar. Hence the only shape that fits the matrix will be D. (d).

Example 5: In the following question, find out which of the answer figures (a), (b), (c) and (d) completes the figure matrix?

Problem Figure:

Answer Figures:

(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
none of the above

Answer: Each column has one ‘+’, one ‘o’ and one ‘x’. The first figure of each column is without boundary and the second one is in the square. The third figure is in two squares. As there are ‘+’ and ‘o’ in the third column. So figure ‘x’ will be surrounded by two squares and the correct answer is A. (a).

Example 5: In the following question, find out which of the answer figures (a), (b), (c) and (d) completes the figure matrix?

Problem Figure:

Answer Figures:

(a) (b) (c) (d)

(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
none of the above

Answer: There is a triangle after circle and a square after triangle. In the last row, we have to find the figure inside the triangle. In the next segment of the column, there is a triangle and there must be a square inside the triangle. Thus the answer will be C. (c).

Example 6: In the following question, find out which of the answer figures (a), (b), (c) and (d) completes the figure matrix?

Problem Figure:

Answer Figures:

(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
none of the above [C S A T 2013]

Answer: In the first and the third set, the black portion of the middle image is diagonally opposite to that of the first image. Hence, the second image in the second set must be the option D. (d).