Figure series: Reasoning Ability Notes for Chandigarh Patwari / Lekhpal

Chandigarh Patwari / Lekhpal – Reasoning Ability

Figure Series – Study Notes

Figure series questions test your ability to spot a hidden pattern among a set of pictorial shapes.
In each question you are shown a short sequence (usually 4–5 figures) and you must choose the figure that correctly completes the series.

1. Simple Explanation

Identify the elements
- Shape type (square, circle, triangle, etc.)
- Size, orientation, color, position, number of elements inside, symmetry, etc.
Look for a transformation rule
- Add / remove an element
- Rotate / flip / reflect
- Change colour or fill
- Shift position horizontally/vertically
- Scale up/down in size
Apply the rule to the last figure
- Predict the next figure that follows the same transformation.
Double‑check – ensure the predicted figure satisfies all the observed changes, not just one.

2. Key Points (What to Remember)

#	Observation	Typical Pattern
1	Number of elements	0 → 1 → 2 → 3 … or 5 → 4 → 3 …
2	Shape type	Triangle → Square → Pent → Hex …
3	Orientation	Up → Right → Down → Left (clockwise)
4	Position shift	Left → Right → Left → Right (alternating)
5	Color change	Red → Green → Blue → Red …
6	Size change	1×1 → 2×2 → 3×3 (increasing)
7	Symmetry	Mirror left → Mirror right → Mirror left
8	Inside elements	Number of dots/triangles inside a shape
9	Combination	Two or more of the above may change together

Tip: If more than one rule seems to apply, try to find the simplest rule that explains all changes.
If still ambiguous, consider the most frequently used rule in reasoning papers – usually a simple geometric transformation.

3. Worked Example

Question

Figure 1:           Figure 2:           Figure 3:           Figure 4:
   ▲                 ▲                 ▲                ▲
   ▲                 ▲                 ▲                ▲
   ▲                 ▲                 ▲                ▲

(Each ▲ is a solid equilateral triangle. In Fig‑1 the triangles point upwards; in Fig‑2 they point right; in Fig‑3 they point down; Fig‑4 points left.)

Which figure completes the series?

Step‑by‑Step Solution

Step	Observation	Transformation	Result
1	Four identical triangles in each figure.	Orientation changes.	1st → Up, 2nd → Right, 3rd → Down, 4th → Left
2	Check the pattern of orientation.	Clockwise rotation by 90° each time.	1st (0°) → 2nd (+90°) → 3rd (+180°) → 4th (+270°)
3	Predict next orientation.	Add another 90° → 360° → back to 0°.	Upward pointing triangle
4	Verify no other element changes (size, color, number).	All unchanged.	✔️

Answer: A figure identical to Figure 1 – a solid equilateral triangle pointing upwards.

Multiple‑choice options (usually 4) would include a triangle pointing up, down, right, left.
The correct choice is the upward one.

4. Quick Revision Summary

Topic	What to Check	Typical Clue
Shape Type	Count sides, corners	“Triangle → Square → Pentagon …”
Number of Elements	Add or remove	“0 → 1 → 2 → 3 …”
Orientation	Direction of arrow, triangle, etc.	“Up → Right → Down → Left (clockwise)”
Position Shift	Left/right/up/down movement	“Left → Right → Left …”
Color	Hue or fill pattern	“Red → Green → Blue …”
Size/Scale	Relative dimensions	“Small → Medium → Large”
Symmetry/Reflection	Mirror left/right	“Mirror left → Mirror right → Mirror left …”
Combination	More than one change at once	“Rotate + change color”