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What are spatial reasoning tests? Why do employers use them in recruitment and job assessments? What types of spatial aptitude questions can you expect, and how can you prepare effectively?
In this guide, we’ll explore everything about spatial reasoning assessments including why companies use them, the main test providers, types of spatial ability questions, and expert tips on how to pass a spatial reasoning aptitude test with confidence.
At GF, we provide expert-designed practice spatial reasoning tests to help you prepare effectively for job assessments and recruitment processes.
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Not sure if you should practise for your spatial reasoning test? According to research, 50-80% of candidates are rejected based on their aptitude test results. It is proven that practice increases your chances of getting hired.
A study (Bradley et al, 2019) found that candidates who do not practise assessments, tend to fail at the first hurdle of psychometric assessments (54%-84%). This study considered the Top 100 global employers.
Are you prepared to learn all there is to know about spatial reasoning tests and how to ace them? Let’s keep going!
Spatial reasoning tests, also called spatial awareness tests, are cognitive assessments designed to evaluate a candidate’s capacity to understand and manipulate spatial relationships between objects. Spatial aptitude tests vary in format but often involve rotating 2D and 3D figures, identifying patterns between shapes, and visualising changes in those shapes.
These spatial reasoning skills are highly valued by employers, as they reflect visualisation, memory, and logical reasoning, which are key abilities for problem-solving, design, and technical roles that require advanced spatial understanding.
Now that you know what spatial ability tests are, here are a few key facts to help you understand how they work and what to expect.
Purpose:
A spatial ability test measures your ability to visualise, understand, and mentally manipulate shapes, patterns, and objects.
Skills Measured:
These tests assess spatial awareness, visual-spatial intelligence, pattern recognition, spatial visualisation, and 3D reasoning. These are skills essential for solving problems that involve space, form, and design.
Test Format:
A spatial reasoning aptitude test can be paper-based or computerised. Questions often include 2D and 3D rotations, mirror reflections, shape matching, and block diagrams.
Duration:
The length of a spatial awareness test varies depending on the employer or job role. Some tests are brief, lasting only a few minutes, while others can last much longer, typically 10 to 30 minutes on average.
Cognitive Operations Involved:
Spatial reasoning relies on several mental processes, including visual perception, spatial visualisation, attention, and working memory.
Industries That Use Them:
Industries that value spatial intelligence test results include architecture, engineering, aviation, design, IT, manufacturing, and defense.
Combination With Other Assessments:
Most employers use spatial exams alongside other cognitive assessments, such as numerical reasoning tests, verbal reasoning tests, and situational judgement tests, for a well-rounded evaluation of candidates.
Level of Difficulty:
The difficulty level of spatial reasoning problems varies by organisation and position, ranging from simple visual comparisons to advanced 3D visualisation and abstract reasoning challenges.
Preparation Tips:
Regularly practise using spatial reasoning practice tests, spatial reasoning exercises, and pattern-based puzzles. Reviewing sample questions and improving time management can significantly boost accuracy and confidence.
Alternative Names:
Spatial reasoning test is also known as spatial ability test, spatial skills test, spatial awareness test, spatial aptitude test, spatial relations test, spatial intelligence test, spatial visualisation test, spatial perception test, or spatial recognition test.
Now that you know the basics, let’s look at what spatial assessments actually measure.
Spatial reasoning tests measure how well you can understand, visualise, and work with shapes, patterns, and objects, especially how they move or change in space. A spatial test focuses on how your mind handles visual and spatial information.
Essentially, spatial aptitude assesses your ability to:
Did you know? Some employers sometimes use a special spatial cognitive test or spatial IQ test to measure a candidate’s IQ in dealing with spatial judgement and visualisation. Typically, these spatial intelligence tests vary from those used in hiring.
Check out this short video to gain more insights on what spatial reasoning tests involve:
Now that we know what spatial reasoning measures, let’s explore why employers use them and how these spatial ability assessments help identify the right candidates for specific roles.
Employers use spatial reasoning tests to find candidates who can think visually, solve complex problems, and understand how shapes, patterns, and objects fit together. A spatial reasoning aptitude test helps assess mental rotation, spatial perception, and visual logic.
Spatial reasoning assessments help employers:
Some of the job roles that require spatial reasoning skills include:
Spatial tests show employers how candidates process visual information and make spatial decisions. These skills are important in technical and creative industries alike.
Next, let’s look at some of the main spatial reasoning test providers employers use for candidate screening.
Employers often use third-party providers for spatial reasoning aptitude tests. It is important to know the different spatial relations test providers to help tailor your spatial reasoning practice.
Test publishers may provide spatial recognition tests under logical reasoning tests or as abstract reasoning tests. Key providers of these spatial tests include:
These providers offer spatial test examples, from rotations and reflections to spatial reasoning sample questions and spatial reasoning test examples. But who uses these spatial reasoning assessments? Let’s find out below!
Top employers that use spatial reasoning tests in their recruitment process include:
The companies listed above are just a few of the many organisations that require spatial reasoning tests. Check out our step-by-step employer guides for over 100 of the world’s largest organisations, including top firms.
Now, let’s look at the job areas where spatial reasoning skills are most important.
Spatial reasoning skills are valuable in various workplace settings across a broad range of careers and industries. Some examples include:
Having good spatial reasoning skills is important if you’re aiming for a career in any of the areas mentioned above.
Let’s now take a look at some common spatial reasoning questions you may likely find in these job assessments.
As mentioned earlier, spatial reasoning questions vary, depending on the test provider or the job role. However, spatial tests generally follow five basic formats, which are:
Let’s start with one of the most common spatial questions you can find in job assessments – organising 2D shapes.
This spatial test example simply involves assembling or disassembling 2D shapes. In this test, the questions will display a few 2D shapes and ask you to select which of the answer options of shapes can be formed by combining all the different shapes you were presented with.
On the other hand, you may be asked to do otherwise, that is, to select from the options which group of shapes combine to create a displayed shape. The shapes may be labelled to help you distinguish between the angles.
Here’s a sample spatial reasoning question from SHL:
Organising 2D Shapes Tip: Look for patterns in how the shapes are arranged. Pay close attention to their edges and try to visualise how they fit together in your mind.
The next type of spatial reasoning question builds on your 2D knowledge by testing how well you can visualise shapes as 3D objects.
This spatial test example requires a high level of spatial intelligence. In transforming 2D nets to 3D shapes, you’ll be shown a 2D net and asked to pick which 3D shape it would form when folded.
Note that a 2D net is simply a representation of a 3D shape. It is usually an unfolded cube, a cuboid, or any solid shape with edges.
Check out our similar style question below:
Transforming 2D Nets into 3D Shapes Question Example
Transforming 2D Nets Tip: Develop a strong understanding of cubes, prisms, pyramids, cylinders, and cones. Try to understand their characteristics, including the number of faces, edges, and vertices.
Having examined 3D transformations, it’s time to explore rotations and reflections!
This spatial skills test evaluates your ability to mentally rotate or mirror shapes. It requires a clear understanding of the components of the shape and also a good memory. Similar to rotation, reflection involves flipping or mirroring the perspective of a shape or image.
Let’s take a sneak peek into the SHL rotations and reflections example question:
SHL Rotations and Reflections Example QuestionSource: SHL Website
Rotations and Reflections Tip: Try to identify reference points or landmarks within the shape that remain fixed during rotation or reflection. This can serve as an anchor to guide your understanding of how the shape transforms.
Moving forward, spatial reasoning tests also often include block counting questions. Let’s take a closer look at what they involve!
This spatial aptitude assessment involves correctly counting the number of blocks in a pile of blocks you are shown. The challenge in this test is that you won’t be able to see all the blocks in the pile because they are stacked together and displayed in a 3D dimension.
The task requires you to work out how many blocks make the shape, which is another key method to test your spatial reasoning skills.
Spatial Reasoning Block Counting Question Example
Block Counting Tip: Break the figure into smaller sections and count the blocks within each section separately.
To wrap up spatial reasoning tests formats, let’s explore map reading!
Map reading is a timed spatial awareness test question designed to assess your sense of direction and ability to think quickly. This task tests your spatial orientation skills as you’d be required to study a 2D map or layout and figure out the correct way to navigate it.
Map Reading Tip: Replicate the map characters with real-life objects around you. This will help you have a clearer sense of the directions to follow.
Having explored its different test formats, let’s go over some spatial reasoning test tips to help you pass this type of psychometric test with ease!
Solving spatial aptitude questions can be challenging as it requires skill and attention to detail. Here are some practical tips to help you ace them!
It is important to get familiar with different types of questions and formats to improve your problem-solving skills,and practising ahead can help you achieve this. It also helps you get familiar with the exact format of the provider your employer uses.
Be sure you understand the rules of rotation and reflection used in spatial abstract reasoning, such as the centre of rotation, angle of rotation, and axis of reflection. These are key concepts used by most providers.
Spatial aptitude questions can be tricky. It is therefore important to carefully read the instructions and pay attention to any specific rules provided. Also, make sure you understand the format of the question before attempting it.
Checking for the symmetry and patterns in the shape can help you predict how the shape will transform, especially for rotation and reflection questions. Doing this is also a great way to verify the correctness of your solution in spatial reasoning exercises.
Spatial reasoning test questions are often timed, so do not get carried away trying to solve a question. Allocate time for each question and if you are stuck, mark it and move on to the next.
Watch this short video that gives more tips on how to pass spatial skills tests:
Looking to further your spatial reasoning test preparation?
That’s an overview of spatial skills tests. Still have questions? Below are some of the most frequently asked questions from candidates preparing for this assessment.
The word “spatial” is used to describe things related to areas or space.
People with ADHD can sometimes struggle with spatial aptitude questions due to attention and working memory differences, but it’s not exclusive to ADHD.
Yes. Spatial reasoning is one part of IQ as it measures visual and spatial problem-solving, which contributes to overall intelligence scores, but they are not identical.
People with high spatial intelligence possess a good ability to visualise objects in different dimensions.
There’s usually no fixed pass mark. Your score is often compared to other candidates applying for the same role, so aim to perform above average in your spatial reasoning aptitude tests.
Not necessarily. Spatial skills tests measure how you think, not what you know. You don’t need specific technical training, just practise visualising and reasoning with shapes.
Do you want to ace your spatial reasoning test and other assessments, first time? Practice with GF, the leading aptitude test expert offering practice solutions to over 150 UK universities, as well as students across Asia and Europe. Practise with peace of mind, backed by a 100% money-back guarantee if you don’t pass your job tests. Correct answers to example questions: Transforming 2D Nets into 3D Shapes – C Spatial Reasoning Block Counting – B
Do you want to ace your spatial reasoning test and other assessments, first time? Practice with GF, the leading aptitude test expert offering practice solutions to over 150 UK universities, as well as students across Asia and Europe.
Practise with peace of mind, backed by a 100% money-back guarantee if you don’t pass your job tests.
Correct answers to example questions: Transforming 2D Nets into 3D Shapes – C Spatial Reasoning Block Counting – B
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