LR09 — Non-Verbal Series and Pattern Completion

🧠 AFCAT Reasoning · LR09 ✈️ AFCAT Level

📌 AFCAT Pattern (LR09): Non-Verbal Series is the HIGHEST yield reasoning topic in AFCAT — 4–6 questions per paper. A sequence of figures follows a visual pattern. Identify the transformation from figure to figure, then apply it to find the next/missing figure. Systematic observation beats guessing every time.

1. The 6 Pattern Types You Must Know

Pattern	What Changes	How to Identify
Rotation	Figure turns CW or ACW	Arrow or asymmetric figure tilts each step (45°, 90°, 180°)
Reflection	Mirror image: L-R or T-B flip	Left and right sides swap; or top and bottom
Element Addition	New shape/dot added each step	Count: 1 element → 2 → 3 → 4
Element Deletion	One element removed each step	Count decreases: 5 → 4 → 3 → 2
Internal Movement	Element moves position within figure	Track where dot/symbol is: corner to corner CW
Shading Change	Fill pattern changes	Full → half → none, or alternating shaded/unshaded

2. Figure Matrix (3×3 Grid)

4-Step Matrix Method

Step 1: Identify rule in Row 1 (col1→col2→col3)
Step 2: Verify same rule applies to Row 2
Step 3: Apply rule to Row 3 col1,col2 → find col3
Step 4: Cross-check column rule independently

Common Matrix Rules

Col3 = union of col1 and col2 elements
Col3 = col1 with col2 elements removed
Rotation: each column rotates 90° more
Shading: alternates or progresses systematically
Count of sides: 3,4,5 across a row

📝 AFCAT PYQNon-Verbal Series — AFCAT Pattern

Q1. An arrow points North in fig1, East in fig2, South in fig3. Where in fig4? (AFCAT I 2025)

(a) West
(b) North-East
(c) South-West
(d) North

Answer: (a) West
Pattern: Arrow rotates 90° clockwise each step. N(0°) → E(90°) → S(180°) → W(270°). After W the cycle returns to N. This is one of AFCAT's most straightforward non-verbal series questions — rotation by fixed angle.

Q2. Series: Triangle (1 dot inside), Triangle (2 dots), Triangle (3 dots), ? (AFCAT II 2024)

(a) Triangle (3 dots) + shading
(b) Triangle (4 dots)
(c) Square (4 dots)
(d) Triangle (5 dots)

Answer: (b) Triangle (4 dots)
Pattern: Same shape (triangle). Number of dots increases by 1 each step: 1→2→3→4. The outer shape does not change. The shading is not part of the pattern. Answer: Triangle with 4 dots inside.

Q3. In a 3×3 matrix: Row1: shapes with 3,4,5 sides. Row2: shapes with 4,5,6 sides. Row3: shapes with 5,6,?. (AFCAT I 2024)

(a) 6-sided
(b) 7-sided
(c) 5-sided
(d) 8-sided

Answer: (b) 7-sided (Heptagon)
Row rule: sides increase by 1 across each row (+1 col1→col2, +1 col2→col3). Row3: 5,6,7. Column rule: Column3 sides: 5,6,7 (+1 each row) ✓. Both rules give 7 sides = heptagon.

⚡ Quick Reference — LR09

Pattern Types

Rotation: 45°, 90°, 180° CW or ACW
Reflection: left-right or top-bottom
Addition/Deletion: count precisely
Movement: track position of inner element
Shading: track fill pattern

Matrix Method

Row rule first → verify → apply to Row 3
Cross-check with column rule
Count sides as numbers (3,4,5...)
Col3 often = col1 combined/modified by col2

AFCAT Strategy

Describe transformation in words before options
Eliminate clearly wrong options first
For rotation: 4 positions = 360° cycle
Check BOTH outer shape and inner elements

📝 AFCAT Mock Tests 🎯 Reasoning Quiz ✈️ Telegram