What number completes the sequence? 2, 6, 12, 20, 30, ___

Before you start

Rules and timing
- 25 questions, about 5 min.
- Answer truthfully — there are no right or wrong answers for screener items.
- Work alone, in a quiet place. Don’t consult others mid-test.
No retake in this session
For accuracy this test cannot be retaken in the same session. Make sure you have enough time and a focused environment before you start.
Disclaimer
Taking our test should not be viewed as a comprehensive or precise evaluation of your abilities. Results are for informational and self-reflection purposes only.

About this assessment

Abstract Reasoning Test

Take the free abstract reasoning test online. 25 questions on visual pattern recognition and rule inference, the closest measure of fluid intelligence and a staple of graduate-scheme aptitude screening. Instant score, no signup.

25 questions5 minFree · Validated framework

Take the Abstract Reasoning Test Learn more about this test

Free · Mapped to 2,521 careersInstant results · 5 min

What Is the Abstract Reasoning Test?

Abstract reasoning measures fluid intelligence, your ability to spot patterns, infer rules, and solve novel problems without relying on prior knowledge. It is the cognitive ability with the strongest correlation to general intelligence (g) and the one most resistant to coaching.

JobCannon's 25-question test presents visual sequences and matrix patterns where you identify the underlying rule and pick the correct continuation. Each item has one correct answer worth 3 points; your overall percentile maps to a five-tier band from Developing to Exceptional.

Keep reading

The format mirrors Raven's Progressive Matrices, the SHL Inductive Reasoning test, and the abstract sections of graduate-scheme assessment days. No login, no email, instant score.

What You'll Discover

Your overall abstract reasoning score with a five-tier cognitive band

How well you identify rules and patterns without relying on prior knowledge

Where your strongest and weakest pattern-recognition sub-skills are

How abstract reasoning maps to roles in software, research, strategy, and analytics

A shareable result card with your tier and percentile

A timed, single-attempt format like the aptitude screens graduate schemes use, so your result reflects genuine first-run performance

What a Question Looks Like

Question 1 of 25

What number completes the sequence? 2, 6, 12, 20, 30, ___

24 more after this · 5 min totalAnswer this one

How It Works

1
Answer
25 questions, 5 min. Auto-advance — no manual Next.
2
See result
Instant breakdown of your profile. Free, shareable, saved if you sign in.
3
Go deeper
Premium unlocks the full report — careers, strengths, growth paths.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the abstract reasoning test free on JobCannon?

Yes — the 25-question test is free to take, and your score, tier band, and growth recommendations appear on screen with no signup. This test has no Premium upgrade — the result you see is the whole result.

What is fluid intelligence and how does it differ from crystallized intelligence?

Fluid intelligence is your ability to reason about new problems without relying on learned facts, what abstract reasoning tests measure. Crystallized intelligence is the body of knowledge and skills you have built up over time, which shows up in vocabulary and general-knowledge tests. Both correlate with general intelligence (g), but fluid intelligence is a better predictor of how you handle genuinely new challenges.

Is this the same as the Raven's Progressive Matrices?

It is the same family. Raven's Matrices is the gold-standard clinical measure of fluid intelligence; JobCannon's test covers the same construct (rule inference from visual patterns) at lower difficulty, designed for self-reflection rather than clinical assessment.

Can abstract reasoning be improved with practice?

A small amount, yes, practice with similar puzzles and exposure to common pattern types can lift scores by roughly 5–10 percentile points. But abstract reasoning is the cognitive ability most resistant to coaching, which is exactly why employers and graduate schemes use it: it is hard to game.

What jobs need strong abstract reasoning?

Software engineering, data science, scientific research, management consulting, strategy, intelligence analysis, and any role that involves diagnosing novel problems with incomplete information. It is also a strong signal for learning agility, which matters in fast-changing industries.

What is a good abstract reasoning score?

Your score maps to five percentile tiers: Developing (0–20%), Average (21–40%), Above Average (41–60%), Superior (61–80%), and Exceptional (81–100%). Because abstract reasoning is the closest single measure of fluid intelligence, a high band signals you learn new systems and adapt to unfamiliar problems quickly, which is why employers weight it heavily for trainee and strategy roles.

Why do employers value abstract reasoning so much?

Abstract reasoning predicts how fast someone learns a job they have never done before, because it measures rule-inference rather than existing knowledge. For graduate schemes and roles where the work changes constantly, strategy, software, analytics, that matters more than what a candidate already knows. It is the staple of aptitude screening for exactly this reason.

Is the abstract reasoning test culture-fair?

It is designed to minimise dependence on language, vocabulary, and prior schooling, the patterns are visual and the rules are self-contained, so you do not need specific cultural or educational background to solve them. That is why this question type is often called "culture-fair" and is favoured for screening across diverse candidate pools, though no test is perfectly neutral.

Does guessing hurt my score?

No. Each correct answer is worth 3 points and incorrect answers score 0, with no negative marking. Always pick an answer, narrow down the options by the rule you have spotted and commit, since a guess can only add points.

Can I retake the abstract reasoning test?

Within a session the test is single-attempt so your score reflects a real first run. You can take it again in a fresh session to track progress, but for a clean baseline treat your first sitting as the genuine measure.

Ready to start?

25 questions · 5 min · Result with matching careers from 2,521-profile database

Take the Abstract Reasoning Test

PersonalityResearch-grade· Cognitive aptitude

Abstract Reasoning Test

25 questions5 min

No signup needed — your result appears instantly.

What you'll discover

Your overall abstract reasoning score with a five-tier cognitive band
How well you identify rules and patterns without relying on prior knowledge
Where your strongest and weakest pattern-recognition sub-skills are
How abstract reasoning maps to roles in software, research, strategy, and analytics

What number completes the sequence? 2, 6, 12, 20, 30, ___

Before you start

Rules and timing
- 25 questions, about 5 min.
- Answer truthfully — there are no right or wrong answers for screener items.
- Work alone, in a quiet place. Don’t consult others mid-test.
No retake in this session
For accuracy this test cannot be retaken in the same session. Make sure you have enough time and a focused environment before you start.
Disclaimer
Taking our test should not be viewed as a comprehensive or precise evaluation of your abilities. Results are for informational and self-reflection purposes only.

About this assessment