Non-Verbal Reasoning Posts

For most students, visualising how the net folds to form a cube, is a difficult concept. These questions are a regular occurrence in 11 plus entrance exams and are also important for the CEM (Durham University) exam.

Three different types of questions can be asked:

Type 1: A net is given and the student must identify the cube that can be formed from the given net.

Type 2: A net is given and the student must identify the cube that cannot be formed from the given net.

Type 3: Three or four different views of the same cube are given and the student must identify the correct net of the cube.

In this series of videos we show you how to approach these questions.

The video tutorials can also be used as a revision aid before the 11 plus entrance exams. In each video we show you the theory needed to solve the questions and we also give two or three worked examples of typical exam questions. We also use animations to show you how the cubes are formed.

 

Video 1 shows you how the 11 nets can be folded to form the corresponding cubes.

 

Video 2 shows you how to fold nets with numbers on each face.

 

Video 3 shows you how to identify the correct cube if there are diagrams/shapes on the faces.

Non-verbal Reasoning Type 13: Plans and Elevations of 3D shapes

When an architect designs a building  he/she has to make 2-dimensional drawings to show what the building will look like from each side. These drawings are called plans and elevations.

Plan and elevations are all different perspectives of the same 3D shape.

 

The Plan

The view from the top is called the plan.

The plan is just a bird’s eye view of the shape.

 

Front and Side elevations

The views from the front and sides are called the elevations.

In a question, you will get an indication of which perspective is the front and which one is the side.

You will also be given a grid on which you can do your drawings of the plan and the elevations.

In this type of questions you are given a 3D shape and you must identify the drawings of the plan, the front elevation and the side elevation.

 

In this video we use animations to show the pupil what the plan and elevations of a 3D shape will look like.

 

Plans and Elevations of 3D shapes (Bird’s eye view) VIDEO!