Figure Sequences for dMAT: Rules and Practice

Figure Sequences is one of the three dMAT Core Module subtests. In the official task type, you see four pictures (4 by 4 grids, which g.a.s.t. calls matrices). One or more figures change from picture to picture, and you must identify the rule and choose the fifth and the sixth picture. Each of the two answers has three options.

For APS India candidates, this is part of the Core Module, not the General Academic Module. The official preparation material gives 20 Figure Sequence series in 25 minutes, so you have about 75 seconds per item.

Start with the dMAT structure guide if you are unsure where this subtest fits. Use the main dMAT preparation guide for the full study plan.

Last reviewed: 9 October 2026. This article uses the official dMAT preparation material (edition as at 2 September 2026) only for rule categories and format understanding. All practice questions below are Think Mile original and are not official dMAT questions.

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Direct Answer

Figure Sequences tests visual rule detection under time pressure. You need to track how each figure changes by:

• position;
• colour;
• orientation;
• movement direction;
• step size;
• boundary behaviour;
• interaction with other figures.

The key skill is not artistic ability. It is systematic tracking.

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Official Rule Types to Know

The official preparation material (edition as at 2 September 2026) gives these rules:

"Figures can change their colour. Figures can rotate around their own axis. Figures can move in the matrix. Vertical, horizontal, and diagonal movements are allowed. Figures cannot change from one diagonal movement to another type of movement."

"Figures can also change their movement, colour or orientation by x + 1. Example: If a figure moves one step from matrix 1 to matrix 2, it moves 2 steps from matrix 2 to matrix 3, then 3 steps, etc."

"Figures cannot disappear or overlap. Figures cannot leave the matrix. If they come up against an outer boundary, they can EITHER bounce off OR move along the outer boundary."

The six official exercises and their solutions show how these rules appear in practice:

Do not assume every item uses only one rule. Many harder items give each symbol its own rule, and some stack two rules (movement plus rotation, or movement plus colour) on one symbol.

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Solving Method

Use this process for every item:

1. Pick one figure only.
2. Track its position across the given frames.
3. Identify whether the step size is constant or increasing.
4. Check what happens at boundaries.
5. Track orientation separately from position.
6. Track colour separately from orientation.
7. Repeat for the next figure.
8. Combine the rules only at the end.
9. Eliminate answer options that violate any one rule.

The common mistake is trying to understand the whole grid at once. Under a 75-second target, that becomes noisy. Track one figure at a time.

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Common Traps

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No-Note Strategy

The official dMAT rules do not allow notes during the exam. Train mentally from the beginning.

Use short verbal labels in your head:

• "red square: right one, right two, right three";
• "triangle: rotate clockwise each frame";
• "circle: black, white, black, white";
• "diamond: bounce at edge."

This reduces memory load. You are not memorising full grids; you are compressing each figure into a rule phrase.

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Think Mile Original Practice

These are original text-based practice questions in the official format: a 4 by 4 grid, four pictures shown, and two answers (the fifth and the sixth picture) with three options each. They train rule recognition, but they are not official dMAT questions and do not replace visual practice in the official material.

Notation:

• Rows are numbered 1 to 4 from top to bottom.
• Columns are numbered 1 to 4 from left to right.
• The outer border has 12 cells: row 1, column 1 to column 4, then down column 4, then along row 4 back to column 1, then up column 1.
• The four middle cells are row 2 column 2, row 2 column 3, row 3 column 3 and row 3 column 2.

Easy Question

A red circle appears in these positions (a bounce means the figure turns round at the edge without staying there for an extra picture):

Picture 5

A. row 3, column 4 B. row 3, column 3 C. row 3, column 2

Picture 6

A. row 3, column 2 B. row 3, column 1 C. row 3, column 3

Answers: picture 5 is C, picture 6 is B. The circle moves one column at a time along row 3 and bounces off the right edge (picture 3 to 4). It then keeps moving left: column 2 in picture 5, column 1 in picture 6.

Medium Question

A black triangle appears in these positions and orientations:

Picture 5

A. row 4, column 4, orientation up B. row 3, column 3, orientation right C. row 3, column 3, orientation up

Picture 6

A. row 3, column 3, orientation right B. row 2, column 2, orientation up C. row 2, column 2, orientation right

Answers: picture 5 is C, picture 6 is C. The triangle moves one cell along the diagonal, reaches the corner in picture 4 and then retraces the same diagonal (row 3, column 3, then row 2, column 2). Orientation is a separate rule: it turns 90 degrees clockwise every picture (up, right, down, left, up, right).

Difficult Question

Two figures appear in the grid.

Rules:

• The red square walks clockwise along the outer border and increases its movement by x + 1: 1 cell, then 2 cells, then 3 cells, and so on.
• The circle walks clockwise round the four middle cells, one cell per picture, and alternates between blue and green.

Picture 5

A. red square row 3, column 1; green circle row 2, column 2 B. red square row 3, column 1; blue circle row 2, column 2 C. red square row 4, column 1; blue circle row 2, column 2

Picture 6

A. red square row 3, column 4; green circle row 2, column 3 B. red square row 1, column 4; blue circle row 2, column 3 C. red square row 1, column 4; green circle row 2, column 3

Answers: picture 5 is B, picture 6 is C. The red square has moved 1, 2 and 3 cells, so the next moves are 4 cells (row 4, column 4 round to row 3, column 1) and then 5 cells (past the top-left corner to row 1, column 4). The circle returns to row 2, column 2 in picture 5 and moves on to row 2, column 3 in picture 6. Its colour alternates, so it is blue in picture 5 and green in picture 6.

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Timed Practice Plan

Do not start with speed if your rule recognition is weak. Build clean tracking first, then compress time.

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Free Learning Path

Use TestAS only as supplementary practice for similar task formats. It is not official dMAT material.

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Official vs Preparation Inference

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is Figure Sequences an IQ test?
It resembles non-verbal reasoning and pattern-recognition tasks, but for dMAT preparation you should focus on the official rule types rather than generic IQ tricks.

How fast should I solve each question?
The official timing is 20 series in 25 minutes, or about 75 seconds per series. Each series has two answers (the fifth and the sixth picture).

Should I practise with notes first?
No. Because notes are not allowed in the real exam, practise mental tracking from the beginning.

What is the most common mistake?
Trying to track all figures at once. Track one figure, one rule, then combine.

What should I study next?
Continue with Mathematical Equations and Latin Squares, then use the General Academic Module guide for Part 2.

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Source note: This article was reviewed against the official dMAT General Academic Module preparatory material (d-mat.de/general-academic-module, edition as at 2 September 2026), the official dMAT preparation page, and the official digital TestAS preparation page. All practice items are Think Mile original and are not affiliated with APS India or g.a.s.t.