dMAT Figure Sequences: 15 Free Practice Questions (2026)

5 min read

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Quick Read

20 Figure Sequences questions, 25 minutes, 75 seconds each, no negative marking
Every question has a set of 7 rules: colour change, rotation, movement, the x+1 step-growth rule, no vanishing/overlap, bounce at borders, or slide along borders
To solve: isolate one figure at a time, confirm its rule across all four matrices, then project and match
No notes, rough paper, or calculator is allowed, all rule-tracking happens mentally
Attempt 15 free practice questions below, then open the solution path only after you’ve committed to an answer

Table of Content

What Are dMAT Figure Sequences?

Figure Sequences is the first subtest of the dMAT Core Module, which every test taker sits for regardless of background. You see a series of four matrices in which small figures change position, colour or orientation according to fixed rules, and you select what the next matrix looks like. According to the official preparatory materials, you get 20 questions in 25 minutes, which works out to 75 seconds per question.

The subtest measures pattern recognition, not knowledge, so there is no syllabus to memorize. You can learn the limited set of rules the figures follow and train your speed on them.

Once you finish here, continue with the rest of the dMAT practice test hub, the dMAT Core Module explained guide, and the full dMAT exam pattern.

Feature	Detail
Position in exam	First subtest of the Core Module
Questions	20
Time	25 minutes (75 seconds per question)
Format	Series of 4 matrices: choose what comes next
Aids allowed	None. No notes, rough paper or calculator
Negative marking	None, so answer every question

The 7 Rules Behind Every dMAT Figure Sequences Question

The official materials define a closed set of behaviors. Every dMAT Figure Sequences question, from the easiest to the hardest, combines some of these seven rules.

The dMAT syllabus does not go beyond them.

#	Rule	What it looks like
1	Colour change	A figure alternates or cycles colours from one matrix to the next
2	Rotation	A figure rotates around its own axis, typically 90 degrees per step
3	Movement	Vertical, horizontal or diagonal steps; a figure never switches from a diagonal to a different movement type mid-series
4	The x + 1 rule	The step size grows: 1 step, then 2, then 3, and so on
5	No vanishing, no overlap	Figures never disappear and never share a cell
6	Bounce at boundaries	At the matrix edge, a figure can bounce back the way it came
7	Slide along boundaries	Or it can keep moving along the outer border, clockwise or counter-clockwise

Difficulty comes from stacking: an easy question uses one figure and one rule; a hard question can run three figures with different rules at the same time, including the x + 1 rule combined with border movement.

dMAT Figure Sequences Practice Questions with Answers (Free)

There are no dMAT past papers, so format-accurate practice is the only realistic preparation. The 15 original questions below mirror the official preparatory materials: the same matrix format, the same seven rules, and the same difficulty ladder of low, medium, and high. Attempt each question first, then open the solution path to compare your reasoning.

Question 1 Low

Look at the series below. The figures change by fixed rules from one matrix to the next. Choose the matrix that comes next.

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Answer: B. The blue circle moves one field to the right in row 2 each time. At the right boundary it cannot leave the matrix, so it bounces off and moves one field back to the left, landing on column 3.

Question 2 Low

Look at the series below. The figures change by fixed rules from one matrix to the next. Choose the matrix that comes next.

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Answer: C. The green square moves one field down in column 3 each time. At the bottom boundary it bounces off and moves back up one field, to row 3.

Question 3 Low

Look at the series below. The figures change by fixed rules from one matrix to the next. Choose the matrix that comes next.

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Answer: A. The triangle moves diagonally down and to the right. At the corner it bounces and returns along the same diagonal, so the next position is row 3, column 3.

Question 4 Low

Look at the series below. The figures change by fixed rules from one matrix to the next. Choose the matrix that comes next.

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Answer: C. The diamond moves one field to the left in row 3 each time. At the left boundary it bounces off and moves one field back to the right, to column 2.

Question 5 Low

Look at the series below. The figures change by fixed rules from one matrix to the next. Choose the matrix that comes next.

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Answer: B. The circle moves one field up in column 2 each time. At the top boundary it bounces off and moves one field back down, to row 2.

Question 6 Medium

Two figures, two rules. Choose the matrix that comes next.

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Answer: B. The star moves right along the top row and bounces off the right boundary, back to column 3. The square stays in place but alternates its colour blue, red, blue, red, so next it is blue again. One distractor shows the right position but the wrong colour.

Question 7 Medium

Watch the orientation of the arrow. Choose the matrix that comes next.

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Answer: C. The arrow does not move. It rotates 90 degrees clockwise from matrix to matrix: right, down, left, up. After up, the rotation continues to the right again.

Question 8 Medium

The figure moves along the outer border. Choose the matrix that comes next.

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Answer: A. The circle slides along the outer border clockwise by one field at a time. From row 2, column 4 it continues down the right edge to row 3, column 4.

Question 9 Medium

Two figures, two rules. Choose the matrix that comes next.

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Answer: C. The triangle moves down column 1 and the square moves up column 4, one field each. Both reach a boundary in the fourth matrix, so both bounce: the triangle back up to row 3, the square back down to row 2.

Question 10 Medium

Watch the position and the colour. Choose the matrix that comes next.

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Answer: B. The circle moves one field right along row 4 and bounces off the right boundary, back to column 3. Its colour cycles blue, green, red, blue, so the next colour is green. One distractor has the right position but repeats red.

Question 11 High

The diamond moves along the outer border. Choose the matrix that comes next.

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Answer: B. This is the x + 1 rule combined with border movement. The diamond travels clockwise 1 step, then 2, then 3. The next move is 4 steps: from row 3, column 4 it goes down to the corner, then 3 fields left along the bottom row, landing on row 4, column 1.

Question 12 High

The step size changes. Choose the matrix that comes next.

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Answer: C. The x + 1 rule with a bounce: the star moves right along row 1 by 1 step, then 2 steps. The third move is 3 steps: one step to the boundary is impossible, so it travels column 4 to 3 to 2 to 1 after bouncing, ending at column 1. The fourth move is 4 steps to the right: columns 2, 3, 4, then bounce back to column 3.

Question 13 High

Three figures, three rules. Choose the matrix that comes next.

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Answer: A. The circle slides counter-clockwise along the border: left along the top row, then down the left edge to row 2, column 1. The triangle stays in place and alternates yellow and green, so next it is yellow. The square moves right along row 4 and bounces: columns 2, 3, 4, 3, and next 2.

Question 14 High

The arrow moves and rotates. Choose the matrix that comes next.

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Answer: C. Two rules at once. Position: the arrow moves one field down column 3 and bounces off the bottom boundary, back up to row 3. Orientation: it rotates 90 degrees clockwise each time, and after up comes right. So the next matrix shows a right-pointing arrow at row 3, column 3.

Question 15 High

Watch the position and the colour. Choose the matrix that comes next.

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Answer: B. The diamond moves diagonally down-right and bounces at the corner, so the next position is row 3, column 3. The second rule: each time the figure touches a boundary, it changes colour. It touches the corner in matrix 4, so it returns red, not blue. The distractor in blue ignores the colour rule.

See More Questions (7 more)

How to Solve dMAT Figure Sequences in 75 Seconds

Isolate one figure at a time. Never read the whole matrix at once. Pick one figure and name its rule out loud in your head: “Circle, right one step, bounces.”
Confirm on matrices 3 and 4. A rule guessed from two frames is a hypothesis; a rule confirmed on four frames is an answer.
Project, then match. Work out the next position, colour and orientation before looking at the options so the distractors cannot anchor you.
Decide in 75 seconds, then move. If two options differ, the difference is usually colour or orientation, so check those last and pick.

Since the exam allows no aids, your checklist for test day is short:

Exam-day rule	What it means for you
No notes or rough paper	All rule-tracking happens mentally
No calculator or tools	Not needed for this subtest
The timer runs per section	Unanswered questions score zero
No negative marking	Guess on every question you cannot solve

dMAT Figure Sequences Study Plan Before 26 September 2026

The dMAT is on 26 September 2026, and registration closes on 15 September.

Check the dMAT exam dates and registration deadline for the full timeline, then work backwards with this dMAT Figure Sequences plan:

Weeks before test	Focus
6 to 5	Learn the 7 rules; solve low-difficulty questions untimed
4 to 3	Medium difficulty; start 75-second-per-question pacing
2	High difficulty, x + 1 and multi-figure sets; classify errors
1	Two full-time 20-question sets; review only your weakest bucket
Test week	One light set to stay sharp; no new question types

Frequently Asked Questions About dMAT Figure Sequences

How many Figure Sequences questions are there in the dMAT?

The Core Module opens with 20 Figure Sequences questions to be solved in 25 minutes, which gives you about 75 seconds per question. Every dMAT candidate answers this subtest, whatever their degree background or chosen subject module.

What rules can the figures follow?

The official preparatory materials define seven behaviors: colour change, rotation, movement in straight or diagonal lines, growing step sizes under the x + 1 rule, no vanishing or overlapping, bouncing off boundaries, and sliding along the outer border. Every question combines rules from this closed set.

What is the x + 1 rule in dMAT Figure Sequences?

A figure’s step size can grow by one with each transition: it moves 1 field, then 2, then 3, and so on. Combined with bouncing or border movement, this method produces the hardest questions in the section, so always measure step distance between consecutive matrices.

Are dMAT Figure Sequences the same as Raven’s matrices?

They are related but not identical. Raven’s puzzles show one static 3×3 grid with a missing cell, while the dMAT shows a moving series of four matrices and asks what comes next. The transformation logic overlaps, but the tracking-over-time skill is specific to the dMAT format.

Can I use rough paper during this section?

The dMAT permits no notes, rough paper, or aids of any kind, and this rule applies to the entire exam. All rule tracking has to happen mentally, which is why practicing without pen and paper from day one matters more than raw question volume.

Do wrong answers lose marks?

There is no negative marking in the dMAT, so an unanswered question and a wrong answer cost you the same. If the clock is running out, eliminating one option and guessing between the rest is always the mathematically correct move.

Can a figure move and change colour at the same time?

A single figure can move, rotate, and change colour simultaneously, and harder questions combine two or three figures, each running their own rules. The method stays the same: isolate one figure, name its rule, confirm it across all four matrices, then repeat.

Do commerce and business students also face Figure Sequences?

The Core Module is identical for every candidate, so commerce, finance, and business graduates taking the dMAT for APS purposes answer the same 20 questions as engineers. If you are unsure whether the dMAT applies to you, see how dMAT and APS certification fit together.

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