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NSW SelectiveYear 7 entry

Logic puzzles in Selective Thinking Skills

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A logic puzzle gives a set of clues and asks for the one arrangement that fits them all. In Selective Thinking Skills, your child draws a grid, starts with the strictest clue and lets each tick rule out other boxes.

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The full lesson is in the SelectiveReady app. A free account opens How and Why Authors Write; this lesson needs a paid plan.

Updated 16 October 2026 · Facts checked 12 October 2026

Solving Logic Puzzles (lesson preview)

A short preview from the SelectiveReady lesson “Solving Logic Puzzles”, on logic puzzles for the NSW Selective test.

Published:

Read the video transcript

So, where do we begin? Do we just start with the first clue? Nope. The real secret to solving these things fast is to find the most restrictive clue. That's the one that gives you the most solid information and eliminates the most possibilities right from the get-go. And this slide right here shows us the perfect path. We start with that golden ticket of a clue. Ben does not have a dog or a fish. Well, think about it. If there were only three pets, he has to have the cat, right? Boom, that's our first tick in the grid. And now that chain reaction starts. If Ben has the cat, then we know for sure Ali and Kara can't have it. That gives us two crosses. And from there, the rest of the puzzle just starts to fall right into place. And there it is, the beautiful result, a completed grid. Ben has the cat that forces Ali to have the dog, which means Kara must have the fish. See? Every box is filled, every clue is satisfied, and we have our one unique solution.

Solving Logic Puzzles is a full lesson in the SelectiveReady app. A free account opens one lesson, How and Why Authors Write; the other lessons need a paid plan1SelectiveReady · 13 October 2026 · Published. The preview on this page has English and Chinese captions.

2

What will your child learn in this lesson?

Your child learns to treat a logic puzzle like Sudoku with words: every clue crosses off possibilities until one arrangement is left. They'll be able to set up a grid, choose the strictest clue to start, and read each clue's exact wording.

The clip solves a three-friends, three-pets puzzle from its best starting clue. The full lesson adds the grid, the chain reaction of crosses and the three traps.

3

How do logic puzzles show up in Selective Thinking Skills?

Your child gets a short scene, such as people in a line or lessons on different days, and a list of clues. The working happens on paper.

The Thinking Skills testWhat it means for puzzles
402NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published questions in 402NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published minutesA puzzle can take longer than a minute, so a fast start matters
23NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published sheets of working paper, with more on requestRoom to draw a grid or a row of boxes
No calculator2NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · PublishedPuzzles need clear thinking, not sums
The practice papers say there are no marks lost for incorrect answers4NSW Education · 13 October 2026 · PublishedIf a puzzle stalls, choose the best option so far and move on
4

What is a logic puzzle?

A logic puzzle is a game of elimination. It names some people and some things, gives clues, and asks your child to match them so that every clue is true.

Matching puzzles

Who owns which pet, plays which sport or has which lesson. A grid works best.

Order puzzles

Who stands where in a line, or which day comes first. A row of boxes works best.

Seating puzzles

Who sits next to whom. Draw the seats, then place the fixed people first.

Every clue is there for a reason. The answer is built into the puzzle, and the clues are the path to it.

5

What is the method for logic puzzles?

Draw the grid, scan every clue, and start with the one that gives a definite yes or no. Then let each tick set off a chain of crosses.

Start with the strictest clue: one yes in the grid puts a no in every other box of its row and column. The chain reaction.

  1. Set up the grid

    People down the side, things across the top. Every empty box is a question still to answer.

  2. Scan all the clues first

    Don't start with the first clue. Find the strictest one: the clue that gives a definite yes or rules out the most.

  3. Tick, then cross

    One tick means the rest of that row and column get crosses. One fact clears many boxes.

  4. Test the cases when stuck

    If two places are possible, try each one. The case that breaks a clue is out.

Which words change a clue's meaning?

One small word can change a clue completely. Read each one exactly as written.

Clue saysIt meansIt doesn't mean
A sits next to BA is on either side of BA is on the left
A sits directly left of BA is in the seat just left of BAnywhere to the left
A is before BA comes earlier, maybe with others betweenStraight before
A is directly behind BA is the very next one after BSomewhere behind
A is not lastA is in any place but the endA is first
6

What does a worked logic puzzle look like?

We wrote this puzzle to show the method.

Our practice puzzle
Mia, Omar and Tess each do one after-school activity: chess, swimming or drama. Each child does a different one. Mia does not do chess. Omar does not do swimming or chess.

Question: Who does chess?

StepWhat your child does
Set upNames down the side, activities across the top: nine empty boxes.
ScanThe first clue gives one cross. The second gives two crosses on one row, which leaves only drama for Omar. Start there.
Tick, then crossTick Omar and drama. Cross drama for Mia and Tess.
Next clueMia has no chess and no drama left, so Mia swims.
Last boxTess does chess. Check both clues: both are true.
7

What mistake do children make with logic puzzles?

The common mistake is starting with the first clue and guessing from there. The fix is to read every clue first and begin with the strictest one.

TrapWhat it looks likeThe fix
Skipping a clueA clue looks useless, so it's ignoredUse every clue; each one is there for a reason
Making assumptionsFilling a box the clues never fixedIf the puzzle doesn't say it, don't assume it
Misreading the wordingNext to read as directly left ofNote the small words that set the place
8

Can my child try one on their own?

Here is an order puzzle from our free Thinking Skills set. Your child solves it with a row of boxes, then checks the explanation.

Practice question · SEL-TS-TST-10

Bella, Hiro, Kian and Nadia are lining up for the water slide.

  • Hiro is first in the line.
  • Nadia is directly behind Bella.
  • Kian is not last.

Who is second in the line?

  1. A

    Bella

  2. B

    It cannot be worked out

  3. C

    Nadia

  4. D

    Kian

Show answer and explanation

Answer: D

Answer: D (Kian)

  1. Hiro is first, so places 2, 3 and 4 are left for Bella, Nadia and Kian.
  2. Bella and Nadia stand together with Nadia behind, so they take places 2 and 3, or places 3 and 4.
  3. Check places 2 and 3: Kian would be 4th, which is last. Not allowed.
  4. Check places 3 and 4: Kian is 2nd. All three clues are met.
  5. Only one order works: Hiro, Kian, Bella, Nadia. Kian is second.

Why the other options are wrong

  • A (Bella): Bella can only be second if Kian is last, and the clues say he is not.
  • B (It cannot be worked out): Testing both places for Bella and Nadia leaves only one order, so it can be worked out.
  • C (Nadia): Nadia stands directly behind Bella, so she could only be second if Bella were first, but Hiro is first.

  1. Place the fixed fact

    Hiro is first, so three places are left for Bella, Nadia and Kian.

  2. Read the pair clue exactly

    Nadia is directly behind Bella, so they stand together with Bella in front.

  3. Test both cases

    Bella and Nadia second and third leaves Kian last, which a clue forbids. Third and fourth leaves Kian second.

  4. Answer

    D, Kian. Only one order works.

9

How can my child practise logic puzzles at home?

Puzzles are easy to make and fun to share. A few a week, talked through, build the habit.

Make family puzzles

Use your family's names, pets and favourite foods. Your child writes the clues for you to solve.

Say each tick aloud

Your child explains which clue gave each tick and which crosses follow from it.

Play word Sudoku

Grid puzzles in puzzle books train the same chain of ticks and crosses.

10

Questions parents ask about logic puzzles

Does my child need a grid every time?

For matching puzzles, yes. For line or seating puzzles, a row of boxes or seats is quicker.

Can my child write in the test?

Yes. Each child gets 23NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published sheets of working paper and can ask for more.

What if my child finds puzzles slow?

Speed comes from the start. Finding the strictest clue first saves the most time.

Is the full lesson free?

A free account opens one lesson, How and Why Authors Write; the other lessons need a paid plan1SelectiveReady · 13 October 2026 · Published.

Next questions

Selective Thinking Skills →Lesson: Thinking Like a Detective →Lesson: Systems, Switches & State Changes →Lesson: Number Reasoning Without Formulas →Free Selective practice test →

Sources and checks

  1. SelectiveReady

    SelectiveReady · Checked 13 October 2026

  2. Selective high school practice tests

    NSW Department of Education · Checked 12 October 2026 · Practice materials: personal or non-commercial use only; CC BY 4.0 does not apply (page notice). Page text: CC BY 4.0.

  3. Placement test

    NSW Department of Education · Checked 12 October 2026 · CC BY 4.0 (NSW Department of Education copyright notice); quotes credited

  4. Selective High School Placement Test, Thinking Skills Question Paper, Practice Test 1 (2026 entry practice tests, PDF)

    NSW Department of Education · Checked 13 October 2026 · Practice materials: personal or non-commercial use only; CC BY 4.0 does not apply (page notice). Quoted briefly with credit. Saved text: the cover-page instructions only; the question pages are not stored (W§3.22).

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