ASET Abstract Reasoning: what it asks and how to find the rule
Independent. Not affiliated with the WA Department of Education or ACER.
ASET Abstract Reasoning, sat in Year 6, is the last of the four tests: 351WA Education · 12 October 2026 · Published pattern questions in 201WA Education · 12 October 2026 · Published minutes. The skill is spotting the rule behind changing shapes, then choosing the option that follows it most simply.
What does Abstract Reasoning test?
It tests whether your child can recognise connections, make reasoned choices and decide if they make sense1WA Education · 13 October 2026 · Published, using shapes instead of words or numbers. The Department says the ASET identifies a student's potential, rather than their acquired knowledge2WA Education · 13 October 2026 · Published.
For Year 7 entry in 2028, Year 6 children sit it on 6 March 20273WA Education · 12 October 2026 · Published, as the last test of the morning.
| Abstract Reasoning | What to know |
|---|---|
| Questions | 351WA Education · 12 October 2026 · Published, multiple choice |
| Time | 201WA Education · 12 October 2026 · Published minutes |
| Options per question | 41WA Education · 12 October 2026 · Published, A to D |
| Question types | 21WA Education · 12 October 2026 · Published: Next in Sequence and Complete the Pattern |
| Wrong answers | no marks taken off for wrong answers1WA Education · 12 October 2026 · Published |
| Place in the morning | Fourth and last 1WA Education · 12 October 2026 · Published |
| Weight in the total | The same as each other test 4WA Education · 12 October 2026 · Published |
What are the two question types?
The handbook names 21WA Education · 12 October 2026 · Published types. In both, the right option is the one that fits the rule most logically and most simply.
Next in Sequence
Shapes change from one box to the next, left to right. Your child must find the rule for the sequence and choose what most logically and simply comes next1WA Education · 13 October 2026 · Published.
Complete the Pattern
A grid has one box missing. Your child must choose the option that fits most logically and simply into the space marked with a question mark1WA Education · 13 October 2026 · Published.
How does the handbook explain its own examples?
The handbook works through one example of each type. Both show the kind of rule to expect: more than one shape doing one thing.
The sequence example
In the handbook's sequence, the inner black triangle moves clockwise one space while the spotted shape moves anticlockwise two spaces1WA Education · 13 October 2026 · Published. That is two shapes, two rules and two directions at once.
The lesson for your child is simple. One rule rarely explains every change, so track each shape on its own.
The pattern example
In the handbook's grid, the shape at the right of each row is made by combining the shapes in the first two boxes1WA Education · 13 October 2026 · Published. The rule runs along each row, not down the columns.
The lesson here: compare the boxes in one row first. Then check that the next row follows the same rule before choosing.
What method works on any pattern?
Teach one routine and use it on every question. Your child looks at one feature at a time, puts its rule into words, then tests the options against it.
Pick one feature
Position, number, shading, size or rotation. Ignore everything else for now.
Say its change in words
For example: the black triangle moves one corner clockwise each step.
Check a second feature
Many items combine two simple rules, as the handbook's own example does.
Predict before looking
Picture the missing shape first, then find the option that matches it.
Rule out, don't hunt
Cross out any option that breaks a rule you named. The one left standing is the answer.
What changes should my child look for?
Most rules are built from a small set of changes. Running down this list stops your child staring at the whole picture and hoping. The list is our own teaching aid, not from the handbook.
| Change | What to check | How to say the rule |
|---|---|---|
| Position | Where a shape sits, and which way it moves | Moves one corner clockwise each step |
| Rotation | Which way a shape points | Turns a quarter turn each time |
| Number | How many shapes, lines or dots there are | One more dot in each box |
| Shading | Black, white, striped or spotted | Swaps from black to white |
| Size | Bigger or smaller | Shrinks, then grows again |
| Combining | Whether two boxes join to make a third | The first two boxes overlap to make the third |
How fast does my child need to work?
Faster than in any other ASET test. The handbook says to work even more quickly than the other tests1WA Education · 12 October 2026 · Published, and that speed, accuracy and attention to detail are part of the skill.
For comparison, Reading Comprehension gives 351WA Education · 12 October 2026 · Published questions in 351WA Education · 12 October 2026 · Published minutes. Abstract Reasoning gives the same number of questions in only 201WA Education · 12 October 2026 · Published.
Stuck on a question
Your child should leave its answer space blank and put an asterisk next to the question number1WA Education · 13 October 2026 · Published, then move on.
Halfway check
Your child should be about halfway through the questions when half the time is left1WA Education · 13 October 2026 · Published.
Unsure between options
The handbook suggests you narrow it to two of the four options by ruling out obvious wrong answers1WA Education · 13 October 2026 · Published.
What traps cost marks?
Most lost marks in this test come from rushing and slips, not from a lack of ability. These four are worth naming with your child.
Answers out of line
Skipping a question can push later answers into the wrong row. The handbook recommends answering in order, which lowers the risk of misaligned answers1WA Education · 13 October 2026 · Published. If it happens, your child should not rub anything out, and tell a supervisor straight away1WA Education · 13 October 2026 · Published.
Stopping at one rule
The handbook's own sequence moves two shapes at once. Check every shape before choosing. 1WA Education · 13 October 2026 · Published
A rule that is too clever
The right option fits most logically and simply. If a rule needs a long explanation, look for a shorter one. 1WA Education · 13 October 2026 · Published
Staying too long
There is no particular order of difficulty, and every question is worth one point1WA Education · 13 October 2026 · Published. A stubborn question is worth no more than an easy one.
Where are the official Abstract Reasoning samples?
The WA Department of Education publishes them free. We link to them rather than copy them.
| Sample | From | Format | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|---|
| Practice ASET: Abstract reasoning | WA Department of Education | PDF booklet to print | A full practice section 2WA Education · 12 October 2026 · Published |
| Practice ASET: answer booklet | WA Department of Education | PDF to print | the same answer booklet your child will use on the day2WA Education · 13 October 2026 · Published |
| Practice ASET: answers | WA Department of Education | The key for the multiple-choice questions 2WA Education · 12 October 2026 · Published | |
| ASET Handbook | WA Department of Education | Both worked examples above, plus tips 2WA Education · 13 October 2026 · Published |
The year or edition of the practice test: Not published2WA Education · 13 October 2026 · Not published. Practice results do not show how a child will score2WA Education · 12 October 2026 · Published.
How can my child practise at home?
The Department's advice is to read the handbook carefully and try the Practice ASET1WA Education · 13 October 2026 · Published. Beyond that, a few short sessions with your child talking through each rule will do more than long drills.
Read the handbook's Abstract Reasoning pages together 2WA Education · 13 October 2026 · Published
Ask your child to say each rule out loud before choosing an option
Spot patterns in everyday things: tiles, fabric, fences, wrapping paper
Draw a short sequence for your child to finish, then swap roles
Do the Department's practice section once, timed to the real minutes 1WA Education · 12 October 2026 · Published
Keep sessions short: the handbook warns that over-preparing can have the opposite effect1WA Education · 13 October 2026 · Published
Questions parents ask about ASET Abstract Reasoning
Does my child need to learn anything for it?
No. The handbook says the ASET is not curriculum-based1WA Education · 12 October 2026 · Published. Abstract Reasoning uses shapes only, so there is nothing to memorise.
Can my child draw on the question booklet?
Yes. Rough working is fine in the question booklet, but markers never see it1WA Education · 13 October 2026 · Published. Marking a shape's path with a pencil can help.
What if my child runs out of time?
With about a minute left, the handbook says to fill in an answer for every remaining question1WA Education · 13 October 2026 · Published. There are no marks taken off for wrong answers1WA Education · 12 October 2026 · Published.
Does Abstract Reasoning count more than the other tests?
No: all 4 tests are worth the same4WA Education · 12 October 2026 · Published. A child who finds it hard can make up ground in the other three.