dMAT Figure Sequences: Rules, Solving Method and Practice Questions
Figure Sequences is the first subtest of the dMAT Core Module. You see a series of grids in which figures move, turn and change colour according to fixed rules, and you choose the next two grids. There are 20 series in 25 minutes, so you have 75 seconds for each.
How the task works
Each task shows a row of grids. One or more figures sit in the fields of each grid. From one grid to the next, every figure follows its own rule. You work out each rule from the grids you can see and then decide what the following two grids look like.
A figure has three properties that can change:
| Property | What can happen |
|---|---|
| Position | The figure moves vertically, horizontally or diagonally |
| Orientation | The figure turns around its own axis |
| Colour | The figure changes colour |
The rules g.a.s.t. has published
These are all the rules a sequence can use. Learn them, because nothing else is allowed to happen.
- Figures can move vertically, horizontally or diagonally.
- A figure on a diagonal stays on a diagonal. It cannot switch from a diagonal movement to another type of movement.
- Figures can rotate around their own axis.
- Figures can change colour.
- A change can grow by one each time. A figure may move 1 field, then 2, then 3, and so on. The same can apply to rotation or colour.
- Figures cannot disappear and cannot overlap.
- Figures cannot leave the grid. At the outer border a figure either bounces off or moves along the border.
Rule 7 is where most errors happen. Two figures that look the same in the first grids can behave differently at the border, so look for the grid in which the figure actually reaches it.
How to solve a sequence in 75 seconds
- Take one figure at a time. Ignore the others completely. Trying to follow the whole grid at once is the main reason people run out of time.
- Find its movement. Compare grid 1 with grid 2, then check your idea on grids 3 and 4. Ask: same row, same column, along the edge, or on a diagonal? How many fields per step?
- Check the two other properties. Does it turn, and in which direction? Does the colour change, and after how many grids does it repeat?
- Predict before you look at the options. Decide where that figure will be in grid 5, then strike out every option that disagrees.
- Repeat with the next figure only if more than one option is left. Often one figure is enough to decide.
Two shortcuts save a lot of time:
- Start with the simplest figure. A figure that only moves along one row eliminates options faster than one that moves, turns and changes colour.
- Compare the options with each other. If two options differ only in the direction a triangle points, the triangle's rotation is the only thing you need to work out.
Worked example
Which grid comes fifth?
Which grid comes sixth?
How to solve it. Take the figures one at a time.
- The pink L-shape moves diagonally, one field at a time, starting down and to the right. At the border it turns back and returns along the same diagonal.
- The yellow triangle moves anticlockwise along the outer border, 2 fields at a time.
Answer: grid 5 is option A, grid 6 is option B.
Patterns worth recognising at once
| What you see | Likely rule |
|---|---|
| The figure stays in one row or column and comes back | Moves one field at a time and bounces off the border |
| The figure follows the edge and turns at a corner | Moves along the outer border, clockwise or anticlockwise |
| The figure only visits the four middle fields | Circles the centre |
| Row and column both change by one each time | Diagonal movement |
| The jumps get longer: 1 field, 2 fields, 3 fields | The step grows by one each time |
| Two colours take turns | Colour alternates |
| The colour repeats in every third grid | Cycle of three colours |
| Orientation in grid 5 equals grid 1 | A quarter turn each time |
Practice questions
Work through these without writing anything down, as in the exam. Give yourself 75 seconds for each. The questions are original Yastudy items built on the published rules.
Which grid comes fifth?
Which grid comes sixth?
Show answer and explanation
Answer: grid 5 is option A, grid 6 is option A.
The yellow T-shape moves anticlockwise along the outer border, one field at a time.
Which grid comes fifth?
Which grid comes sixth?
Show answer and explanation
Answer: grid 5 is option B, grid 6 is option A.
The circle moves anticlockwise along the outer border, one field at a time. It alternates between blue and purple.
Which grid comes fifth?
Which grid comes sixth?
Show answer and explanation
Answer: grid 5 is option B, grid 6 is option C.
The triangle moves clockwise around the four middle fields, one field at a time. It turns 90° to the left from one grid to the next. It alternates between purple and orange. The black L-shape moves clockwise along the outer border, 2 fields at a time. It turns 90° to the left from one grid to the next.
Which grid comes fifth?
Which grid comes sixth?
Show answer and explanation
Answer: grid 5 is option B, grid 6 is option A.
The L-shape moves clockwise along the outer border, 2 fields at a time. It turns 90° to the right from one grid to the next. It alternates between green and blue. The T-shape moves clockwise around the four middle fields, one field at a time. It alternates between purple and orange.
Which grid comes fifth?
Which grid comes sixth?
Show answer and explanation
Answer: grid 5 is option C, grid 6 is option A.
The triangle moves clockwise around the four middle fields, one field at a time. It turns 90° to the left from one grid to the next. It alternates between blue and purple. The L-shape moves diagonally, one field at a time, starting down and to the right. At the border it turns back and returns along the same diagonal. It alternates between orange and yellow. The green T-shape moves clockwise along the outer border and goes one field further each time: 1 field, then 2, then 3, then 4, then 5. It turns 90° to the left from one grid to the next.
Which grid comes fifth?
Which grid comes sixth?
Show answer and explanation
Answer: grid 5 is option A, grid 6 is option A.
The blue L-shape moves clockwise along the outer border, 2 fields at a time. It turns 90° to the left from one grid to the next. The green triangle moves anticlockwise around the four middle fields, one field at a time. It turns to the right by one more quarter turn each time: 90°, then 180°, then 270°, then 360°, then 450°. The T-shape moves clockwise along the outer border, 2 fields at a time. Its colour changes in the order pink, orange, purple, and then starts again.
Common mistakes
- Following every figure at once. Take them one by one.
- Deciding the border behaviour too early. Wait until you have seen the figure at the border.
- Mixing up a rotation with a movement. A triangle that points a different way has turned. Check its field separately.
- Forgetting the sixth grid. You answer twice per task. After you have the fifth grid, apply the same rules once more.
- Leaving a task blank. If the time is nearly up, pick the most likely option. The official instructions tell you to guess.
What to practise next
- Mathematical Equations, the second Core subtest
- Latin Squares, the third Core subtest
- The timed dMAT sample test, which includes ten more Figure Sequences tasks
Want more Figure Sequences practice?
The Yastudy practice sets include Figure Sequences at three difficulty levels with solutions.
Frequently asked questions
How many Figure Sequences tasks are in the dMAT?
There are 20 series of grids in 25 minutes, which is 75 seconds per series. For each series you determine the next two grids.
Can figures disappear or overlap in dMAT Figure Sequences?
No. The official rules state that figures cannot disappear, cannot overlap and cannot leave the grid.
What happens when a figure reaches the edge of the grid?
It either bounces off the border or continues along the outer border. Which of the two a figure does is part of the rule you have to recognise from the grids you are shown.
Can I make notes or sketches for Figure Sequences?
No. Note-taking is not allowed in any part of the dMAT, so you have to track the figures in your head.
Are these practice questions from the real dMAT?
No. They are original Yastudy questions written to the rules that g.a.s.t. has published. The grids, figures and colours in the real test may look different.
Sources
Facts on this page were checked against the official sources below on 10 October 2026.
- dMAT for graduate students in India (g.a.s.t., official dMAT website)
- FAQ: dMAT for graduate students in India (g.a.s.t.)
- Digital Master Test (dMAT) for selected Master's applicants in India (APS India)
- dMAT India: List of Affected Previous Degree Fields, Version 1.0 (APS India, PDF)
- dMAT Preparatory Materials for Test Takers, General Academic Module (g.a.s.t., PDF)
