11+ spatial reasoning explained: 3D rotation, cube nets and hole-punch questions

Spatial reasoning is the strand of the 11+ that tests how your child handles shapes in their head: Rotating a 3D block, folding a cube net, picturing what a paper looks like after it's been folded and hole-punched. It sits inside non-verbal reasoning on most papers, but the questions feel different from the flat 2D pattern-matching that dominates the rest of NVR.

This guide walks through the six question types that come up most often, what each one is asking, and how your child can practise without burning out. It assumes no prior knowledge: If your child has never seen a cube net in their life, you can start from here.

Spatial reasoning shows up in three places. GL Assessment papers, used by many grammar schools, include spatial questions inside the non-verbal reasoning section. The ISEB Common Pre-Test has a dedicated 25-minute non-verbal reasoning section that includes 3D rotation and net questions. CAT4, used by some independent schools, has a specific spatial battery covering figure analysis and figure recognition.

If you're not sure which test your child will sit, check the admissions page of the schools they're applying to. Schools generally state the test provider clearly, and a few will publish sample questions. The CSSE (also branded FSCE following the 2024 transition; Essex) tests only English and maths, with no reasoning section, so no spatial content at all. The Kent Test includes a reasoning paper covering both verbal and non-verbal reasoning, with spatial-style questions inside the NVR portion.

A cube net is the flat, unfolded version of a cube. The question shows a net (six squares joined in a cross or T-shape) with patterns or symbols on each face, then asks which 3D cube it would fold into.

The trick is to pick one face as the base and work out where each other face ends up when the net folds up. Opposite faces on a cube are never adjacent on the net. So if you can identify a pair of opposite faces, you've already eliminated half the wrong answers.

A good way to practise at home: Print a few blank nets, draw arrows or letters on the faces, then fold them up and check. After five or six of these, your child will start to see the relationships without having to fold.

This is the inverse question. You're shown a finished 3D cube with patterns on the visible faces, and you have to pick which flat net would produce it. The hidden faces (the back, bottom and one side) are the ones to think about: They're the faces you can't see, but you know they exist.

The method is the same in reverse. Pick one visible face as your anchor. Track which face would be opposite it on the net, and which would sit next to it. If a pattern on the cube points towards another pattern, the net should preserve that relationship when folded.

These questions show a 3D object (often a block made of smaller cubes, or an L-shaped piece) and ask which of four options is the same shape, just rotated. The wrong answers are usually mirror images or slightly different shapes designed to catch a quick eye.

A reliable approach: Count the cubes or count the angles. If the original has seven small cubes and one option has eight, that's not the answer. Look for distinctive features (a single protruding cube, an unusual notch) and trace where they end up after rotation.

Rotation can happen in any direction, including more than once. Don't assume the answer is rotated only around one axis.

A square of paper is folded once or twice, then a hole is punched through it. The question asks what the paper looks like when unfolded.

Each fold doubles the number of holes. One fold and one punch gives two holes (mirrored across the fold line). Two folds and one punch gives four holes (mirrored across both fold lines). The position of the holes follows the symmetry of the folds.

The easiest way to practise is with actual paper and a hole-punch. Five minutes of physically folding, punching and unfolding teaches the symmetry rule faster than any worksheet. After that, your child can do them on paper alone.

The question shows a 3D block structure and asks what it looks like when viewed straight down from above. The answer is a flat 2D outline that includes every block visible from the top, including any that are hidden underneath overhanging blocks.

The two things to watch for are gaps (an open square in the middle of the structure should appear as a gap in the plan view) and overhangs (a block sitting on top of empty space still shows up in the plan view). Children often forget the overhangs because they're thinking in terms of the floor footprint, which isn't the same thing.

A target shape (often a simple triangle or hexagon) is shown, then a more complex figure with lots of overlapping lines. The question asks how many times the target shape appears inside the complex one, or which of four complex figures contains the target.

This question is mostly about patience and a systematic eye. Trace the target shape with a finger or a pencil over each part of the complex figure. Counting twice helps: Children often miss one or count one twice on a first pass.

Spatial reasoning rewards little and often more than long sessions. Twenty minutes, three or four times a week, beats one ninety-minute push at the weekend. Children build mental rotation skills by repetition, and short sessions let the brain consolidate between them.

Mix physical practice with on-paper practice. Folding actual paper, building with blocks, or playing with apps that rotate 3D shapes all build the same underlying skill. By the time your child sits the test, the goal is for them to recognise the question type and reach for the right method without thinking.

Many parents start spatial reasoning practice 6 to 12 months before the test. Starting earlier than that tends to mean a long stretch of practice with no measurable improvement, because the underlying skill develops with age as well as with practice. Starting later than three months out is workable but tight, particularly if your child hasn't seen the question types before.

If your child is in Year 5 and you're planning ahead, light exposure to 3D shapes (Lego, origami, simple block-building games) helps more than worksheets at this stage. The formal practice can start when they move into Year 6.