Odd One Out
An odd one out question in 11+ non-verbal reasoning presents five figures, four of which share a common feature such as the same number of sides, dots, or a matching shading rule, and asks the pupil to identify the single figure that breaks that shared rule. It tests careful comparison across several figures at once rather than tracking a single change.
Before you start
No specific prerequisites - this is a good place to start.
Method
- Compare the five figures in pairs rather than judging all five at once.
- Test one feature at a time: number of sides, number of dots, shading, size, symmetry, or outline style.
- Look for the feature that four figures share and only one breaks - that broken feature identifies the odd one out.
- Move on to a different feature if the first one you check does not split the group four against one.
- Confirm your answer by checking that the other four figures genuinely share the rule you found.
Worked example
Five shapes are described below. Shape A: a square with 4 dots inside. Shape B: a pentagon with 5 dots inside. Shape C: a hexagon with 6 dots inside. Shape D: a heptagon with 6 dots inside. Shape E: an octagon with 8 dots inside. Which shape is the odd one out?
- Compare the number of sides to the number of dots inside each shape.
- Shape A has 4 sides and 4 dots; Shape B has 5 sides and 5 dots; Shape C has 6 sides and 6 dots; Shape E has 8 sides and 8 dots - all four match, giving dots equal to sides.
- Shape D has 7 sides but only 6 dots, so it does not match the dots-equal-sides rule.
- Final answer: Shape D is the odd one out, because it has 7 sides but only 6 dots, breaking the rule the other four figures follow.
Practice questions
Try each question, then tap to reveal the answer.
Exam-style questions
Written in the style of a 11+ exam paper, with a full mark scheme.
Shape A: square shaded grey. Shape B: pentagon shaded grey. Shape C: hexagon shaded grey. Shape D: heptagon shaded white. Shape E: octagon shaded grey. Which shape is the odd one out, and why?
Shape A: triangle (3 sides) with 3 dots. Shape B: pentagon (5 sides) with 5 dots. Shape C: hexagon (6 sides) with 6 dots. Shape D: heptagon (7 sides) with 7 dots. Shape E: octagon (8 sides) with 7 dots. Which shape is the odd one out?
Shape A: pentagon (5 sides), rotated 0 degrees, with 2 dots. Shape B: pentagon (5 sides), rotated 72 degrees clockwise, with 2 dots. Shape C: pentagon (5 sides), rotated 144 degrees clockwise, with 2 dots. Shape D: hexagon (6 sides), rotated 60 degrees clockwise, with 2 dots. Shape E: pentagon (5 sides), rotated 216 degrees clockwise, with 2 dots. Which shape is the odd one out?
Free printable worksheet
Want more practice on paper? Download the odd one out worksheet pack - 15 pages of exam-style questions with a full mark scheme. No sign-up, no email wall - just the PDF, free for personal and classroom use.
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