Diagrammatic reasoning questions approximate the type of
reasoning used by information technology professionals to design
and maintain software systems. That is, they require you to:
Infer rules from a diagram and
then apply those rules to a new situation
Follow a series of logical
instructions presented using symbols
Follow flowchart or pseudo-code
logic
These types of questions can appear in other types of test but
they are particularly suited to information technology jobs in
which analysts and programmers need to be able to work through
complex problems in an analytical way.
Sample Diagrammatic Reasoning Questions
The diagram shows 'inputs' and 'outputs' made up of short
'strings' of letters. The 'operators' or 'processes' are shown in
the small boxes. You need to determine what effect each of the
'operators' or 'processes' is having on the 'input' in order to
produce the 'output' shown.
Hint: The type of operations or processes you can expect
include things like: swapping letters, moving letters, adding
letters, removing letters, etc. In this diagram the black diamond
appears twice and must be having the same effect each time.
1)
2)
3)
In the next sample, the operators are defined for you. The
sequence of operations is from top to bottom and each operator
acts on the figure that it is attached to. Use this information to
answer the questions below.
4)
5)
Hint: You need to work from top to bottom, making a note of the
effect of each operator at each stage. Remember some of the
operations involve changing the relative position of figures.
Subsequent operations may need to be applied to the 'new' figure -
not to the one shown.
Answers to
sample diagrammatic reasoning questions.
It is not always easy to assess whether someone has the
analytical ability needed to succeed in a technical job in the
information technology industry. Many people who are regarded as
'intelligent' and who have good academic qualifications find this
kind of pure analytical thinking both alien and difficult. It is
widely accepted in the IT industry that a 'natural' programmer can
be many times more productive than someone who does not share this
'natural' ability. It is not surprising therefore that
diagrammatic reasoning tests are used extensively to select
software developers.
Download
sample diagrammatic reasoning Questions.
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