Raven's Progressive Matrices: The Classic Nonverbal IQ Test Explained

A grid of abstract shapes, one empty cell, and a row of answer options underneath – if you have ever taken an online IQ test or worked through an assessment during a hiring process, you have almost certainly met this puzzle format. It comes from Raven's Progressive Matrices, one of the most influential cognitive tests ever constructed and the blueprint for the abstract reasoning sections used in pre-employment testing today.

This article covers where the test came from, how the SPM, CPM, and APM versions differ, why researchers call it culture-reduced rather than culture-free, and – most practically – how to reason your way to the correct answer when a matrix appears in front of you.

What are Raven's Progressive Matrices?

The test was developed by the British psychologist John C. Raven and first published in 1938. Its design was radical in its simplicity: no words, no numbers, no general knowledge – only abstract patterns. Each item shows a matrix, in the harder sets a 3x3 grid, with one cell left blank. Your task is to work out which of the answer options completes the pattern so that the logic holds across every row and down every column.

The word progressive refers to the way the items grow steadily harder. Most people solve the first matrices in seconds, while the final ones require juggling several rules at once. Raven set out to measure what he called eductive ability – the capacity to make meaning out of new material and to perceive structure that no one has explained in advance. Today we would describe much the same skill as abstract reasoning, a core component of nearly every modern IQ test.

Three versions – SPM, CPM, and APM

The Raven family consists of three main versions aimed at different groups:

• Standard Progressive Matrices (SPM) – the original version, intended for the general population from school age upward, with difficulty ranging from very easy to genuinely demanding.
• Coloured Progressive Matrices (CPM) – a shorter, color-printed version designed for young children and older adults, and for settings where language barriers or disabilities make other tests unsuitable. The colors make the items more intuitive to grasp.
• Advanced Progressive Matrices (APM) – the hardest version, built for adults of above-average ability. It separates people at the top of the distribution, where the standard version runs out of headroom and most test takers get nearly everything right.

The fact that one basic idea works for preschoolers and graduate students alike explains much of the test's longevity. The format scales – only the complexity of the patterns needs to change.

Culture-reduced – but not culture-free

Because the matrices require no vocabulary and no factual knowledge, scores depend less on schooling, language, and cultural background than they do on verbal tests. That was one of Raven's stated goals, and it is why the test is often described as culture-reduced. Researchers are careful, however, not to call it culture-free: familiarity with testing situations, motivation, education, and even experience with printed diagrams still influence how well people perform.

The clearest illustration is the Flynn effect – the gradual rise in average test scores observed over the twentieth century – which was especially pronounced on matrix tests of the Raven type. If environment played no role at all, that trend would be very hard to explain.

At the same time, the test holds a special place in intelligence research. Matrix items tend to load heavily on the g factor, the general factor that links different cognitive abilities, and the test is widely used as a marker of fluid intelligence – the ability to solve novel problems independently of learned knowledge.

How the puzzles are built

Most matrix items rest on a small number of recurring rules. Three of the most common:

• Progression – one attribute changes step by step along the row: the number of dots increases by one, a shape rotates a quarter turn at a time, or the figures grow from left to right.
• Addition and subtraction – the first two cells combine into the third. Lines are overlaid on each other, or shared elements cancel out so that only the difference remains.
• Distribution – each shape, fill, or orientation appears exactly once in every row and column, much like the digits in a sudoku puzzle.

Easy items use one rule applied to a single attribute. Hard items combine two or three rules operating on different attributes at once – say, a rotation governing the shapes and a distribution governing the shading. Spotting which rule is in play is half the battle, which is why pattern recognition is such a central skill in this type of test.

Strategies that take you to the right answer

You do not need an innate eye for patterns – a systematic approach goes a long way:

• Scan row by row. Read the top row like a sentence: what happens between cells one, two, and three? Formulate a rule, verify it on the middle row, and then apply it to the bottom row.
• Scan column by column. Some rules are only visible vertically. If the rows refuse to make sense, switch direction before you start guessing.
• One attribute at a time. Examine shape, number, size, shading, and rotation separately instead of trying to see everything at once. This keeps the load on working memory manageable.
• Eliminate answer options. Cross out every option that violates a rule you have already established. Often only one or two remain, and the final choice becomes easy.

For a worked walkthrough with concrete examples, see our guide on how to solve figure series and matrices.

Raven's legacy in pre-employment testing

Raven's core idea is alive and well. Abstract reasoning has become a standard component of pre-employment testing, and many of the ability tests used in hiring are matrix-based – the Matrigma test being one well-known example, built on abstract 3x3 matrices in direct line of descent from Raven.

The reasons are essentially the same as in 1938. Matrix items are language-independent, so one test works for candidates from different backgrounds. They are hard to memorize your way through, because every item is new. And they target what employers usually care about most: the ability to absorb new information and solve unfamiliar problems. If you have an assessment coming up, the odds are good that matrices will be part of it – and having seen the format before is a real advantage, because you can spend your energy on the patterns instead of on the instructions.

Practice Raven-style matrices

A few things are worth keeping apart. The exercises on IQTesta are Raven-style items – not the official test, which is published commercially and administered under controlled conditions. IQTesta is not affiliated with Mensa, Pearson, or any other test publisher. An online score should be read as an indication of where you stand, not as a clinical assessment – if you need a formal evaluation, consult a licensed psychologist.

That said, practice is the best way to get comfortable with the format. Try our figure series and matrix exercises to see the puzzle type up close, or take the free IQ test for a broader indication across several question types.