11+ Rotations and Reflections: How to Tell Them Apart in Non-Verbal Reasoning
By Simply Eleven Plus · Updated 25 October 2026 · 4 min read
Many Non-Verbal Reasoning questions hide a reflected (mirror image) shape among rotated ones. They look almost identical, so children need a dependable way to tell them apart rather than relying on a feeling.
The key idea
Turning a shape (rotating it) never changes the order of its features as you go round it clockwise. Flipping it (reflecting it) reverses that order. So:
- Pick two distinctive features, such as a black dot and a short line.
- Starting at the first feature, go round the shape clockwise. Does the second feature come next, or later?
- Do the same on the other shapes. If the order is reversed, that shape has been reflected.
Example
An L shape has a dot at the end of its long arm. In the first picture, going clockwise from the corner, you reach the long arm with the dot, then the short arm.
In another picture, going clockwise from the corner, you reach the short arm first, then the long arm with the dot. The order is reversed, so it’s a reflection, not a rotation.
Rotation facts worth knowing
| Turn | Same as |
|---|---|
| 90° clockwise | a quarter turn right (270° anticlockwise) |
| 180° | a half turn, either direction |
| 270° clockwise | 90° anticlockwise |
| 360° | back where it started |
Practice tips
- At home, draw the shape on tracing paper and physically turn or flip it to check.
- Practise naming turns: “a quarter turn clockwise”, “a half turn”.
- In the exam, turn the paper itself if that helps you see the shape in a new position.
Practise it
The method only sticks with practice. Try rotation and reflection questions on Simply Eleven Plus, free to start, with instant marking and an explanation for every answer, or sit a free live mock exam to practise under real exam conditions.
Free 11+ live mock exams
Let your child sit a real-time, timed mock paper online, then go through the trickiest questions together. It’s free.