A Ability HF-D1.1-003 transversal 5 skills
Abstract and figural reasoning
Recognises rules and patterns in figures, series or symbols without prior knowledge and applies those rules to new, unfamiliar tasks.
How hrmforce measures this
- Assessment method
- Cognitive ability test · rho 0.41 (SD 0.14)
- hrmforce instrument
- Ability Scan
- Trainability
- low
- Demand outlook 2026 to 2030
- rising
Standardised test of verbal, numerical or abstract reasoning.
This is a selection criterion, not a short-term development goal. Do not put a three-month development plan on it.
Behavioural anchors
| Level | Behaviour at this level |
|---|---|
| N1 Guided | Finds the next step in a short series of figures and explains which rule was used for it. works under supervision and follows instruction · routine, one variable at a time · own task |
| N3 Proficient | Discovers the underlying rule in unfamiliar material with several changing features and uses it to explain deviations. sets own approach and seeks input proactively · several variables, some ambiguity · own team or process |
| N5 Leading | Unravels problems without a known example, formulates a new ordering and shapes it so that peers can build on it. sets the standard and the policy · strategic, under high uncertainty · organisation, value chain or profession |
N2 and N4 are deliberately not anchored. Raters place them between the anchors, following the O*NET convention.
Underlying skills
These skills inherit the assessment route and the behavioural anchors of this construct.
| T | Skill | Definition | Demand outlook 2026 to 2030 |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | Continuing figure series Figural series · Diagrammatic reasoning | Recognises the rule behind a row of figures and picks the figure that logically continues it. | rising |
| A | Solving matrix reasoning items Matrix reasoning · Progressive matrices | Determines which rule holds per row and column in a grid of figures and fills the missing cell. | rising |
| A | Recognising patterns in symbols Symbol patterns · Pattern recognition | Sees regularity in sequences of signs or symbols without needing subject or language knowledge. | rising |
| A | Inferring rules without prior knowledge Inductive reasoning · Rule induction | Derives a general rule from a small number of examples and applies it to unfamiliar items. | rising |
| A | Evaluating syllogisms Deductive reasoning · Logical validity | Judges whether a conclusion follows logically from two given statements, apart from personal opinion. | rising |