Rotation
Rotation puzzles keep a figure's shape and size constant while its orientation changes by a fixed angle — commonly 45° or 90° — at every step. The direction (clockwise or counter-clockwise) is fixed for the whole puzzle, though some harder items reverse direction from row to row.
Because rotation is a purely visual transformation, the fastest way to solve it is to mentally 'spin' the last known figure forward by one more step rather than trying to calculate exact angles. Watch for asymmetric figures (like arrows) where the direction of rotation is unambiguous, versus symmetric figures (like circles with a single marking) where a 180° rotation can look deceptively similar to no rotation at all.
How to spot it
- •Identify the rotation step from the first two cells in a row before checking the third.
- •Asymmetric shapes like arrows make direction unambiguous — use them as your anchor when a puzzle mixes shapes.
- •Watch for direction changes between rows — not every rotation puzzle spins the same way throughout.
- •If two answer options look almost identical, check the exact angle rather than just the general orientation.