11+ Non-Verbal Reasoning: How to Crack Vertical Code Questions

What Are Code Questions?

Code questions are one of the most recognisable question types in the 11+ Non-Verbal Reasoning paper. Your child is shown a small set of shapes, usually three, and each shape carries a short code of two or three letters written beside it. A further shape appears on the right with no code, and five answer options are listed below.

The job is to crack the code: work out what each letter stands for, then apply that knowledge to find the correct code for the unlabelled shape.

The good news is that these questions are entirely rule-based. Once your child understands how the letters map onto the features of a shape, the same method works every single time, whether the code has two letters, three letters, or more. If your child has already met letter and number codes in Verbal Reasoning, the logic will feel familiar. Our post on how to crack verbal reasoning code questions explains the equivalent approach on the VR paper.

Did you know? Each letter position in the code always represents one feature only. The first letter might mean the outline shape, the second the number of dots, the third the shading. Letters in different positions never share a feature, so your child only ever needs to solve one position at a time.

The Method at a Glance

Worked Example 1: A Two-Letter Code

Imagine three shapes with the following codes:

• A circle with three dots labelled KF
• A star with three dots labelled SF
• A pentagon with four dots labelled CP

The shape on the right is a star with four dots.

First letter. The first letters are K, S and C. All three are different, so the first letter must describe something that is different for all three shapes. The obvious candidate is the outline itself: circle, star and pentagon. Since the target shape is a star, its code must begin with S. Cross out every option that does not start with S.

Second letter. The second letters are F, F and P. Two shapes share F, so the second letter must describe something the circle and the star have in common but the pentagon does not. Both the circle and the star have three dots, while the pentagon has four. So F means three dots and P means four dots. The target shape has four dots, so its second letter is P.

The answer is SP. Cross out the remaining options that do not match and circle the one that does.

Tip: Encourage your child to physically write each letter above the target shape as they work it out. Building the code on the page, rather than holding it in their head, cuts down on errors under time pressure.

Worked Example 2: A Three-Letter Code

Longer codes look intimidating, but the method is exactly the same. Suppose the three shapes are:

• A diamond, single outline, black inside, labelled YRU
• A pentagon, with an outer and inner shape, dotted inside, labelled XRT
• A pentagon, single outline, blank inside, labelled XQO

The shape on the right is a diamond, single outline, dotted inside.

First letter. Y, X and X. Two shapes share X, and both of those are pentagons. So X means pentagon and Y means diamond. The target is a diamond, so the first letter is Y. Cross out any option starting with X.

Second letter. R, R and Q. The first two shapes share R. What do they have in common that the third lacks? Looking carefully, both have an outer shape with an inner shape, whereas the third is a single outline only. So R means two nested shapes and Q means one shape. The target is a single outline, so the second letter is Q.

Third letter. U, T and O. All three are different, so this letter describes a feature that differs for every shape. The shading fits: black, dotted and blank. The target shape is dotted, so the third letter is T.

The answer is YQT.

Features to Look For

When your child is hunting for what a letter means, these are the features that appear most often in 11+ code questions:

• Outline shape — circle, square, triangle, star, pentagon, hexagon
• Shading — black, white, striped, dotted, cross-hatched
• Number of items — dots, lines, small shapes inside the main shape
• Size — large versus small
• Nesting — one shape inside another, or a single shape
• Orientation — pointing up, down, left or right
• Line style — solid, dashed or dotted outline

Tip: If the letters in a position are all different, look for a feature that is different for every shape. If two letters match, look for a feature that two shapes share and the third does not. This single rule solves the vast majority of code questions.

Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

The last point is worth stressing. In one question F might mean “three dots”; in the next question F could mean “striped”. The letters are arbitrary labels chosen for that question alone.

Building Speed Through Practice

Code questions reward a calm, repeatable routine far more than raw cleverness. The children who score highest are those who have practised the method until it runs on autopilot. A sensible weekly routine looks like this:

Once the routine is fluent, mix code questions in with other NVR types such as odd one out and series so your child gets used to switching between methods. Our guide to odd one out questions uses a similar feature-spotting approach, so the two skills reinforce each other. For broader advice on the whole paper, see our non-verbal reasoning tips and practice strategies.

Tip: Ask your child to explain the code back to you after solving a question: “K means circle, F means three dots.” If they can articulate it clearly, they genuinely understand the method rather than guessing.

Practise Code Questions with 11+ Apps

Code questions are only one of many NVR question types, and the best preparation is regular, varied practice with instant feedback. Our 11+ Non-Verbal Reasoning app includes 540 visual pattern questions across 18 topics, covering codes alongside analogy, series, odd one out, cube nets, block counting, hidden shapes, jigsaw, paper folding, 3D rotation, and GL-style triangle and star matrix questions. Every question comes with a clear explanation, so your child can see exactly which feature each letter represented and where their reasoning went astray.

For the complete picture, the full 11+ Apps suite offers 8100+ questions across 7 apps, spanning Non-Verbal Reasoning, Verbal Reasoning, Maths, English and Vocabulary. Together they give your child structured, exam-focused practice across every paper they are likely to face on the day.