Non-Verbal Reasoning · Spatial

Paper folding 11+ practice

Reverse paper folds one at a time and reflect holes across each fold.

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The key idea

Understand the rule first

Unfold in the reverse order of folding. At every unfold, copy each existing hole to the same distance on the opposite side of that fold line.

Worked example

A square is folded once vertically and one hole is punched away from the crease. What appears when opened?

There is one fold, so one mirror step.
The original hole remains.
A second hole appears equally far across the vertical crease.

two horizontally mirrored holes

Watch for this

A common misconception

Doubling only the final hole count without tracking its mirrored positions.

Reusable method: Unfold one step at a time.

Question 1 of 10
Non-Verbal Reasoningcore
A paper is folded once in half and punched twice in different positions away from the crease. How many holes appear when opened?
- A2
- B3
- C6
- D4
Need a hint?
Each punch is copied once by the single fold.
Show worked answer
Answer D: 4
Two punches each create a mirrored partner, giving 4 holes.
Quick method: Unfold one step at a time.
Question 2 of 10
Non-Verbal Reasoningcore
A square is folded vertically and then horizontally. One hole is punched away from both creases. How many holes appear after both folds are opened?
- A4
- B2
- C6
- D8
Need a hint?
Each of two folds doubles the number of positions.
Show worked answer
Answer A: 4
One hole doubles to 2, then to 4.
Quick method: Unfold one step at a time.
Question 3 of 10
Non-Verbal Reasoningcore
A hole is punched exactly on the crease of a paper folded once. How many distinct holes appear when opened?
- A0
- B1
- C2
- D4
Need a hint?
A point on the mirror line maps onto itself.
Show worked answer
Answer B: 1
The mirrored position overlaps the original, so there is one distinct hole.
Quick method: Unfold one step at a time.
Question 4 of 10
Non-Verbal Reasoningexam-style
A sheet is folded vertically, punched once on the horizontal centre line but away from the vertical crease, then opened. How many holes appear?
- A1
- B4
- C2
- D8
Need a hint?
Only the vertical fold creates a reflection.
Show worked answer
Answer C: 2
The punch is away from the vertical crease, so it produces one mirrored partner: 2 holes.
Quick method: Unfold one step at a time.
Question 5 of 10
Non-Verbal Reasoningexam-style
A square is folded horizontally, then vertically. Two holes are punched away from both creases without overlapping. What is the maximum number of holes after opening?
- A4
- B6
- C16
- D8
Need a hint?
Each original punch can create four positions after two folds.
Show worked answer
Answer D: 8
Two non-overlapping punches each produce 4 symmetric holes, giving 8.
Quick method: Unfold one step at a time.
Question 6 of 10
Non-Verbal Reasoningcore
A square sheet is folded once along its vertical centre line. One hole is punched away from the fold. How many holes appear when the sheet is opened?
- A1
- B3
- C4
- D2
Need a hint?
A single fold creates one mirror copy of an off-fold hole.
Show worked answer
Answer D: 2
Opening one fold produces the original hole and one reflected hole: 2 holes.
Quick method: Unfold one step at a time.
Question 7 of 10
Non-Verbal Reasoningcore
A square is folded vertically and then horizontally. One hole is punched away from both fold lines. How many holes appear when fully opened?
- A4
- B2
- C6
- D8
Need a hint?
Each fold doubles an off-fold hole.
Show worked answer
Answer A: 4
Two independent folds double the hole twice: 1 × 2 × 2 = 4 holes.
Quick method: Unfold one step at a time.
Question 8 of 10
Non-Verbal Reasoningcore
A sheet is folded once. A hole is punched exactly on the fold line. How many hole positions appear when the sheet is opened?
- A2
- B1
- C3
- D4
Need a hint?
A point on a mirror line reflects onto itself.
Show worked answer
Answer B: 1
Because the punch lies on the fold, its reflected position is the same point, so only 1 hole position appears.
Quick method: Unfold one step at a time.
Question 9 of 10
Non-Verbal Reasoningexam
The right half of a square is folded onto the left. A hole is punched near the folded packet’s left outer edge. Where will the holes appear when opened?
- Aboth near the centre fold
- Bone at the top and one at the bottom
- Cat equal distances from the fold near the left and right outer edges
- Donly near the right edge
Need a hint?
Reflect the punch across the vertical fold line.
Show worked answer
Answer C: at equal distances from the fold near the left and right outer edges
The punch and its mirror image lie at equal horizontal distances from the centre fold, one near each outer edge.
Quick method: Unfold one step at a time.
Question 10 of 10
Non-Verbal Reasoningstretch
A square is folded vertically, then horizontally. A hole is punched on the second fold line but not on the first. How many hole positions appear when fully opened?
- A1
- B3
- C4
- D2
Need a hint?
The hole does not duplicate across the fold it lies on, but it does across the other fold.
Show worked answer
Answer D: 2
Because the punch lies on the horizontal fold, opening that fold does not create a new position. Opening the vertical fold mirrors it once, giving 2 positions.
Quick method: Unfold one step at a time.

Understand the rule first

A square is folded once vertically and one hole is punched away from the crease. What appears when opened?

A common misconception

A paper is folded once in half and punched twice in different positions away from the crease. How many holes appear when opened?

A square is folded vertically and then horizontally. One hole is punched away from both creases. How many holes appear after both folds are opened?

A hole is punched exactly on the crease of a paper folded once. How many distinct holes appear when opened?

A sheet is folded vertically, punched once on the horizontal centre line but away from the vertical crease, then opened. How many holes appear?

A square is folded horizontally, then vertically. Two holes are punched away from both creases without overlapping. What is the maximum number of holes after opening?

A square sheet is folded once along its vertical centre line. One hole is punched away from the fold. How many holes appear when the sheet is opened?

A square is folded vertically and then horizontally. One hole is punched away from both fold lines. How many holes appear when fully opened?

A sheet is folded once. A hole is punched exactly on the fold line. How many hole positions appear when the sheet is opened?

The right half of a square is folded onto the left. A hole is punched near the folded packet’s left outer edge. Where will the holes appear when opened?

A square is folded vertically, then horizontally. A hole is punched on the second fold line but not on the first. How many hole positions appear when fully opened?

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