Mental Ability Practice
Ten reasoning topics for Navodaya, Sainik School, NMMS and Olympiad practice — every question is made fresh by the tool, so you can practise as long as you like and never see the same paper twice.
Mental ability questions test reasoning rather than syllabus: number series, letter series, odd one out, coding-decoding, analogies, blood relations, direction sense, ranking, mirror images and figure patterns. A rule worth memorising is total = rank from left + rank from right − 1. This page generates fresh questions in all ten topics with worked explanations.
Build your practice
Pick one topic to drill, or take a mixed test like the real exam.
Answer with 1–4, move on with Enter.
Sample question
Printable practice sheet
A fresh worksheet with a full answer key and explanations — perfect for homework or a class test.
Your best scores
Saved on this device, topic by topic.
Well done!
Topic by topic — your strong and weak areas
Anything under 60% is worth another round of practice.
Review every question
The explanation is the part that makes you faster next time.
Practice sheet
Mental Ability Practice Sheet
Answer key with explanations
Reasoning is a skill, not a talent
Mental ability carries the biggest weight in the Navodaya (JNVST) entrance test and appears in Sainik School, NMMS, NTSE and most Olympiads. The only way to get faster is to meet the same question types again and again — which is exactly what this tool gives you.
Pick a topic
Drill one weak topic at a time — number series, coding, blood relations and seven more.
Answer and learn
Every answer is explained step by step with the real numbers, not just a letter.
Take a mixed test
Then see a topic-by-topic score sheet that shows exactly where you lose marks.
Print a sheet
Make a fresh worksheet with an answer key for homework, revision or a class test.
Number series — the 4 checks
Run these in order and almost every series falls apart:
- Subtract neighbours. Equal gaps → add the gap again.
- Divide neighbours. Equal ratio → multiply again.
- Are they squares or cubes? 4, 9, 16, 25 … or 8, 27, 64 …
- Look at every second number — two series are often mixed, or the gaps themselves grow (+3, +5, +7 …).
Learn the alphabet numbers
Letter questions become arithmetic once you know the positions. Memorise the five landmarks:
E = 5 · J = 10 · O = 15 · T = 20 · Y = 25
Also useful: opposite letters always add to 27 (A↔Z, B↔Y, C↔X), so the letter opposite to M (13) is number 27 − 13 = 14 = N.
Blood relations — draw it
Never solve these in your head. Put each generation on its own line, draw ↓ for parent → child and = for husband = wife, and mark male (+) / female (−).
Then read the picture: father’s brother = uncle, mother’s sister = aunt, sister’s son = nephew, son’s wife = daughter-in-law.
Direction sense — two rules
Draw a cross with North up, East right. Add the north–south moves and the east–west moves separately; opposite moves cancel out.
For distance use Pythagoras: if you end 4 km North and 3 km East of the start, the straight distance is √(4² + 3²) = 5 km.
Turning right goes N → E → S → W; turning left goes the other way round.
Ranking formulas
Total = left + right − 1
Rank from bottom = Total − rank from top + 1
The −1 and +1 catch most students: the person is counted from both ends, so subtract one. Check with a tiny row of 5 children before you trust a formula.
Mirror vs water image
A mirror image (mirror at the side) swaps left and right. A water image swaps top and bottom.
Letters unchanged in a mirror: A H I M O T U V W X Y. Letters unchanged in a water image: H I O X and the digits 0 and 8.
For a mirror clock: actual time = 12:00 − mirror time.
Mental Ability Practice — your questions
What comes in the mental ability section of the Navodaya exam?
The JNVST mental ability section is entirely non-verbal and carries the largest share of the paper. It is built around figure patterns, odd one out, analogies, series completion, embedded and mirror images, punched-hole patterns and space visualisation. Practising the same question types repeatedly is what makes a child faster, because the reasoning is the skill being tested.
How do I solve a number series question?
Run four checks in order. Subtract neighbouring terms — equal gaps mean you add the gap again. Divide neighbours — an equal ratio means you multiply again. Check whether the terms are squares or cubes, such as 4, 9, 16, 25. Finally look at every second number, because two series are often mixed together or the gaps themselves grow.
How do I solve letter series and coding-decoding questions?
Turn the letters into their alphabet positions and the question becomes arithmetic. Memorise five landmarks: E is 5, J is 10, O is 15, T is 20 and Y is 25. Opposite letters always add to 27, so the letter opposite M (13) is 27 − 13 = 14, which is N. For coding, compare the word and its code letter by letter.
What is the formula for ranking questions?
Total = position from the left + position from the right − 1, and rank from the bottom = total − rank from the top + 1. The minus one catches most students, because the person being counted is included from both ends. Test any formula on a tiny row of five children before you trust it in an exam.
What is the difference between a mirror image and a water image?
A mirror image, with the mirror at the side, swaps left and right. A water image, with the water below, swaps top and bottom. The letters A, H, I, M, O, T, U, V, W, X and Y are unchanged in a mirror, while H, I, O, X and the digits 0 and 8 are unchanged in water. For a mirror clock, actual time = 12:00 − mirror time.
How should I approach blood relation questions?
Never do them in your head. Put each generation on its own line, draw a downward arrow from parent to child and an equals sign between husband and wife, and mark each person male or female. Then read the picture: father's brother is uncle, mother's sister is aunt, sister's son is nephew and son's wife is daughter-in-law.
Can I print mental ability worksheets for a class?
Yes. Choose 10, 20, 30 or 40 questions and press Make a sheet, and you get a fresh printable worksheet with a name, class and date line, followed by a full answer key with explanations. Because every question is generated afresh, each row of the class can have a different paper.