Use visual attributes (shape, orientation, shading, parts) to classify - CogAT Grades K 2

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Why Do We Sort Things?

People have always liked to sort things into groups. Think about your toy box! You might put all the cars together and all the blocks together. When you do that, you are classifying. That means you put things into groups because they look alike.

Long Ago • Sorting in Nature

Early people sorted plants and animals to know which ones were safe to eat. They looked at shapes and colors!

In School • Sorting Shapes

Teachers began to use shapes, colors, and patterns to help kids think and learn. Sorting is a big part of learning!

Today • CogAT Puzzles

Now tests like the CogAT ask you to sort pictures by looking carefully at how they look. You can do it!

On the CogAT, you will see rows of pictures. Your job is to find what makes some pictures belong together. How do you do that? You look at special clues called visual attributes!

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The Four Big Clues

When you look at pictures on the CogAT, there are four big clues you can use. We call these clues visual attributes. Let's learn each one!

Shape

Is it a circle, square, triangle, or star? The shape is the outline of a picture. Look at how many sides it has!

Orientation

Orientation means which way something points. Is an arrow pointing up, down, left, or right? A shape can be turned or flipped!

Shading

Shading is how a shape is filled in. It might be all black, all white, half filled, or have stripes.

Parts

Parts means what is inside or attached to a shape. Does a circle have a dot inside? Does a square have a line through it?

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KEY TAKEAWAY

Think of visual attributes like a detective's clues. A detective looks for clues to solve a mystery. You look at shape, orientation, shading, and parts to solve picture puzzles!

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See the Four Clues

Let's look at a picture that shows all four clues. Each row below shows the same shape, but one clue changes. Can you spot what is different?

This chart shows all four visual attributes. The first row shows different shapes. The second row shows different orientations. The third row shows different shadings. The fourth row shows different parts.

Look at each row carefully. In the Shape row, the outlines are all different. In the Orientation row, the same triangle faces different ways. In the Shading row, the same circle is filled in different ways. In the Parts row, the same square has different things added to it. When you take a test, you will look for which clue stays the same in a group!

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How Classifying Works

When you classify pictures, you follow three simple steps. First, you look at the pictures in a group. Then you find the rule — what do they have in common? Last, you pick the answer that follows the same rule.

The 3-Step Plan

Step 1 — Look: Study each picture. Ask: What shape is it? Which way does it face? Is it filled in? Does it have extra parts?
Step 2 — Find the Rule: What do the pictures in the group share? Maybe they are all circles. Maybe they all point up. Maybe they are all striped.
Step 3 — Pick: Look at the answer choices. Which one follows the same rule as the group?

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Helpful Hint

Sometimes more than one clue matters! A group might share the same shape AND shading. Always check all four clues before you pick your answer.

This flowchart shows the 3-step plan: Look, Find the Rule, and Pick. The example at the bottom shows a group of filled circles. Answer C is correct because it is also a filled circle.

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A Closer Look at Each Attribute

Let's take a closer look at each of the four clues. The table below shows you the kinds of things to watch for.

Attribute	What to Look For	Examples
Shape	How many sides? Is it round? Is it pointy?	Circle, square, triangle, star, diamond, hexagon
Orientation	Which way does it point or face? Is it turned?	Pointing up, down, left, right, tilted, flipped
Shading	Is it filled in? Empty? Half? Striped?	All black, all white, half-shaded, lines inside
Parts	What is inside or on the shape? How many pieces?	Dot inside, line through, small shape on top, two parts

The four visual attributes and what to look for

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Watch Out!

Some answers might match one clue but not another. For example, an answer might be the right shape but the wrong shading. Always check all the clues!

In this example, the group has striped triangles. Answer A has the right shape but wrong shading. Answer B has the right shading but wrong shape. Only answer C matches both clues.

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Let's Solve One Together!

Imagine you see three pictures in a group: a big black square, a big black circle, and a big black triangle. Below them are answer choices. Let's use our 3-step plan!

Classifying Filled Shapes

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Step 1 — Look at the Group

The group has a square, a circle, and a triangle. They are all different shapes. They are all filled in black (shading). None of them have extra parts inside. None are turned in a special way.
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Step 2 — Find the Rule

The shapes are all different, so shape is NOT the rule. But the shading is the same — they are all filled in solid black. That is the rule!

Rule: All shapes are filled in solid black.
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Step 3 — Pick the Right Answer

Now look at the answer choices. Choice A is a white star (empty). Choice B is a striped diamond. Choice C is a black hexagon (filled). Choice D is a half-shaded rectangle. Which one is filled in solid black?

Answer: C — the black hexagon! It is filled in solid black, just like the group.

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REMEMBER THIS

When the shapes in a group are all different, the rule is probably about something else — like shading, orientation, or parts. Don't get tricked!

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Helpful Tips and Common Traps

Here are some things that can help you do well, and some traps to watch out for when you classify pictures.

Helpful Tips ✅	Common Traps ❌
Check all four clues every time: shape, orientation, shading, parts.	Only checking one clue and picking the first match.
Look at EVERY answer choice before you decide.	Rushing to pick the first answer that looks close.
If shapes in the group are different, the rule is about something else.	Thinking the rule is always about shape.
Say the rule to yourself: "They are all striped circles."	Not putting the rule into words in your head.

Tips vs. Traps when classifying

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KEY TAKEAWAY

Think of classifying like sorting laundry. You don't just sort by color — you might also sort by type (shirts, pants, socks). Pictures work the same way. You might need to match two or more attributes at the same time!

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What Comes Next?

Classifying pictures is a skill you will use again and again. As you get older, the puzzles get harder. Here is how classifying grows with you!

What You Learn Now	What Comes Later
Sort by one attribute (like shape)	Sort by two or three attributes at once
Simple shapes (circles, squares)	Complex shapes with many parts
Pictures that look very different from the rule	Tricky answers that are almost right
Classify pictures	Classify patterns, numbers, and ideas

How classifying skills grow

The good news is that the same 3-step plan works every time. Look, Find the Rule, and Pick. The more you practice, the faster you will get!

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Practice Problems

Try these five problems. Use your 3-step plan: Look, Find the Rule, and Pick!

Question 1: CONCEPTUAL

A group has a black circle, a black square, and a black triangle. What clue do they all share: shape, orientation, shading, or parts?

Show answer

They all share the same shading — they are all filled in black. The shapes are all different (circle, square, triangle), so shape is not the rule. Since they are all solid black, shading is the attribute they share.

Question 2: BASIC

A group has three arrows, and they all point to the right. The answer choices are: A) an arrow pointing up, B) an arrow pointing right, C) an arrow pointing left, D) an arrow pointing down. Which one belongs in the group?

Show answer

The answer is B — the arrow pointing right. The rule is about orientation. All the arrows in the group point to the right, so the answer must also point to the right. The other arrows point in different directions and do not match.

Question 3: INTERMEDIATE

A group has a striped circle, a striped square, and a striped triangle. The answer choices are: A) a striped diamond, B) a solid circle, C) an empty triangle, D) a striped circle with a dot inside. Which one belongs in the group?

Show answer

The answer is A — the striped diamond. The rule is about shading: they are all striped. The shapes are all different, so shape does not matter. Choice B is solid (wrong shading). Choice C is empty (wrong shading). Choice D is striped but has a dot inside — none of the group shapes have extra parts, so D does not match. Only A is striped with no extra parts.

Question 4: APPLIED

A group has a white circle with a dot inside, a white square with a dot inside, and a white triangle with a dot inside. The answer choices are: A) a white diamond with a dot inside, B) a black circle with a dot inside, C) a white hexagon with no dot, D) a white star with a line inside. Which one belongs?

Show answer

The answer is A — the white diamond with a dot inside. This problem has TWO rules: the shading must be white (empty) AND the parts must include a dot inside. Choice B has the dot but wrong shading (black). Choice C has the right shading but no dot. Choice D has the right shading but a line instead of a dot. Only A matches both rules.

Question 5: CRITICAL THINKING

A group has a large striped triangle pointing up, a large striped triangle pointing left, and a large striped triangle pointing down. What is the rule? Now imagine the answer choices are: A) a small striped triangle pointing right, B) a large empty triangle pointing right, C) a large striped square pointing right, D) a large striped triangle pointing right. Which one belongs?

Show answer

The answer is D. The rule involves THREE attributes: the shapes are all large, all striped, and all triangles. The orientation is different each time (up, left, down), so orientation is NOT the rule. Choice A is too small. Choice B is empty, not striped. Choice C is a square, not a triangle. Only D is a large striped triangle. The direction does not matter because the group already has triangles pointing different ways.

SUMMARY

What We Learned

Summary

To classify pictures, you look at four visual attributes: shape (circle, square, triangle), orientation (which way it points), shading (filled, empty, striped, half), and parts (dots, lines, or extra pieces inside or on the shape).

Use the 3-step plan every time: Look at each picture carefully, Find the Rule the group shares, and Pick the answer that follows the same rule. Remember, sometimes you need to match more than one attribute at once. Check all four clues before you choose!