Numerical Reasoning Practice Questions for Year 7: 15 Examples with Answers
Numerical Reasoning Practice Questions for Year 7: 15 Examples with Answers
The fastest way to understand numerical reasoning is to work through real questions and see exactly how the rule is found each time — not just read about the question types in the abstract. Below are 15 practice questions across the three main formats, each with the answer and the reasoning behind it.
For a full breakdown of what numerical reasoning tests and how to practise it, see our companion guide.
→ See: Numerical Reasoning Year 7: What It Tests and How to Practise
Number Sequences
Find the next number in each sequence.
1. 3, 6, 12, 24, 48, ___ Answer: 96. Each number doubles the one before it.
2. 1, 4, 9, 16, 25, ___ Answer: 36. These are perfect squares — 1², 2², 3², 4², 5², 6².
3. 2, 6, 12, 20, 30, ___ Answer: 42. The differences between terms increase by 2 each time (+4, +6, +8, +10, +12).
4. 100, 91, 83, 76, 70, ___ Answer: 65. The differences decrease by 1 each time (-9, -8, -7, -6, -5).
5. 5, 11, 23, 47, 95, ___ Answer: 191. Each term is double the previous term, plus 1.
Number Analogies
Find the missing number using the same relationship as the first pair.
6. 6 is to 36 as 7 is to ___ Answer: 49. The relationship is squaring (6² = 36, so 7² = 49).
7. 8 is to 4 as 20 is to ___ Answer: 10. The relationship is halving.
8. 3 is to 27 as 4 is to ___ Answer: 64. The relationship is cubing (3³ = 27, so 4³ = 64).
9. 15 is to 5 as 24 is to ___ Answer: 8. The relationship is dividing by 3.
10. 9 is to 18 as 12 is to ___ Answer: 24. The relationship is doubling.
Number Sets (Odd One Out)
Find the number that doesn't belong with the others, and why.
11. 16, 25, 32, 36, 49 Answer: 32. The others are all perfect squares (16=4², 25=5², 36=6², 49=7²) — 32 isn't.
12. 12, 18, 24, 27, 36 Answer: 27. The others are all multiples of 6 — 27 isn't.
13. 2, 3, 5, 9, 7, 11 Answer: 9. The others are all prime numbers — 9 (3×3) isn't.
14. 14, 21, 35, 42, 45 Answer: 45. The others are all multiples of 7 — 45 isn't.
15. 8, 27, 64, 90, 125 Answer: 90. The others are all perfect cubes (2³, 3³, 4³, 5³) — 90 isn't.
How to Use These Questions Properly
Getting the answer right isn't the goal by itself — understanding why is. For every question you get wrong (or guess correctly without being sure why), go back and identify the rule explicitly before moving on. This is what actually builds the pattern-recognition speed that matters under real exam time pressure.
Once these formats feel familiar, the next step is practising them timed — number reasoning sections typically give less than a minute per question, so recognising the pattern quickly matters as much as recognising it at all.
→ See: Numerical Reasoning Year 7: What It Tests and How to Practise
Frequently Asked Questions
Are these the same difficulty as real Year 7 scholarship exam questions? They're representative of the core formats, though real exams vary difficulty across a section rather than keeping every question at one level.
My child got the right answer but for the wrong reason — does that matter? Yes. Guessing the correct number without identifying the actual rule doesn't transfer to a slightly different sequence next time. Always confirm they can state the rule, not just the answer.
How many of these should a Year 7 student get right? There's no fixed benchmark, but consistently missing several in one category (e.g. odd-one-out specifically) is a useful signal for where to focus practice next.
Where can I find more questions like these? PassPrep's free tier includes full timed numerical reasoning practice sections with instant, category-level results, so you can see exactly which question types need more work.