Introducing 87 mental ability test questions with answers for class 6 students inspired by the NTSE exam format. The questions are carefully curated to balance ease and challenge the young minds. It aims to challenge young minds with straightforward and few demanding questions. This list is a starting point and can act as an ideal tool to nurture the cognitive skills of sixth graders. It offers them a taste of both simplicity and complexity in problem-solving.
List of 87 Mental Ability Test Questions with Answers for Class 6
Question 1. Which number comes next in the sequence: 2, 4, 8, 16, …?
a) 24
b) 32
c) 18
d) 30
Answer:
b) 32 — The sequence is doubling each time. (2×2=4, 4×2=8, 8×2=16, so 16×2=32).
Question 2. Find the odd one out: 81, 64, 49, 36, 28
a) 81
b) 64
c) 49
d) 28
Answer:
d) 28 — All others are perfect squares (9², 8², 7², 6²), but 28 is not.
Question 3. If CAT is coded as 3120, how will DOG be coded?
a) 4157
b) 5147
c) 4175
d) 1574
Answer:
a) 4157 — Each letter is represented by its position in the alphabet. C(3), A(1), T(20); similarly, D(4), O(15), G(7).
Question 4. What comes next in the pattern: A, C, F, J, …?
a) N
b) O
c) P
d) Q
Answer:
b) O — The pattern follows the sequence of adding 1, 2, 3, 4, etc., to the position of the letter in the alphabet (A+1=B, C+2=E, F+3=I, J+4=O).
Question 5. In a row of trees, a tree is 7th from either end of the row. How many trees are there in the row?
a) 13
b) 14
c) 15
d) 12
Answer:
a) 13 — If the tree is 7th from either end, there are 6 trees on each side of it, making a total of 6+6+1=13 trees.
Question 6. If PENCIL is written as LICNEP, how is TIGER written?
a) IETRG
b) TGIRE
c) REGIT
d) IGTER
Answer:
c) REGIT — Just reverse the letters.
Question 7. If 1 * 2 = 22, 2 * 3 = 36, 3 * 4 = 412, what is 4 * 5?
a) 420
b) 45
c) 520
d) 54
Answer:
c) 520 — The pattern is to write the second number and then the product of both numbers (2 and 1*2=2 form 22, 3 and 2*3=6 form 36, 4 and 3*4=12 form 412; so 5 and 4*5=20 form 520).
Question 8. A clock shows 3:15. What is the angle between the hour and the minute hands?
a) 0°
b) 7.5°
c) 90°
d) 37.5°
Answer:
b) 7.5° — At 3:15
Question 9. Which number should replace the question mark in the following series: 2, 6, 12, 20, ?, 42
a) 30
b) 32
c) 28
d) 35
Answer:
a) 30 — The series is increasing by consecutive even numbers. The differences are 4, 6, 8, etc. So, 20 + 10 = 30.
Question 10. If ‘RED’ is coded as ’27’, what will be the code for ‘GREEN’?
a) 57
b) 65
c) 41
d) 49
Answer:
d) 49 — R is the 18th letter of the alphabet. E is the 5th letter of the alphabet. D is the 4th letter of the alphabet.
If we add the numbers of the corresponding letters, we get 18 + 5 + 4 = 27. Do the same with Green
Question 11. If WATER is coded as YCVGT, then how is BREAD coded?
a) DTGCF
b) CSFCU
c) DSFCB
d) ESFDU
Answer:
a) DTGCF — Each letter is replaced by the next two letters in the alphabet (W→Y, A→C, etc.).
Question 12. Find the missing number: 8, 13, 20, ?, 40, 53
a) 28
b) 29
c) 30
d) 31
Answer:
b) 29 — The sequence increases by 5, 7, 9, 11, etc. So, 20 + 9 = 29.
Question 13. Complete the series: ABZ, BCY, CDX, ?
Options:
a) DEW
b) EFV
c) EFW
d) DFW
Answer:
a) DEW — The series is a sequence where each letter in the group moves one step forward and the last letter moves one step backward in the alphabet.
Question 14. In a certain code, 15789 is written as AEGIJ. How is 23456 written in that code?
a) BCDEF
b) BDFHJ
c) CEGIK
d) BDFGI
Answer:
a) BCDEF — Each number is coded as the letter in its alphabetical position (1=A, 2=B, 3=C, etc.).
Question 15. Rohan moves 5 km east, then turns left and moves 4 km, and finally turns left again and moves 5 km. In which direction is he facing now?
a) East
b) West
c) North
d) South
Answer:
d) South — Rohan is facing south after completing the movements.
Question 16. Complete the series: 11, 22, 33, 44, 55, ?
a) 66
b) 77
c) 88
d) 99
Answer:
a) 66 — The series consists of consecutive numbers repeated twice (11, 22, 33, etc.).
Question 17. If MANGO is coded as 13141715 and APPLE as 11616125, how is GRAPE coded?
a) 7181165
b) 8175165
c) 7186157
d) 8176159
Answer:
a) 7181165 — Each letter is represented by its position in the alphabet (G=7, R=18, A=1, P=16, E=5).
Question 18. What number replaces the question mark in the following sequence: 3, 8, 15, 24, 35, ?
a) 48
b) 46
c) 49
d) 50
Answer:
a) 48 — The pattern is adding 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, etc., to the previous number.
Question 19. If RED is related to BLOOD, then GREEN is related to?
a) SKY
b) GRASS
c) SUN
d) FLOWER
Answer:
b) GRASS — Green is commonly associated with grass, just as red is associated with blood.
Question 20. Which number is the odd one out: 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 14, 15, 25?
a) 2
b) 8
c) 14
d) 30
Answer:
b) 8 — All numbers except 8 are either prime or products of two primes.
Question 21. What is the sum of the angles of a triangle?
a) 180 degrees
b) 90 degrees
c) 360 degrees
d) 270 degrees
Answer:
a) 180 degrees — The sum of the angles in any triangle is always 180 degrees.
Question 22. If SOAP is written as 1915116, how is RAIN written?
a) 9214
b) 18291
c) 18912
d) 181914
Answer:
d) 181914 — Each letter is represented by its position in the alphabet backward (S=19, O=15, A=1, P=16).
Question 23. A family has 6 sons and each son has one sister. How many people are in the family?
a) 8
b) 13
c) 7
d) 14
Answer:
c) 7 — There are 6 sons, and 1 daughter (6 sons share the same sister).
Question 24. Complete the series: Z, U, Q, ?, I
a) L
b) M
c) N
d) O
Answer:
b) M — The series is skipping 4, 3, 2, 1 letters (Z, Y, X, W, V, U; U, T, S, R, Q; Q, P, O, N, M).
Question 25. If RATION is coded as 123456, how is RATIO coded?
a) 12345
b) 12356
c) 12456
d) 12346
Answer:
a) 12345 — Each letter corresponds to a number (R=1, A=2, T=3, I=4, O=5).
Question 26. Which number is different from the rest: 124, 215, 327, 438, ?
a) 121
b) 211
c) 323
d) 551
Answer:
d) 551 — In all other numbers, the third digit is less than the sum of the first two digits.
Question 27. If ‘MOUSE’ is related to ‘COMPUTER’, then ‘BOOK’ is related to?
a) LIBRARY
b) PAPER
c) READING
d) SHELF
Answer:
a) LIBRARY — A book is commonly found in a library, as a mouse is with a computer.
Question 28. In a certain code, TRIANGLE is written as SQHZMFKD. How is CIRCLE written in that code?
a) BHQBKD
b) DHBKJD
c) BHKDJD
d) DBJKSB
Answer:
a) BHQBKD — Each letter is replaced by the previous letter in the alphabet.
Question 29. If 5 * 9 = 2054 and 7 * 6 = 3024, then what is 8 * 4?
a) 4054
b) 5043
c) 4023
d) 4032
Answer:
c) 4023 — The pattern involves reversing the digits of the product and placing the first number at the end (5×9=45, reverse to 54, add 20; 7×6=42, reverse to 24, add 30).
Question 30. Arrange the words in a logical order: Leaf, Tree, Branch, Seed, Fruit
a) Seed, Tree, Branch, Leaf, Fruit
b) Seed, Leaf, Tree, Branch
c) Seed, Branch, Leaf, Tree, Fruit
d) Seed, Tree, Leaf, Branch, Fruit
Answer:
a) Seed, Tree, Branch, Leaf, Fruit — The logical order of growth and development of a tree.
Question 31. If in a certain language, MADRAS is coded as NBESBT, how is BOMBAY coded in that language?
a) CPNCBX
b) CPNCBZ
c) CPOCBZ
d) CPNDBZ
Answer:
b) CPNCBZ — Each letter in the word is moved one step forward to form the code.
Question 32. What comes next in the series: SCD, TEF, UGH, ?, WKL
a) CMN
b) UJI
c) VIJ
d) IJT
Answer:
c) VIJ — The series follows a pattern where each letter in the word moves one, two, and two steps forward respectively.
Question 33. If 2 * 3 = 8, 4 * 5 = 22, 6 * 7 = 44, then what is 8 * 9?
a) 56
b) 74
c) 64
d) 80
Answer:
d) 74 — The pattern is the multiplication of the two numbers plus 2 (2*3+2=8, 4*5+2=22, 6*7+2=44, so 8*9+2=74).
Question 34. In a code, ‘256’ means ‘flower red bloom’, ‘265’ means ‘flower bloom red’, and ‘356’ means ‘beautiful red rose’. What digit in the code stands for ‘red’?
a) 2
b) 5
c) 6
d) 3
Answer:
b) 5 — ‘Red’ is the common word in ‘256’ and ‘265’, thus represented by 5.
Question 35. If Monday is to January, then Wednesday is to?
a) March
b) May
c) July
d) August
Answer:
a) March — Both Monday and January are the first in their categories (week and year), Wednesday and March are the third.
Question 36. Find the group that is different:
a) EGIK
b) FHJL
c) BDFH
d) ACDF
e) JLNP
Answer:
d) ACDF — All others are sequences of letters with equal intervals, except ACDF.
Question 37. Find the group that is different:
a) XZBF
b) RUTW
c) KMOQ
d) GIKM
e) PSVX
Answer:
b) RUTW — All others follow a sequence with equal intervals between each letter, RUTW does not.
Question 38. Find the odd one out:
a) ZABY
b) VEWU
c) QJSR
d) NOLM
e) TGFH
Answer:
e) TGFH — In all others, the first and last letters are consecutive, but not in TGFH.
Question 39. Find the group that is different:
a) OQST
b) EGIK
c) UWXZ
d) ACDF
e) JLNP
Answer:
a) OQST — All others are sequences of letters with equal intervals, OQST is not in equal interval.
Question 40. Find the odd one out:
a) BDFH
b) KMNP
c) RTVX
d) PSVX
e) EGJL
Answer:
d) PSVX — In all others, each letter is two steps from the next
Question 41. Find the group that is different:
a) JLNQ
b) DGJM
c) TWXZ
d) CEHG
e) BDFI
Answer:
d) CEHG — In all other groups, there is a consistent two-letter interval between each letter, but in CEHG the intervals vary.
Question 42. Find the odd one out:
a) NOPQ
b) YZAB
c) VWXY
d) CDEF
e) STUV
Answer:
c) YZAB — All others are sequences starting from the beginning of the alphabet, but YZAB starts from the end.
Question 43. Fill in the missing letters: a_c_e_g_?
Options:
a) bdfh
b) bdgh
c) bdfi
d) bdgi
Answer:
a) bdfh — The letters are in alphabetical order with one letter skipped each time.
Question 44. Fill in the missing letters: _abc_a_bc_ab_
Options:
a) bcaac
b) acbac
c) bacab
d) cbaab
Answer:
b) acbac — The pattern is a cyclic repetition of ‘abc’.
Question 45. Find the missing letters: J_KMN_O_?
Options:
a) KLOP
b) LLOP
c) KLMO
d) KLLP
Answer:
a) KLOP — The letters are in alphabetical order, with one letter skipped each time.
Question 46. Complete the series: ZYX, WVU, TSR, ?
Options:
a) QPO
b) QPN
c) QPM
d) QPL
Answer:
a) QPO — The series is a sequence of reverse alphabets in groups of three, skipping one letter each time.
Question 47. Find the missing letters: _b_cd_bc_d_
Options:
a) acbb
b) abcc
c) bacc
d) bbca
Answer:
d) bbca — The letters alternate between ‘b’ and ‘c’, starting with ‘b’.
Question 48. Complete the sequence: BDF, HJL, NPR, ?
Options:
a) TVX
b) TUX
c) SUV
d) STV
Answer:
a) TVX — Each group skips one letter and then two letters alternately.
Question 49. Fill in the blanks: a_b_c_bca_?
Options:
a) cbab
b) acba
c) baca
d) abcb
Answer:
c) baca — The letters form a repeating pattern of ‘abc’.
Question 50. Find the odd one out:
a) AEIM
b) BFJN
c) CGKO
d) DHLP
e) EJOT
Answer:
e) EJOT — In all other groups, each letter is one step apart in the alphabet, but in EJOT, the letters are not in a consistent one-step sequence.
Logical Puzzles
Question 51. Four friends are sitting in a row. A is not at either end. B is not next to C. Who is sitting in the middle?
a) A
b) B
c) C
d) D
Answer:
a) A — Since A is not at either end and B is not next to C, A must be in the middle.
Question 52. If all cats are animals and some animals are pets, are all cats pets?
a) Yes
b) No
c) Cannot be determined
d) Sometimes
Answer:
b) No — Not all animals are pets, so not all cats are pets.
Question 53. If John is taller than Jack and Jack is taller than Jim, who is the shortest?
a) John
b) Jack
c) Jim
d) Cannot be determined
Answer:
c) Jim — Since John is taller than Jack and Jack is taller than Jim, Jim is the shortest.
Question 54. Three brothers are 12, 14, and 16 years old. The youngest is:
a) 14 years old
b) 16 years old
c) 12 years old
d) None of the above
Answer:
c) 12 years old — The youngest brother is 12 years old.
Question 55. Which word does not belong in the group?
a) Apple
b) Banana
c) Orange
d) Carrot
Answer:
d) Carrot — Carrot is a vegetable, while the others are fruits.
Question 56. If it is raining, then the ground is wet. It is not raining. Therefore:
a) The ground is wet
b) The ground is not wet
c) The ground may or may not be wet
d) None of the above
Answer:
c) The ground may or may not be wet — The statement only tells us what happens if it rains, not what happens if it doesn’t.
Question 57. Which of the following does not fit in the series?
a) 5
b) 10
c) 15
d) 12
Answer:
d) 12 — All other numbers are multiples of 5.
Question 58. In a certain code, if ‘DOG’ is written as ‘EPI’, how is ‘CAT’ written?
a) DBU
b) DBV
c) DBW
d) DBX
Answer:
b) DBV — Each letter is shifted one place forward in the alphabet.
Question 59. If a square is to a cube, then a circle is to:
a) Sphere
b) Cylinder
c) Cone
d) Triangle
Answer:
a) Sphere — A square is a 2D shape, and a cube is its 3D counterpart. Similarly, a circle is 2D, and a sphere is its 3D counterpart.
Question 60. Identify the odd one out:
a) Triangle
b) Square
c) Rectangle
d) Circle
Answer:
d) Circle — The other shapes have straight sides, while a circle does not.
Spatial Reasoning
Question 61. Which of the following shapes will look the same when rotated 180 degrees?
a) Square
b) Triangle
c) Circle
d) Rectangle
Answer:
c) Circle — A circle looks the same after being rotated.
Question 62. How many faces does a rectangular prism have?
a) 4
b) 6
c) 8
d) 12
Answer:
b) 6 — A rectangular prism has 6 faces.
Question 63. If you cut a cube into 8 smaller cubes of equal size, how many edges does each smaller cube have?
a) 4
b) 6
c) 8
d) 12
Answer:
c) 8 — Each smaller cube has 8 edges.
Question 64. Which 3D shape can be made from the following 2D shape?
a) Sphere
b) Cylinder
c) Cone
d) Cube
Answer:
b) Cylinder — The 2D shape can be rolled to form a cylinder.
Question 65. How many vertices does a triangular prism have?
a) 4
b) 5
c) 6
d) 8
Answer:
c) 6 — A triangular prism has 6 vertices.
Question 66. If you unfold a cube, how many squares will you get?
a) 4
b) 5
c) 6
d) 8
Answer:
c) 6 — A cube unfolds into 6 squares.
Question 67. Which of the following shapes has the same number of sides as a hexagon?
a) Pentagon
b) Square
c) Octagon
d) None of the above
Answer:
d) None of the above — A hexagon has 6 sides, which none of the other shapes have.
Mathematical Reasoning
Question 68. If a train travels 60 km in 1 hour, how far will it travel in 3.5 hours?
a) 180 km
b) 200 km
c) 210 km
d) 220 km
Answer:
c) 210 km — The train travels 60 km per hour, so in 3.5 hours it will travel 60 × 3.5 = 210 km.
Question 69. A rectangle has a length of 8 cm and a width of 5 cm. What is its perimeter?
a) 26 cm
b) 30 cm
c) 40 cm
d) 45 cm
Answer:
b) 26 cm — Perimeter of a rectangle is 2 × (length + width) = 2 × (8 + 5) = 26 cm.
Question 70. If the sum of two numbers is 30 and one of the numbers is 12, what is the other number?
a) 15
b) 18
c) 12
d) 20
Answer:
b) 18 — The other number is 30 – 12 = 18.
Question 71. If 5 notebooks cost ₹75, what is the cost of 8 notebooks?
a) ₹100
b) ₹120
c) ₹125
d) ₹150
Answer:
b) ₹120 — The cost of one notebook is ₹75 ÷ 5 = ₹15, so the cost of 8 notebooks is 8 × ₹15 = ₹120.
Question 72. What is the next number in the series: 5, 10, 15, 20, …?
a) 22
b) 25
c) 28
d) 30
Answer:
b) 25 — The series increases by 5 each time (5, 10, 15, 20, so the next is 20 + 5 = 25).
Question 73. If a book has 240 pages and you read 30 pages every day, how many days will it take to finish the book?
a) 6
b) 7
c) 8
d) 9
Answer:
c) 8 — It will take 240 ÷ 30 = 8 days to finish the book.
Question 74. The product of two numbers is 64 and one of the numbers is 8. What is the other number?
a) 6
b) 7
c) 8
d) 9
Answer:
c) 8 — The other number is 64 ÷ 8 = 8.
Question 75. What is the average of these numbers: 6, 8, 10, 12?
a) 8
b) 9
c) 10
d) 11
Answer:
c) 9 — The average is (6 + 8 + 10 + 12) ÷ 4 = 36 ÷ 4 = 9.
Question 76. If the area of a square is 49 square cm, what is the length of one side?
a) 5 cm
b) 6 cm
c) 7 cm
d) 8 cm
Answer:
c) 7 cm — The side length of a square is the square root of the area, √49 = 7 cm.
Question 77. A box contains 20 red balls and 30 blue balls. What is the ratio of red balls to blue balls?
a) 2:3
b) 1:1
c) 2:5
d) 3:5
Answer:
a) 2:3 — The ratio of red balls to blue balls is 20:30, which simplifies to 2:3.
Logical Deduction Questions
Question 78. If all apples are fruits and all fruits are nutritious, which of the following is true?
a) All apples are nutritious
b) Some apples are not nutritious
c) No apples are nutritious
d) Apples are not fruits
Answer:
a) All apples are nutritious — If all apples are fruits and all fruits are nutritious, then it follows that all apples are nutritious.
Question 79. If all pencils are pens and some pens are blue, which of the following must be true?
a) All pencils are blue
b) Some pencils are blue
c) No pencils are blue
d) Cannot be determined
Answer:
b) Some pencils are blue — Since all pencils are pens and some pens are blue, it follows that some pencils are blue.
Question 80. If it rains, the ground gets wet. If the ground is wet, it is slippery. It is raining. What can be deduced?
a) The ground is not wet
b) The ground is slippery
c) It is not slippery
d) The ground is dry
Answer:
b) The ground is slippery — Since it is raining, the ground gets wet, and if the ground is wet, it becomes slippery.
Question 81. All birds have wings. Some birds can fly. Which of the following is true?
a) All birds can fly
b) Some birds do not have wings
c) Some birds cannot fly
d) No birds can fly
Answer:
c) Some birds cannot fly — Since only some birds can fly, it follows that some birds cannot fly, even though all birds have wings.
Question 82. If all mammals breathe air and all dogs are mammals, which of the following must be true?
a) Some dogs do not breathe air
b) All dogs breathe air
c) No dogs are mammals
d) Dogs do not need air
Answer:
b) All dogs breathe air — Since all mammals breathe air and all dogs are mammals, it follows that all dogs breathe air.
Question 83. If all cars have wheels and some vehicles are cars, which of the following must be true?
a) All vehicles have wheels
b) Some vehicles have wheels
c) No vehicles have wheels
d) All vehicles are cars
Answer:
b) Some vehicles have wheels — Since some vehicles are cars and all cars have wheels, it follows that some vehicles have wheels.
Question 84. If all musicians play instruments and John is a musician, which of the following is true?
a) John does not play an instrument
b) John plays an instrument
c) John cannot be a musician
d) John plays all instruments
Answer:
b) John plays an instrument — Since all musicians play instruments and John is a musician, it follows that John plays an instrument.
Question 85. If it snows, the roads are slippery. The roads are not slippery. What can be deduced?
a) It is snowing
b) It is not snowing
c) The roads are icy
d) It is raining
Answer:
b) It is not snowing — If it were snowing, the roads would be slippery. Since the roads are not slippery, it follows that it is not snowing.
Question 86. All flowers bloom in the spring. Roses are flowers. What can be concluded?
a) Roses bloom in the spring
b) Roses do not bloom
c) Some roses bloom in the winter
d) Roses are not flowers
Answer:
a) Roses bloom in the spring — Since all flowers bloom in the spring and roses are flowers, it follows that roses bloom in the spring.
Question 87. If all humans need oxygen to live and Mary is a human, which of the following is true?
a) Mary does not need oxygen
b) Mary needs oxygen to live
c) Mary is not a human
d) Mary can live without oxygen
Answer:
b) Mary needs oxygen to live — Since all humans need oxygen to live and Mary is a human, it follows that Mary needs oxygen to live.
