Spatial Reasoning

The Spatial Reasoning Was Formerly A Part of The Differential Aptitude Tests Next Generation (DAT NextGen) And Is New As of 2027.

Help your organization visualize solutions, think in 3D, and solve with precision.

The Spatial Reasoning assessment (formerly known as DAT™ Next Generation – Space Relations) is an 11-minute online cognitive test designed to measure an individual’s spatial visualization and three-dimensional reasoning ability. Comprising 15 questions, this unproctored exam uses advanced computer-adaptive technology to tailor the difficulty of the questions to the test-taker’s real-time performance. Rather than measuring language skills or learned knowledge, it evaluates how fluidly a candidate can mentally rotate shapes, read technical blueprints, and recognize visual patterns.

In many roles, success depends on more than numbers or words—it requires the ability to visualize objects, understand spatial relationships, and think in three dimensions. From engineering and design to operations and logistics, spatial thinking drives innovation and execution.

Trusted since 1947 to predict performance the Differential Aptitude Test (DAT)™, now Spatial Reasoning, helps you identify individuals who can mentally manipulate shapes, visualize outcomes, and solve problems with clarity. Using adaptive testing, it delivers precise insight into how people process and work with spatial information—so you can build teams that see solutions others miss.

Primary Use: Selection and Development
Assessment Type: Cognitive: General Mental Ability (GMA) through the measurement of spatial visualization and reasoning ability
Job Level: Entry level through to managerial job roles
Job Type: Any role requiring individuals to have strong spatial reasoning skills
Number of Items: 15
Estimated Time: 11 minutes (untimed)
Administration Format: Unproctored
Norms: General population, Education-level norms

Available Languages

• English (US & UK)
• French
• Dutch
• Spanish (Castilian & Latin American)
• Portuguese
• German
• Italian

What does the Spatial Reasoning measure?

1. 3D Visualization – The ability to mentally rotate and manipulate two- and three-dimensional objects.
2. Spatial Awareness – Understanding how objects relate to one another in space.
3. Mental Transformation – Visualizing how shapes or objects change when moved, rotated, or reconfigured.
4. Pattern and Structure Recognition – Identifying how components fit together to form a complete object or system.
5. Applied Problem Solving – Using spatial insight to solve practical, visual, and technical challenges.
6. Precision in Visual Thinking – Accurately interpreting diagrams, layouts, and spatial data.

Benefits

• Short – Approximately 10–15 minutes (15 adaptive items)
• Measures spatial visualization ability, a key predictor of success in technical and hands-on roles
• Highly reliable, predictive scores backed by decades of research
• Adaptive testing technology ensures precise, ability-aligned results
• Engaging experience that adjusts to each individual
• Enables confident hiring and development decisions

What It’s Best Used For

• Vetting technical and hands-on talent: Screening applicants for roles where success depends on 3D thinking and spatial awareness, such as engineering, industrial design, manufacturing, logistics, and architecture.
• Unproctored remote screening: Deploying secure, online pre-employment testing without a physical monitor, using a randomized question bank that naturally prevents cheating.
• Predicting technical training success: Forecasting a candidate’s visual learning agility and processing speed before investing corporate resources into complex equipment or layout onboarding.
• Low-verbal international appraisals: Evaluating raw fluid intelligence across diverse, multi-lingual candidate pools using shape-based visual logic that bypasses language barriers.
• Targeting workforce development: Auditing current staff members to identify individuals with high cognitive flexibility for promotions into specialized technical or operational planning roles.

See The Other Differential Aptitude Tests™ – Next Generation Replacement Titles

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