Presenting a collection of mental ability test questions with answers created for class 5 students. The 75 questions are carefully selected for young minds. A few of the questions are challenging and might require parental guidance. The questions range from puzzles to pattern recognition to riddles. These questions are selected not to assess students but to enhance their problem-solving skills.
Each question in the list comes with multiple-choice answers. It makes the whole exercise ideal for quick learning sessions at home. Each question contains detailed answers explaining how the question is solved and provides insights into the reasoning process. This will help the students understand the logic behind each solution. Let’s directly go into our mental ability questions designed for Class 5 and watch your child’s problem-solving skills grow!
About the Test Questions
What is a mental ability test for class 5?
A mental ability test checks how well a child can think, reason, and solve problems. It is aimed not to check what the kids have memorised from textbooks. For class 5 students, these tests appear in school-level competitions, scholarship exams, and Olympiads. The questions test things like pattern recognition, number sequences, coding-decoding, analogies, and logical reasoning.
What makes these tests interesting is that they reward children who think carefully. There is less relationship with how much the children study hard or are good in their academics. A student who has never seen a particular question type can still solve it if they slow down and look for the logic. This is what makes practicing so valuable.
What topics are covered in this worksheet?
The 75 questions cover the main topics that appear in class 5 mental ability tests across most major exams: number series and sequences, coding-decoding, odd one out, analogies, clock and calendar problems, relationship and family tree questions, riddles, and shape-based reasoning.
The questions range from straightforward to tricky. A few, particularly the riddles and the clock angle problems, are ones that many adults find challenging too. Don’t be surprised if your child needs a nudge on those.
How parents can use these questions
You don’t need to sit your child down for a formal test session. Pick five questions on a weekend morning and go through them together. Ask your child to explain their reasoning out loud, not just give the answer. A child who says “I chose 45 because the others are all perfect squares” understands the concept far better than one who just circled the right option.
For children who find these questions easy, try timing them. 30 seconds per question adds a layer of challenge without changing the content. For children who find them hard, focus only on the first 20 questions first and build from there.
List of 75 Mental Ability Test Questions for Class 5
Question 1. What comes next in the sequence: 3, 6, 12, 24, …?
a) 36
b) 48
c) 30
d) 50
Answer:
b) 48 — The sequence doubles each time. (3×2=6, 6×2=12, 12×2=24, so 24×2=48).
Question 2. Spot the odd one out: 16, 25, 36, 45, 64
a) 16
b) 25
c) 45
d) 64
Answer:
c) 45 — All other numbers are perfect squares (4², 5², 6², 8²), but 45 is not.
Question 3. If RABBIT is coded as 18122920, how will FOX be coded?
a) 61524
b) 6424
c) 62415
d) 61525
Answer:
a) 61524 — Each letter is represented by its position in the alphabet. R(18), A(1), B(2), B(2), I(9), T(20); similarly, F(6), O(15), X(24).
Question 4. What comes next in the pattern: Z, X, V, T, …?
a) S
b) R
c) Q
d) P
Answer:
b) R — The pattern follows the sequence of skipping one letter backwards in the alphabet (Z→X→V→T→R).
Question 5. In a line of children, a child is 5th from either end of the line. How many children are there in the line?
a) 9
b) 10
c) 11
d) 12
Answer:
a) 9 — If the child is 5th from either end, there are 4 children on each side of him, making a total of 4+4+1=9 children.
Question 6. If BOOK is coded as KOOB, how is SHIP coded?
a) IHSP
b) PISH
c) HPSI
d) PIHS
Answer:
d) PIHS — The pattern is to reverse the order of the letters in the word (BOOK -> KOOB; similarly, SHIP -> PIHS).
Question 7. If 2 * 5 = 52, 3 * 6 = 63, 4 * 7 = 74, what is 5 * 8?
a) 85
b) 58
c) 158
d) 54
Answer:
a) 85 — The pattern is to write the two numbers next to each other in reverse order (2 and 5 → 52, so 5 and 8 → 85).
Question 8. A clock shows 4:20. What is the angle between the hour and the minute hands?
a) 10°
b) 20°
c) 30°
d) 40°
Answer:
a) 10°.
Question 9. Which number should replace the question mark in the following series: 1, 4, 9, 16, ?, 36
a) 20
b) 25
c) 24
d) 30
Answer:
b) 25 — The series is the squares of consecutive natural numbers (1²=1, 2²=4, 3²=9, 4²=16, 5²=25, 6²=36).
Question 10. If ‘WORD’ is coded as 5694, what will be the code for ‘LINE’?
a) 3955
b) 2975
c) 3112
d) 2711
Answer:
a) 3955 — Each letter is replaced by the sum of the digits of its alphabetical position:
- W (23 → 2+3 = 5)
- O (15 → 1+5 = 6)
- R (18 → 1+8 = 9)
- D (4 → 4)
Thus, WORD = 5694.
Similarly:
- L (12 → 1+2 = 3)
- I (9 → 9)
- N (14 → 1+4 = 5)
- E (5 → 5)
LINE = 3955.
Question 11. If 3 * 4 = 34, 5 * 6 = 56, what is 7 * 8?
a) 56
b) 78
c) 87
d) 76
Answer:
b) 78 — The pattern is to write the numbers next to each other (3 and 4 form 34, 5 and 6 form 56; so 7 and 8 form 78).
Question 12. Find the odd one out: triangle, rectangle, circle, square
a) triangle
b) rectangle
c) circle
d) square
Answer:
c) circle — All others are polygons, but a circle is not.
Question 13. In a code language, CHAIR is written as 381918. How is TABLE written in that language?
a) 2012125
b) 2012195
c) 2202125
d) 2052125
Answer:
a) 2012125 — Each letter is represented by its position in the alphabet (C=3, H=8, A=1, I=9, R=18; similarly, T=20, A=1, B=2, L=12, E=5).
Question 14. Which comes next in the series: O, T, T, F, F, S, S, …?
a) E
b) S
c) N
d) T
Answer:
a) E — The pattern is the first letter of the numbers one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, and then eight.
Question 15. How many triangles are there in a diagram made up of a square with both diagonals drawn?
a) 4
b) 6
c) 8
d) 10
Answer:
c) 8 — The diagonals divide the square into 4 small triangles, and each half of the square (divided by a diagonal) contains 2 additional triangles formed by the other diagonal, totaling 8.
Question 16. If ‘car’ is to ‘road’ as ‘boat’ is to …?
a) air
b) track
c) water
d) rail
Answer:
c) water — A car travels on a road; similarly, a boat travels on water.
Question 17. In a sequence of numbers, each number is double the previous number minus two. If the first number is 5, what is the third number in the sequence?
a) 16
b) 14
c) 20
d) 22
Answer:
b) 14 — The sequence is 5, (5×2)-2=8, (8×2)-2=14, (14×2)-2=26. The third number is 14.
Question 18. What comes next in the sequence: Cat, Dog, Fox, Lion, …?
a) Tiger
b) Elephant
c) Wolf
d) Bear
Answer:
a) Tiger — The animals are listed in increasing order of size.
Question 19. Complete the analogy: Glove is to Hand as Sock is to …?
a) Shoe
b) Foot
c) Head
d) Hand
Answer:
b) Foot — A glove is worn on the hand; similarly, a sock is worn on the foot.
Question 20. If ‘glass’ is coded as ‘ssalg’, how is ‘plate’ coded?
a) etalp
b) telap
c) epatl
d) eplat
Answer:
a) etalp — The pattern is to reverse the letters of the word (glass → ssalg; plate → etalp).
Question 21. Which number does not belong in the following series: 2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 14?
a) 2
b) 3
c) 11
d) 14
Answer:
d) 14 — All other numbers are prime numbers, but 14 is not.
Question 22. If ‘PEN’ is to ‘NIB’ as ‘BRUSH’ is to…?
a) HANDLE
b) PAINT
c) BRISTLES
d) ART
Answer:
c) BRISTLES — A nib is the writing tip of a pen; similarly, bristles are the working tip of a brush.
Question 23. Find the odd one out: square, rectangle, triangle, circle
a) square
b) rectangle
c) triangle
d) circle
Answer:
d) circle — All others are polygons with straight sides, while a circle has no straight sides.
Question 24. If 5 × 5 = 26, 6 × 6 = 37, and 7 × 7 = 50, what is 8 × 8?
a) 67
b) 66
c) 65
d) 61
Answer:
c) 65
Question 25. What is the next shape in the sequence: circle, triangle, hexagon, …?
a) square
b) octagon
c) pentagon
d) nonagon
Answer:
d) nonagon — The number of sides is increasing by multiples of three (circle is considered 0, triangle has 3 sides, hexagon has 6 sides. 0 → 3 → 6. The difference between consecutive terms is +3. next is 9 sides: nonagon).
Question 26. Which word completes the analogy: Cold is to Ice as Heat is to…?
a) Sun
b) Fire
c) Water
d) Vapor
Answer:
b) Fire — Just as cold is associated with ice, heat is associated with fire.
Question 27. Spot the odd one out: Sun, Moon, Star, Car
a) Sun
b) Moon
c) Star
d) Car
Answer:
d) Car — All others are celestial objects, while Car is a vehicle.
Question 28. If you move 3 letters from ‘POST’ to make a new word, which is it?
a) STOP
b) TOPS
c) SPOT
d) OPTS
Answer:
c) SPOT — By rearranging the letters in ‘POST’, you get ‘SPOT’.
Question 29. Complete the series: 1, 4, 9, 16, 25, …?
a) 34
b) 36
c) 49
d) 50
Answer:
b) 36 — The series consists of squares of consecutive natural numbers.
Question 30. Identify the odd one out: Dog, Cat, Lion, Fish
a) Dog
b) Cat
c) Lion
d) Fish
Answer:
d) Fish — All others are land animals, while Fish lives in water.
Question 31. Which number is next in the sequence: 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, …?
a) 10
b) 11
c) 13
d) 15
Answer:
c) 13 — This sequence is known as the Fibonacci sequence, where each number is the sum of the two preceding ones.
Question 32. Spot the different one: square, rhombus, pentagon, triangle
a) square
b) rhombus
c) pentagon
d) triangle
Answer:
c) pentagon — A pentagon has five sides, while all others have four or fewer sides.
Question 33. If WATER is coded as 23120518, how is HONEY coded?
a) 815259
b) 81514525
c) 7181425
d) 71825
Answer:
b) 81514525 — Each letter is represented by its position in the alphabet (W=23, A=1, T=20, E=5, R=18; similarly, H=8, O=15, N=14, E=5, Y=25).
Question 34. What comes next in the pattern: 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, …?
a) 48
b) 60
c) 64
d) 72
Answer:
c) 64 — The pattern is each number multiplied by 2 (2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64).
Question 35. Find the number of squares in a 3×3 grid.
a) 9
b) 10
c) 14
d) 18
Answer:
c) 14 — There are 9 single squares, 4 squares made up of 2×2 cells, and 1 large square made up of the entire 3×3 grid.
Question 36. Which is the correct pair, similar to ‘Glove: Hand’?
a) Cap: Neck
b) Belt: Waist
c) Shoe: Ear
d) Hat: Foot
Answer:
b) Belt: Waist — Just as gloves are worn on hands, belts are worn on the waist.
Question 37. In a certain pattern, 7 = 14, 8 = 16, then what does 9 equal?
a) 17
b) 18
c) 19
d) 20
Answer:
b) 18 — The pattern is each number multiplied by 2 (7×2=14, 8×2=16, 9×2=18).
Question 38. Which term comes next in the sequence: ‘January’, ‘February’, ‘March’, …?
a) April
b) May
c) June
d) July
Answer:
a) April — The terms are months of the year in order.
Question 39. Complete the analogy: Book is to Reading as Fork is to…?
a) Cooking
b) Eating
c) Serving
d) Cutting
Answer:
b) Eating — Just as a book is used for reading, a fork is used for eating.
Question 40. If ‘TREE’ is coded as ‘REET’, how is ‘LAMP’ coded?
a) PMAL
b) PALM
c) MLAP
d) MPAL
Answer:
a) PMAL — The pattern is to reverse the letters of the word.
Question 41. I speak without a mouth and hear without ears. I have no body, but I come alive with the wind. What am I?
a) Shadow
b) Echo
c) Flame
d) River
Answer:
b) Echo — An echo can “speak” when it bounces back sound and “hears” as it picks up noises.
Question 42. I’m light as a feather, yet the strongest person can’t hold me for five minutes. What am I?
a) Breath
b) Bubble
c) Cloud
d) Thought
Answer:
a) Breath — You can hold your breath only for a short time, even if you are very strong.
Question 43. I’m taken from a mine, and shut up in a wooden case, from which I am never released, and yet I am used by almost every person. What am I?
a) Gold
b) Coal
c) Pencil lead
d) Diamond
Answer:
c) Pencil lead — It is mined as graphite, and used in pencils by almost everyone.
Question 44. What has keys but can’t open locks?
a) Map
b) Book
c) Piano
d) Heart
Answer:
c) Piano — A piano has keys but they are for playing music, not for opening locks.
Question 45. What has words, but never speaks?
a) Dream
b) Book
c) Song
d) Story
Answer:
b) Book — A book has words but it cannot speak on its own.
Question 46. I fly without wings. I cry without eyes. Whenever I go, the darkness flies. What am I?
a) Wind
b) Light
c) Cloud
d) Rain
Answer:
b) Light — Light travels (flies) without wings and dispels darkness.
Question 47. What comes once in a minute, twice in a moment, but never in a thousand years?
Answer:
a) The letter ‘m’ — The letter ‘m’ appears once in “minute,” twice in “moment,” but not at all in “thousand years.”
Question 48. What has a head, a tail, is brown, and has no legs?
a) Dog
b) Coin
c) Snake
d) Worm
Answer:
b) Coin — A coin typically has a head and a tail side, is brownish in color, and of course, has no legs.
Question 49. What begins with T, ends with T, and has T in it?
Answer:
a) Teapot — A teapot starts and ends with ‘T’ and contains tea, which sounds like ‘T’.
Question 50. You see a boat filled with people. It has not sunk, but when you look again you don’t see a single person on the boat. Why?
a) It’s invisible
b) They’re below deck
c) It’s a ghost ship
d) They’re all hiding
Answer:
b) They’re below deck — The people are still on the boat but are not visible because they are below deck.
Question 51. If A is the sister of B, B is the brother of C, and C is the son of D, how is D related to A?
a) Mother
b) Father
c) Parent
d) Uncle
Answer:
c) Parent — D is the parent of C, and since B and A are siblings of C, D is also A’s parent.
Question 52. Pointing to a photograph, John said, “She is the daughter of my grandfather’s only son.” How is the girl in the photograph related to John?
a) Sister
b) Cousin
c) Aunt
d) Niece
Answer:
a) Sister — John’s grandfather’s only son is his father, so the girl is his sister.
Question 53. If Sam is the son of Tina’s brother, how is Tina related to Sam?
a) Mother
b) Aunt
c) Sister
d) Cousin
Answer:
b) Aunt — Tina is Sam’s father’s sister.
Question 54. If M is the mother of N, and N is the mother of O, how is O related to M?
a) Daughter
b) Granddaughter
c) Niece
d) Sister
Answer:
b) Granddaughter — O is the daughter of M’s daughter.
Question 55. If A is married to B, and B is the brother of C, how is A related to C?
a) Sister-in-law
b) Aunt
c) Mother
d) Cousin
Answer:
a) Sister-in-law — A is C’s brother’s wife.
Question 56. What comes next in the series: 2, 5, 10, 17, …?
a) 26
b) 27
c) 28
d) 29
Answer:
a) 26 — The sequence increases by consecutive odd numbers.
Question 57. If 5 + 3 = 40, 7 + 2 = 63, what does 6 + 4 equal?
a) 54
b) 60
c) 48
d) 50
Answer:
b) 60 — The pattern is to multiply the first number by the sum of the two numbers, expressed as A * (A+B):
- 5 + 3: 5 * (5+3) = 40
- 7 + 2: 7 * (7+2) = 63
- 6 + 4: 6 * (6+4) = 60
Question 58. Which number should replace the question mark: 3, 7, 15, 31, …?
a) 47
b) 55
c) 63
d) 66
Answer:
c) 63 — Each number is doubled and then increased by 1.
Question 59. What is the missing number: 4, 9, 16, 25, …?
a) 36
b) 49
c) 56
d) 81
Answer:
a) 36 — The sequence follows the pattern of squares of consecutive numbers.
Question 60. Complete the sequence: 1, 1, 2, 6, 24, …?
a) 120
b) 36
c) 48
d) 30
Answer:
a) 120 — The sequence follows the pattern of factorials (1!, 1!, 2!, 3!, 4!).
Question 61. What day comes four days after the day before yesterday if today is Wednesday?
a) Friday
b) Saturday
c) Sunday
d) Monday
Answer:
a) Friday –
- Today is Wednesday.
- The day before yesterday was Monday.
- Four days after Monday is Friday (Monday + 4 days = Friday).
Question 62. If it takes 5 minutes to boil an egg, how long does it take to boil 5 eggs?
a) 5 minutes
b) 10 minutes
c) 15 minutes
d) 25 minutes
Answer:
a) 5 minutes — All eggs can be boiled together in the same pot.
Question 63. A clock shows the time as 3:30. What is the angle between the hour and minute hands?
a) 75 degrees
b) 90 degrees
c) 105 degrees
d) 120 degrees
Answer:
a) 75 degrees — The minute hand is at 180°, and the hour hand is at 105°. The difference is 75°.
Question 64. If two pens cost ₹30, how much do five pens cost?
a) ₹75
b) ₹90
c) ₹120
d) ₹150
Answer:
b) ₹75 — The cost per pen is ₹15, so five pens cost ₹15 * 5 = ₹75.
Question 65. If it rains on the first and third days of the month, what is the probability that it rains on a random day in the first week?
a) 1/7
b) 2/7
c) 3/7
d) 4/7
Answer:
b) 2/7 — There are two days out of seven with rain.
Question 66. If CAT is coded as 3120, what is the code for DOG?
a) 4715
b) 4157
c) 7615
d) 5716
Answer:
b) 4157 — Because the code uses letter positions in the alphabet and concatenates them: C=3, A=1, T=20 → 3120 | D=4, O=15, G=7 → 4157
Question 67. Find the odd one out: Apple, Banana, Grapes, Carrot, Mango
a) Apple
b) Banana
c) Carrot
d) Mango
Answer:
c) Carrot — All others are fruits, while Carrot is a vegetable.
Question 68. If TABLE is written as ELBAT, how is CHAIR written?
a) RIAHC
b) HRIAC
c) RIHAC
d) IARCH
Answer:
a) RIAHC — The word is written in reverse order.
Question 69. What comes next in the pattern: A, C, F, J, …?
a) K
b) O
c) M
d) N
Answer:
b) O — Positions jump by +2, +3, +4, so next jump is +5: A(1) → C(3) → F(6) → J(10) → O(15).
Question 70. Complete the analogy: Fish is to Water as Bird is to …?
a) Sky
b) Tree
c) Nest
d) Worm
Answer:
a) Sky — Fish live in water, and birds fly in the sky.
Question 71. Which of the following is the odd one out: Circle, Triangle, Square, Hexagon
a) Circle
b) Triangle
c) Square
d) Hexagon
Answer:
a) Circle — All others have straight sides, while Circle is round.
Question 72. Find the odd one out: Table, Chair, Bed, Spoon, Sofa
a) Table
b) Chair
c) Spoon
d) Sofa
Answer:
c) Spoon — All others are pieces of furniture, while Spoon is an eating utensil.
Question 73. Which one does not belong: Red, Green, Blue, Circle
a) Red
b) Green
c) Blue
d) Circle
Answer:
d) Circle — All others are colors, while Circle is a shape.
Question 74. Complete the analogy: Day is to Night as White is to…?
a) Blue
b) Bright
c) Black
d) Cloud
Answer:
c) Black — Day and Night are opposites. Similarly, White and Black are opposites.
Question 75. What is the missing number in the series: 5, 8, 14, 26, ?, 98
a) 46
b) 50
c) 48
d) 52
Answer:
b) 50 — The pattern is to multiply the difference between the numbers by 2.
- 8 – 5 = 3. 3 * 2 = 6. (8 + 6 = 14)
- 14 – 8 = 6. 6 * 2 = 12. (14 + 12 = 26)
- 26 – 14 = 12. 12 * 2 = 24. (26 + 24 = 50)
- 50 – 26 = 24. 24 * 2 = 48. (50 + 48 = 98)
FAQ on Mental Ability Test Questions for Class 5
Are mental ability questions useful for Olympiads?
Yes, they are. Olympiad exams like the NSO, IMO, and NSTSE all include a mental ability or reasoning section. Series, coding-decoding, odd-one-out, and analogies are integral parts of these papers. Regular practice improves both speed and accuracy. On top of it, what matters more is that Olympiad papers are time-pressured.
Are these questions suitable for scholarship exams?
Most of the state-level and national scholarship exams for class 5 include a reasoning or mental ability section. The question types here are curated to align with that pattern in these exams. If the child is preparing for a specific exam, you might want to check the official syllabus to see which types carry more weight and focus practice accordingly.
How many questions should a class 5 student practice daily?
Five to ten questions done with full focus is more effective than rushing through thirty. A consistent 15-20 minutes three or four times a week will produce better results. We recommend avoiding long, cramming sessions before an exam. The goal is for these question types to feel familiar, so a child’s first reaction in a real test is recognition and not panic.
Can class 5 students solve these without any coaching?
Most of these questions are self-explanatory once you read the answer explanation. A few, the clock angle problems and the more complex coding questions, may need a parent to walk through the logic the first time. After that, similar questions become much easier.
Why does my child get the right answer but for the wrong reason?
This is very common with multiple-choice reasoning questions. Ask your child to explain their answer before they choose the option. If the explanation doesn’t match the logic, that’s more useful insight than getting the right answer. Over time, this habit moves children from guessing well to reasoning well.
9 Comments
Thank you for making this very nice questions
some of the questiones were wrong like 25
Thanks for pointing out. I have corrected the answer.
66 and 69 also not correct answer. But all the questions are super
Thanks for pointing out. I have corrected the answer.
It was good and my son studying this questions and got a scholarship and thank you for explaining how the answer was correct
Thankyou
very useful for competitive exams .Great.
nice content and variety of questions;