# Cognitive Skills Workbook — Free Printable — Get My Test Score > Free printable cognitive skills workbook. Improve verbal reasoning, numerical reasoning, logical thinking, spatial awareness, and working memory with guided exercises. Source: https://getmytestscore.co.uk/workbook-cognitive-skills --- # Cognitive Skills Workbook [Take our free Cognitive Skills Test first →](/cognitive-skills-test) This workbook is designed to help you understand and improve five core cognitive skills: verbal reasoning, numerical reasoning, logical reasoning, spatial awareness, and working memory. Each section explains what the skill is, why it matters, and gives you three practical exercises you can do regularly. Print this out, work through the exercises, and use the action plan at the end to track your progress. ## Verbal Reasoning Verbal reasoning is your ability to understand, analyse, and draw conclusions from written information. It's essential for reading comprehension, following instructions, and communicating clearly. Strong verbal reasoning helps in almost every subject and career. 1Daily Reading Practice Read one article, essay, or chapter per day from a source slightly above your current level. After reading, write a one-paragraph summary in your own words without looking back at the text. This builds comprehension, vocabulary, and the ability to identify key points. 2Word Relationships Practise identifying relationships between words. For each pair below, describe how they're related (synonym, antonym, cause/effect, part/whole, etc.): **a)** Generous / Selfish →   **b)** Chapter / Book →   **c)** Practice / Improvement →   Now create three of your own word pairs and label the relationships. 3Argument Analysis Find an opinion article or editorial. Read it carefully and answer: What is the author's main argument? What evidence do they use? Is the reasoning logical? Can you think of a counterargument? Write your analysis below. ## Numerical Reasoning Numerical reasoning is your ability to work with numbers, interpret data, and solve quantitative problems. It goes beyond basic arithmetic — it includes estimation, understanding percentages, interpreting graphs and tables, and applying maths to real-world situations. 1Estimation Challenges Practise making quick estimates in everyday life. Before calculating or looking up the answer, estimate: How much will your shopping basket cost? How long will a journey take? What percentage of your day do you spend studying? Write three estimation challenges you tried this week and how close you were. 2Mental Arithmetic Drills Spend 5 minutes each day practising mental arithmetic. Start with these and work up to harder problems: **a)** 47 + 86 =     **b)** 125 - 67 =     **c)** 15% of 240 =   **d)** 8 × 17 =     **e)** 360 ÷ 12 =     **f)** 3/4 of 180 =   3Data Interpretation Find a graph, table, or chart in a newspaper, textbook, or online report. Study it for 2 minutes, then answer these questions without looking: What is the main trend or finding?   What was the highest/lowest value?   What conclusion can you draw?   ## Logical Reasoning Logical reasoning is your ability to think systematically, identify patterns, and draw valid conclusions from available information. It underpins problem-solving, decision-making, and critical thinking in every field. 1Pattern Recognition Look for patterns in sequences. What comes next in each? **a)** 2, 6, 18, 54, \_\_\_   (explain the rule:  ) **b)** A, C, F, J, \_\_\_   (explain the rule:  ) **c)** Create your own pattern sequence for a friend to solve: 2If-Then Reasoning Practise drawing conclusions from statements. Given the following, what can you conclude? **a)** "All birds have feathers. A robin is a bird." → Conclusion:   **b)** "If it rains, the ground gets wet. The ground is wet." → Can you conclude it rained? Why or why not? **c)** Write your own if-then problem: 3Process of Elimination When faced with a problem, practise ruling out what's definitely wrong before focusing on what's right. This works for multiple choice questions, troubleshooting, and everyday decisions. Think of a recent decision you made. Write down the options you considered and how you eliminated them: ## Spatial Awareness Spatial awareness is your ability to understand and mentally manipulate shapes, objects, and spaces. It helps with reading maps, following assembly instructions, understanding diagrams, and visualising how objects fit together. 1Mental Rotation Look at an object near you (a book, a mug, your phone). Close your eyes and try to visualise it from different angles — from above, from behind, from the side. Describe what you "see" for each angle. Practise this daily to strengthen your mental rotation ability. Object chosen:   From above:   From behind:   2Map Reading & Navigation Next time you go somewhere new, study a map before you leave. Try to navigate using the map from memory rather than GPS. Afterwards, draw a rough map of the route you took, including key landmarks and turns. 3Build & Construct Activities that involve assembling, building, or arranging objects in space strengthen spatial skills. Try any of these regularly: • Complete jigsaw puzzles (start with 100 pieces, work up) • Build something from flat-pack instructions without watching a video • Play spatial games (Tetris, tangrams, or block-building games) • Sketch simple objects from different perspectives Which activity will you try this week?   ## Working Memory Working memory is your ability to hold and manipulate information in your mind over short periods. It's like a mental notepad — essential for following multi-step instructions, doing mental arithmetic, and keeping track of what you're reading or hearing. 1Chunking Practice Break long sequences into smaller groups to remember them more easily. Practise with these number strings — group them into chunks of 3 or 4, then try to recall them after 30 seconds: **a)** 7 3 9 1 5 8 2 4 → Your chunks:   **b)** 4 6 2 8 1 5 7 3 9 → Your chunks:   Apply chunking to phone numbers, PINs, or any sequence you need to remember this week. 2Visualisation When trying to remember information, create a mental image. The more vivid and unusual the image, the better. Read the following shopping list once, then close your eyes and visualise each item in a specific place in your kitchen: _Milk, bread, apples, cheese, rice, tomatoes, yoghurt, eggs_ How many could you recall?   / 8 Describe the mental images you used: 3Digit Span Challenge Have someone read a string of digits to you at a pace of one per second. Try to repeat them back. Start with 4 digits and add one more each time you succeed. Record your best span: 4 digits:     5 digits:     6 digits:     7 digits:     8+:   Most adults can hold 5–9 digits. Practise daily to increase your span. ## My Cognitive Skills Action Plan Use this table to plan your improvement. Fill in your current assessment, set goals, and commit to a daily practice activity for each skill. | Skill | Current Strength (Weak / OK / Strong) | My Goal | Daily Practice Activity | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Verbal Reasoning | | | | | Numerical Reasoning | | | | | Logical Reasoning | | | | | Spatial Awareness | | | | | Working Memory | | | | **Start date:**     **Review date (4 weeks):**   **Notes & reflections:** getmytestscore.co.uk — Free learning resources --- _Get My Test Score — see [/llms.txt](https://getmytestscore.co.uk/llms.txt) for the full site map and machine-readable endpoints._