Cubes Explanation
Cube rotation — how to solve it
You see one cube with three visible faces. Four of the six faces carry a pattern, two are blank, and every pattern appears only once. Exactly one of the four answers can be the same cube, rotated.
Step 1 — pick an anchor. Take the most distinctive visible pattern and note which patterns border it and how they are oriented: where does the point, opening or arrow face? Those neighbour relations never change, however the cube is turned.
Step 2 — eliminate. A wrong cube gives itself away in three ways: two faces have swapped places; a pattern is rotated relative to its neighbours; or the same pattern appears twice — which is impossible by definition.
Step 3 — beware hidden faces. An answer showing a pattern you cannot see in the question may still be right: that pattern can sit on a hidden face. Only eliminate what demonstrably conflicts with what you can see.
Pace. The real test (for example the Q1000) gives you about 60 seconds per question. Do not get stuck: guess and move on — a blank answer counts as wrong.
Worked example
Which of the four cubes can be the same cube, rotated?
Answer C is correct. Use the arrow as your anchor and note how it sits relative to the S — in the question the arrow runs parallel to the edge between the arrow face and the S face: its tip points neither towards nor away from the S.
- A is out: it shows the S and the arrow on the same faces as the question, with the arrow in exactly the same position — but the S is rotated a quarter turn. The same view must look exactly the same.
- B is out: here the arrow points straight at the S, while in the question it runs parallel to the edge next to the S. However you turn a cube, the position of two patterns relative to each other never changes.
- D is out immediately: the S appears twice, and every pattern appears only once. (Not seeing the arrow is no reason to eliminate — it can sit on a hidden face.)
That leaves C — which also checks out positively: the arrow again runs parallel to the edge next to the S, and the S has the same rotation relative to the arrow as in the question.
