Skip to main content
Academy11+
Back to Non-Verbal Reasoning

Non-Verbal Reasoning · Guide 7 of 8

Cube nets and 3D shapes

A net is a flat shape that folds up into a 3D shape. For a cube, the key skill is knowing which faces end up opposite each other.

  • Ages 9 to 11
  • 11+ Non-Verbal Reasoning
  • Worked examples

What is it?

A cube has 6 square faces, so a cube net is 6 squares joined edge to edge. There are 11 different nets that fold into a cube.

Questions show a net and ask which cube it makes, or show a cube and ask which net it came from. Some ask which net won't fold into a cube at all.

Which face is opposite face 1?

123456

How to spot it

  • A flat shape made of six squares, often with patterns or numbers on the faces.
  • Pictures of cubes drawn in 3D, showing three faces each.

Step-by-step method

  1. Step 1: Find the opposite pairs first. In a straight line of three squares, the first and third are opposite.
  2. Step 2: Opposite faces can never be seen side by side on a cube. Use this to cross out wrong cubes quickly.
  3. Step 3: Faces that touch on the net (share an edge) will also touch on the cube.
  4. Step 4: Check the net: six squares, no more than four in a row, and no 2 × 2 or 2 × 3 block.
  5. Step 5: For harder questions, imagine folding the net around one face you keep flat on the table.

Worked examples

Example 1: opposite faces

Question: In the net above, which face is opposite face 1?
  1. Step 1: Faces 1, 3 and 6 are in a straight line going down.
  2. Step 2: The first and third in a line of three are opposite, so 1 is opposite 6. (3 is the face in between, which ends up next to both.)
  3. Step 3: In the row 2, 3, 4, 5: 2 is opposite 4, and 3 is opposite 5.

Answer: Face 6

Example 2: nets that don't work

Question: Which of these will not fold into a cube?
A
B
C
  1. Step 1: A is the cross: it folds into a cube.
  2. Step 2: C has four in a row with one square on each side at opposite ends: this folds too.
  3. Step 3: B is a 2 × 3 block. When you fold it, squares overlap and two faces are left open.

Answer: B

Example 3: using opposite faces

Question: Using the numbered net above, could a cube show faces 3 and 5 next to each other?
  1. Step 1: In the row 2, 3, 4, 5, faces 3 and 5 are the first and third of a line of three (3, 4, 5).
  2. Step 2: So they are opposite, and opposite faces are never seen together.

Answer: No

Common traps

  • Opposite faces side by side

    Any cube drawing that shows two opposite faces next to each other is wrong. Check this first.

  • Counting squares only

    Six squares isn't enough: a 2 × 3 block or five in a row won't fold into a cube.

  • Ignoring the direction of patterns

    An arrow on a face can point a different way once folded. Check which edge it points towards.

Top tips

  • Make a paper net and fold it up: it's the fastest way to understand nets.
  • Learn the rule: 'in a line of three, the ends are opposite'.

Practice questions

Practise this with a free account

4 practice questions on this topic, from easy to 11+ level. Reading the guide is free for everyone; practice is for members, and signing up is free.

Sign up free to practiseSign in

Related on Academy11+

More free help with the same topic, on screen and on paper.