Last verified: 31 October 2026. The paper pattern quoted here — Intelligence of 25 questions × 2 marks = 50 marks, 150 minutes for Class 6 and 180 minutes for Class 9, no negative marking — follows the AISSEE 2026 pattern as reported from the NTA bulletin. The AISSEE 2027 bulletin is not out yet, so 2027 figures are labelled EXPECTED wherever they appear.
Photo: Pexels
Every AISSEE paper, Class 6 and Class 9 alike, carries an Intelligence section worth 50 marks: 25 questions at 2 marks each, under the AISSEE 2026 pattern. That is one-sixth of the Class 6 paper and one-eighth of the Class 9 paper — and unlike Mathematics or Science, it asks for almost no memorised facts. It asks whether you can spot the rule.
That is why it is the most improvable section in the final months. Pattern recognition is a reflex, and reflexes are built by repetition, not by reading. Our complete Intelligence guide covers every question type in the section; this article is the practice half of that guide — the drills that turn recognition into marks.
Nearly every Intelligence question is one of four types. Learn to name the type within five seconds of reading the question, and half the work is done.
1. Series — find the rule, then the next term. Number series hide rules like add-3, multiply-by-2, squares, cubes, or two rules alternating (odd positions follow one rule, even positions another). Letter series work the same way, with positions in the alphabet standing in for numbers. The drill: cover the options, find the rule from the first three terms, verify it against the fourth, and only then look at the options.
2. Analogy — the relationship is the answer. “Book is to read as pen is to ___” is not about books or pens; it is about the relationship (tool to its use). The drill: say the relationship in one short sentence before looking at the options. If you cannot say it, you have not understood the question yet.
3. Classification (odd one out) — find what three share. Three of the four options always share something — same category, same number property, same letter pattern. The drill: instead of asking “which is odd?”, ask “what do three of these have in common?” The odd one usually reveals itself the moment you answer that.
4. Coding-decoding — letters are numbers. If CAT is written as 24, the code is usually letter positions added up (C=3, A=1, T=20). The drill: write the alphabet with positions 1–26 above any coding question before you start. It takes ten seconds and removes the most common source of silly errors.
Fifteen minutes a day, every day, beats two hours once a week — because the skill being trained is speed of recognition, and that fades without daily contact. Here is the routine:
| Day | Drill (15 minutes) | What it builds |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 15 number series, timed | Spotting add, multiply, square and alternating rules fast |
| Tuesday | 15 letter series + alphabet-position writing | Letter-to-number fluency |
| Wednesday | 15 analogy questions, relationship stated aloud | Relationship-first thinking |
| Thursday | 15 odd-one-out questions | The “what do three share?” reflex |
| Friday | 10 coding-decoding + 5 mixed figure patterns | Code-breaking speed |
| Saturday | One 25-question mixed set, 25 minutes, exam conditions | Stamina and question triage |
| Sunday | Error review only — redo every question you got wrong that week | The actual learning |
The Sunday review is the most important day in the table. A drill you never review teaches you to repeat the same mistake faster. For every wrong answer, write one line: what rule did I miss? If the same line appears three weeks running — say, alternating series — that is your weak spot, and it gets an extra five minutes the following week.
Guessing from two terms. A series like 2, 4, 8 could double each time — or it could be followed by 14, 22 (adding 2, 4, 6, 8). Two terms prove nothing. Always check your rule against at least three terms before committing.
Reading the options before the question. Options are designed to look plausible. If you read them first, your brain starts justifying the most attractive one. Cover them, solve, then match. This single habit is worth several marks on its own.
Spending too long on one question. Intelligence rewards breadth: 25 questions at 2 marks each means a stuck question costs you the same as any other, but the minutes it eats could have solved three easy ones. The rule from our 20 most repeated Maths question types applies here too — never let one question hold the paper hostage. Mark, move on, return at the end.
Intelligence should never eat Mathematics time — Maths carries 200 marks in Class 9 and 100 in Class 6, and it stays the priority. The 15-minute drill fits before homework or after dinner, and it pairs well with accuracy work elsewhere: the same “fix the repeatable error” principle behind our Class 6 English grammar guide is exactly what the Sunday review does for Intelligence.
How many marks is AISSEE Intelligence worth?
Under the AISSEE 2026 pattern, Intelligence is 25 questions of 2 marks each, totalling 50 marks, in both the Class 6 paper of 300 marks and the Class 9 paper of 400 marks. The 2027 pattern is EXPECTED to be the same, but the NTA bulletin is not out yet, so confirm when it releases.
Is there negative marking in AISSEE Intelligence?
No. Under the AISSEE 2026 pattern there is no negative marking anywhere in the paper, so a wrong answer and a blank answer both score zero. Attempt every Intelligence question, using elimination on the ones you are unsure about.
How much time should I spend on Intelligence in the exam?
Aim for about 20 to 25 minutes for the 25 questions. That is roughly one minute per question, and it leaves your main time for Mathematics, which carries far more marks. If a question takes more than 90 seconds, mark it, move on, and return only if time remains.
Can Intelligence really be improved in a few weeks?
Yes, more than any other section. Intelligence questions test recognition, not memorised facts, so a short daily drill routine builds the pattern-spotting reflex fast. Most students improve more in three weeks of drills than in three months of re-reading theory.
Should Class 6 and Class 9 students drill differently?
The question types are the same — series, analogy, classification and coding — but Class 9 questions are a step harder, with longer series and trickier figure patterns. Class 9 students should add figure-based and coding questions to the same routine; Class 6 students should master number and letter series first.
What is the single most common Intelligence mistake?
Jumping to the first pattern that fits two terms instead of checking it against a third. A series can look like plus-2 for two steps and then turn out to be a square-number or alternating pattern. Always verify your rule against at least three terms before choosing an answer.
How helpful was this article?
