Learn by Novus · Open practice pack v1

Lateral thinking: open practice pack: answer key

25 untimed puzzles on a difficulty 1–5 ladder.

Puzzles are an untimed educational and entertainment activity. They are not a clinical, diagnostic, standardized, or professionally recognized assessment. Solving puzzles here does not produce an IQ score and cannot be used for Mensa qualification, diagnosis, giftedness identification, educational placement, employment selection, disability applications, accommodations, legal matters, or medical decisions. Puzzle items are never used as unseen scored questions in any Novus Learn assessment.

Answer key

ItemChoiceAnswer
puz-lateral-thinking-01CA pale circular mark left on the varnish by his mug.
puz-lateral-thinking-02AThe errand at the door lasted hours, so the tea had ample time to cool.
puz-lateral-thinking-03DOne person holds both posts, so the handover happened in one pair of hands.
puz-lateral-thinking-04BTo hold the self-closing door open while the boxes are carried through.
puz-lateral-thinking-05AFlat four is home to two people, so there are two new neighbours.
puz-lateral-thinking-06CHe rowed against the current going out and with it coming back.
puz-lateral-thinking-07BA timed recorded announcement played through the new ceiling speakers.
puz-lateral-thinking-08DThe labels are on the lids, and the lids went back onto different tins.
puz-lateral-thinking-09ARosa listed three things that happened without claiming that order.
puz-lateral-thinking-10CA scale model of the valley laid out in the grounds.
puz-lateral-thinking-11BTwo of the doors serve the bin store and the shared stairwell, not homes.
puz-lateral-thinking-12DMice moving about under the door trigger the motion-sensing bulb.
puz-lateral-thinking-13AThe paper takes up damp over the cold weekend and feeds badly until the room warms.
puz-lateral-thinking-14BIt stood corner to corner in the lift, whose floor diagonal is nearly three metres.
puz-lateral-thinking-15COn Monday evening the surgery held no Tuesday appointment in her name.
puz-lateral-thinking-16DThe greenhouse overheating while its vent was jammed shut.
puz-lateral-thinking-17BBoth totals rise when more people swim, so the swimmer count drives each.
puz-lateral-thinking-18ASalim's badge record for Wednesday morning.
puz-lateral-thinking-19CThere are eighteen passengers for sixteen passenger seats.
puz-lateral-thinking-20DA water cooler spilt as it was moved out, and the through-draught scattered the papers.
puz-lateral-thinking-21AThe rear wheel is held on by a lever that opens by hand.
puz-lateral-thinking-22DShe saw the bag on that chair herself, between half past five and quarter to six.
puz-lateral-thinking-23CSix rows.
puz-lateral-thinking-24BThat checks at three moments show where the key was in between.
puz-lateral-thinking-25AThe grower wrote it himself; a denial is a claim, not a constraint.