Chapter 8 of 8

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ICSE Class 3 Mathematics★ 4-6 marks in Class 3 Mathematics; shape, colour, and number patterns

Patterns

Spot the rule and continue the PATTERN! Explore patterns made of SHAPES, COLOURS, and NUMBERS, including growing patterns and number patterns like odd and even. A fun chapter that builds logical thinking. ICSE Class 3 Mathematics.

⏱ 8 min readEasy difficulty✓ Free · NCERT-aligned

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Mind Map

The chapter at a glance

Every concept and exam-favourite branch — revisable in 5 minutes.

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Study Guide

Night-before notes

Key points, glossary and the questions most likely to show up.

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By the end of this chapter you'll be able to…

1Recognise a repeating pattern and its unit
2Continue shape and colour patterns
3Continue growing patterns
4Find the rule of a number pattern
5Create their own pattern with a fixed rule

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Why this chapter matters

Patterns train children to spot a rule and predict what comes next, a key part of logical and mathematical thinking. Shape, colour, growing, and number patterns lead naturally into skip counting, tables, and algebra.

Before you start — revise these

A 5-minute refresher here will save you 30 minutes of confusion below.

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Class 3 Mathematics: Numbers up to 10,000

Skip counting and number order

Patterns

1. What Is a Pattern?

A PATTERN is something that repeats in a regular way. Once we find the RULE of a pattern, we can tell what comes NEXT.

Patterns are all around us — on clothes, tiles, leaves, and in numbers.

2. Shape and Colour Patterns

Some patterns use SHAPES or COLOURS that repeat.

Circle, square, circle, square, circle, ? → the next is a square.
Red, red, blue, red, red, blue, ? → the next is red.

The part that repeats is called the UNIT of the pattern. Find the unit, and you can continue the pattern forever.

3. Growing Patterns

In a GROWING pattern, the shapes or numbers get BIGGER (or more) each time by the same rule.

1 dot, 2 dots, 3 dots, 4 dots, ? → the next is 5 dots (one more each time).
A staircase that adds one step every time is a growing pattern.

4. Number Patterns

Numbers can make patterns too. We look at how one number changes to the next.

2, 4, 6, 8, ? → add 2 each time → 10. (These are EVEN numbers.)
1, 3, 5, 7, ? → add 2 each time → 9. (These are ODD numbers.)
5, 10, 15, 20, ? → add 5 each time → 25. (Skip counting by 5.)
30, 27, 24, 21, ? → subtract 3 each time → 18.

Rule: First find what is being ADDED or SUBTRACTED each step, then use that rule to continue.

5. Making Your Own Pattern

You can create a pattern using any rule you like — shapes, colours, or numbers. Just make sure the rule STAYS THE SAME all the way through.

Common Mistakes

Changing the rule halfway through the pattern.
Not finding the full repeating UNIT before continuing a shape pattern.
Adding the wrong amount in a number pattern — always check the gap between two numbers.

Fun Activity

Make a bead necklace pattern on paper using two colours. Repeat your unit at least four times, then ask a friend to colour the next bead.

Self-Test

Q1: Continue the pattern: triangle, circle, triangle, circle, ?

Q2: What comes next: 10, 20, 30, 40, ?

Q3: Find the rule and the next number: 2, 5, 8, 11, ?

Q4: Are these odd or even numbers: 2, 4, 6, 8?

Q5: Continue: 25, 20, 15, 10, ?

Answers

A1: triangle. A2: 50 (add 10 each time). A3: Rule: add 3; next number is 14. A4: Even numbers. A5: 5 (subtract 5 each time).

Key formulas & results

Everything you need to memorise, in one card. Screenshot this for revision.

Finding the rule

Look at what is added or subtracted between two terms

2, 5, 8, 11 adds 3 each time, so the next is 14.

Repeating unit

Find the smallest part that repeats, then continue it

Circle, square, circle, square has the unit 'circle, square'.

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Common mistakes & fixes

These are the exact errors that cost students marks in board exams. Read them once, save yourself the trouble.

WATCH OUT

✗ Changing the rule halfway through

✓ Keep the same rule from start to finish.

WATCH OUT

✗ Not finding the full repeating unit

✓ Identify the whole repeating part before continuing a shape pattern.

WATCH OUT

✗ Adding the wrong amount in a number pattern

✓ Check the gap between two numbers before extending.

NCERT exercises (with solutions)

Every NCERT exercise from this chapter — what it covers and how many questions to expect.

Shape and colour patterns

Continuing repeating and growing patterns

Questions

Number patterns

Finding rules and the next numbers

Questions

Practice problems

Try each one yourself before tapping "Show solution". Active recall > rereading.

Q1EASY· Shape

Continue the pattern: triangle, circle, triangle, circle, ?

▶ Show solution

Triangle.

Q2EASY· Number

What comes next: 10, 20, 30, 40, ?

▶ Show solution

50 (add 10 each time).

Q3MEDIUM· Rule

Find the rule and the next number: 2, 5, 8, 11, ?

▶ Show solution

Add 3 each time; the next number is 14.

Q4EASY· Number

Continue: 25, 20, 15, 10, ?

▶ Show solution

5 (subtract 5 each time).

5-minute revision

The whole chapter, distilled. Read this the night before the exam.

•A pattern repeats in a regular way.
•Find the rule to know what comes next.
•The repeating part is called the unit.
•Growing patterns get bigger by the same amount each time.
•Number patterns add or subtract the same amount.
•Even numbers go 2, 4, 6, 8; odd numbers go 1, 3, 5, 7.
•Keep the rule the same all the way through.

ICSE marks blueprint

Where the marks come from in this chapter — so you can plan your prep.

Typical chapter weightage: 4-6 marks, depending on the school paper

Question type	Marks each	Typical count	What it tests
Shape / Colour patterns	2-3	1-2	Continuing repeating and growing patterns
Number patterns	2-3	1-2	Finding rules and next numbers

Prep strategy

Find the repeating unit in shape patterns
Check the gap between numbers to find the rule
Practise both adding and subtracting patterns
Make and test your own patterns

Where this shows up in the real world

This chapter isn't just an exam topic — it lives in the world around you.

Art and decoration

Borders, tiles, and rangoli use repeating patterns.

Music and dance

Beats and steps often follow repeating patterns.

Counting

Number patterns are the basis of skip counting and tables.

Exam strategy

Battle-tested tips from teachers and toppers for this chapter.

Identify the repeating unit or the rule first
Check the rule works for every term given
Keep the rule consistent when extending
State the rule clearly when asked

Going beyond the textbook

For olympiad aspirants and curious learners — topics that build on this chapter.

Make a bead pattern with a three-colour unit and extend it.
Find the next two numbers in 1, 2, 4, 7, 11 and explain the rule.

Where else this chapter is tested

CBSE board isn't the only one — other exams test this chapter too.

ICSE Class 3 School ExamHigh

Maths Olympiad / IMO (junior)Medium

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Questions students ask

The real ones — pulled from the Q&A community and tutor sessions.

Look at how each number changes to the next one. Find the difference between the first two numbers, then check that the same difference works for the other numbers. For example, in 2, 5, 8, 11 the numbers go up by 3 every time, so the rule is 'add 3' and the next number is 14. Sometimes the rule is to subtract the same amount instead, so always check whether the numbers are growing or shrinking.

The repeating unit is the smallest part of a pattern that repeats over and over. In the pattern red, red, blue, red, red, blue, the unit is 'red, red, blue'. Once you find the unit, you can continue the pattern as far as you like by simply repeating it. Finding the full unit first is important, otherwise you might continue the pattern incorrectly.

Practice more, ask doubts, find a tutor

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