Mirror and Water Image Notes for SSC Exams

Mirror image and water image are the most popular non verbal reasoning topics in SSC exams. In a mirror image, the left and the right side of a figure change places. In a water image, the top and the bottom change places. These mirror and water image notes for SSC explain the rules, the letters and digits that do not change, the clock formula and solved examples.

Mirror Image and Water Image

Rules of the Mirror Image

• Left becomes right and right becomes left, but the top and the bottom stay where they are.
• The order of letters of a word is reversed and each letter is flipped.
• The order of digits of a number is reversed and each digit is flipped.
• The shape and size of the figure do not change.

Rules of the Water Image

• Top becomes bottom and bottom becomes top, but the left and the right stay where they are.
• The letters of a word stay in the same order, but each letter is upside down.
• The figure looks as if it is reflected in water.

Letters and Digits That Look the Same

The letters H, I, O and X look the same in both images.

Mirror Image of a Clock

To find the mirror image of the time on a clock, subtract the time from 11:60. The sum of a time and its mirror image is 12:00.

Solved Examples

Example 1. What is the mirror image of the word HOT?
H, O and T look the same in a mirror, so only the order is reversed. The mirror image is TOH.

Example 2. What is the water image of the word BOX?
B, O and X look the same upside down, so the water image is BOX.

Example 3. What is the mirror image of the number 1081?
1, 0 and 8 look the same, so the digits are reversed: 1801.

Example 4. The time on a clock is 8:15. What is its mirror image?
11:60 − 8:15 = 3:45.

Tips

• Use the answer options and eliminate the figures that have the wrong left-right or top-bottom order.
• For a word, reverse the order for a mirror image, and keep the order for a water image.
• For a clock, use the formula 11:60 minus time.
• Hold a pencil beside the figure to imagine the mirror.

Quick Tips

• Mirror: left and right change. Water: top and bottom change.
• Learn the letters that look the same in the mirror: A, H, I, M, O, T, U, V, W, X, Y.
• Use 11:60 minus time for the clock mirror image.
• Eliminate options by checking one detail at a time.

Quick Revision Points

• Mirror image changes left and right.
• Water image changes top and bottom.
• The mirror image of a word reverses the order of letters.
• The water image of a word keeps the order of letters.
• Clock mirror image time = 11:60 minus the given time.

Practice Questions With Answers

1. Which letter looks the same in a mirror: B, D, H, K?
   Answer: H
2. Which letter looks the same in a water image: A, B, M, T?
   Answer: B
3. What is the mirror image time of 3:00?
   Answer: 9:00
4. What is the mirror image time of 4:20?
   Answer: 7:40
5. What is the mirror image time of 10:10?
   Answer: 1:50
6. What is the mirror image of the word MOM?
   Answer: MOM
7. What is the mirror image of the number 1081?
   Answer: 1801
8. What is the water image of the word BOX?
   Answer: BOX
9. Which sides interchange in a mirror image and in a water image?
   Answer: Left and right in a mirror image, top and bottom in a water image
10. What is the sum of a clock time and its mirror image time?
    Answer: 12:00

How to Practise This Chapter

Practise figure questions daily on paper, because you must see the figures to learn them. Then attempt timed sets from our practice papers and the previous year papers page. See all topics on the Non Verbal Reasoning notes page, and also read the Reasoning notes and Verbal Reasoning notes. Read the previous subject, Hidden Words, and the next topic, Counting of Figures.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a mirror image?

It is the reflection of a figure in a vertical mirror, in which the left and the right sides interchange.

What is a water image?

It is the reflection of a figure in a horizontal mirror, in which the top and the bottom interchange.

How do I find the mirror image of a word?

Reverse the order of the letters and flip each letter.

How do I find the water image of a word?

Keep the order of the letters and turn each letter upside down.

Which letters look the same in a mirror?

A, H, I, M, O, T, U, V, W, X and Y.

Which letters look the same in a water image?

B, C, D, E, H, I, K, O and X.

How do I find the mirror image of a clock?

Subtract the time from 11:60.

Which digits look the same in a mirror?

0, 1 and 8.

Is this topic asked in SSC exams?

Yes. Mirror and water image questions are asked often in SSC reasoning papers.

How much time should I take for one question?

About 30 seconds.

What are common mistakes?

Mixing up the left-right and top-bottom change.

How many questions come from this topic in SSC exams?

Usually one or two questions, but the number changes from year to year.