dMAT Latin Squares: work from the tightest constraint

A grid in which each symbol appears once in every row and once in every column. The rule is simple and the items are not, because the grids are partly filled and the order you work in decides whether it takes thirty seconds or five minutes.

The one principle

Start where the choice is smallest. The row, column or symbol with the fewest remaining possibilities is where a forced placement lives, and one forced placement usually cascades.

Scan for the row or column that is most full.
Find the cell there with only one possible symbol.
Place it, then re-scan — that placement has constrained its row and column.
Repeat. Most grids unravel from two or three forced placements.

Guessing and backtracking works and is slow. On a timed subtest where late items score the same as early ones, a grid that needs guessing is a grid to leave.

Scan by symbol, not by cell

Asking "what can go in this cell" searches the whole alphabet. Asking "where can this symbol go in this row" searches a handful of cells — and frequently returns exactly one.

Take one symbol and place it everywhere it is forced before moving to the next.
Mark eliminations rather than holding them in mind.
Re-scan after every placement; the constraint set has changed.

Every Latin Squares question type

The rules What a Latin Square is The tightest constraint Where to start, every time Common mistakes Where time and accuracy go

dMAT Latin Squares — FAQs

2 questions

Is a Latin Square the same as Sudoku?

The row-and-column rule is the same; Sudoku adds the box constraint. Sudoku practice trains exactly the habit this subtest rewards.

Should I guess if I get stuck?

Answer the item rather than leaving it blank, but do not spend minutes backtracking. Late items score the same as early ones.

Sources

Written from the test board's own published material and checked on 1 October 2026.