In a fitting-parts question, if one of the disassembled pieces is an L-shape (like a right-angle bracket), what changes are allowed when fitting it into the assembled answer?

ALLOWED transformations on Assembling Objects pieces: (1) ROTATION — turn the piece any number of degrees around any axis; (2) TRANSLATION — move the piece to any position; (3) REFLECTION (FLIP/MIRROR) — turn the piece into its mirror image (like flipping it over a line).

Not allowed: (1) SCALING — make piece larger or smaller; (2) DISTORTING — change angles, change side lengths relative to each other; (3) BREAKING — split into multiple pieces; (4) ADDING/REMOVING parts. An L-shape with two arms can be: rotated to point in any direction (north, south, east, west, or any angle); flipped so the 'foot' of the L is on the opposite side (mirror image); but the lengths of the two arms and the right angle between them must be preserved.

Strategy: when looking at the disassembled L-shape and the answer choices, ignore the orientation in the disassembled view — focus on the SHAPE. Then look at the answer figure and see if there's an L-shape with those exact arm lengths somewhere in the assembled figure. The L could be rotated to look like a backward L, an upside-down L, a sideways L, or a mirrored L (J-shape). All are the same piece in this test. Practice tip: when you have time outside the exam, try physically picking up an L-shape paper cutout and rotating/flipping it to see all the orientations it can take. This builds the mental image fast.