The 12-question candlestick pattern quiz
Read each description, name the pattern in your head, then open the answer.
Question 1. After a clear downtrend, a candle has a small body at the top of its range, a lower shadow at least twice the length of the body, and almost no upper shadow. What is it?
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Hammer. Sellers pushed price down during the session but buyers took it back by the close. After a downtrend it is a potential bullish reversal, ideally confirmed by the next candle closing higher.
Question 2. The same shape as question 1, but it appears after a strong uptrend. What is it called?
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Hanging man. Identical shape to a hammer, opposite context. After an uptrend it warns that sellers are starting to show up.
Question 3. After an uptrend, a candle has a small body near the low of its range and a long upper shadow. What is it?
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Shooting star. Buyers pushed price up but could not hold it. After an uptrend it is a potential bearish reversal.
Question 4. The open and close are almost exactly the same, with shadows on both sides. What does this candle tell you?
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Doji: indecision. Neither buyers nor sellers won the session. On its own it means little; after a long trend it can signal that the trend is losing strength.
Question 5. A doji with a long lower shadow and the open and close at the very top of the range. Which doji is this?
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Dragonfly doji. Price was rejected from the lows. After a downtrend it leans bullish.
Question 6. A doji with a long upper shadow and the open and close at the very bottom of the range. Which doji is this?
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Gravestone doji. Price was rejected from the highs. After an uptrend it leans bearish.
Question 7. A red (down) candle is followed by a green (up) candle whose body completely covers the red candle body. What is the pattern?
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Bullish engulfing. Buyers overwhelmed the previous session entirely. Strongest when it forms at support after a decline.
Question 8. Three candles: a long red candle, then a small-bodied candle that gaps lower, then a long green candle that closes well into the first candle body. What is it?
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Morning star. A three-candle handover from sellers to buyers. The mirror image at a top is the evening star.
Question 9. Three long green candles in a row, each opening within the previous body and closing near its high. What is this pattern?
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Three white soldiers. Steady, sustained buying pressure. The bearish mirror is three black crows.
Question 10. A large candle is followed by a small candle whose body sits entirely inside the large candle body. What is it called?
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Harami. It shows momentum slowing. A small green body inside a large red one is a bullish harami; the reverse is a bearish harami.
Question 11. In an uptrend, a red candle opens above the previous green candle high and closes below the midpoint of that green body. What is this?
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Dark cloud cover. A two-candle bearish reversal signal. Its bullish mirror in a downtrend is the piercing line.
Question 12. You spot a perfect hammer in the middle of a sideways range, far from any support. How much weight should it carry?
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Very little. Location and confirmation matter more than the pattern. A hammer at a tested support level after a decline means far more than the same candle in the middle of nowhere.
Scoring: 11–12 correct, you know the shapes well; the next step is judging context. 7–10, revise the cheat sheet below. 6 or fewer, start with the single-candle patterns and practise a few minutes every day.
Candle Master: Trading Game
Candle Master turns this quiz into a game: a new chart every round, predict the next candle, and watch your accuracy and streak improve.
Candlestick pattern cheat sheet: 15 patterns
| Pattern | Candles | What it looks like | Usual bias |
|---|---|---|---|
| Doji | 1 | Open and close almost equal | Indecision |
| Dragonfly doji | 1 | Long lower shadow, open and close at the high | Bullish after a decline |
| Gravestone doji | 1 | Long upper shadow, open and close at the low | Bearish after a rally |
| Hammer | 1 | Small body on top, long lower shadow, after a downtrend | Bullish reversal |
| Hanging man | 1 | Hammer shape after an uptrend | Bearish warning |
| Inverted hammer | 1 | Small body at the bottom, long upper shadow, after a downtrend | Bullish reversal |
| Shooting star | 1 | Inverted hammer shape after an uptrend | Bearish reversal |
| Bullish engulfing | 2 | Green body swallows the prior red body | Bullish reversal |
| Bearish engulfing | 2 | Red body swallows the prior green body | Bearish reversal |
| Harami | 2 | Small body inside the prior large body | Momentum slowing |
| Piercing line | 2 | Green candle closes above the midpoint of the prior red body | Bullish reversal |
| Dark cloud cover | 2 | Red candle closes below the midpoint of the prior green body | Bearish reversal |
| Morning star | 3 | Long red, small star, long green | Bullish reversal |
| Evening star | 3 | Long green, small star, long red | Bearish reversal |
| Three white soldiers / three black crows | 3 | Three strong candles in the same direction | Trend continuation or reversal |
How to practise candlestick patterns every day
- Hide the last candle. On any historical chart, cover the most recent candle.
- Say what comes next and why. Name the pattern you see and where it sits: at support, at resistance, or in the middle of a range.
- Reveal and score yourself. Right or wrong matters less than whether your reasoning was sound.
- Repeat for ten minutes. Volume builds recognition. A hundred candles a day beats one long weekend of reading.
Three mistakes beginners make
- Treating a pattern as a signal on its own, without looking at trend or location.
- Acting before the confirming candle closes.
- Learning fifty pattern names instead of mastering the fifteen above.
Frequently asked questions
How many candlestick patterns should a beginner learn?
Start with about 10 to 15: the doji family, hammer, hanging man, shooting star, inverted hammer, bullish and bearish engulfing, harami, morning star, evening star, piercing line, dark cloud cover, three white soldiers and three black crows. Most other patterns are variations of these.
Which candlestick pattern is the most reliable?
No pattern is reliable on its own. Engulfing patterns and hammers are popular because they are easy to see, but where a pattern forms (at support, resistance or after a long trend) and whether the next candle confirms it matter more than the pattern itself.
How can I practise candlestick patterns without risking money?
Hide the last candle on a historical chart and predict it before revealing it, or use a practice app. Candle Master is a free Android game that shows a chart, asks you to predict the next candle and tracks your accuracy, with no real or simulated money involved.
What is the difference between a hammer and a hanging man?
They have the same shape: a small body near the top and a long lower shadow. A hammer appears after a downtrend and hints at a bullish reversal. A hanging man appears after an uptrend and warns of a possible bearish reversal.
Is Candle Master free?
Yes, Candle Master: Trading Game is free to download on Google Play. It is an educational game and does not involve real trading or real money.
Candle Master: Trading Game
Predict the next candle, take candlestick quizzes, learn Hammer, Engulfing, Doji and Morning Star, and track your accuracy and streak over time. Educational only, no real money.
More guides from AK Apps Studio
Educational content only. Nothing on this page is financial advice or a recommendation to buy or sell anything. Candlestick patterns describe past price action and do not predict the future with certainty.