Find out the wrong term in the series: 83, 92, 85, 90, 85, 88

Introduction / Context:
This question asks for the wrong term in a series where the differences between consecutive terms follow a particular alternating pattern. One of the values does not fit the intended series and must be identified. The given sequence is 83, 92, 85, 90, 85, 88.

Given Data / Assumptions:
- Series: 83, 92, 85, 90, 85, 88.- Exactly one term is incorrect.- The correct terms are assumed to follow a simple, regular pattern in their differences.

Concept / Approach:
When asked to find a wrong term, we usually compute the differences between consecutive numbers and see if most of them follow a clear rule. Any single term that makes one step violate the rule can be considered wrong. Here we will attempt to identify a pattern of alternating addition and subtraction with changing odd differences and then see which term breaks this structure.

Step-by-Step Solution:
- Compute differences between consecutive terms: • 92 - 83 = +9. • 85 - 92 = -7. • 90 - 85 = +5. • 85 - 90 = -5. • 88 - 85 = +3.- Notice the sequence of differences: +9, -7, +5, -5, +3.- A natural intended pattern is: +9, -7, +5, -3, +1, where the absolute values are decreasing odd numbers: 9, 7, 5, 3, 1, with alternating signs.- Let us build the ideal series using this rule starting from 83: • 83 + 9 = 92. • 92 - 7 = 85. • 85 + 5 = 90. • 90 - 3 = 87. • 87 + 1 = 88.- So the correct series should be 83, 92, 85, 90, 87, 88.- The term at the fifth position should be 87, but the given series has 85 instead.

Verification / Alternative check:
- Except for the step from 90 to 85, all other steps can be matched to a decreasing odd difference pattern.- Replacing the fifth term 85 by 87 restores the smooth pattern of consecutive odd differences 9, 7, 5, 3, 1 with alternating signs.- Therefore, the value 85 at the fifth position is the wrong term.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
- 83, 92, 85 (third term) and 90 can all be part of the corrected series 83, 92, 85, 90, 87, 88.- 88 is also consistent as the final value when we follow the pattern of adding 1 after subtracting 3.- Only the value 85 in the fifth position conflicts with the intended progression.

Common Pitfalls:
- Some candidates may be confused because the number 85 appears twice in the series and may think that both occurrences are suspicious.- It is important to check which occurrence of 85 actually breaks the pattern rather than simply counting frequency.- Failing to recognise the decreasing odd sequence in the differences can lead to random guessing instead of logical reasoning.

Final Answer:
The term that violates the regular pattern of decreasing odd differences is the fifth value, which is 85, so 85 is the wrong term in the series.