Letter progression: dem, fgo, hiq, ____ — identify the next 3-letter term that continues the established pattern.

Introduction / Context:
This verbal reasoning problem involves recognizing a uniform shift across multiple positions in a 3-letter sequence. Such items assess the ability to detect consistent positional increments in the alphabet and replicate them to predict the next term.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Series: dem, fgo, hiq, ?
• Alphabet indexing is standard (a=1, b=2, …, z=26), with linear forward movement and no wrap-around needed here.

Concept / Approach:
Check whether each of the three letter positions follows the same step size from one term to the next. If all positions advance by a constant amount, apply it again to find the next 3-letter block.

Step-by-Step Solution:
1) Compare term1 → term2: d→f (+2), e→g (+2), m→o (+2).2) Compare term2 → term3: f→h (+2), g→i (+2), o→q (+2).3) The pattern is consistent: each position increases by +2 across successive terms.4) Apply +2 to term3 (hiq): h→j, i→k, q→s ⇒ jks.

Verification / Alternative check:
Reconstruct the series forward: dem (+2) → fgo (+2) → hiq (+2) → jks. All three tracks (first, second, third letters) obey +2 consistently, confirming the result.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• jkt: Third letter t is +3 from q, breaking the +2 rule.
• ikp: First letter i is only +1 from h; third letter p is −1 from q.
• klt: First letter k is +3 from h, not +2; others also deviate.

Common Pitfalls:
It is easy to check only the first letter and assume the rest match. Always verify all positions. Also beware of accidental +1/+3 slips when scanning quickly; maintain a consistent +2 tracking for each column.

Final Answer:
jks