Three of the following four letter groups follow a similar alphabetical pattern. Choose the group that does not follow this pattern.

Introduction / Context:
This is another letter sequence classification question. You are given several three letter groups and asked to find which one does not follow the same pattern as the others. Recognising patterns based on alphabetical positions and consistent differences is the key to solving such problems.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The letter groups are EBA, XUT, TQP, JFE and RPN.
• Each group consists of three letters written in uppercase.
• We use the standard alphabetical positions: A=1, B=2, C=3, ..., Z=26.
• We expect a consistent pattern in the differences between consecutive letters in the group.

Concept / Approach:
A common structure in such puzzles is that the letters move backwards or forwards by a fixed number of positions. By converting each letter to its numeric position and calculating the differences between the first and second letters, and between the second and third letters, we can see whether the pattern is consistent across groups. The group that breaks the numeric pattern will be the odd one out.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Write the alphabet positions of the letters.EBA: E=5, B=2, A=1.XUT: X=24, U=21, T=20.TQP: T=20, Q=17, P=16.JFE: J=10, F=6, E=5.RPN: R=18, P=16, N=14 (extra distractor).Step 2: Compute the differences between the first and second letters, and between the second and third letters.For EBA: 5 → 2 is a difference of 3; 2 → 1 is a difference of 1.For XUT: 24 → 21 is a difference of 3; 21 → 20 is a difference of 1.For TQP: 20 → 17 is a difference of 3; 17 → 16 is a difference of 1.For JFE: 10 → 6 is a difference of 4; 6 → 5 is a difference of 1.For RPN: 18 → 16 is a difference of 2; 16 → 14 is a difference of 2 (this is a filler for extended practice).Step 3: Observe the pattern. In EBA, XUT and TQP, the first letter goes back by 3 positions to the second, and then the second goes back by 1 position to the third.Step 4: In JFE, the first letter J (10) goes back by 4 positions to F (6), not 3. Then F goes back by 1 position to E, which matches the second part but not the first.Step 5: Within the original four options, EBA, XUT and TQP share the consistent \"−3, −1\" pattern, while JFE follows \"−4, −1\".Step 6: Therefore, JFE does not follow the same alphabetical difference pattern and is the odd one out.

Verification / Alternative check:
You can verify quickly by just checking the difference between the first and second letters. E to B is 3 steps backward (E, D, C, B). X to U is also 3 steps backward (X, W, V, U). T to Q is again 3 steps backward. But J to F is 4 steps backward (J, I, H, G, F). This fast check already shows that JFE does not follow the same step size as the other groups.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
EBA, XUT and TQP form a clear group based on the same consistent pattern of letter spacing. They all follow the \"minus 3 then minus 1\" structure inside the three letter group. RPN is an extra practice option and not part of the original comparison. Within the original four options, only JFE breaks the pattern, so the other three are not the odd one out.

Common Pitfalls:
Some candidates mistakenly focus on the third letters alone or look for patterns involving the sum of positions rather than the simpler step differences. Another error is to consider the filler option and get confused. In exam questions, the main goal is to compare the original answer choices and look for the simplest consistent rule. Always convert letters to numbers and compute step differences to reveal hidden patterns efficiently.

Final Answer:
The letter group that does not belong to the pattern is JFE.