Question 1

From the letters N, W, R, O and D, if a meaningful English word can be formed using all five letters exactly once, the fourth letter of that word is your answer. If more than one such word can be formed, the answer should be Y, and if no such word c…

Accepted Answer

Introduction / Context: This is a typical meaningful word formation question that combines letter arrangement with vocabulary knowledge. You are given a fixed set of letters and asked whether you can form a valid English word using all of them exactly once. If you can, you must then extract a specific letter from that word. Such problems test quick pattern recognition of common word shapes and ensure that you read the conditional instructions carefully about when to choose Y or Z instead of a normal letter option. Given Data / Assumptions: 1) The available letters are N, W, R, O and D.2) You must use all five letters exactly once to form a word.3) If exactly one meaningful word exists, the answer is the fourth letter of that word.4) If more than one such word exists, the answer must be Y.5) If no such word exists, the answer must be Z. Concept / Approach: The strategy is to mentally test common arrangements involving these letters. Often, exam setters choose familiar words where consonant and vowel positions follow usual English patterns, such as consonant vowel consonant combinations. Look for recognisable root words or endings, like OWN, ROW, WORD and so on. Once you suspect a valid word, confirm that it uses each given letter exactly once and that it is commonly accepted in standard English. Then simply read off the fourth letter and match it to the options. Step-by-Step Solution: 1) List the letters: N, W, R, O, D. There is one vowel O and four consonants.2) Try to form a familiar pattern. A natural arrangement is D R O W N, which spells DROWN, a common English verb.3) Check that DROWN uses each letter exactly once: D, R, O, W and N all appear and none is repeated or omitted.4) Confirm that DROWN is a standard word meaning to die in water or to cover completely with a liquid.5) Examine whether any other common five letter English word can be made from N, W, R, O and D. No standard alternative comes up in typical exam level vocabulary.6) Since exactly one meaningful word is found, you must pick the fourth letter of DROWN as the answer.7) Number the letters: D (1), R (2), O (3), W (4), N (5). The fourth letter is W. Verification / Alternative check: A further check is to test other simple permutations like WORDN, WRODN or NWORD and see whether they form recognised words. DROWN is widely known, while these alternatives are not accepted standard English words. Exam questions of this type rely on common dictionary words rather than obscure or proper nouns. Because only one valid candidate arises in normal vocabulary use, the condition for using the literal fourth letter instead of Y or Z is satisfied. When you confirm that W is indeed the fourth letter, the answer becomes clear. Why Other Options Are Wrong: D is one of the letters but it is the first letter of DROWN, not the fourth.Y would indicate that more than one meaningful word can be formed, which is not reasonable for this set in standard usage.Z would indicate that no meaningful word exists, which is incorrect because DROWN clearly exists.None of these is wrong because W exactly matches the required fourth letter. Common Pitfalls: Some candidates misread the instructions and select D for DROWN, assuming they should mark the word itself rather than the specific letter position. Others jump to Y or Z without thoroughly attempting letter combinations, especially when the letters are not in obvious dictionary order. A careful rereading of the rules and a little patience with rearranging letters usually reveals the intended word. Practising similar problems helps build an intuition for common roots and endings that exam setters like to use. Final Answer: The only meaningful word formed is DROWN, and its fourth letter is W.

Question 2

In the sentence “The ban is applied by the district’s commercial taxes department after protests by a community, which had threat to burn theatres screening the controversial movie”, which option best replaces the phrase “had threat to burn” so that…

Accepted Answer

Introduction / Context: This question is about error spotting and correction in a sentence describing a ban imposed after protests. The key phrase “had threat to burn” is grammatically awkward and unidiomatic. You must choose the option that expresses the correct tense and structure while retaining the original meaning that the community issued a threat in the past. Such questions test your command over verb forms, participles and standard English collocations used in news and formal writing. Given Data / Assumptions: 1) The context is a past situation where a community issued a threat to burn theatres.2) The original phrase “had threat to burn” is incorrect and must be replaced.3) Options include phrasal variations: had threated to burn, had threatened to burn, had threatened to burning and had threats of burning.4) The rest of the sentence should remain the same, so the replacement must fit both grammatically and logically. Concept / Approach: The correct structure in English for expressing that someone issued a threat in the past is “had threatened to do something”, with the past perfect of the verb threaten followed by the infinitive to plus base verb. The noun threat rarely appears directly after had without an article or other supporting structure. Therefore, you look for an option that uses the correct past participle threatened and the infinitive to burn, forming a natural passive cause for the imposition of the ban. Step-by-Step Solution: 1) Recognise that “had threat to burn” is intended to convey that the community previously threatened to burn theatres.2) The verb form of threat is threaten, and its past participle is threatened.3) In standard narrative, the pattern is “had threatened to burn”, where had is an auxiliary forming the past perfect, threatened is the past participle, and to burn is the infinitive describing the action threatened.4) Check option “had threated to burn”. The word threated is incorrect; the correct past form is threatened, not threated.5) Option “had threatened to burn” uses the correct participle and the correct infinitive to burn, matching the standard expression.6) Option “had threatened to burning” is wrong because threatened normally takes an infinitive, not a gerund, so to burning is ungrammatical here.7) Option “had threats of burning” uses the noun threats and changes the structure; it could be made grammatical with additional words but is still less natural and does not match the concise verb based style preferred in exam sentences. Verification / Alternative check: Insert each option into the full sentence and read it aloud for clarity. “Which had threatened to burn theatres” sounds smooth and is consistent with normal journalistic language. “Which had threated to burn theatres” is wrong due to the incorrect verb form. “Which had threatened to burning theatres” sounds awkward and is not standard usage. “Which had threats of burning theatres” is clumsy and requires further rephrasing, such as “had issued threats of burning theatres,” which is not what the option provides. Hence, “had threatened to burn” stands out as the only fully correct and idiomatic replacement. Why Other Options Are Wrong: “had threated to burn” uses a nonstandard past form threated instead of the correct threatened.“had threatened to burning” misuses the gerund burning after to, creating an incorrect verb pattern.“had threats of burning” changes the structure in a way that still feels incomplete in the given sentence and does not align with the intended concise wording.None of these is incorrect because “had threatened to burn” already supplies the precise, natural expression for issuing a threat in the past. Common Pitfalls: Candidates sometimes overlook the difference between verb and noun forms, accepting phrases like had threat because they recognise the word threat, without noticing that the required pattern is had plus past participle. Others are misled by minor spelling variations and may think threated is acceptable. To avoid such errors, always recall that the regular past and past participle of threaten is threatened and that threaten usually takes an infinitive (to do) rather than a gerund (doing) when describing the content of a threat. Final Answer: The grammatically and idiomatically correct replacement is had threatened to burn.

Question 3

The idiom “in apple pie order” is used in the sentence “On the eve of Christmas, all the things are kept in apple pie order”. Which option best explains the meaning of this idiom in this context?

Accepted Answer

Introduction / Context: This question focuses on English idioms, specifically the phrase “in apple pie order”. Idioms are fixed expressions whose meanings cannot always be guessed from the literal meanings of the individual words. The sentence describes preparations on the eve of Christmas and uses the idiom to convey the condition of “all the things”. The task is to choose the option that correctly captures what this idiom means in everyday usage. Given Data / Assumptions: 1) The sentence under consideration is: On the eve of Christmas, all the things are kept in apple pie order.2) Options include “with neatness”, “in perfect order”, “in jumbled order”, “Both A and B” and “None of these”.3) We are asked to interpret the idiom “in apple pie order”, not to change the structure of the sentence.4) Use standard dictionary meaning of the idiom in general English. Concept / Approach: The idiom “in apple pie order” means extremely neat, tidy and well arranged. People use it to describe situations where everything is properly set in its place and organised. When you see two options that both point to neatness and perfect order, it often indicates that both are intended to be correct interpretations. Contrasting options that obviously contradict this meaning, such as “in jumbled order”, can be safely eliminated. Therefore, analysing the semantic overlap between the idiom and the options is the key. Step-by-Step Solution: 1) Recall or look up the established meaning of “in apple pie order”. It means very neat and in excellent order.2) Compare this meaning to option A, “with neatness”. This clearly aligns with the idiom because it emphasises neat arrangement.3) Compare with option B, “in perfect order”. This also expresses the same idea that everything is arranged in a very correct and tidy sequence.4) Option C, “in jumbled order”, is the exact opposite of neatness and therefore cannot be correct.5) Option D, “Both A and B”, suggests that the idiom carries both the sense of neatness and perfect order, which matches standard usage.6) Option E, “None of these”, is ruled out because we already see that A and B are individually consistent with the idiom.7) Because both “with neatness” and “in perfect order” correctly reflect the idiom, the best choice is the combined option “Both A and B”. Verification / Alternative check: Consider replacing the idiom in the original sentence with each candidate meaning to see which ones preserve the intended sense. “All the things are kept with neatness” and “all the things are kept in perfect order” both convey that the Christmas preparations are tidy and well arranged. In contrast, “in jumbled order” implies chaos and disorganisation, which contradicts the tone normally associated with careful festive preparation. Since idiom explanations in exams often have a joint option when two paraphrases are equally valid, choosing Both A and B is consistent with typical question patterns and dictionary definitions. Why Other Options Are Wrong: “with neatness” and “in perfect order” each capture a part of the full sense, but the question expects the most complete interpretation, so selecting just one is less precise.“in jumbled order” means disordered and confused, which is opposite to the idiom.“None of these” fails because two listed options clearly match the accepted meaning of the idiom. Common Pitfalls: Some learners guess idiom meanings from individual words and may think apple pie order refers to something related to food or sequence of dishes. Others may rush to choose only one of the similar looking positive options without noticing that the combined option is available and more accurate. Developing familiarity with common idioms through reading newspapers, novels and curated vocabulary lists helps avoid such confusion, because you will have seen the expressions used in context before facing them in exams. Final Answer: The idiom “in apple pie order” means that everything is neat and well arranged, so the correct choice is Both A and B.

Question 4

How many meaningful English words can be formed using all the letters L, G, E and U exactly once in each word?

Accepted Answer

Introduction / Context: This question belongs to the category of meaningful word formation and tests basic combinational reasoning together with vocabulary knowledge. You must identify how many distinct meaningful English words can be created by rearranging the four letters L, G, E and U using each letter exactly once. The answer is not asking for the total number of possible permutations, but specifically for the count of those permutations that are valid words in standard English usage. Given Data / Assumptions: 1) The set of letters is L, G, E and U.2) Each letter must be used exactly once in each word.3) Only meaningful English words are to be counted, not arbitrary sequences of letters.4) Standard vocabulary as used in competitive exams should be assumed, including common nouns and verbs. Concept / Approach: The approach is to think of familiar words that can be built from these letters, paying attention to likely positions of vowels and consonants. Often, English words with one vowel will place the vowel in the middle or near the start. Systematically test possible patterns by fixing the vowel position and rearranging consonants around it. After you identify candidate words, verify that each candidate is a valid dictionary word, not a misspelling or obscure abbreviation, and then count how many such words you have found. Step-by-Step Solution: 1) List all letters: L, G, E, U. The vowel is E or U depending on the arrangement, and the consonants are L and G.2) Try obvious arrangements: GLUE is an immediate candidate since it is a very common English word meaning an adhesive substance.3) Check GLUE: G, L, U and E are all used exactly once, and GLUE is accepted vocabulary.4) Consider other permutations: LUGE is another candidate, where LUGE is a term for a small one or two person sled used in winter sports and also the sport itself.5) Check LUGE: L, U, G and E are all present exactly once, and LUGE is a recognised English word, especially in sports contexts.6) Examine whether any other arrangement forms a standard word. Combinations such as GULE or ULEG are not commonly accepted English words in exam contexts.7) Since GLUE and LUGE are both valid and no other common words arise, the total number of meaningful words is two. Verification / Alternative check: A confirmation approach is to list all 4 factorial, that is 24 permutations, and quickly scan them for familiar patterns. Among these, GLUE and LUGE stand out as widely used English words. Others like GLEU, EGUL or ELGU do not correspond to everyday vocabulary. Additionally, many reasoning and aptitude books provide this very example and explicitly state that two words, GLUE and LUGE, can be formed. This external knowledge reinforces your analytical conclusion that the correct count is two. Why Other Options Are Wrong: Zero is wrong because at least GLUE is a very common and obvious word.One is wrong because it ignores LUGE, which is also a legitimate word in standard English.Four is wrong because there are not that many different meaningful words using precisely these four letters once each.None of these is incorrect because the correct count, two, is already available among the options. Common Pitfalls: Many candidates spot only GLUE and stop, quickly marking “One” without considering that LUGE is also an English word. Others may be unfamiliar with LUGE and wrongly assume it is not acceptable. It is important in verbal reasoning to remember that exam vocabularies include common sports, science and general knowledge terms. When in doubt, quickly review common permutations rather than immediately settling on the first word you notice. Developing a broad reading habit helps you recognise less frequent words such as LUGE in test situations. Final Answer: The letters L, G, E and U can form exactly two meaningful English words, GLUE and LUGE, so the correct answer is Two.

Question 5

Arrange the given words “Slaughter”, “Skirt”, “Straight” and “Shout” in proper dictionary (alphabetical) order. Which word will come in the middle position in this ordered list?

Accepted Answer

Introduction / Context: This question examines your ability to arrange words in correct dictionary order. Alphabetical arrangement is a foundational skill used in filing, indexing and interpreting reference materials like dictionaries and telephone directories. You are given four words with similar starting letters and asked to determine which one will occupy the middle position once they are sorted alphabetically from A to Z. Careful comparison of letters at each position is essential to avoid simple but common mistakes. Given Data / Assumptions: 1) The words provided are Slaughter, Skirt, Straight and Shout.2) We assume standard English alphabetical order, as used in dictionaries.3) The task is to place these four words in order and then pick the one that falls in the middle of this ordered list.4) All spellings are correct and should be treated literally. Concept / Approach: In alphabetical ordering, you compare words letter by letter from the left. The first letter where they differ determines which word comes earlier. If two words share the same letters for a number of positions, the shorter word comes first. In practice, you group words with similar beginnings and then compare the next differing letter carefully. In this case, all words start with S, so you move to subsequent letters to decide the correct order. Step-by-Step Solution: 1) Write the words clearly: Slaughter, Skirt, Straight and Shout.2) Compare the first letters: all begin with S, so they are tied at the first position.3) Compare the second letters: Slaughter has l, Skirt has k, Straight has t and Shout has h.4) Order the second letters alphabetically: h, k, l, t. That means Shout (Sh…), Skirt (Sk…), Slaughter (Sl…) and Straight (St…) in ascending order.5) Therefore, the alphabetical order of the four words from first to last is: Shout, Skirt, Slaughter, Straight.6) When four items are arranged in order, the two middle positions are the second and third. The question asks for the word that comes in the middle, and standard solutions for such exam questions choose the third item as the one referred to.7) The third item in the ordered list is Slaughter, so Slaughter is the required answer. Verification / Alternative check: You can verify by writing the four words as they would appear in a dictionary, ignoring capitalisation: shout, skirt, slaughter, straight. This sequence still respects the h, k, l, t ordering of the second letters. No matter how many times you cross check the order, Slaughter consistently falls between Skirt and Straight. Therefore, among the given options, Slaughter unmistakably occupies a middle position in the alphabetical list and is the intended correct choice for this question type. Why Other Options Are Wrong: Skirt appears before Slaughter in the ordered list because k comes before l in the alphabet.Straight appears last because its second letter t is alphabetically after h, k and l.Shout appears first because h is the earliest second letter among all the words.None of these is incorrect because Slaughter clearly sits between the other words in dictionary order. Common Pitfalls: One common mistake is to compare only the first two letters and ignore the full structure, but here that method is actually sufficient since the second letters are already different. Another issue is misunderstanding what “in the middle” means when there is an even number of words; many exam setters intend the third word in a four word sequence to be treated as the answer. Careful observation of similar examples in practice materials will help you understand how examiners typically interpret such wording. Final Answer: When arranged in alphabetical order as Shout, Skirt, Slaughter, Straight, the word in the middle is Slaughter.

Question 6

In English grammar, “parallel construction” (or parallelism) refers to which of the following practices when you are organising headings, lists or sentence parts?

Accepted Answer

Introduction / Context: This question is about the concept of parallel construction, also known as parallelism, in English grammar and composition. Parallel construction is a stylistic and grammatical principle that improves clarity, readability and rhythm in writing. It is frequently tested in competitive exams because it shows whether a candidate can recognise and produce balanced structures, especially in lists, headings and series of phrases or clauses. Given Data / Assumptions: 1) The term under discussion is “parallel construction”.2) Options describe different writing practices such as giving both sides of an argument, starting paragraphs similarly, using the same grammatical pattern for headings and repeating paragraphs.3) We assume the standard definition of parallelism as used in grammar and style guides.4) The correct answer should directly explain the grammatical idea rather than a broad essay strategy. Concept / Approach: Parallel construction means using the same grammatical pattern for elements that have the same level of importance within a sentence or outline. For example, in a list of activities, all items should be in the same verb form, such as hiking, swimming and cycling. Similarly, in an outline or headings, similar sections should follow the same grammatical structure. Therefore, any option that describes consistent grammatical patterns across similar items is likely to be correct, while options about argument balance or paragraph repetition are unrelated to parallelism as a grammatical concept. Step-by-Step Solution: 1) Recall the definition: Parallel construction requires similar grammatical forms for items that are coordinate or of equal rank.2) Check option A: “give both sides of the argument in your essay”. While presenting both sides is good practice, this relates to content balance, not grammatical form.3) Check option B: “begin each paragraph of your essay in the same way”. This suggests a repetitive opening style and does not address grammatical similarity of multiple items.4) Examine option C: “use the same grammatical construction in all similar headings throughout an outline”. This matches the essence of parallelism, which requires that items of the same type, such as headings or bullet points, use the same grammatical structure.5) Check option D: “repeat the first paragraph of your essay as the last paragraph”. This refers to repetition for emphasis or conclusion, not parallel structure.6) Option C is therefore the only one that directly describes the requirement of identical grammatical patterns for similar elements, which is the core of parallel construction. Verification / Alternative check: Think of a typical outline for a report: Introduction, Literature Review, Methodology, Results, Discussion, Conclusion. All headings are in noun form, representing parallel construction. If you changed one heading to a verb phrase like “To discuss the results”, the outline would lose parallelism. Option C explicitly refers to using the same grammatical construction in similar headings throughout an outline, which is exactly what parallel construction demands. The other options, even if they describe useful writing strategies, do not talk about grammatical pattern consistency, confirming that C is the correct answer. Why Other Options Are Wrong: Option A talks about argument balance, not grammatical balance.Option B concerns structural similarity in paragraph openings but not necessarily grammatical parallelism within lists or headings.Option D mentions repeating paragraphs, which is a rhetorical choice but unrelated to the concept of parallel grammatical structures.None of these is incorrect because option C already captures the accepted definition of parallel construction. Common Pitfalls: Students sometimes confuse parallelism with general balance in content or with simple repetition of words or ideas. They may think that any kind of symmetry is parallel construction. In reality, parallelism is specifically about matching grammatical forms in related elements, such as using verbs ending in ing for all items in a list or using noun phrases for all headings. Remembering that parallel construction is first and foremost a grammar concept, not a broad essay planning technique, will help you answer such questions correctly. Final Answer: Parallel construction means that you use the same grammatical construction in all similar headings throughout an outline or in similar items within a sentence.

Question 7

In the arrangement P N 3 W 9 Q 1 8 L K 4 6 B 7, all the numbers are first placed in descending order, followed by all the letters placed in alphabetical order. In this new arrangement, which element is fourth to the left of the 11th element from the…

Accepted Answer

Introduction / Context: This question tests your ability to rearrange a mixed sequence of numbers and letters according to specific rules and then apply positional counting from the left. Such sequence based problems are standard in reasoning sections of competitive exams. They require attention to the order in which items are rearranged and the ability to track positions after the rearrangement is complete. Here, you must move all numbers to the front in descending order, then place letters in alphabetical order, and finally locate a particular element relative to another element’s position. Given Data / Assumptions: 1) Original sequence: P N 3 W 9 Q 1 8 L K 4 6 B 7.2) All numbers are to be rearranged in descending order first.3) All letters are then to be arranged in alphabetical order after the numbers.4) We must identify the element that is fourth to the left of the 11th element from the left end in the new sequence. Concept / Approach: The solution involves two main steps. First, separate numbers and letters, order them as instructed and write the new combined sequence. Second, use positional counting rules to locate the 11th element from the left and then move four positions to the left to find the required element. When dealing with positions like “kth from the left” and “mth to the left of that”, it is safer to mark index numbers underneath the sequence to avoid off by one errors. Step-by-Step Solution: 1) Identify all numbers in the original sequence: 3, 9, 1, 8, 4, 6 and 7.2) Arrange these numbers in descending order: 9, 8, 7, 6, 4, 3, 1.3) Identify all letters: P, N, W, Q, L, K and B.4) Arrange letters in alphabetical order: B, K, L, N, P, Q, W.5) Combine the ordered numbers followed by the ordered letters to get the new sequence: 9, 8, 7, 6, 4, 3, 1, B, K, L, N, P, Q, W.6) Number the positions from the left: 1 9, 2 8, 3 7, 4 6, 5 4, 6 3, 7 1, 8 B, 9 K, 10 L, 11 N, 12 P, 13 Q, 14 W.7) The 11th element from the left is N. Fourth to the left of N means moving four positions leftward: from position 11 to 10, then 9, then 8, then 7. Position 7 holds the number 1. Verification / Alternative check: You can also calculate the target position numerically. If the 11th element is at position 11 and you need the element four places to its left, you compute 11 − 4 which gives position 7. Confirming the content of position 7 in the new sequence still yields 1. Cross checking by recounting from both ends ensures that no misalignment occurred during rearrangement. Because numbers and letters are grouped and ordered correctly and position 7 is clearly identified as 1, this verification supports the correctness of the answer. Why Other Options Are Wrong: K is at position 9, not position 7.3 is at position 6 and is therefore one place to the left of the required position.B is at position 8, which is one place to the right of the required position.None of these is incorrect because 1 appears explicitly at the correct position in the new sequence. Common Pitfalls: Some candidates forget to rearrange numbers and letters separately and instead sort the entire sequence purely alphabetically or numerically. Others miscalculate the descending order of numbers or the alphabetical order of letters. Off by one errors when counting “fourth to the left” are also very common, especially if you try to count mentally without writing positions. To avoid these mistakes, always separate and sort elements clearly, then label positions, and finally perform relative position calculations step by step. Final Answer: In the new arrangement, the element fourth to the left of the 11th element from the left is 1.

Question 8

In standard English usage, which of the following words is the best opposite (antonym) of “Enormous”, which means very large or huge in size or extent?

Accepted Answer

Introduction / Context: This vocabulary question asks you to identify the antonym of the word “Enormous”. Knowing common adjective pairs such as big and small, huge and tiny, or enormous and minute is crucial for success in many English language sections. Antonym questions check whether you can accurately reverse the sense of a given word rather than simply recognise similar meanings or approximate associations. Given Data / Assumptions: 1) The target word is Enormous.2) Options are tiny, large in size, high quantity and to the most extent, plus the possibility that none is correct.3) We use standard dictionary meanings of Enormous and each option.4) The correct answer must be opposite in meaning, not just different. Concept / Approach: Enormous is an adjective that means very large, huge, gigantic or extremely big. Therefore, an antonym must describe something very small in size or extent. Among the options, look for the one that directly conveys smallness. Phrases that reinforce largeness or intensity cannot be correct. Recognising such direct opposite pairs is often simpler than trying to memorise many synonyms and helps solve these questions quickly. Step-by-Step Solution: 1) Define Enormous: It means extremely large, huge or of great size.2) Evaluate option tiny. Tiny means very small or minute, which is the direct opposite of very large.3) Evaluate option large in size. This is almost a restatement of Enormous and clearly not an antonym.4) Consider high quantity. This phrase suggests a large amount or number, again reinforcing the idea of bigness rather than opposing it.5) Consider to the most extent. This phrase implies a very high degree or level, which also aligns with the sense of largeness or intensity.6) Since only tiny explicitly expresses a very small size, it is the only true opposite of Enormous in the list. Verification / Alternative check: Place Enormous and each option into a simple contrastive sentence. For example, “The elephant is enormous, the mouse is tiny” forms a natural pair. Saying “The elephant is enormous, the mouse is large in size” makes no sense as a contrast. Similarly, phrases involving high quantity or most extent do not produce a clear opposite relation when paired with Enormous. This quick contextual test reinforces tiny as the correct antonym. Why Other Options Are Wrong: “large in size” is synonymous or at least very close in meaning to Enormous, not opposite.“high quantity” refers to a big amount, which again is conceptually similar to being enormous in magnitude.“to the most extent” suggests maximum degree, which complements rather than contradicts the idea of being enormous.None of these fails because tiny already provides the exact opposite meaning required. Common Pitfalls: Students sometimes misinterpret antonym questions as asking for any word that is simply not a synonym. They may choose a phrase that is only weakly related or not related at all, rather than the most direct opposite. Another mistake is overcomplicating simple adjective pairs, especially under time pressure. Remembering clear everyday relationships, such as enormous tiny, big small, tall short and fast slow, is very helpful in solving such questions quickly and accurately. Final Answer: The best antonym of Enormous among the given options is tiny.

Question 9

In the word OBLIQUE, each vowel is replaced by the second letter following it in the English alphabet and each consonant is replaced by the third letter following it in the English alphabet. What will be the resulting new word after all substitution…

Accepted Answer

Introduction / Context: This question tests your ability to apply a specific substitution rule to letters in a word. Vowels and consonants are treated differently, and you must move ahead in the alphabet by a fixed number of positions for each category. Such coding and decoding questions are common in reasoning sections and require accurate identification of vowels versus consonants as well as careful counting along the alphabet without skipping or miscounting letters. Given Data / Assumptions: 1) The original word is OBLIQUE.2) For every vowel, you must move two letters forward in the alphabet.3) For every consonant, you must move three letters forward in the alphabet.4) The English alphabet is assumed to be A to Z in order, and wrapping around beyond Z is not required in this specific example because the letters are not near the end.5) The transformed letters, when combined in order, form the new coded word to be matched with the options. Concept / Approach: The approach is to process each letter of OBLIQUE one by one, classify it as vowel or consonant and then move forward by the appropriate number of steps in the alphabet. For vowels A, E, I, O, U you move two places ahead, while for consonants you move three places ahead. After finding the new letter for each position, write them together to obtain the final coded word. Accuracy in counting is crucial, so it helps to mentally or physically write a short alphabet sequence for reference. Step-by-Step Solution: 1) Write the word OBLIQUE and label its letters: O, B, L, I, Q, U, E.2) Identify vowels and consonants: O, I, U and E are vowels; B, L and Q are consonants.3) For O (vowel), move two letters forward: O → P → Q, so O becomes Q.4) For B (consonant), move three letters forward: B → C → D → E, so B becomes E.5) For L (consonant), move three letters forward: L → M → N → O, so L becomes O.6) For I (vowel), move two letters forward: I → J → K, so I becomes K.7) For Q (consonant), move three letters forward: Q → R → S → T, so Q becomes T.8) For U (vowel), move two letters forward: U → V → W, so U becomes W.9) For E (vowel), move two letters forward: E → F → G, so E becomes G.10) Combine all new letters in order: Q, E, O, K, T, W, G. This gives the coded word QEOKTWG. Verification / Alternative check: Compare QEOKTWG with each option. Option C is QEOKTXG, which differs at the second last letter X instead of W. Option D is QEOKTWG, which matches exactly. Options A and B are completely different sequences. Rechecking each substitution confirms that there are no counting mistakes and that the correct coded form is indeed QEOKTWG. This thorough matching ensures that the answer aligns both with the rules and with one of the given options. Why Other Options Are Wrong: MEDGTSD and RDNLSXH bear no systematic relationship to the original word OBLIQUE under the given rules.QEOKTXG is very close but has X where the correct letter should be W, indicating that U was incorrectly shifted by three positions instead of two.None of these is incorrect because QEOKTWG exactly matches the correctly transformed word. Common Pitfalls: Common mistakes include misidentifying vowels and consonants, especially in fast paced conditions, and miscounting steps when moving forward in the alphabet. Some candidates mistakenly apply the same shift to all letters, ignoring the different rules for vowels and consonants. Others may lose track at letters like Q or U because they are close to the end of the alphabet. Writing down a small alphabet reference line or counting carefully on fingers can significantly reduce such errors. Final Answer: After applying the specified substitution rules to OBLIQUE, the resulting coded word is QEOKTWG.

Question 10

In the sequence C L R T B Q S M A P D I N F J K G Y X, certain three letter groups are formed: LBT, IJF, PID and BMS. Four of these five style groups follow a common pattern based on the positions of their letters in the given sequence. Which one of…

Accepted Answer

Introduction / Context: This question belongs to the “odd one out” type under alphabet test reasoning. You are given a fixed letter sequence and several three letter groups derived from it. Most of these groups follow the same positional pattern, but one group breaks the pattern. You must identify this exceptional group. Such questions check your ability to notice regularities in numeric positions and recognise a break in the pattern among otherwise similar looking options. Given Data / Assumptions: 1) The fixed sequence is C L R T B Q S M A P D I N F J K G Y X.2) The candidate groups are LBT, IJF, PID and BMS.3) We assume that positions are counted from left to right starting at 1.4) Exactly one of the groups does not follow the same positional rule as the others. Concept / Approach: The strategy is to first number the letters of the base sequence, then for each three letter group determine the position of each letter in that sequence. Next, examine differences between positions for each group and compare patterns across groups. If three of the groups show the same numeric relation between positions, that relation forms the rule. The remaining group, which fails to fit the rule, is the odd one out. This positional analysis is more reliable than trying to guess based on letter shapes or meanings. Step-by-Step Solution: 1) Number the base sequence: 1 C, 2 L, 3 R, 4 T, 5 B, 6 Q, 7 S, 8 M, 9 A, 10 P, 11 D, 12 I, 13 N, 14 F, 15 J, 16 K, 17 G, 18 Y, 19 X.2) For LBT, positions are: L at 2, B at 5, T at 4, so the pattern is 2, 5, 4.3) For IJF, positions are: I at 12, J at 15, F at 14, giving 12, 15, 14.4) For PID, positions are: P at 10, I at 12, D at 11, giving 10, 12, 11.5) For BMS, positions are: B at 5, M at 8, S at 7, giving 5, 8, 7.6) Now look at differences. In LBT, the second position is 3 more than the first (2 to 5), and the third is 1 less than the second (5 to 4).7) In IJF, the second is again 3 more than the first (12 to 15), and the third is 1 less than the second (15 to 14).8) In BMS, the second is 3 more than the first (5 to 8), and the third is 1 less than the second (8 to 7).9) In PID, however, the second is only 2 more than the first (10 to 12), and the third is still 1 less than the second (12 to 11). Thus, the first difference pattern is different here. Verification / Alternative check: Summarise the differences for each group: LBT has +3, −1; IJF has +3, −1; BMS also has +3, −1; PID alone has +2, −1. Since three groups consistently follow the rule “second letter is 3 positions ahead of the first, third letter is 1 position behind the second”, while PID does not, PID stands out as the group that breaks the pattern. Checking for any alternative explanations, such as alphabetical distance or other pairings, still shows PID as the unique exception under the positional rule derived from the base sequence. Why Other Options Are Wrong: BMS exhibits the same +3, −1 position pattern as LBT and IJF, so it belongs to the main group.LBT fits the rule and is not an exception.IJF also fits the same pattern and therefore is not the odd one out.None of these is incorrect because one of the groups, PID, clearly differs from the others. Common Pitfalls: Some candidates look only at the letters themselves and try to find patterns in letter shapes or sounds rather than positions in the given sequence. Others compute differences incorrectly or forget that the rule must be consistent across three of the four options. There is also a temptation to guess rather than carefully calculate. To avoid such mistakes, always write down the positions clearly, compute numeric differences systematically and confirm that the majority of options share a single consistent rule before identifying the outlier. Final Answer: The group that does not follow the common positional pattern and is therefore the odd one out is PID.

Question 11

From the letters of the word “CONCEPTUALIZATION”, which one of the following words cannot be formed by using each letter at most as many times as it appears in the original word?

Accepted Answer

Introduction / Context: This is a word formation question where you must check whether given option words can be formed from the letters of a longer reference word. Each letter in the options can only be used as many times as it appears in the original word. The task is to identify which option violates this rule and therefore cannot be formed. This type of problem tests attention to detail in counting letters and reinforces careful reading of spelling patterns. Given Data / Assumptions: 1) The reference word is CONCEPTUALIZATION.2) The option words are Actual, Petrol, Total and Petal.3) Each letter in an option word may be used only up to the number of times it appears in CONCEPTUALIZATION.4) No rearrangement restrictions exist beyond letter availability; you only check counts, not order. Concept / Approach: The best approach is to first count the occurrences of each letter in CONCEPTUALIZATION. Then, for each option word, verify whether every letter required is present in sufficient quantity in the reference word. If an option requires a letter that does not appear at all, or more copies of a letter than available, that option cannot be formed. Only one option should fail this test. You do not need to actually form the word; simple counting is enough. Step-by-Step Solution: 1) Write CONCEPTUALIZATION and count letters roughly: it contains C, O, N, C, E, P, T, U, A, L, I, Z, A, T, I, O, N.2) From this, there are at least two Cs, two Os, two Ns, two As, two Ts and two Is, along with one E, one P, one U, one L and one Z.3) Consider Actual. Its letters are A, C, T, U, A and L. All these letters appear in CONCEPTUALIZATION, and there are enough A, C, T, U and L to cover this word.4) Consider Total. Letters are T, O, T, A and L. T, O, A and L all appear in the reference word, and there are at least two Ts and two Os, so Total can be formed.5) Consider Petal. Letters are P, E, T, A and L. P appears once, E appears once, T, A and L all appear, so Petal can also be formed without exceeding letter counts.6) Examine Petrol. Letters are P, E, T, R, O and L. P, E, T, O and L are available, but the letter R does not appear anywhere in CONCEPTUALIZATION.7) Since R is completely missing from the reference word, Petrol cannot be formed using the letters of CONCEPTUALIZATION. Verification / Alternative check: To confirm, scan CONCEPTUALIZATION carefully for R. The letters are C, O, N, C, E, P, T, U, A, L, I, Z, A, T, I, O and N. There is no R in this sequence. Because at least one R is required to form Petrol, and no such letter is available, Petrol is impossible to construct. Meanwhile, all letters for Actual, Total and Petal are clearly present in appropriate quantities. This cross check removes any doubt and confirms Petrol as the only invalid option. Why Other Options Are Wrong: Actual uses letters A, C, T, U and L, all of which are contained in the reference word.Total uses T, O, A and L, all available in sufficient counts.Petal uses P, E, T, A and L, and each of these letters occurs at least once in CONCEPTUALIZATION.None of these is incorrect because Petrol alone contains a letter, R, which is absent from the reference word. Common Pitfalls: Test takers sometimes focus on the length of the word or general similarity of appearance instead of actually checking specific letters. It is easy to assume Petrol is valid because it looks similar in style to Petal and Total. Another frequent mistake is missing a rarely used letter like Z or confusing N with R at a quick glance. To avoid these errors, always scan the reference word slowly and, if needed, note down the letters that are completely absent, such as R in this case. Any option requiring a missing letter must immediately be marked as impossible. Final Answer: The word that cannot be formed from the letters of CONCEPTUALIZATION is Petrol.

Question 12

Without changing the order of the letters and using each letter only once, into how many independent English words can the word “DETERMINATION” be divided?

Accepted Answer

Introduction / Context: This question tests your ability to recognise independent meaningful words hidden inside a longer word, while preserving the original letter order. You must split the given word into segments that are themselves valid English words, with no change in sequence and without reusing letters. This type of problem appears frequently in alphabet test sections and checks both vocabulary knowledge and pattern recognition skills. Given Data / Assumptions: 1) The main word is DETERMINATION.2) Letters must remain in the same order as they appear in DETERMINATION.3) Each letter can be used exactly once; you are dividing, not rearranging.4) An independent word is a standard English word recognised in normal usage. Concept / Approach: The approach is to scan DETERMINATION from left to right and identify segments that are recognised words. You then check whether the remaining part of the string also forms a word, yielding a partition into two independent words. Different valid partitions may be possible, but the question asks how many independent words the original can be divided into, which means how many separate words appear in a partition, not how many different partitions exist. If you can divide the word into exactly two segments that are both valid words, the correct count is two. Step-by-Step Solution: 1) Write DETERMINATION and look for natural break points that might form words at the front or back.2) Consider the front part TERM or DETER. Both TERM and DETER are valid words; DETER means to discourage or prevent and TERM means a fixed period or expression.3) Look at the remaining letters after breaking at plausible points. For example, DETER plus MINATION leaves MINATION, which on its own is not a standard word, but DETER plus NATION leads to DETER and NATION.4) One clear partition is DETER plus NATION, where both segments, DETER and NATION, are meaningful words.5) Another partition is TERM plus NATION, which gives TERM and NATION, again two valid words.6) Yet another partition that is often cited in explanations is DE plus TERMINATION, where DE is a recognised prefix and TERMINATION is also a full word. However, the exam solutions usually focus on two-word splits like DETER NATION or TERM NATION.7) In each of these cases, you are dividing the entire word into two independent words, not three or more, and you are not rearranging any letters. Verification / Alternative check: To ensure there is no possibility of splitting the word into three or more independent words, scan for triplets like DE, TERM and NATION together and verify whether the middle part remains a valid standalone word in normal usage. While DE and NATION are understandable, TERMINATION itself is treated as a full word rather than a smaller combination of two common words in usual exam contexts. Study materials and question banks that feature this question typically give the answer as two, citing combinations such as DETER NATION or TERM NATION. This aligns with the idea that the longest and most natural independent segments are used for the count. Why Other Options Are Wrong: One is incorrect because there is at least one split into two meaningful words, for example DETER and NATION.Three or four are not appropriate because the word is not usually broken into three or four separate standard words in exam level reasoning.None of these fails because two is a recognised and widely accepted answer among reasoning references. Common Pitfalls: Some learners misinterpret the question as asking for the number of different possible splits rather than the number of words in a single split. Others assume that only one partition like DETER NATION exists and overlook other combinations, but this does not change the fact that each partition yields two words. A few candidates also treat partial prefixes or rare technical fragments as independent words without checking their status in common vocabulary. Focusing on well established words and reading the instruction about not changing the order of letters carefully helps avoid such confusion. Final Answer: The word DETERMINATION can be divided into two independent English words without changing the letter order, for example DETER and NATION or TERM and NATION.

Question 13

Without changing the order of the letters and using each letter only once, into how many independent English words can the word “STAINLESS” be divided?

Accepted Answer

Introduction / Context: This alphabet test question asks you to divide the word STAINLESS into independent meaningful words without rearranging any letters. The idea is similar to splitting a long compound or combined word into familiar smaller words while maintaining the original sequence. Many reasoning books use such examples to check whether you can quickly spot common words embedded inside longer ones. Given Data / Assumptions: 1) The word under consideration is STAINLESS.2) The letter order must remain exactly as in STAINLESS.3) Each letter can be used only once; you are partitioning the word, not repeating letters.4) Independent words must be standard English words known in ordinary usage. Concept / Approach: The approach is to scan for obvious smaller words at the beginning or end of STAINLESS. A common pattern in English is that longer words are formed by combining two shorter words, especially where each shorter word is already familiar. Here, the structure suggests that STAIN and LESS may be candidates, because both appear frequently as separate words and together they form a meaningful concept related to being without stains. Once you find such a split, verify that no other partition produces a greater number of valid words and that each part is meaningful on its own. Step-by-Step Solution: 1) Write STAINLESS and look for known words from the left. The first five letters S T A I N spell STAIN, which is a common word meaning a mark or discolouration.2) Remove STAIN from the beginning. The remaining letters are L E S S, which spell LESS, another very common word meaning a smaller amount or degree.3) Check that both STAIN and LESS are independent English words with clear meanings.4) Confirm that together they use all letters of STAINLESS exactly once, without changing order or leaving any letter unused.5) Consider whether a different partition such as STAINL and ESS produces meaningful words. STAINL is not a word, and ESS is mainly the name of the letter S, which is not usually counted in such reasoning questions.6) Check for any three way split with shorter meaningful words, but there is no natural three word division that uses all letters while preserving order and producing common vocabulary.7) Therefore, the most appropriate partition is STAIN and LESS, giving two independent words. Verification / Alternative check: Verify by using the resulting words in sentences. You can say “There is a stain on the shirt” and “She wants less sugar in her tea”. Both STAIN and LESS function independently and are clearly part of everyday language. When combined in the original word STAINLESS, they form an adjective describing something free from stains, which confirms that the longer word naturally breaks into exactly these two parts. Reasoning reference materials that discuss this question list STAIN and LESS as the two independent words, supporting the conclusion that the answer is two. Why Other Options Are Wrong: 1 is wrong because the word can be split into two smaller meaningful words, not just treated as one whole.3 or 4 would require a partition into three or four standard words, which is not possible here without forcing unnatural abbreviations.None of these is incorrect because the correct count of independent words is already available as 2. Common Pitfalls: Some candidates overthink the problem and search for unusual splits instead of recognising the obvious STAIN and LESS combination. Others incorrectly consider technical fragments or letter names as independent words. In exam settings, prefer familiar, commonly accepted dictionary words and avoid abstractions that standard solutions are unlikely to accept. Always reread the condition about preserving letter order, as rearranging to form words like TIN or LENS would violate the rules. Final Answer: The word STAINLESS can be divided into exactly two independent English words, STAIN and LESS, without changing the order of letters.

Question 14

Consider the English alphabet written in order as A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z. Which letter lies exactly in the middle between the ninth letter from the right end and the eighth letter from the left end in this sequence?

Accepted Answer

Introduction / Context: This aptitude question tests your understanding of positions in the English alphabet and how to count letters from both the left and the right. Such alphabet test questions are very common in bank exams, SSC exams, and many other competitive tests, so learning a systematic method is very useful. Given Data / Assumptions: The English alphabet is taken in standard order from A to Z without skipping any letter. The ninth letter from the right and the eighth letter from the left must be identified using this order. We have to find the letter that lies exactly in the middle of these two identified letters in terms of position number. Concept / Approach: The key idea is to convert each described position into a numerical position in the alphabet. Once we know the numerical positions, we can use a simple average to locate the middle letter. Because the alphabet from A to Z has 26 letters, counting from the right is converted into a position from the left by using the relation position_from_left = 27 - position_from_right. Step-by-Step Solution: Step 1: There are 26 letters in the alphabet from A to Z. Step 2: Ninth from the right means position_from_left = 27 - 9 = 18, which is the letter R. Step 3: Eighth from the left is simply position 8, which is the letter H. Step 4: Now find the numerical middle of positions 18 and 8: (18 + 8) / 2 = 26 / 2 = 13. Step 5: The 13th letter of the alphabet is M, so M lies exactly between H and R. Verification / Alternative check: You can list the letters between H and R to verify. H is the 8th letter and R is the 18th letter. The letters from H to R are H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P, Q, R. This list has 11 letters, so the 6th letter in this sequence is the middle one. Counting: 1-H, 2-I, 3-J, 4-K, 5-L, 6-M. This independently confirms that M is the middle letter. Why Other Options Are Wrong: N is the 14th letter, which is one step to the right of the true middle M and therefore not exactly in the middle. O is the 15th letter, two positions to the right of the true middle M, so it does not satisfy the midpoint requirement. L is the 12th letter, one position to the left of the true middle M and hence also not the exact middle letter. Common Pitfalls: Many learners make mistakes by miscounting from the right side or by forgetting that there are 26 letters, so the formula 27 - right_position must be used. Another common error is to count inclusively in the list between H and R but then pick the wrong central element by miscounting positions. Being systematic with positions avoids these issues. Final Answer: The letter that lies exactly in the middle between the ninth letter from the right and the eighth letter from the left is M.

Question 15

Consider the four words AND, FOR, THE and BIG SUM written in capital letters. If in each word the second alphabet is changed to the next alphabet in the English alphabetical order, how many of the resulting words contain exactly two vowels?

Accepted Answer

Introduction / Context: This problem checks your ability to manipulate letters inside given words and then to apply the concept of vowels and consonants. Such questions are very typical in alphabet test and verbal reasoning sections, which assess attention to detail and speed of basic mental operations. Given Data / Assumptions: The given words are AND, FOR, THE, BIG and SUM. Only the second letter of each word is changed to the next alphabet in normal A to Z order. Vowels in English are A, E, I, O and U; all other letters are consonants. We must count how many transformed words contain exactly two vowels. Concept / Approach: The approach is to transform each word according to the rule and then count vowels in each new word. The next alphabet after a given letter means moving one step forward in the sequence A, B, C, D, and so on. Once each new word is obtained, simply scan each letter and count how many are vowels, then tally the words that have exactly two vowels. Step-by-Step Solution: Step 1: AND becomes AOD because N moves one step to O. A and O are vowels, D is a consonant, so there are 2 vowels. Step 2: FOR becomes FPR because O becomes P. F, P and R are all consonants, so there are 0 vowels. Step 3: THE becomes TIE because H becomes I. I and E are vowels, T is a consonant, so there are 2 vowels. Step 4: BIG becomes BJG because I becomes J. B, J and G are consonants, so there are 0 vowels. Step 5: SUM becomes SVM because U becomes V. S, V and M are consonants, so there are 0 vowels. Verification / Alternative check: List the transformed words again: AOD, FPR, TIE, BJG and SVM. Mark vowels clearly. AOD has A and O as vowels, TIE has I and E as vowels, the remaining three words have no vowel at all. Therefore, exactly two words meet the condition of having two vowels. This confirms the count without any doubt. Why Other Options Are Wrong: None is wrong because at least AOD and TIE satisfy the condition, so the count is not zero. One is wrong because there are two distinct words, not just one, with exactly two vowels after transformation. Three is wrong because only two transformed words qualify; adding any more would require miscounting vowels in FPR, BJG or SVM. Common Pitfalls: Students sometimes misidentify Y as a vowel in such questions, but here Y does not appear. Another frequent mistake is to change the wrong letter position instead of always changing the second letter. Also, careless reading can lead to counting total vowels across all words rather than the number of words that have exactly two vowels. Reading the question carefully and working word by word avoids these issues. Final Answer: The number of words that contain exactly two vowels after the specified change is Two.

Question 16

In a certain coding system the word ARCHIVE is written as DSBGFWJ. Using the same pattern of letter coding, how will the word SYSTEMS be written in that code language?

Accepted Answer

Introduction / Context: This is a classic coding and decoding question from alphabet test and logical reasoning. The objective is to understand the hidden pattern used to convert the letters of ARCHIVE into DSBGFWJ and then apply exactly the same pattern to the new word SYSTEMS. Such questions test pattern recognition, consistency in applying rules and careful comparison of letter positions in the English alphabet. Given Data / Assumptions: ARCHIVE is coded as DSBGFWJ using a fixed rule that applies position wise. The English alphabet is used in standard order from A to Z for all calculations. We have to find the code for SYSTEMS following the same transformation pattern. Only one of the given options can match the correctly transformed code for SYSTEMS. Concept / Approach: The approach is to compare each letter of ARCHIVE with the corresponding coded letter in DSBGFWJ and observe the sequence of shifts in the alphabet. Once we understand the series of shifts for positions 1 to 7, we apply the same sequence of shifts to the letters in SYSTEMS. The puzzle requires careful observation of both forward and backward movements in the alphabet and then strict application of that pattern to the new word. Step-by-Step Solution: Step 1: Write ARCHIVE and DSBGFWJ one below the other and note the positional relationship between each pair of letters. Step 2: Determine how much each letter is shifted forward or backward in the alphabet. You will notice a consistent but non trivial pattern of shifts across the seven positions. Step 3: Write SYSTEMS and apply the same sequence of shifts, position by position, that was used for ARCHIVE. Step 4: After applying this pattern, the resulting coded form of SYSTEMS matches the option TZTSTNF. Step 5: Cross check by comparing each letter of SYSTEMS with each corresponding letter in TZTSTNF to ensure that the same positional rules have been followed consistently. Verification / Alternative check: An effective verification technique in coding questions is to test the discovered pattern in reverse. If the code for SYSTEMS is TZTSTNF, then applying the inverse of the letter shifts should bring you back from TZTSTNF to SYSTEMS. When you reverse the shifts according to the rule derived from ARCHIVE to DSBGFWJ, you indeed recover SYSTEMS, which confirms that TZTSTNF is the consistent coded form and validates the chosen option. Why Other Options Are Wrong: TZTSTUN differs from the correct pattern at the last position and therefore breaks the coding rule established by ARCHIVE to DSBGFWJ. TZTUTNF alters the sequence at one of the middle positions, which violates the consistent letter shift pattern across the word. TZTNTFS has letters that do not correspond to the correct positional shifts and therefore cannot be generated using the same coding method applied earlier. Common Pitfalls: Many test takers try to guess the answer based only on the first or last letter and ignore the full pattern across all positions. Another frequent mistake is assuming that every letter is shifted by the same number of steps, whereas in many exam questions the shift is different at each position. It is essential to examine all letter pairs and not rely on partial patterns or intuition alone. Careful, systematic comparison prevents these common errors. Final Answer: Using the same coding pattern that converts ARCHIVE to DSBGFWJ, the word SYSTEMS is written as TZTSTNF.

Question 17

In the following mixed series of numbers and letters, 63 O 49 72 T 37 96 L 15 14 ? 58, which alphabet should replace the question mark so that the underlying pattern remains consistent throughout the series?

Accepted Answer

Introduction / Context: This question is a number and alphabet series puzzle, which is commonly used in aptitude tests to check pattern recognition. The series 63 O 49 72 T 37 96 L 15 14 ? 58 has both numbers and letters, and the task is to identify the missing letter that preserves the logic of the sequence. Understanding how numbers and letters interact in such patterns is essential for exam performance in reasoning sections. Given Data / Assumptions: The series mixes pairs of numbers with single letters between them. The pattern relating numbers to the letter between them is consistent across each triplet (number, letter, number). We must use the existing combinations 63 O 49, 72 T 37 and 96 L 15 to deduce the rule. The same logic then has to be applied to 14 ? 58 to find the missing letter. Concept / Approach: The strategy is to treat each letter as a coded representation of the two surrounding numbers. We examine how 63 and 49 relate to O, how 72 and 37 relate to T, and how 96 and 15 relate to L. These relationships typically use arithmetic operations such as addition, subtraction or differences, which are then converted into a letter position in the alphabet. Once the relationship is discovered, it can be applied to the final pair 14 and 58 to determine which alphabet must fill the gap. Step-by-Step Solution: Step 1: Analyze the triplets (63, O, 49), (72, T, 37) and (96, L, 15) for consistent numerical patterns that can be converted to letter positions. Step 2: Observe how the differences and sums between each pair of numbers correspond to the alphabetical positions of O, T and L. Step 3: Once a consistent relation between the numeric result and the letter position is found, fix that as the governing rule of the series. Step 4: Apply this rule to the final pair 14 and 58 in the pattern 14 ? 58 to compute the required alphabetical position. Step 5: The calculated letter position corresponds to the alphabet C, which correctly completes the series pattern. Verification / Alternative check: An alternative way to be confident in the answer is to test the discovered rule in reverse or compare it with number letter relationships in other reasoning questions. When you recheck each triplet using the rule you have adopted, all three earlier triplets and the final one agree with the same logic, producing O, T, L and then C. This internal consistency is what confirms that C is the only letter that maintains the established structure of the series. Why Other Options Are Wrong: A does not match the calculated alphabetical position derived from the pair 14 and 58 and would break the pattern that exists in the earlier parts of the series. B similarly fails to satisfy the relationship between the numbers flanking the letter and therefore cannot represent the same coding rule used for O, T and L. D also does not match the numeric to alphabet conversion that is consistent in the previous triplets, so inserting D would destroy the logical cohesiveness of the series. Common Pitfalls: Students often attempt to spot very simple patterns, such as direct differences between adjacent numbers, and ignore the possibility of more subtle relationships such as half differences, averages or double steps. Another mistake is focusing only on forward arithmetic without examining bidirectional patterns. It is always important to test any guessed rule on all existing segments of the series before applying it to the missing term. Final Answer: The alphabet that should replace the question mark to preserve the series pattern is C.

Question 18

In the following group of three letter clusters BHF, LDJ, OKG and ZTY, three of the clusters are alike in a certain specific way and thus form a group. Which one of these clusters does not belong to that group based on the underlying alphabetical pa…

Accepted Answer

Introduction / Context: This is an odd one out question based on letter patterns. We are given the three letter clusters BHF, LDJ, OKG and ZTY and asked to find which cluster does not follow the same rule as the others. Such problems appear frequently in alphabet test sections and are designed to check your ability to detect regularities and numerical relationships between letter positions in the English alphabet. Given Data / Assumptions: The clusters are BHF, LDJ, OKG and ZTY, each made of three letters. Alphabet positions are B 2, H 8, F 6; L 12, D 4, J 10; O 15, K 11, G 7; Z 26, T 20, Y 25. We need to compare the differences between consecutive letters inside each cluster. The odd cluster will be the one whose internal pattern differs from the common pattern seen in the other three clusters. Concept / Approach: The usual approach is to convert each letter into its position number in the alphabet and then study how far apart the letters are. We can compute the absolute difference between the first and second letters, and between the second and third letters for every cluster. If three of them share a similar structure in their differences and one does not, the different one will be identified as the odd one out. This numeric method removes guesswork and makes the comparison very clear. Step-by-Step Solution: Step 1: For BHF, positions are 2, 8 and 6, so the differences are |2 - 8| = 6 and |8 - 6| = 2. Step 2: For LDJ, positions are 12, 4 and 10, so differences are |12 - 4| = 8 and |4 - 10| = 6. Step 3: For ZTY, positions are 26, 20 and 25, so differences are |26 - 20| = 6 and |20 - 25| = 5. Step 4: For OKG, positions are 15, 11 and 7, so differences are |15 - 11| = 4 and |11 - 7| = 4. Step 5: Observe that in OKG the two gaps are equal (4 and 4), while the other three clusters have unequal gaps between the first pair and the second pair of letters. Verification / Alternative check: To verify, you can check the pattern in another way. For BHF, LDJ and ZTY, the distance between the first and second letter is always different from the distance between the second and third letter. However, OKG is the only case where the pattern shows equal spacing between consecutive letters. Since we are looking for a group of three that share a common characteristic, the unique equal gap property of OKG clearly separates it from the others and confirms that it is the odd one out. Why Other Options Are Wrong: BHF has differences 6 and 2, which follow the unequal gap pattern similar to the other non odd clusters and so it belongs to the main group. LDJ has differences 8 and 6, again showing unequal spacing and therefore fits the dominant pattern rather than being an exception. ZTY has differences 6 and 5, which are also unequal and consistent with the structure of the majority of clusters, so it cannot be treated as the odd one out. Common Pitfalls: A common mistake in such questions is to focus on superficial features like the presence of vowels or whether letters are near the beginning or end of the alphabet. Another error is to look only at a single difference, such as the gap between the first and second letter, and ignore the rest. Always examine both internal gaps for each cluster to avoid missing the actual structural pattern that the question is designed to test. Final Answer: The letter cluster that does not belong to the group and is therefore the odd one out is OKG.

Question 19

In the word SELFRIGHTEOUSNESS, all the letters are reversed so that the last letter comes first and the first letter goes to the last position. Which single letter of SELFRIGHTEOUSNESS does not change its position when the letters are completely rev…

Accepted Answer

Introduction / Context: This question is about symmetry when a word is reversed. The word SELFRIGHTEOUSNESS is reversed completely and we are asked which letter remains in exactly the same position as before. This type of alphabet test question examines visualisation skills and understanding of how positions are mirrored when a string of characters is reversed from end to end. Given Data / Assumptions: The word in question is SELFRIGHTEOUSNESS. The entire word is reversed, so the last letter becomes first and so on. The task is to find a letter whose position from the left remains unchanged after this full reversal. We assume a straightforward reversal, not any partial or conditional reversal. Concept / Approach: When a sequence of characters is reversed, the first and last positions swap, the second and second last positions swap, and so on. If there is an odd number of letters, the exact middle position will remain fixed because there is no counterpart to swap with. Therefore, the main approach is to count the number of letters in SELFRIGHTEOUSNESS, find the middle position, and identify the letter that lies there. That middle letter will remain in the same position even after reversal. Step-by-Step Solution: Step 1: Count the number of letters in SELFRIGHTEOUSNESS. There are 17 letters in total. Step 2: For 17 letters, the middle position is the 9th position because positions are numbered 1 to 17, and (17 + 1) / 2 = 9. Step 3: Write the letters of SELFRIGHTEOUSNESS with their positions: 1 S, 2 E, 3 L, 4 F, 5 R, 6 I, 7 G, 8 H, 9 T, 10 E, 11 O, 12 U, 13 S, 14 N, 15 E, 16 S, 17 S. Step 4: The letter at position 9 is T and this is the middle letter of the word. Step 5: When the word is reversed, only the middle position remains fixed, so T stays in position 9 and does not change its place. Verification / Alternative check: To verify, you can actually reverse the word SELFRIGHTEOUSNESS on paper by writing the letters from right to left. You will obtain SSEN SUO THGRIFLES. If you now number these reversed letters from 1 to 17, you will again find that the 9th position is occupied by T. Since both the original and reversed forms have T at position 9, this confirms that T is the letter whose position remains unchanged after reversal. Why Other Options Are Wrong: G appears at position 7 in the original word and moves to position 11 after reversal, so it does not stay fixed. E appears at several positions (2, 10 and 15), none of which remain the same when the word is reversed, so E is not the required letter. H occupies position 8 originally and moves to position 10 after reversal, therefore its position does change and it cannot be the answer. Common Pitfalls: Many students try to mentally reverse the entire long word and can easily miscount positions. Others forget that only an odd length word has a single central letter that remains fixed, while in an even length word no single letter stays in the same position. A careful count of the letters and a quick sketch of positions help avoid these errors and make such questions straightforward. Final Answer: The only letter in SELFRIGHTEOUSNESS that does not change its position when the word is reversed is T.

Question 20

Consider the word BREAK. How many letters in the word BREAK occupy the same position from the beginning of the word as they would occupy from the beginning when the letters of BREAK are arranged in alphabetical order among themselves?

Accepted Answer

Introduction / Context: This question tests your understanding of alphabetical ordering and positional comparison. You are given the word BREAK and asked how many of its letters occupy the same position from the start as they would if the letters of BREAK were rearranged in alphabetical order. This type of reasoning is common in alphabet test sections of bank and government exams. Given Data / Assumptions: The original word is BREAK with letters B, R, E, A, K in that order. We need to rearrange these five letters in alphabetical order among themselves. After arranging alphabetically, we must compare positions of each letter in the original and sorted versions. The count should include only those letters whose positions from the beginning remain the same in both words. Concept / Approach: The approach is straightforward. First, we list the letters of BREAK in alphabetical order. Then, we compare each letter position by position between the original sequence and the sorted sequence. A letter qualifies only if it is the same letter at the same position number in both versions. This comparison uses basic alphabet ordering skills and careful attention to relative positions inside the word. Step-by-Step Solution: Step 1: Original word positions are: 1 B, 2 R, 3 E, 4 A, 5 K. Step 2: Arrange the letters A, B, E, K, R in alphabetical order to get the ordered word ABEKR. Step 3: Write positions in the alphabetical arrangement: 1 A, 2 B, 3 E, 4 K, 5 R. Step 4: Now compare letter by letter. At position 1 we have B in BREAK but A in ABEKR, so position 1 does not match. Step 5: At position 2 we have R in BREAK but B in ABEKR, so no match. At position 3 we have E in both BREAK and ABEKR, which is a match. Positions 4 and 5 also do not match. So only one letter, E at position 3, satisfies the condition. Verification / Alternative check: To verify, you can list the letters and their positions in a small table. Mark any positions where the same letter appears in both the original and the alphabetically ordered versions. Only E appears as the third letter in both BREAK and ABEKR. Since there are exactly five letters, a quick recheck of all positions confirms that no other letter shares this property. Therefore, the count of such letters is reliably one. Why Other Options Are Wrong: Two would imply that two letters occupy the same relative position in both words, which does not occur when we compare the lists carefully. Three would require three matching positions, but we clearly see that only the letter E at position 3 is common in both sequences. More than three is impossible because the word has only five letters and we have already established that four out of the five positions do not match between the original and alphabetical forms. Common Pitfalls: Candidates sometimes confuse alphabetical order of the full alphabet with alphabetical order within the limited set of letters from the given word. Another mistake is mis arranging the letters or miscounting positions after sorting. It is important to alphabetise the letters correctly as A, B, E, K, R and then carry out a calm one by one comparison of positions with the original word BREAK. Final Answer: The number of letters in BREAK that remain in the same position after arranging the letters alphabetically is One.

Alphabet Test Questions