Q&A: practice questions with answers

Concept: Track each element of the box separately – the two Greek symbols and the letter pair.

1. μ and θ swap sides from box to box: boxes 1, 3 have μ–θ, boxes 2, 4 have θ–μ. So box 5 needs μ on the left, θ on the right – (b) is out.
2. Letter pairs used so far: F/k, R/d, D/m, I/b – no letter repeats in the strip.
3. (a) repeats R and k, (c) repeats R and m. Only (d) gives a fresh pair J/a with μ–θ.

Trick: In figure series, first settle the element that flips/rotates (here the symbols) – it usually knocks out one or two options instantly.

Answer: (D) Figure (d)

Concept: Each letter of the first cluster is moved by a fixed number of places.

1. RMDH → PKBF: R−2=P, M−2=K, D−2=B, H−2=F.
2. Check SUGV → QSET: every letter again −2.
3. MXKD: M−2=K, X−2=V, K−2=I, D−2=B → KVIB.

Trick: Find the shift from the first letter only (M−2=K), then keep options starting with K: KZIF, KVIB. Second letter X−2=V → KVIB.

Answer: (C) KVIB

Concept: Letters common to both words take the digits common to both codes; the leftover letter takes the leftover digit.

1. SKIP = 5269, SILK = 2576.
2. Common letters S, K, I ↔ common digits 2, 5, 6.
3. Left in SILK: L; left in its code: 7 → L = 7 (and P = 9).

Trick: Cancel the shared letters/digits mentally – whatever survives in the second word is your answer.

Answer: (D) 7

Concept: Row 1 faces south, Row 2 faces north, so their 'left/right' are opposite. Number seats 1–4 from the same side.

1. Two people between L and D → L, D at the two ends of Row 2.
2. D faces 2nd to the left of T → D = seat 4, L = seat 1, T = seat 2 (Row 1).
3. One person between O and D → O = seat 2, M = seat 3. O faces T, who is immediate right of P → P = seat 3.
4. E is to the right of S (Row 1 faces south, so right is towards seat 1) → E = seat 1, S = seat 4.

Trick: Start with the clue that fixes ends ('only two between' in a row of 4 means both ends). Ends: Row 1 E, S; Row 2 L, D – only (c) fits.

Answer: (C) E and D

Concept: Split the 20-letter string into 5 blocks of 4; each block gets one blank.

1. Blocks: _URV | Q_SW | RW_X | SXU_ | TYV_.
2. Position 1: P,Q,R,S,T; position 2: U,V,W,X,Y; position 3: R,S,T,U,V; position 4: V,W,X,Y,Z.
3. Blanks = P, V, T, Y, Z.

Trick: Block 1 starts with the blank and block 2 with Q → blank 1 must be P; only (a) and (b) start with P. Block 2's 2nd letter must be V → (a).

Answer: (A) PVTYZ

Concept: Each letter position of the cluster follows its own +1 / −1 pattern.

1. 1st letters: T, U, V, W → X (+1).
2. 2nd letters: E, D, C, B → A (−1).
3. 3rd letters: J, K, L, M → N (+1). Next = XAN.

Trick: Middle letter decides fast: B−1 = A, and the last letter M+1 = N → only XAN.

Answer: (A) XAN

Concept: Code = sum of the alphabet place values of the letters.

1. ACEG: 1+3+5+7 = 16 ✓
2. BOQT: 2+15+17+20 = 54 ✓
3. UWIF: 21+23+9+6 = 59

Trick: Remember EJOTY = 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 to get place values in a second: U = 21, W = 23.

Answer: (C) 59

Concept: Every fold doubles the holes; on unfolding, each hole reappears as a mirror image across the fold line.

1. Two folds (bottom up, then left over right) leave a quarter of the sheet.
2. The punch passes through 4 layers → 4 holes, one per quarter.
3. The holes must be mirror images across both the vertical and horizontal centre lines – this pattern appears only in (d).

Trick: Count first: n folds → 2ⁿ holes. Then check symmetry about each fold line; unfold in reverse order of folding.

Answer: (D) Figure (d)

Concept: Draw a subset inside its parent class; an unrelated class stays separate.

1. Frog is a type of amphibian → Frog circle inside Amphibian circle.
2. Crow is a bird – neither amphibian nor frog → separate circle.

Trick: Pattern '2 nested + 1 separate' – look for one circle inside another and a third circle away from both.

Answer: (A) Figure (a)

Concept: Differences between terms form a ×2 pattern.

1. Differences: 9, 18, 36, 72.
2. Next difference = $72\times 2=144$.
3. ? = $212+144=356$.

Trick: When differences double, next term = last term + 2 × (last difference): $212+144$.

Answer: (B) 356

Concept: Letters common to both words share symbols; the unique letter takes the unique symbol.

1. STAIR = #*&@$, TEARS = *&^@#.
2. Common letters S, T, A, R ↔ common symbols #, *, &, @.
3. STAIR's extra letter I ↔ its extra symbol $ (and E = ^).

Trick: Only $ is absent from the second code – so it must be I, the only letter absent from TEARS.

Answer: (D) $

Concept: Two operations alternate.

1. $9\times 3-2=25$; $25\times 2+3=53$.
2. $53\times 3-2=157$; $157\times 2+3=317$.
3. Next: $317\times 3-2=949$.

Trick: Ratio check: terms roughly ×3, ×2, ×3, ×2 – so next ≈ $317\times 3=951$; adjust by −2 → 949.

Answer: (C) 949

Concept: A cut touching the fold opens into one bigger hole centred on the fold line.

1. One vertical fold: left half laid on right half.
2. Both rectangular cuts sit on the folded edge.
3. Unfolded: two rectangles (small above, bigger in the middle), each spread equally across the vertical centre line – figure (b).

Trick: Cut on the fold = single symmetric hole; cut away from the fold = two separate mirror holes.

Answer: (B) Figure (b)

Concept: Compare the step from 1st→2nd and 2nd→3rd letter in each cluster.

1. KOI: 11→15→9 = +4, −6.
2. LPJ: 12→16→10 = +4, −6; OSM: 15→19→13 = +4, −6.
3. MTW: 13→20→23 = +7, +3 – different.

Trick: In three clusters the 3rd letter comes before the 2nd in the alphabet; in MTW it goes forward – spot it without full counting.

Answer: (B) MTW

Concept: Write the letters in A–Z order and compare position by position.

1. GRISTLE → E G I L R S T.
2. Compare: G/E, R/G, I/I, S/L, T/R, L/S, E/T.
3. Only I (3rd place) stays.

Trick: Check middle letters first – here I is 3rd in both words; the ends (G, E) obviously change.

Answer: (B) One

Concept: Apply the rule to each digit, then pick the largest and smallest digit.

1. 5163748 → 7, 3, 4, 5, 9, 2, 6.
2. Highest = 9 (from 7), lowest = 2 (from 4).
3. Sum = 9 + 2 = 11.

Trick: No need to write the full number: highest comes from the biggest odd digit (7+2 = 9), lowest from min(1+2, 4−2) = 2.

Answer: (C) 11

Concept: Find the exact shape, same size and same orientation, hidden inside an option.

1. Figure X: an upright box with a curved cap on top and two lines from the top corners meeting at the centre.
2. (a), (b) have no capped box; in (d) the cap sits on an hourglass, not a box.
3. In (c) the capped box is present and the upper half of the cross inside it gives the two corner-to-centre lines.

Trick: Pick the most unusual part of X (the curved cap) and search only for it – most options fail immediately.

Answer: (C) Figure (c)

Concept: All A are B, all B are C ⇒ all A are C; and 'All B are C' always implies 'Some C are B'.

1. Crows ⊂ Rocks ⊂ Plants ⊂ Flowers.
2. I: crows are inside flowers → follows.
3. II: rocks are inside flowers, so some flowers are rocks → follows.

Trick: In a pure 'All' chain, any 'All' conclusion going forward and any 'Some' conclusion in either direction is true.

Answer: (D) Both conclusions (I) and (II) follow.

Concept: Decode each symbol pair and build a family tree.

1. F + G: F is G's mother. G × H: G is H's wife.
2. H ÷ I: H is I's father → G is I's mother.
3. I − J: I is J's brother → J is also G's child.
4. F is mother of G, who is mother of J → F is J's mother's mother.

Trick: Gender check: F is a mother (female), so 'Wife's father' and 'Mother's husband' are out instantly.

Answer: (B) Mother's mother

Concept: Facing the centre: left = clockwise, right = anticlockwise.

1. Place K; G is 3rd to K's left. L and N are K's two neighbours.
2. N is 2nd to the left of H; this works only with N on K's right side and H two seats further right.
3. Empty seats: one between H and N, one between L and G. F can't touch G → F between H and N, E between L and G.
4. From E going right: L, K, then N → 2 people between.

Trick: Fix the person with the most clues (K) first; 'only K between L and N' instantly gives K's two neighbours.

Answer: (C) Two