Q&A: practice questions with answers

Concept: Gaps between terms form their own pattern.

1. Gaps: 21, 28, 35, 42 → each grows by 7.
2. Next gap = 42 + 7 = 49.
3. ? = 191 + 49 = 240

Trick: Gaps are 7×3, 7×4, 7×5, 7×6 → next is 7×7 = 49. Only 240 − 191 = 49 among options.

Answer: (A) 240

Concept: Differences double each time.

1. Gaps: 1, 2, 4, 8 (powers of 2).
2. Next gap = 16.
3. ? = 25 + 16 = 41

Trick: Pattern 'add 2⁰, 2¹, 2², 2³, 2⁴' – the next term is just 25 + 2⁴.

Answer: (D) 41

Concept: Letters shared by two words get the digits shared by their codes.

1. BIGS → 4593, SING → 9432.
2. Common letters I, G, S ↔ common digits 4, 9, 3.
3. Extra letter in SING is N; extra digit in 9432 is 2 → N = 2.

Trick: Strike out the common digits; the one left in the second code belongs to the one letter left in the second word.

Answer: (A) 2

Concept: Each letter moves by a fixed alternating step.

1. MLTA → QHXW: M+4, L−4, T+4, A−4 (A−4 wraps to W).
2. Check LNVB → PJZX ✔.
3. CWON → G (=C+4), S (=W−4), S (=O+4), J (=N−4) → GSSJ

Trick: First letter C+4 = G for all options; the last letter N−4 = J picks GSSJ directly.

Answer: (D) GSSJ

Concept: Swap the signs first, then solve by BODMAS.

1. Swap − ↔ ÷ and × ↔ +: 8 × 63 ÷ 7 + 7 − 9
2. 63 ÷ 7 = 9, 8 × 9 = 72
3. 72 + 7 − 9 = 70

Trick: Do 63 ÷ 7 first – it keeps the numbers small (8 × 9 instead of 8 × 63).

Answer: (C) 70

Concept: Three clusters use the same jump between letters.

1. NYJ: N(14)→Y(25)→J: +11, +11
2. TEP and CNY: also +11, +11
3. QZK: Q(17)→Z(26) = +9 ✘

Trick: Check only the first jump of each cluster – the one that is not +11 is odd.

Answer: (D) QZK

Concept: Two changes run together: number of arrow-arcs and their turning direction.

1. Arcs go 6 → 5 → 4 → 3, so the next figure has 2.
2. Direction alternates clockwise/anticlockwise → next is clockwise.
3. Only option (B) has 2 clockwise arcs.

Trick: Track one feature at a time – count first, then eliminate by direction.

Answer: (B) Option (B)

Concept: Letters shift by +2 and −5 alternately.

1. NRDF → PMFA: N+2, R−5, D+2, F−5
2. SFJW → UALR fits the same rule.
3. GVKQ → I (=G+2), Q (=V−5), M (=K+2), L (=Q−5) → IQML

Trick: G+2 = I – only option (A) starts with I.

Answer: (A) IQML

Concept: Each unfold mirrors the holes across the fold line.

1. Two folds → the punch lies in one quarter of the sheet.
2. Open the last fold first: mirror holes across it.
3. Open the first fold: mirror again → each hole appears 4 times, symmetric about both centre lines – option (D).

Trick: Holes after unfolding = holes punched × 2^{number of folds} (here ×4); reject options with the wrong count.

Answer: (D) Option (D)

Concept: All A are B + All B are C ⇒ All A are C; 'Some' gives no sure link.

1. Anklets ⊂ Socks ⊂ Flats ⇒ All anklets are flats – I follows.
2. Trousers touch only 'some flats'; they may lie outside socks ⇒ II not certain.

Trick: A 'Some' statement at the end of the chain never links back to the first term.

Answer: (A) Only conclusion (I) follows.

Concept: Decode each symbol, then join the chain.

1. C − D: C is D's daughter; D ÷ E: D is E's brother (male).
2. E × F: E is F's son ⇒ D is also F's son.
3. F + G: F is a mother (female). So F is the mother of C's father.

Trick: Fix genders first: D (brother) is male, F (mother) is female – only 'Father's mother' matches both.

Answer: (B) Father's mother

Concept: Each position of the cluster follows its own step.

1. 1st letters: T, U, V, W → X (+1)
2. 2nd letters: K, J, I, H → G (−1)
3. 3rd letters: F, G, H, I → J (+1)

Trick: 1st letter must be X → options A or C; 2nd letter G → A.

Answer: (A) XGJ

Concept: The exact shape must appear inside an option in the same size and orientation.

1. Note the key parts: inverted U top with outward steps on both arms.
2. Search each option for these lines without turning.
3. Option (C) contains the full outline.

Trick: Look for the most unusual corner/step of the figure first – most options fail there.

Answer: (C) Option (C)

Concept: Code = 28 − alphabet position of the letter.

1. T(20) → 8, D(4) → 24: 20+8 = 4+24 = 28.
2. KRIY: K(11)→17, R(18)→10 ✔
3. HAWP: 28−8=20, 28−1=27, 28−23=5, 28−16=12

Trick: Letter + its code always = 28; A gives 27 – only option (D) has 27 second.

Answer: (D) 20-27-5-12

Concept: The series repeats a 5-letter block.

1. Filled letters 'u o p q t' show the block is p q t u o.
2. Write: pqtuo pqtuo pqtuo pqtuo.
3. Blanks read: q t u o p t t o

Trick: Split 20 places into four groups of 5 and fill each group with the same block.

Answer: (C) qtuoptto

Concept: Fix the person with an end position first.

1. M at right end (7). Three between M and K ⇒ K = 3.
2. Two between K and H ⇒ H = 6.
3. G _ _ L J: only L = 4 fits ⇒ G = 1, J = 5; I = 2.
4. Order: G I K L J H M → between I and H: K, L, J.

Trick: People between seats a and b = |a − b| − 1 = 6 − 2 − 1 = 3.

Answer: (C) Three

Concept: Arrange letters Z→A and compare position by position.

1. VARIABLE → V A R I A B L E
2. Reverse order: V R L I E B A A
3. Same place: V (1st), I (4th), B (6th) = 3

Trick: Write both rows one under the other and tick matches – never trust a mental check.

Answer: (A) Three

Concept: A face touches 4 faces; the 5th one is its opposite.

1. Position 1: A is next to N and S.
2. Position 2: A is next to I and T.
3. A touches N, S, I, T ⇒ opposite of A is K.

Trick: The letter common to both views has four neighbours shown – the missing letter is its opposite.

Answer: (B) A

Concept: Facing the centre, 'right' means anticlockwise.

1. Clockwise order: F, R, G, T, S, E (S 2nd right of F, G 2nd left of F).
2. E next to S ⇒ E and R flank F; T fills the last seat.
3. From R towards its right: F, E, S, then T ⇒ 3 people between.

Trick: With 6 seats, the two gaps between any two people add to 4 – one way is 1 (G), the other way 3.

Answer: (C) Three

Concept: Decide which classes can overlap and which are separate.

1. Cotton and denim are different fabrics → separate circles.
2. A shirt can be cotton or denim → Shirt overlaps both.
3. Two separate circles joined by a third – option (D).

Trick: Ask 'can one item be both?' for every pair: Cotton–Denim no, Shirt–Cotton yes, Shirt–Denim yes.

Answer: (D) Option (D)