3 Tips on Cracking Reasoning Questions on Letter and Symbol Series

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Tip #1: Identify the changes happening in the successive patterns of a symbol series.

Question: Look carefully at the sequence of symbols to find the missing pattern.

Solution:

In each segment, the shapes are the same, but the one in the middle is larger than the two on either side. Also, one of the figures is shaded and that this shading alternates between 1^st right and then left. Thus in the 3^rd segment, there will be two small squares with a big square between them and the right small square will be blackened. Thus, the correct option is (2).

Question: Look carefully at the sequence of symbols to find the missing pattern.

Solution:

In each of the segments, the figures alternate between one-half and one-fourth shaded on the opposite sides. Thus, to complete the last segment, there should be one square that is one-fourth shaded and another that is half-shaded on the left side. Thus, the correct option is (4).

Tip #2: Break the complex letter series into simpler ones and solve them individually

Question: Look at the following series and fill in the blank.

SCD, TEF, UGH, ____, WKL

Solution:

There are two alphabetical series here. The first series is with the first letters only, and consists of the consecutive letters of the alphabet starting from S, i.e., S, T, U, V, W.

The second series involves the remaining two letters and involving 2 consecutive letters of the alphabet starting from C, i.e., CD, EF, GH, IJ, KL. So the missing term will be VIJ.

Question: Look at the following series and fill in the blank.

DEF, DEF₂, DE₂F₂, _____, D₂E₂F₃

Solution:

In this series, the letters remain the same: DEF.

The subscript numbers follow the following series: 111, 112, 122, 222, 223, 233, 333, ...

Thus, the missing term is D₂E₂F₂.

Question: Look at the following series and fill in the blank.

JAK, KBL, LCM, MDN, ____.

Solution:

This series may be broken up into 3 component series. The 1^st one is the series J, K, L, M and N. The 2^nd one follows the pattern A, B, C, D, E, and the 3^rd one: K, L, M, N and O.

Thus the missing term is NEO.

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Tip #3: Eliminate the incorrect choices

Question: Look carefully at the sequence of symbols to find the missing pattern.

Solution:

Since no 2 figures in the same segment are the same, Options (1) and (2) are eliminated. Now, the shading inside the circles gradually increases or decreases. Thus, the correct option is (3).

Question: Look at the following series and fill in the blank. JAK, KBL, LCM, MDN, _____

A. OEP                       B. NEO                      C. MEN                      D.PFQ

Solution:

The first letter of each term follows the series J, K, L, M and N. This eliminates choices A, C, and D. Thus, the correct answer is B.

Question: Look carefully at the sequence of symbols to find the missing pattern.

Solution:

In all these segments, the count of dots in the bottom box of the previous set equals the count of dots in the top box of the current set. This eliminates options (2), (3) and (4). Thus, the correct option is (1).

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