Exams › SSC CGL (Prelims) › General › Alphabet Series
54 questions with worked solutions.
Q1. Find the missing term in the series: ACE, EGI, IKM, MOQ, ?
Answer: QSU
The first letters are A, E, I, M, Q; the second letters are C, G, K, O, S; the third letters are E, I, M, Q, U. Each sequence advances by 4 letters. Therefore, the missing term is QSU.
Answer: EFV
In the series, the first letters go A, B, C, D, so next is E. The second letters go B, C, D, E, so next is F. The third letters go Z, Y, X, W, so next is V. Therefore, the missing cluster is EFV.
Answer: RSV
The first letters are L, N, P, so the next is R. The second letters are M, O, Q, so the next is S. The third letters are P, R, T, so the next is V. Hence the missing cluster is RSV.
Answer: MAK
In the first positions: Y, V, S, P, M move backward by 3 each time. In the second positions: M, J, G, D, A move backward by 3 each time, and in the third positions: W, T, Q, N, K move backward by 3 each time. Thus the next cluster is MAK.
Answer: RVSP
The first letter remains R throughout. The second letters follow B, G, L, Q, V, increasing by 5 positions each time. The remaining letters also follow a consistent pattern that leads to RVSP, so that is the correct cluster.
Answer: CFIL
Each position in the cluster follows a separate alphabetical pattern. The first letters are C, C, C, C, so the next starts with C; the remaining letters shift in a consistent sequence that leads to F, I, and L. Hence the next cluster is CFIL.
Answer: 13
The letters of CONTRAST in alphabetical order are A, C, N, O, R, S, T, T. The first from the left is A and the fifth from the right is R. The number of letters between A and R in the English alphabet is 13.
Answer: YZA
The series is made of consecutive letter clusters: PQR, STU, VWX. The first letters move P → S → V → Y, so the next cluster starts with Y and continues consecutively as YZA.
Q9. Select the incorrect term from the given options.
Answer: KLM
RED, QDC, and TGF each follow a pattern of letters decreasing by 1, 2, and 3 respectively in a consistent way. KLM is the only term with consecutive increasing letters, so it is incorrect.
Q10. Find the missing term: MNO, QRS, UVW, ?
Answer: YZA
Each term consists of three consecutive letters. The first letters progress as M, Q, U, so the next first letter is Y. Therefore the next term is YZA.
Answer: Two
The word COMPUTER arranged alphabetically is C, E, M, O, P, R, T, U. Comparing with the original positions, C is already in position 1 and O is already in position 4. So, two letters remain in the same position.
Q12. A set of letters is followed by the product of their alphabetical positions. ACE: 15 :: BDF: ?
Answer: 48
For ACE, the alphabetical positions are 1, 3, and 5, and their product is 1 × 3 × 5 = 15. For BDF, the positions are 2, 4, and 6, so the product is 2 × 4 × 6 = 48.
Q13. Complete the series: XZB - UWY - RTV - ?
Answer: OQS
The first letters follow X, U, R, O (backward by 3 each time). The second letters follow Z, W, T, Q (backward by 3 each time), and the third letters follow B, Y, V, S (backward by 2 each time). So the missing term is OQS.
Q14. Select the letter cluster that will replace the question mark: JKL, MNO, PQR, ?
Answer: STU
The clusters are consecutive letters: JKL, MNO, PQR. The first letters move forward by 3 positions each time: J → M → P → S. So the next cluster is STU.
Answer: 4
The letters of NOTEBOOK in alphabetical order are B, E, K, N, O, O, O, T. The 2nd from the left is E and the 2nd from the right is O. There are 4 letters between them: K, N, O, O.
Q16. Select the letter cluster that will replace the question mark: ABB, BCC, CDD, ?
Answer: DEE
The first letters go A, B, C, so the next is D. The repeated letters go B, C, D, so the next repeated pair is E E. Hence the next cluster is DEE.
Q17. Identify the group that does NOT follow the same pattern:
Answer: D5: G9: J13
In the first three groups, letters move forward by 3 each time and numbers also increase by 3. In D5: G9: J13, the numbers increase by 4, so it does not follow the same pattern.
Q18. Select the letter cluster that can replace (?) in the series: HLPT, HOUA, HRZH, ?
Answer: HUEO
Each position in the cluster follows its own pattern of alphabetical shifts. When the pattern is continued consistently for all four positions, the next cluster becomes HUEO.
Q19. Select the letter cluster that will replace the question mark: BCF, GHK, LMP, ?
Answer: QRU
The first letters go B, G, L, Q (+5 each). The second letters go C, H, M, R (+5 each), and the third letters go F, K, P, U (+5 each). So the next cluster is QRU.
Q20. Select the letter cluster that will replace the question mark: ACE, BDF, CEG, ?
Answer: DFH
The clusters shift each letter one step forward alphabetically: ACE → BDF → CEG → DFH. So the missing cluster is DFH.
Q21. Select the letter cluster that will replace the question mark: RST, UVW, XYZ, ?
Answer: ABC
Each group contains three consecutive letters: RST, UVW, XYZ. The next consecutive group after XYZ is ABC.
Q22. Identify the group that does not follow the same pattern.
Answer: D6: F30
In A3: C9, B4: D16, and C5: E25, the second number is the square of the first, and the second letter is two positions ahead of the first. In D6: F30, the letter pattern fits, but 6 squared is 36, not 30.
Q23. Select the letter cluster that will replace the question mark. BDF, CEG, DFH, ?
Answer: EGI
In BDF, CEG, and DFH, each letter in the cluster moves one step forward in the alphabet from the previous term. Therefore, the next cluster after DFH is EGI.
Q24. Select the letter cluster that will replace the question mark. JKL, MNO, PQR, ?
Answer: STU
The clusters are consecutive groups of three letters: JKL, MNO, PQR. Each new cluster starts three letters after the previous one, so the next cluster is STU.
Q25. Find the missing term in the series: HDF, JFH, LHJ, ?, PLN
Answer: NJL
The first letters go H, J, L, N, P; the second letters go D, F, H, J, L; the third letters go F, H, J, L, N. So the missing term is NJL.
Q26. What comes next in the series: BDF, EGI, HJL, ?
Answer: KMO
The first letters go B, E, H, K; the second letters go D, G, J, M; the third letters go F, I, L, O. So the next term is KMO.
Q27. Select the letter cluster that can replace the question mark (?). BFG, EIJ, HLM, KOP, ?
Answer: NRS
The first letters go B, E, H, K, N (+3 each). The second letters go F, I, L, O, R (+3 each). The third letters go G, J, M, P, S (+3 each). So the next cluster is NRS.
Answer: DEF
The clusters move backward by 3 letters each time: PQR, MNO, JKL, GHI, DEF. So the next cluster is DEF.
Q29. Find the next term: ABC, CDE, EFG, GHI, ?
Answer: IJK
The starting letters progress as A, C, E, G, I, increasing by 2 each time. Each term contains three consecutive letters, so after GHI comes IJK.
Q30. Find the next term: CYA, EWC, GUE, ?
Answer: ISG
The first letters follow C, E, G, I; the second letters follow Y, W, U, S; and the third letters follow A, C, E, G. Therefore, the next term is ISG. So the correct answer is ISG.
Q31. Select the letter cluster that replaces the question mark: BX, CW, DV, ?
Answer: EU
In the series, the first letters go B, C, D, so the next is E. The second letters go X, W, V, so the next is U. Therefore, the next cluster is EU.
Q32. Select the letter cluster that can replace the question mark (?). DEF, GHI, JKL, ?
Answer: MNO
Each group contains three consecutive letters. The first letters go D, G, J, so the next should be M; therefore the next cluster is MNO. This follows a +3 shift in the alphabet.
Q33. What comes next? ZYX, YXW, XWV, WVU, ?
Answer: VUT
Each term is a set of three consecutive letters written in reverse order: ZYX, YXW, XWV, WVU. The next set is VUT.
Q34. Complete the series: AB, CD, EF, GH, ?
Answer: IJ
The series consists of consecutive letter pairs: AB, CD, EF, GH. The next consecutive pair is IJ.
Q35. What comes next? EF, FG, GH, HI, ?
Answer: IJ
The pairs are consecutive letters: EF, FG, GH, HI. The next pair should continue the pattern as IJ. Therefore, IJ is correct.
Q36. What comes next: AB, CD, EF, GH, ?
Answer: IJ
The pairs are formed by consecutive letters, and each new pair starts two letters after the previous one: AB, CD, EF, GH. So the next pair is IJ. This is a straightforward alphabet series.
Q37. What comes next? B, E, H, K, ?
Answer: N
The letters progress by adding 3 positions each time: B, E, H, K. The next letter after K is N. So N is the correct answer.
Q38. Fill in the missing letter: D, G, J, ?, P
Answer: M
D, G, J, M, P follows a pattern of moving forward by 3 letters each step. Therefore, the missing letter is M.
Q39. What comes next? A1, C3, E5, G7, ?
Answer: I9
The letters go A, C, E, G, I, increasing by 2 positions each time. The numbers go 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, also increasing by 2. So the next term is I9.
Q40. What comes next? AB, CD, EF, ?
Answer: GH
The series consists of consecutive letter pairs: AB, CD, EF. The next consecutive pair after EF is GH.
Q41. What comes next in the series? B, F, J, N, ?
Answer: R
B, F, J, and N are each 4 letters apart in the alphabet. The next letter after N with the same gap is R.
Q42. What comes next? DF, FH, HJ, ?
Answer: JL
In each pair, both letters move forward by 2 positions: Df6F, Ff6H, Hf6J. So the next pair is Jf6L.
Q43. Which letter lies exactly between D and L in the English alphabet?
Answer: H
D is the 4th letter and L is the 12th letter. The middle position is the 8th letter, which is H.
Q44. What comes next? AB, DE, GH, JK, ?
Answer: MN
The pairs are AB, DE, GH, JK, which start at A, D, G, J. Each starting letter advances by 3 positions, so the next start is M, giving MN.
Q45. What comes next? AB, CD, EF, ?
Answer: GH
The series consists of consecutive letter pairs with a gap of one pair between terms: AB, CD, EF. The next consecutive pair is GH.
Q46. What comes next? AZ, BY, CX, ?
Answer: DW
The first letters are A, B, C, so the next is D. The second letters are Z, Y, X, so the next is W. Therefore, the next pair is DW.
Q47. What comes next? CD, FG, IJ, LM, ?
Answer: OP
The pairs are CD, FG, IJ, LM. The first letters go C, F, I, L, so the next is O. The second letters go D, G, J, M, so the next is P. Hence, the next pair is OP.
Q48. Which pair does not belong to the following sequence? C3, E5, G7, I9, K14
Answer: K14
The letters follow the pattern C, E, G, I, K, increasing by 2 positions each time. The numbers should also increase by 2: 3, 5, 7, 9, 11. Since K is paired with 14 instead of 11, K14 does not belong.
Q49. What comes next? z26, y25, w23, t20, p16, ?
Answer: k11
The letters go z, y, w, t, p with backward jumps of 1, 2, 3, 4. So the next jump is 5: p → k. The numbers go 26, 25, 23, 20, 16 with decreases of 1, 2, 3, 4, so the next number is 11.
Answer: MOQ
The first letters are A, D, G, J, which increase by 3 each time, so the next is M. The second letters are C, F, I, L, so the next is O. The third letters are E, H, K, N, so the next is Q. Thus the next cluster is MOQ.