Introduction & Examples: Alphabet Series | Logical Reasoning (LR) and Data Interpretation (DI) - CAT PDF Download

Introduction

is crucial for tackling these questions effectively. This section tests your ability to identify the placement of elements in relation to one another. Mastering alphabet reasoning is essential for excelling in reasoning-based examinations.

Types of Alphabet Reasoning Questions

1. Alphabet Series

• Focuses on groups of letters with operations such as arranging in dictionary order, reverse order, or interchanging letters.
• Example: Which letter comes immediately after the letter P in the reverse order of the alphabet?

2. Mixed Series

• Combines numbers, characters, and symbols in sequences, challenging you to identify patterns and rules governing the arrangement.
• Example: E # 4 Y Q % G 8 A 5 * U ! B 2 9 > X + P 3 Z ^ | S 7 M C 6 @ J K : W
  In the given series, which of the following elements is fifth to the right of the twelfth element from the left end?

3. Creating New Words

• Requires forming meaningful words from provided letters and sometimes asks how many such words can be made.
• Example: Which of the following is the third letter of the meaningful English word which can be formed using (each letter once) first, third, fourth, sixth, eighth and ninth letters of “ASTRONAUT”?
• The specified positions are:
  • 1st letter: A
  • 3rd letter: T
  • 4th letter: R
  • 6th letter: N
  • 8th letter: U
  • 9th letter: T
    So the letters we have are: A, T, R, N, U, T.
    Now, we need to form a meaningful English word using these letters. One such word is "TRUANT". [ refers to a student who stays away from school without leave or explanation.]
    The third letter of the word "TRUANT" is U.
    Thus, the answer is U.

4. Position of Letters and Numbers in a Word

• Asks you to identify pairs of letters or digits with a specific number of letters or digits between them in the alphabet or number sequence.
• Example: How many such pair(s) of letters are there in the word ‘POCKETBOOK’ which have as many letters between them as in the alphabetical series as we move from left to right?

5. Fill in the Blanks Series

• These types of series consist of small letters which follow a specific pattern or series. Some spaces are left blank in between the series given. We have to fill in the blanks from given options to make a pattern.
• Example: pq_ _ qpp_ _ pq _

Important Points

(i) Position number of letters in English

(ii) Position number of letters in English alphabets in reverse

(iii) A, E , I, O and U are Vowels of English Alphabets and the remaining letters are Consonants of English Alphabets.

(iv) A → M (A to M) letters are called first half of English Alphabets.

(v) N → Z (N to Z) letters are called second half of English Alphabets.

(vi) From A → Z (A to Z) letters are called 'left to right' or 'to right' in English Alphabets.

(vii) From Z → A (Z to A) letters are called 'right to left' or 'to right' in English Alphabets.

It is important to note that while solving the questions of letter series, if you keep in mind the forward and backward position of all the alphabets along with its number, you can save a lot of time.

The following two concepts in order to recall the position of alphabet easily.

1. Concept of EJOTY

The concept of EJOTY represents the position of the alphabet counting from the left at an interval of 5 letters:

Each letter in the term EJOTY represents the position which is multiple of 5.

2. Concept of VQLGB

Just like the concept EJOTY, the concept of VQLGB represents the position of the alphabet counting from the right at an interval of 5 letters:

Alphabet Reasoning Questions with Answers

Here are some illustrative examples to help you grasp the types of alphabet reasoning questions commonly encountered in competitive exams.  By familiarizing yourself with these examples, you can gain a better understanding of the diversity of questions and the skills required to excel in alphabet reasoning questions of competitive exams.

Solved Examples

Example 1: Each consonant of the word ‘TERMINATION’ is changed to the previous letter in the English alphabetical series and each vowel is changed to the next letter in the English alphabetical series. If the new alphabets thus formed are arranged in alphabetical order (from left to right), which of the following will be the sixth letter from the right end?

Sol: The given word:TERMINATION

Applying the above condition, we have a new word:
S  F  Q  L  J  M  B  S  J  P  M
Now, arrange in alphabetical order (from left to right)
B  F J  J  L  M  M  P  Q  S  S
Hence, M is sixth from the right.

Example 2: Directions: Study the following numbers carefully and answer the questions given beside:
427   946   738   596   857
If the digits of all the numbers are to be arranged in descending order from right to left within the number, then which of the following numbers will be the third highest?

Sol: 

Step 1: Understand “descending order from right to left”

Within each three-digit number, the rightmost digit should be the largest, the leftmost the smallest.

That is the same as arranging its digits in ascending order from left to right.

Step 2: Apply this to each number

  • 427 → digits {4, 2, 7} → ascending order → 2 4 7 → new number 247  

  • 946 → digits {9, 4, 6} → ascending order → 4 6 9 → new number 469  

  • 738 → digits {7, 3, 8} → ascending order → 3 7 8 → new number 378  

  • 596 → digits {5, 9, 6} → ascending order → 5 6 9 → new number 569  

  • 857 → digits {8, 5, 7} → ascending order → 5 7 8 → new number 578  

Step 3: List the transformed values

  247, 469, 378, 569, 578

Step 4: Rank these from highest to lowest

  1st → 578  

  2nd → 569  

  3rd → 469  

  4th → 378  

  5th → 247  

Step 5: Identify which original number gave the 3rd highest

  - The 3rd highest transformed value is 469  

  - That came from the original number 946  

Example 3: 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 is the eighth letter to the right of the letter and which is the tenth letter to the left of the alphabet’s last but one letter?
(A) X
(B) W
(C) I
(D) H

Solution: 

Last but one letter of the alphabet.
• 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
• The last but one letter of the alphabet is Y in the given alphabet.

Tenth letter to the left of the last but one letter of the alphabet.
• 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
• O is the tenth letter to the left of Y.

Letter in this alphabet is the eighth letter to the right of the letter and which is tenth letter to the left of the last but one letter of the alphabet.
• 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
• W is the eighth letter to the right of O.

Hence, ‘W’ is the correct answer.

Example 4: WYB, XUD, YQF, ...
(A) HZM
(B) HCZ
(C) ZMH
(D) None of these

Solution:  

Step 1: Convert each letter to its numeric position  

  W=23, Y=25, B=2  

  X=24, U=21, D=4  

  Y=25, Q=17, F=6

Step 2: Observe the pattern for each position  

  1st letters: 23 → 24 → 25 → …  (add 1)  

  2nd letters: 25 → 21 → 17 → …  (subtract 4)  

  3rd letters:  2 →  4 →  6 → …  (add 2)

Step 3: Apply the pattern to find the next term  

  1st: 25 + 1 = 26 → Z  

  2nd: 17 − 4 = 13 → M  

  3rd:  6 + 2 =  8 → H

Next group = Z M H

Answer: ZMH  

Example 5:  x_ p _ y _ _ pzy _ _ pzy
(A) xyyyzz
(B) xyzyzy
(C) yxzyxy
(D) yzxyxy

Solution: 

The series is xypzy/ xypzy/ xypzy.
Thus, the pattern ‘xypzy’ is repeated.
Hence, option 4 is the correct answer.

Understanding the Language of Alphabet Test Questions

Understanding the language used in Alphabet Test questions is crucial for interpreting the instructions and solving the problems accurately. Here are explanations of some commonly used terms and phrases in Alphabet Test questions:

• Precede: To "precede" means to come before or be in front of. In Alphabet Test questions, if one letter precedes another, it means it appears in the alphabet before the other letter. For example, if "A precedes B," it means that A comes before B in the alphabetical order.
• Succeed: To "succeed" means to come after or follow. In Alphabet Test questions, if one letter succeeds another, it means it appears in the alphabet after the other letter. For example, if "B succeeds A," it means that B comes after A in the alphabetical order.
• Interchange: When you're asked to "interchange" letters, you are required to swap the positions of specific letters within a word or sequence based on the provided instructions. For example, you may be asked to interchange the first and last letters in a word like "RAT," which would result in "TAR."
• Dictionary Order: "Dictionary order" refers to arranging words or letters as they would appear in a standard dictionary. In English, this means arranging words based on the alphabetical order of the letters.
• The Vowels are A, E, I, O, U
• The Consonants are B, C, D, F, G, H, J, K, L, M, N, P, Q, R, S, T, V, W, X, Y, Z

Tricks to Solve Letter and Symbol Series

• To solve the Letter and Symbol Series, start by understanding the alphabetical order from A to Z. Each letter gets a number value from 1 to 26, with A being 1 and Z being 26. 
• Sometimes, questions will mix numbers, letters, and symbols, so be careful to understand what's asked.
• You might encounter questions focusing on consonants, vowels, or letter positions. Pay attention to these details. Questions often provide letter arrangements, and you need to respond with the same pattern.
• In number series, you'll get a sequence of numbers with some blanks. Understand the sequence to fill in the blanks correctly.