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Question

Four letter-clusters have been given, out of which three are alike in some manner and one is different. Select the odd letter-cluster.

This question was previously asked in
SSC CGL 2019 (Tier 2) GS Finance & Economics Previous Year Paper (17-Nov-2020)
The correct answer is

JNQS

Finding the Odd Letter Cluster Pattern

This question asks us to identify the letter cluster that doesn't follow the same pattern as the other three. To do this, we need to look at the position of each letter in the English alphabet and find the difference between consecutive letters within each cluster.

Analyzing Letter Position Differences

Let's assign numerical positions to each letter (A=1, B=2, ..., Z=26) and calculate the difference between adjacent letters in each option.

Letter Cluster Letters with Positions Differences between consecutive letters Pattern of differences
RSTU R(18), S(19), T(20), U(21) 19-18 = 1
20-19 = 1
21-20 = 1
+1, +1, +1
ADGJ A(1), D(4), G(7), J(10) 4-1 = 3
7-4 = 3
10-7 = 3
+3, +3, +3
JNQS J(10), N(14), Q(17), S(19) 14-10 = 4
17-14 = 3
19-17 = 2
+4, +3, +2
TVXZ T(20), V(22), X(24), Z(26) 22-20 = 2
24-22 = 2
26-24 = 2
+2, +2, +2

Identifying the Different Letter Sequence

From the analysis above, we can see the patterns of differences:

  • RSTU follows a constant difference of +1.
  • ADGJ follows a constant difference of +3.
  • JNQS follows varying differences of +4, +3, +2.
  • TVXZ follows a constant difference of +2.

Three of the letter clusters (RSTU, ADGJ, and TVXZ) show a consistent difference between consecutive letters. The letter cluster JNQS shows a pattern where the difference decreases by 1 each time (+4, then +3, then +2). Therefore, JNQS is the letter cluster that is different from the others.

Conclusion on Odd Letter Cluster

Based on the pattern of differences in alphabetical positions, the letter cluster JNQS is the odd one out because its differences are not constant like the others.

Revision Table: Odd Letter Cluster Analysis

Letter Cluster Pattern Found Classification
RSTU Consecutive letters (+1 difference) Constant Difference
ADGJ Constant +3 difference Constant Difference
JNQS Differences are +4, +3, +2 (decreasing) Varying Difference
TVXZ Constant +2 difference Constant Difference

Additional Information: Letter Series Reasoning

Letter series reasoning questions test your ability to identify patterns in sequences of letters. Common patterns include:

  • Alphabetical Order: Letters are consecutive (e.g., ABCD).
  • Skipping Letters: Letters are separated by a fixed number of letters (e.g., ACET - skipping 1, 2, 3 letters).
  • Constant Difference: The difference in alphabetical position between consecutive letters is constant (e.g., ADGJ as shown above, difference is +3).
  • Increasing/Decreasing Difference: The difference between consecutive letters changes by a fixed amount (e.g., JNQS as shown above, difference decreases by 1 each time).
  • Alternating Patterns: Two different patterns might alternate.
  • Reverse Alphabetical Order: Letters move backward in the alphabet.

Solving these questions often involves writing down the alphabetical position of each letter and looking for arithmetic patterns in the numbers.

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Important Questions from Letter based

  1. Identify the odd one from the following.

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