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Question

Select the letter that can replace the question mark (?) in the following series.

J, M, P ?, V, Y

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

S

Understanding the Letter Series Question

The question asks us to find the missing letter in the series: J, M, P, ?, V, Y. This is a common type of reasoning question where we need to identify the pattern governing the sequence of letters.

Analyzing the Letter Series Pattern

Let's look at the position of each letter in the English alphabet:

  • J is the 10th letter.
  • M is the 13th letter.
  • P is the 16th letter.
  • V is the 22nd letter.
  • Y is the 25th letter.

Now, let's find the difference in the positions between consecutive letters:

  • From J (10) to M (13), the difference is $13 - 10 = 3$.
  • From M (13) to P (16), the difference is $16 - 13 = 3$.

It appears there is a consistent pattern where each letter is obtained by moving 3 positions forward in the alphabet from the previous letter.

Finding the Missing Letter

Following the pattern, the letter after P should be 3 positions forward from P.

  • P is the 16th letter.
  • Adding 3 to its position: $16 + 3 = 19$.
  • The 19th letter of the English alphabet is S.

Let's check if this fits with the subsequent letters V and Y:

  • From S (19) to V (22), the difference is $22 - 19 = 3$.
  • From V (22) to Y (25), the difference is $25 - 22 = 3$.

The pattern holds true for the entire series with S as the missing letter.

The series with the missing letter filled in is: J, M, P, S, V, Y.

Conclusion

The pattern in the series J, M, P, ?, V, Y is that each subsequent letter is found by adding 3 to the alphabetical position of the preceding letter. Based on this pattern, the letter that replaces the question mark is S.

Revision Table: Letter Series Analysis

Letter Alphabetical Position Difference from Previous
J 10 -
M 13 $13 - 10 = 3$
P 16 $16 - 13 = 3$
S 19 $19 - 16 = 3$
V 22 $22 - 19 = 3$
Y 25 $25 - 22 = 3$

Additional Information: Types of Letter Series Patterns

Letter series questions in reasoning often follow various patterns. Understanding these common patterns can help you solve similar problems quickly. Some common patterns include:

  • Adding/Subtracting a Constant Number: Like in this question, a fixed number is added or subtracted from the alphabetical position.
  • Increasing/Decreasing Difference: The difference between consecutive letters changes by a constant amount (e.g., differences of +2, +3, +4...).
  • Alternating Patterns: Two different patterns might alternate between letters.
  • Skipping Letters: A fixed number of letters might be skipped between each term.
  • Vowel/Consonant Patterns: The series might involve only vowels, only consonants, or a pattern related to them.
  • Reverse Alphabetical Order: The pattern might move backward through the alphabet.

Practicing different types of letter series helps in recognizing these patterns faster during exams.

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