MKS CMAT · Logical Reasoning
CMAT Number and Letter Series: Six Patterns Explained
CMAT number and letter series practice is about finding and checking a simple pattern. Start with what changes between neighbouring terms, then test your idea across the whole sequence. A rule that fits only the first two numbers is not enough.
These six questions are original MKS learning examples, not TU past questions. A finite sequence can support many mathematical continuations. In this exercise, choose the option that follows the simplest intended pattern explained in the answer key.
YOUR LEARNING ROUTE
Build the skill. Then test it.
How to approach CMAT number and letter series
First look at the differences. If they are equal, you may have repeated addition or subtraction. If the differences change, write those changes underneath the sequence. Next check multiplication or division, familiar squares, and alternating terms. For letters, number A as 1 through Z as 26.
Take 4, 9, 14, 19. The differences are all 5, so the natural next term is 24. Now compare 4, 9, 16, 25: these are consecutive squares, so 36 is the natural continuation. Similar-looking starts can have different structures; use every available term.
Six original series questions
Q1. Constant difference
What comes next: 7, 12, 17, 22, …?
- A. 25
- B. 26
- C. 27
- D. 29
Q2. Increasing differences
What comes next: 3, 7, 13, 21, 31, …?
- A. 41
- B. 43
- C. 45
- D. 47
Q3. Repeated multiplication
What comes next: 2, 6, 18, 54, …?
- A. 108
- B. 144
- C. 160
- D. 162
Q4. Two alternating sequences
What comes next: 4, 20, 7, 18, 10, 16, …?
- A. 13
- B. 14
- C. 15
- D. 19
Q5. Letter positions
What comes next: C, F, I, L, …?
- A. M
- B. N
- C. O
- D. P
Q6. Consecutive squares
What comes next: 16, 25, 36, 49, …?
- A. 56
- B. 60
- C. 63
- D. 64
PAUSE · CHECK · UNDERSTAND
Make each attempt count.
Try the questions before reading the explanations. Keep your working, note what felt uncertain, and use each correction to choose your next practice task.
Answers and the reasoning behind them
Q1 — C, 27. Add 5 each time. Check all transitions: 7 to 12, 12 to 17, and 17 to 22. Continuing the same rule gives 22 + 5 = 27. A common mistake is to switch the difference because an answer option looks familiar.
Q2 — B, 43. The differences are 4, 6, 8 and 10. They rise by 2 each time, so the next difference is 12. Add it to the last term: 31 + 12 = 43. Writing the difference row makes the second pattern visible.
Q3 — D, 162. Each term is three times the previous term. Since 54 × 3 = 162, that is the intended answer. The differences also grow, but multiplication describes the relationship more simply than a list of unrelated additions.
Q4 — A, 13. Separate odd and even positions. Odd-position terms are 4, 7 and 10, increasing by 3. Even-position terms are 20, 18 and 16, decreasing by 2. The seventh term belongs to the first group: 10 + 3 = 13.
Q5 — C, O. C, F, I and L occupy positions 3, 6, 9 and 12. The next position is 15, which is O. Counting the positions is more reliable than mentally skipping letters while under time pressure.
Q6 — D, 64. The terms are 4², 5², 6² and 7². Continue with 8² = 64. You can check another way: the differences are 9, 11 and 13, so the next difference is 15; 49 + 15 again gives 64.
Check the rule before selecting the option
Use answer choices to confirm a pattern after you have examined the terms. Starting with an attractive option and inventing a complicated rule to reach it makes the process unreliable.
If a sequence seems irregular, label the positions. Alternating questions become much clearer when you rewrite them on separate lines. Avoid forcing an alternating rule when a single simple rule already explains every term.
नेपालीमा: Pattern भेटिएपछि सबै term मा मिल्छ कि मिल्दैन जाँच्नुहोस्; पहिलो दुईमा मिले पुग्दैन।
Record the pattern you missed, not just the answer letter. Later, create a fresh sequence using the same rule and explain it aloud. For a broader study routine, start at MKS CMAT.
Original MKS practice material. Images are AI-generated conceptual study illustrations and are not part of the scored questions.
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