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Alphabet Series Questions with Solutions

Alphabet Series questions work exactly like Number Series, once you convert each letter to its position number (A=1, B=2, … Z=26) — find the numeric pattern, then convert the answer back to a letter. Here’s the approach, four fully worked examples, and a few to try yourself.

The approach, quickly

  • Convert every letter to its position number first (A=1, B=2, … Z=26). Solve the resulting number pattern exactly as you would for Number Series, then convert the final answer back to a letter.
  • Common patterns: a fixed gap between letters (skip 1, skip 2…), an increasing or decreasing gap (mirroring Number Series’ "differences of differences"), or two interleaved sequences running at once.
  • Some series alternate forward and backward movement (e.g., +3 then −1, repeating) — treat this the same as an alternating-operations Number Series pattern, just in letter-position space.
  • Watch for a position going past 26 or below 1 — in that case the series wraps around the alphabet (26 wraps to 1, or 1 wraps to 26), though this is relatively rare and worth double-checking for before assuming a pattern is broken.

Worked examples

1. Find the next letter in the series: B, D, F, H, J, ?

Solution

  1. Positions: B=2, D=4, F=6, H=8, J=10 — each one is 2 more than the last.
  2. Next position = 10 + 2 = 12 = L.

Answer: L

2. Find the missing letter in the series: A, C, F, J, O, ?

Solution

  1. Positions: A=1, C=3, F=6, J=10, O=15. Differences between them: 2, 3, 4, 5 — each one is 1 more than the last.
  2. Next difference = 6. Next position = 15 + 6 = 21 = U.

Answer: U

3. Find the next term in the series: AZ, BY, CX, DW, ?

Solution

  1. Split into two interleaved sequences: the first letters (A, B, C, D) move forward by 1 each time, and the second letters (Z, Y, X, W) move backward by 1 each time.
  2. Next first letter: D + 1 = E. Next second letter: W − 1 = V.

Answer: EV

4. Find the next letter in the series: C, F, E, H, G, J, ?

Solution

  1. Positions: C=3, F=6, E=5, H=8, G=7, J=10. Check the pattern of steps, not a single constant gap: C→F is +3, F→E is −1, E→H is +3, H→G is −1, G→J is +3.
  2. The steps alternate +3, −1, +3, −1, … and the last one shown was +3 (G→J), so the next step is −1.
  3. Next position = 10 − 1 = 9 = I.

Answer: I

Try these yourself

Convert to positions the same way, then check against the answer.

1. Find the next letter in the series: C, F, I, L, O, ?

Answer: R (each position is 3 more than the last)

2. Find the missing letter in the series: B, D, G, K, P, ?

Answer: V (differences are 2, 3, 4, 5, so the next difference is 6)

3. Find the next term in the series: ZA, YB, XC, WD, ?

Answer: VE (first letters move backward by 1, second letters move forward by 1)

Where this comes up

Alphabet Series is a regular topic in the Reasoning/General Intelligence section of every exam Pariksha Saathi covers — SSC CGL, SSC MTS, SSC CHSL, IBPS PO, IBPS Clerk, SBI PO and SBI Clerk.

Practice more Alphabet Series questions

This page covers the approach and a handful of worked examples. Pariksha Saathi has full topic-wise practice sets for Alphabet Series (and every other Reasoning/Quant/English topic) with instant scoring and explanations — free, no account required.

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