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Numerical Series Examples:
1. Examine the difference between numbers .
→ In a simple series, the difference between two consecutive numbers is constant.
Example: 27, 24, 21, 18, __
Rule: There is a difference of (-3) between each item. The missing number in this case is 15.
→ In a more complex series the differences between numbers may be dynamic rather than fixed, but there still is a clear logical rule.
Example: 3, 4, 6, 9, 13, 18, __
Rule: Add 1 to the difference between two items. After the first number add 1, after the second number add 2 and after the third number add 3, etc. In this case, the missing number is 24. 2. See whether there is a multiplication or division pattern between two numbers.
Example: 64, 32, 16, 8, __
Rule: Divide each number by 2 to get the next number in
the series. The missing number is 4.
3. Check whether numbers in the series change based on a
logical pattern.
Example: 2, 4, 12, 48, __
Rule: Multiply the first number by 2, the second number by
3 and the third number by 4, etc. The missing item is 240. 4. See if you can find a rule that involves using two or more basic arithmetic functions (+, -, ÷, x).
In the below series, the functions alternate in an orderly fashion.
Example: 5, 7, 14, 16, 32, 34, __
Rule: Add 2, multiply by 2, add 2, multiply by 2, etc. The missing
item is 68.
Tip: Series’ in this category are easy to identify. Just look at the numbers that do not appear to have a set pattern. Important:
In a series that involves two or more basic arithmetic functions, the
differences between adjacent items effectively create their own series. We recommend that you try to identify each pattern separately.
Example: 4, 6, 2, 8, 3, __
Rule: In this series, the differences themselves create a series: +2, ÷3, x4, -5 The numbers advance by intervals of 1 and the arithmetic functions change in an orderly sequence. The next arithmetic function in the series should be +6, and so the next item in the series is 9 (3+6 = 9). 1. Look at this series:
2, 1, (1/2), (1/4), ................
What number should come next?
A. (1/3) B. (1/8) C. (2/8) D. (1/16) Answer: Option B 1/8
Explanation:
This is a simple division series; each number is one-half of
the previous number. In other terms to say, the number is divided by 2 successively to get the next result.
4/2 = 2 2/2 = 1 1/2 = 1/2 (1/2)/2 = 1/4 (1/4)/2 = 1/8 and so on. 2. Look at this series:
7, 10, 8, 11, 9, 12, ............
What number should come next?
A. 7 B. 10 C. 12 D. 13 Answer: Option B 10
Explanation:
This is a simple alternating addition and subtraction
series. In the first pattern, 3 is added; in the second, 2 is subtracted. 3. Look at this series:
53, 53, 40, 40, 27, 27, .........
What number should come next?
A. 12 B. 14 C. 27 D. 53 Answer: Option B 14
Explanation: In this series, each number is repeated, then 13 is subtracted to arrive at the next number. 4. Look at this series:
1.5, 2.3, 3.1, 3.9, .......
What number should come next?
A. 4.2 B. 4.4 C. 4.7 D. 5.1 Answer: Option C 4.7
Explanation: In this simple addition series, each number increases by 0.8 5. Look at this series:
80, 10, 70, 15, 60, ....…
What number should come next?
A. 20 B. 25 C. 30 D. 50 Answer: Option A 20
Explanation:
This is an alternating addition and subtraction
series. In the first pattern, 10 is subtracted from each number to arrive at the next. In the second, 5 is added to each number to arrive at the next. 6. Find next number :
9 11 33 13 15 33 17 ………
A. 19 33 B. 33 35 C. 33 19 D. 15 33 E. 19 21 Answer: Option A 19 33
Explanation:
In this alternating repetition series, a random
number, 33, is interpolated every third number into a simple addition series, in which each number increases by 2. 7. Look at this series:
F2, __, D8, C16, B32.
What number should fill the blank?
A. A16 B.G4 C. E4 D.E3 Answer: Option C E4
Explanation: The letters decrease by 1; the numbers are multiplied by 2. 8. Look at this series:
664, 332, 340, 170, ____, 89.
What number should fill the blank?
A. 85 B. 97 C. 109 D. 178 Answer: Option D 178
Explanation:
This is an alternating division and addition series: First, divide by 2, and then add 8. 9. Look at this series:
4, 7, 25, 10, __, 20, 16, 19, 15
What number should fill the blank?
A. 13 B. 15 C. 20 D. 28 Answer: Option A 13
Explanation:
Two series alternate here, with every third number
following a different pattern. In the main series, 3 is added to each number to arrive at the next. In the alternating series, 5 is subtracted from each number to arrive at the next. 10. Look at this series:
8, 6, 9, 23, 87 , ......
What number should come next?
A. 128 B. 226 C. 324 D. 429 Answer: Option D 429
Explanation:
8x1-2=6 6x2-3=9 9 x 3 - 4 = 23 23 x 4 - 5 = 87 87 x 5 - 6 = 429 ... 11. Look at this series:
2, 6, 18, 54, ......
What number should come next?
A. 108 B. 148 C. 162 D. 216 Answer: Option C 162
Explanation:
This is a simple multiplication series. Each number is 3 times more than the previous number. 12. Look at this series:
80, 10, 70, 15, 60, …...
What number should come next?
A. 20 B. 25 C. 30 D. 50 Answer: Option A 20
Explanation:
This is an alternating addition and subtraction
series. In the first pattern, 10 is subtracted from each number to arrive at the next. In the second, 5 is added to each number to arrive at the next. 13. Find next number :
2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13
(a) 15 (b) 17 (c) 18 (d) 19 Answer : (b) 17
The given series is prime number series. The next prime
number is 17. 14. Find misssing number :
2, 5, 11, 17, 23, ....., 41
(a) 29 (b) 31 (c) 37 (d) 39 Answer : (b) 31
The prime numbers are written
alternately. 15. Find next number :
2, 4, 3, 9, 5, 25, 7, 49, ......, .........
(a) 9, 81 (b) 11, 121
(c) 10, 100 (d) 12, 144 Answer : (b) 11, 121
The series is 2, 22; 3, 32; 5, 52; 7, 72.
The next prime number is 11. The missing number is 11, 112 i.e., 11 and 121. 16. What is the next number in this Sequence ?
6, 14, 36, 98, 276,………. ?
Answer : 794
The nth term in the series is given by the sum of x^n
for x in the range 1 to 3, i.e. 1^n + 2^n + 3^n.
Thus the first term is 1^1 + 2^1 + 3^1 = 1 + 2 + 3 = 6,
the second term is 1^2 + 2^2 + 3^2 = 1 + 4 + 9 = 14, and so on.
The sixth term is then 1^6 + 2^6 + 3^6 = 1 + 64 + 729
= 794. 17. What number would replace the question mark in this quite difficult number sequence ?
21, 32, 54, 87,131…….. ?
Answer : 186
Explanation :
21+11*1 => 32 32+11*2 => 54 54+11*3 => 87 87+11*4 => 131 131+11*5 => 186 18. Find next number :
5 12 24 36…… ? Answer : 52
sum of consecutive prime numbers
(2+3 , 5+7 , 11+13 , 17+19 , 23+29)
19. Find next number :
15 29 56 108 208…… ? Answer : 400
Explanation:
Begins with 15 2*15-1 => 29 2*29-2 => 56 2*56-4 => 108 2*108-8 => 208 2*208-16 => 400 20. Find next number :
