Letter sequences test

WHAT YOUR SCORE MEANS

This test is for practice only, so don't regard your result as of importance as the test was not taken under proper test conditions. Your performance can also be distorted if you have a cold, or have not slept well. International students or those from ethnic minorities may be disadvantaged in this type of test, due to language and cultural differences. If your first language is not English, your score is likely to be lower on verbal tests than native English speakers. Mature students may also sometimes be disadvantaged and your degree subject may change your performance: scientists are likely to do better on mathematical tests and Humanities students on verbal tests.

Score

• 22 or above. This is an above average score compared to UK graduates who have taken the test.

• 17 - 21. This is in the average group compared to UK graduates who have taken this test.

• 16 or below. This is below the typical score of UK graduates who have taken the test, but remember that a number of factors may have distorted your score - see above for some of these factors.

Question Answer How to work it out

1 3 c Letters increment by one every second letter.

2 4 e ccd ... Eef ... ggh

3 5 y Ist letter of alphabet, then last, 2nd, 2nd last, 3rd, 3rd last

4 3 j 2 interspersed sequences. First decreasing by one: fedc, second increasing by one: ghiJ

5 4 r Letters are in triplets decreasing by one. rqp ... rqp .... Rqp

6 3 q Letters go up by three each time. 2nd letter of alphabet, 5th 8th etc.

7 1 s 2 interspersed sequences again. First one decrementing by 2, second incrementing by 2

8 5 t Letters decrement by 4 each time

9 4 m The gap between letters increases by one each time 0, 1, 2, 3, 4

10 1 h Letters are in triplets which decrement by 3, but starting letter of each triplet increments by one: 10,7,4 ... 11,8,5

11 5 p Letters double each time 1, 2, 4, 8, 16 - n

12 4 f 2 seqences interspersed, both incrementing by 2 each time

13 1 p Sequence of squares according to place in alphabet: 1, 4, 9, 16 - p

14 4 h Take out the d's and you get a simple alphabetical sequence!

15 1 r Letter are in triplets: letter, letter+1, letter+1, then triplet repeats but incremented by 2.

16 2 s Letters are in pairs which increment by 4 places in the alphabet each time.

17 1 m The odd letters decrement by 4 each time.

18 3 x Each whole triplet increments by one, whilst the letters in the triplet decrease by 3.

19 1 f Take out the k's and you have a simple alphabetical sequence.

20 5 g Each third letter descends by 1

21 2 l Each letter increments by 7, the alphabet wraps round.

22 3 n Each third letter increments by 2

23 1 l The even letters decement by one each time.

24 3 f These are triplets, the first and the last letter of the triplet increments by 1 each triplet.

25 4 h Every second letter increments by 2

26 2 m Getting hard now! Prime numbers.

27 5 o 1 m, 2 n's, 3 o's, 4 p's.