Alphabet positions
Many verbal reasoning questions start with counting along the alphabet. These questions check it on its own, and the same counting carries into letter series, letter pairs and codes.
What the question looks like
Which letter is 4 places after P in the alphabet?
How Thena would solve it
Put a finger on P in the alphabet printed at the top of the page.
Count the hops, not the letters. Q is one, R is two, S is three, T is four.
P → Q, R, S, T
The answer is T. Saying P as "one" lands on S, which is the slip the wrong options are waiting for.
Answer: T
The usual mistakes
Counting the letter you start on
From P, Q is the first hop. Count the hops between letters.
Going the wrong way
After means on towards Z; before means back towards A.
Losing count from the end
Z is first from the end and Y second: write the last few letters backwards and count along them.
Try ten
Ten alphabet positions questions
A new set every time, marked when you finish.
Have paper and a pencil ready for working out.
Questions parents ask
How do you answer Alphabet positions questions?
Use the alphabet printed at the top of the page, put a finger on the letter you start from, and count the hops to the next letter, not the letter you start on. Before means back towards A, and after means on towards Z.
More in the alphabet
- Letter seriesThe next pair of letters, one letter at a time.
- Letter pairs that match"AB is to CD as PQ is to?", by counting moves.
All 21 kinds of verbal reasoning question
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