Find the missing term in the series "AB, DEF, HIJK, ______, STUVWX "?

Appeared in: AIIMS Manglagiri NO - 2019

Explanation

The series follows two patterns: the length of each term increases by one, and one letter is skipped between consecutive terms.
The lengths of the terms are 2 (AB), 3 (DEF), 4 (HIJK), which means the missing term must have 5 letters.
A single letter is skipped between terms: 'C' is skipped after 'AB', and 'G' is skipped after 'DEF'.
Following this rule, the letter 'L' must be skipped after 'HIJK'. Therefore, the missing term must start with 'M'.
A 5-letter term starting with 'M' is 'MNOPQ'.
This is confirmed by checking the next step: after 'MNOPQ', 'R' is skipped, leading to the final term 'STUVWX'.

Option A: This option is incorrect. It does not follow the established alphabetical sequence. The term after HIJK should begin with M, not Q.
Option C: This option is incorrect because it has a length of 4 letters, whereas the pattern requires the missing term to have 5 letters. It also starts with the wrong letter (L instead of M).
Option D: This option is incorrect because it starts with the letter 'L'. The pattern requires skipping 'L' after 'HIJK' and starting the next term with 'M'.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Logical Reasoning: Alphabet Series as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
While this is a logical reasoning question, the underlying skill of pattern recognition is crucial in nursing.
Nurses must recognize patterns in patient symptoms, vital signs, and lab results to identify improvement or deterioration.
For example, a steady increase in heart rate combined with a steady decrease in blood pressure is a pattern indicating potential shock.

How to Approach the Question

First, carefully observe the given series to identify the underlying rule or pattern. Look for relationships both within each term and between terms.
Analyze the length of each term. In this case, you'll notice the number of letters increases by one for each subsequent term (2, 3, 4, ...).
Examine the sequence of letters between the end of one term and the beginning of the next. Here, you'll find that exactly one letter of the alphabet is skipped.
Apply these two identified patterns to deduce the missing term. The term after 'HIJK' (4 letters) must have 5 letters and must start with 'M' (by skipping 'L').
Construct the missing term based on your deduction, which would be 'MNOPQ'.
Finally, verify your answer by checking if the pattern continues to the next term in the series. Skipping 'R' after 'MNOPQ' correctly leads to 'STUVWX'.

Concept Tested & Keywords

QIPews0pz00JDC7Lyvpcji

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