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This chapter deals with questions in which series of number follow a certain pattern throughout.
The candidates are required to find out the pattern in which the series is formed.

Number Series
1. Difference Series
2. Squares / Cubes Series
3. Product Series
4. Division Series
5. Combination Series
6. Miscellaneous Series

1. Difference Series: The difference series can be further classified as:

(i) Number series with a constant difference.
(ii) Number series with an increasing or decreasing difference.

(i) In the number series with a constant difference, there is always a constant difference
between two consecutive numbers.

Example : 3 8 13 18 23 28 33 38 43

+5 +5 +5 +5 +5 +5 +5 +5

We can also have series of odd numbers or series of even numbers in the number series
with constant difference.

(ii) In the number series with an increasing or decreasing difference, the difference between
consecutive terms are increasing or decreasing, as the case may be.

Increasing difference
1 4 8 13 19 26 34

+3 +4 +5 +6 +7 +8

Decreasing difference
7 16 24 31 37 42

+9 +8 +7 +6 +5
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2. Squares/Cubes Series: In this type all the terms are related to the squares of numbers or
cubes of numbers.

Squares Series:
Example: Squares of Consecutive odd numbers,
1 9 25 49 81 121

12 32 52 72 92 (11)2
Squares of Consecutive prime numbers - 1,
3 8 24 48 120

22-1 32-1 52-1 72-1 (11)2-1

Cubes Series:
Example: Cubes of Consecutive even numbers,
8 64 216 512

23 43 63 83

Cubes of Consecutive prime numbers + 3

11 30 128 346

23 + 3 33 + 3 53 + 3 73 + 3

Squares:
12 = 1 22 =4 32= 9 42 = 16 52= 25 62= 36 72 =49 82=64
92 = 81 102; = 100 112=121 122 = 144 132 = 169 142 = 196 152 = 225 162 = 256
17 = 289 18 = 324 19 = 361 202 = 400 212 = 441 222 = 484
2 2 2
232 = 529 242 = 576
252 = 625
Cubes:
13 = 1 23= 8 33 = 27 43 = 64 53 = 125 63 = 216' 73 = 343
83 = 512 93 = 729 103 = 1000 113 = 1331 123 = 1728 133 = 2197 143 = 2744
15 = 3375 16 = 4096 173 = 4913
3 3
183 = 5832 193 = 6859 203 = 8000

3. Product Series: In this type of series, each term is multiplied by a fixed number or certain
pattern to get the next number.
Example
(i) 3 12 48 192 768

x4 x4 x4 x4

fixed or constant number

(ii) 5 30 150 600

x6 x5 x4

Decreasing factor

(iii) 7 28 140 840

x4 x5 x6

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Increasing factor
4. Division Series: In this type of series, each term is divided by a fixed number or certain
pattern to get the next number.
Example
128 64 32 16 8

+2 +2 +2 +2

fixed or constant number

5. Combination Series: In this type of series, more than one series is combined together with
certain pattern.
Example: 625 5 125 25 25 125 5.
Series - I
625 125 25 5

+5 +5 +5

Series - II
5 25 125

x5 x5

Note: It includes triangular pattern series.

Basic Approach to Number Series:
The best way / method of approaching the number series questions: .
(i) Firstly, analyse the difference between terms.
(ii) If the difference is constant, it is a constant difference series.
(iii) If the difference is increasing or decreasing by a constant number, then it is a series with a
constant increasing or decreasing difference.
(iv) If there is no constant increasing or decreasing difference, then try product series approach.
(v) For the product series approach, first divide the second term with the first term, third with the
second and so on.
(vi) If the numbers obtained are the same, then it is a product series.
(vii) If the difference is increasing or decreasing fastly, then try the square series approach.
(viii) If the increase is very much and it is not a square series, then try the cube series approach.
(ix) If the difference is alternately decreasing and increasing or increasing for some time and
alternately decreasing, then it should most probably be a mixed series. So, check out the
series with alternate numbers.
(x) If still the series is not solved, try the general series.

Directions (1-9) : In each of the following questions, one term in the number series is wrong. Find
out the wrong term.

Type-I: Difference Series

1. 4, 10, 22, 46, 96, 190, 382
(a) 382 (b) 4 (c) 10 (d) 96

2. 156 468 780 1094 1404 1716

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(a) 1716 (b) 1094 (c) 468 (d) None of these

Type-II: Squares/Cubes Series

3. 15 16 20 28 45 70 106
(a) 20 (b) 45 (c) 16 (d) 28

4. 1 4 27 258 3125 46656 823543

(a) 46656 (b) 823543 (c) 27 (d) 258

5. 50 51 47 56 42 65 29
(a) 47 (b) 42 (c) 29 (d) None of these

6. 5, 6, 33, 158, 374, 1230, 2561

(a) 1230 (b) 374 (c) 158 (d) 2561

7. 289 288 279 254 205 128 3

(a) 288 (b) 128 (c) 3 (d) one of these

8. 7 8 16 46 107 232 448

(a) 107 (b) 46 (c) 16 (d) 232

9. 1, 3, 12, 25, 48
(a) 48 (b) 25 (c) 3 (d) 12

Directions (10-14) : In each of the following number series, two terms have been put within
brackets. Mark your answer as
(a) if both the bracketed terms are right
(b) if the first bracketed term is right and second is wrong;
(c) if the first bracketed term is wrong and second is right; and
(d) if both the bracketed terms are wrong. [MAT 2005]

10. 4, 6, 10, (12), 16, (14), 22

11. 3, 10, 29, (66), (127), 218

12. 2, 3, (6), 11, 18, (30), 41

13. (2), 5, (12), 25, 41, 61

14. 4, 7, (9), 10, 13, 15, (16), 19

Type-III: Product/Division Series

15. 16 4 2 1.5 1.75 1.87

(a) 1.875 (b) 1.75 (c) 1.5 (d) 2

16. 24576, 6144, 1536, 386, 96, 24

(a) 6144 (b) 96 (c) 1536 (d) 386

17. 3, 6, 16, 47.5, 154.5, 558.5, 2257

(a) 47.5 (b) 2257 (c) 154.5 (d) 558.5

18. 7, 56, 442, 3089, 18532, 92647, 370586

(a) 92647 (b) 18532 (c) 442 (d) 3089

19. 8000 3200 1280 512 204.8 84.92 32.768

a) 1280 (b) 84.92 (c) 512 (d) 204.8

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20. 5 7 11 19 36 67 131
a) 7 (b) 11 (c) 19 (d) 36

21. 439 778 1456 2812 5624 10948

a) 778 (b) 5624 c) 2812 (d) None of these

22. 13 130 164 215 293 368

(a) 164 (b) 215 (c) 130 (d) 293

23. 36, 54, 135,472.15, 2126.25, 11694.375

(a) 11694.375 (b) 472.15 (c) 135 (d) None of these

24. 3 5 11 29 87 314
a) 314 (b) 29 (c) 11 (d) 87

25. 48 24 72 34 108 54
a) 108 (b) 72 (c) 54 (d) 34

26. 9 23 99 479 2881 20159.

a) 479 (b) 99 c) 23 (d) None of these

27. 11 42 214 1045 4148 12417

(a) 1045 (b) 214 (c) 4148 (d) None of these

28. 4 11 25 53 108 221 445

(a) 221 (b) 108 (c) 25 (d) 53

29. 1 8 28 99 412 2078 12462

(a) 412 (b) 99 (c) 28 (d) 2078

30. 2 5 13 55 271 1632 11411

a) 55 (b) 271 (c) 13 (d) 1632

31. 16 8 12.5 30 105 472.5 2598.75

(a) 472.5 (b) 12.5 (c) 105 (d) 30

32. 6 35 173 689 2063 4125 4115

a) 2063 (b) 4125 c) 173 (d) None of these

33. 27 17 22 42 92 237.5 718.5

a) 42 (b) 237.5 (c) 92 (d) 22

34. 7 11 18 35 67 131 259

(a) 131 (b) 35 (c) 259 (d) None of these

35. 2 10.5 53 265.5 1327.5 6640.5

(a) 265.5 (b) 53 (c) 6640.5 (d) 1327.5

36. 7, 4, 5, 9, 18, 52.5, 160.5

(a) 9 (b) 18 (c) 5 (d) 52..5

37. 2 9 32 105 436 2195 13182

(a) 2195 (b) 105 (c) 436 (d) None of these

38. 3 16 113 673 3361 13441 40321

(a) 13441 (b) 3361 (c) 113 (d) 16
39. 2 11 38 197 1172 8227 65806
(a) 8227 (b) 1172 (c) 197 (d) 11

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40. 2 13 27 113 561 3369 23581

(a) 561 (b) 13 (c) 3369 (d) None of these
41. 488 245 124 64 35 20.25
(a) 124 (b) 64 (c) 245 (d) 35
Type-IV: Combination of Series
42. 24 14 26 17 28 16 30
(a) 28 (b) 17 (c) 30 (d) 14

43. 2, 3, 4, 4, 6, 8, 9, 12, 16
(a) 12 (b) 6 (c) 3 (d) 9

Type-V: Miscellaneous
44. 217 224 213 226 210 128
(a) 226 (b) 228 (c) 213 (d) 210

45. 25 23 27 19 34 3 67
(a) 27 (b) 3 (c) 19 (d) 34

46. 10 16 48 320 4864 154628

(a) 4864 (b) 154628 (c) 320 (d) None of these

47. 1 3 6 11 20 39 70
(a) 11 (b) 20 (c) 3 (d) 39

48. 2, 36, 18, 109,; 1944, 209952

(a) 1944 (b) 6 (c) 18 (d) 109

49. 5 6 16 57 248 1245 7506

(a) 16 (b) 1245 (c) 7506 (d) 248

50. 12 11 18 45 195 795 4734

(a) 45 (b) 196 (c) 795 (d) 18

51. 10, 41, 94, 1624, 2516, 3625, 4936

(a) 4936 (b) 2516 (c) 3625 (d) 1624

52. 7 9 12 28.5 73 205 645

(a) 205 (b) 28.5 (c) 12 (d) 9

53. 16 18 32 52 86 138 224

(a) 86 (b) 138 (c) 52 (d) None of these

54. 4 5 18 81 385 2065

(a) 2065 (b) 81 (c) 18 (d) None of these

55. 1 2 12 63 316 1704 10446

(a) 316 (b) 1704 (c) 10446 (d) 12

56. 2 4 5 8 13 21 34
(a) 13 (b) 8 (c) 21 (d) 4

57. 14 13 22 55 212 1035

(a) 22 (b) 212 (c) 13 (d) 55

58. 8.1 9.2 17.3 26.5 43.8 71.5 114.1

(a) 26.5 (b) 43.8 (c) 17.3 (d) None of these

59. 4 55 576 4209 21280 64083 64204

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(a) 64204 (b) 4209 (c) 21280 (d) 576

60. 69,55, 26, 13, 5

(a) 26 (b) 55 (c) 13 (d) 5

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