Each of the following questions consists of five figures marked A, B, C, D and…

2023

Each of the following questions consists of five figures marked A, B, C, D and E called the Problem Figures followed by five other figures marked 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 called the Answer Figures. Select a figure from amongst the Answer Figures which will continue the same series as established by the five Problem Figures.

Select a figure from amongst the Answer Figures marked 1 to 5 which will continue the same series as established by the five Problem Figures.

image.png

  1. A.

    1

  2. B.

    2

  3. C.

    3

  4. D.

    4

  5. E.

    5

Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: C

Concept: Each figure carries five symbols in five fixed diagonal slots (slot 1 = top-left … slot 5 = bottom-right). From one figure to the next, four of the five symbols move to new slots by one fixed rule, the symbol sitting in the middle slot (slot 3) is dropped, and a symbol that has never appeared before enters at slot 2.

Applying it here:

  1. Track every symbol's slot across Problem Figures A, B, C, D and E: the slot-1 symbol of one figure always reappears in slot 3 of the next figure, the slot-2 symbol reappears in slot 5, the slot-4 symbol reappears in slot 1, and the slot-5 symbol reappears in slot 4.

  2. The symbol sitting in slot 3 of a figure is dropped and never reappears; a brand-new symbol (never used in any earlier figure) is introduced in slot 2 of the very next figure.

  3. Figure E holds: the square in slot 1, the letter C in slot 2, the star in slot 3, the downward triangle in slot 4, and the plus sign in slot 5.

  4. Apply the rule once more to Figure E: its slot-4 symbol (triangle) moves to slot 1; its slot-1 symbol (square) moves to slot 3; its slot-5 symbol (plus) moves to slot 4; its slot-2 symbol (letter C) moves to slot 5; its slot-3 symbol (star) is dropped; and a genuinely new symbol (never seen in A-E) must appear in slot 2.

  5. So the next figure must show, in slot order: triangle, a new symbol, square, plus, and the letter C.

Cross-check: Testing all five Answer Figures against this exact slot arrangement, only one figure matches every slot; the other four each break the rule in one slot - either an already-used symbol sits in the new-entrant slot, or two carried-over symbols are swapped.

Answer: Answer Figure 3 (the option showing “3”) places the triangle, a genuinely new symbol, the square, the plus and the letter C in exactly this slot order, so it is the figure that correctly continues the series.

Explore the full course: Deloitte Nla