SSC Alphabet Test and Letter Series Questions with Answers

Alphabet test and letter series questions are quick marks in the SSC reasoning section. They ask for the position of a letter, the letter at a given place or the next group in a series. If you remember the position of a few letters, most questions are solved in 20 seconds. This practice paper gives you 21 questions with answers and short solutions.

Alphabet Positions in Simple Words

The English alphabet has 26 letters. Each letter has a position from the left (A = 1 to Z = 26) and a position from the right (Z = 1 to A = 26).

• Position from the right = 27 - position from the left.
• The letter at the same distance from the other end is its opposite letter (A and Z, B and Y).
• Letters between two letters = difference of positions - 1.

Rules and Shortcut Tricks

• EJOTY trick: E = 5, J = 10, O = 15, T = 20 and Y = 25. Use them as anchors.
• Opposite letter of a letter at position n is at 27 - n.
• Middle letter between two letters = average of their positions.
• In series questions, write the difference of positions between consecutive letters.
• If the differences increase by 1 each time (+2, +3, +4), continue the same pattern.
• For grouped letters, find the pattern of the first letters and the second letters separately.

Set 1: Alphabet Positions (Q1–Q7)

Q1. Which letter is the 5th to the right of the 10th letter from the left?
Answer: O
Solution: 10 + 5 = 15 and the 15th letter is O.

Q2. Which letter is the 8th from the right end of the alphabet?
Answer: S
Trick: 27 - 8 = 19, which is S.

Q3. Which letter is exactly midway between D and J?
Answer: G
Solution: D = 4 and J = 10, so (4 + 10) / 2 = 7, which is G.

Q4. How many letters are there between F and P in the alphabet?
Answer: 9
Solution: 16 - 6 - 1 = 9.

Q5. What is the position of M from the right end?
Answer: 14th
Solution: 27 - 13 = 14.

Q6. Which letter is the opposite of K?
Answer: P
Solution: K = 11 and 27 - 11 = 16, which is P.

Q7. Which letter is the 6th to the left of R?
Answer: L
Solution: R = 18 and 18 - 6 = 12, which is L.

Set 2: Letter Series (Q8–Q14)

Q8. Find the next letter: B, D, G, K, ?
Answer: P
Trick: Differences +2, +3, +4 and then +5: K (11) + 5 = 16 = P.

Q9. Find the next letter: A, C, F, J, ?
Answer: O
Solution: Differences +2, +3, +4 and then +5: J (10) + 5 = 15 = O.

Q10. Find the next letter: Z, X, U, Q, ?
Answer: L
Solution: Differences -2, -3, -4 and then -5: Q (17) - 5 = 12 = L.

Q11. Find the next group: AB, DE, GH, ?
Answer: JK
Solution: Each group moves 3 letters ahead.

Q12. Find the next group: ACE, FHJ, KMO, ?
Answer: PRT
Solution: Each group moves 5 letters ahead.

Q13. Find the next letter: B, E, I, N, ?
Answer: T
Solution: Differences +3, +4, +5 and then +6: N (14) + 6 = 20 = T.

Q14. Find the next group: AZ, BY, CX, ?
Answer: DW
Solution: The first letter goes forward and the second goes backward.

Set 3: Word-Based and Exam-Level Questions (Q15–Q21)

Q15. How many letters in the word ABSENT have the same position in the word as in the alphabet?
Answer: 2
Solution: A is 1st and B is 2nd in both. The others differ.

Q16. If the letters of the word PLANET are arranged alphabetically, which letter will be 3rd from the left?
Answer: L
Solution: Order: A, E, L, N, P, T.

Q17. How many vowels are there in the word EDUCATION?
Answer: 5
Solution: E, U, A, I and O.

Q18. Find the sum of the positions of the letters of the word ACE.
Answer: 9
Solution: 1 + 3 + 5 = 9.

Q19. Which letter is the 7th to the left of the 2nd letter from the right end?
Answer: R
Solution: The 2nd from the right is Y (25) and 25 - 7 = 18, which is R.

Q20. If the alphabet is written in reverse order, which letter will be the 5th from the left?
Answer: V
Solution: Z, Y, X, W, V.

Q21. Find the odd one out: AZ, BY, CX, DV.
Answer: DV
Trick: The pairs are opposite letters, and the opposite of D is W.

Worked Example: A Letter Series

Consider the series C, F, J, O, ?. First convert the letters to positions: C = 3, F = 6, J = 10 and O = 15. The differences are 3, 4 and 5, which increase by 1 each time. The next difference is 6, so the next position is 15 + 6 = 21, which is U. Always write the positions and the differences on one line; the pattern becomes clear in a few seconds. If the series does not follow one pattern, try the pattern separately for the odd and even positions, or check whether the letters move forward and backward alternately.

Common Mistakes in Alphabet and Letter Series

• Counting the position from the wrong end.
• Forgetting to subtract 1 when counting letters between two letters.
• Not noticing the increasing differences in a series.
• Mixing up the first and the second letters in grouped series.
• Making small counting errors without writing positions.
• Not memorising the EJOTY anchors.

How to Practice These 21 Questions

1. Memorise EJOTY and their positions.
2. Write the positions of the letters in your rough work.
3. Solve each set in 7 minutes.
4. Practise opposite letters daily.

Related Topics to Study Next

• SSC Reasoning Practice Set
• Odd One Out Questions
• Venn Diagram Questions
• Ranking and Order Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the alphabet test?

It is a reasoning topic that asks about the positions and arrangement of letters of the English alphabet.

What is the position of a letter from the right?

It is 27 minus its position from the left.

What is the opposite letter of a given letter?

The letter at the same distance from the other end of the alphabet. A and Z, B and Y, and so on.

What is the EJOTY trick?

E, J, O, T and Y are the 5th, 10th, 15th, 20th and 25th letters. They help you find other positions quickly.

How do I find the number of letters between two letters?

Subtract the positions and subtract 1.

How do I find the middle letter of two letters?

Take the average of their positions.

How do I solve a letter series?

Find the difference between the positions of consecutive letters and continue the pattern.

What if the series has groups of letters?

Find the pattern of the first, second and third letters of the groups separately.

How many alphabet questions come in SSC exams?

One to three questions per shift come from alphabet, series and coding topics.

Is it easy to score in this topic?

Yes. If you know the positions, you can solve quickly and accurately.

What is the sum of the position of letters in a word?

Add the position numbers of each letter (A = 1, B = 2 and so on).

How should I prepare this topic for SSC exams?

Memorise positions, practise series and solve previous year questions.