Study Notes

Number Series
Number Series

NUMBER SERIES -It consist of a sequence of number that follow a certain pattern or rule of
arrangements between the term in the series. In number series two type of questions are asked:

 To find the Next number in the given series.

 To find the Wrong number in the given series.

1. POWER SERIES

a) Square series
If all the terms of the number series are square of the previous number or is close to the square,
then that series is called square series.

1. 4 16 36 64 ?

a) 49
b) 25
c) 100
d) 144

Solution: (c)

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Number Series

2. 25 30 36 42 49 ?
a) 64
b) 56
c) 65
d) 58

Solution : (b)

3. In the following series which one is wrong?

4 6 9 12 16 21 25 30

a) 9
b) 12
c) 16
d) 21

Solution : (d)

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Number Series

 Square and addition series:

If a series is made by adding some numbers to the square of a natural number, then it is square and
addition series.

4. 51 66 83 102 123 146 ?

a) 168
b) 169
c) 171
d) 172

Solution : (c)

 Square and addition in increasing order

5. 170 198 228 260 294 ?

a) 330
b) 324
c) 326
d) 328

Solution : (a)

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Number Series

 Square and subtraction series

If a series is made by subtracting some numbers to the square of a natural number, then it is square
and subtraction series.

6. 78 97 118 141 166 ?

a) 194
b) 195
c) 193
d) 222

Solution : (c)

 Square of number and addition/subtraction by same number

7. 30 42 56 72 90 ?

a) 990
b) 1100
c) 110
d) 1001

Solution : (c)

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Number Series

b) Cube series
If all the term of the series are cube of some number or is close to the cube, then that series is
called cube series.

8. 8 27 64 125 ?

a) 216
b) 343
c) 261
d) 334
Solution : (a)

9. Find the wrong term of the given series?

64 125 218 343 512

a) 125
b) 218
c) 343
d) 512
Solution : (b) 216 will be in the place of 218

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Number Series

 Square addition and cube addition series

If the first two terms of the given series has minimum difference and the last two terms of the series
has maximum difference, then it is square addition and cube addition series.

10. 5 6 10 19 35 ?
a) 45
b) 50
c) 55
d) 60

Solution : (d)

 Cube and addition series

If a series is made by adding some numbers to the cube of natural number, then it is a cube and
addition series.

11. 10 29 66 127 218 ?

a) 514
b) 344
c) 345
d) 516
Solution : (c)

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Number Series

 Cube and addition in increasing order:

12. 126 218 346 516 734 ?

a) 1002
b) 1006
c) 1008
d) 1000

Solution : (b)

 Cube and subtraction series:

If a series is made by subtracting some numbers to the cube of natural number, then it is a cube and
subtraction series.

13. 25 62 123 214 341 ?

a) 514
b) 512
c) 510
d) 508

Solution : (c)

 Cube and subtraction in increasing order:

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Number Series

14. 342 510 726 996 1326 ?

a) 1720
b) 1722
c) 1724
d) 1726

Solution : (b)

 Cube of a number and addition/subtraction by same number

15. 2 10 30 68 130 ?

a) 186
b) 220
c) 224
d) 222

Solution : (d)

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Number Series

16. 0 6 24 60 120 ?

a) 210
b) 214
c) 212
d) 216

Solution : (a)

2. ADDITION SERIES
In this series, it can be constant (fixed) addition series or in increasing or in decreasing order. If the
difference between the first term and the last term is not very high in the given series and also if the
difference between two consecutive terms are same, then it is said to be constant addition series.

17. 147 153 159 165 ?

a) 181
b) 191
c) 161
d) 171
Solution : (d)

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Number Series

18. 7 10 15 22 31 42 ?

a) 54
b) 55
c) 56
d) 57

Solution : (b)

3. SUBTRACTION SERIES
If in a given series each of the term decreases by one from the previous term, then that series is
subtraction series.

19. 15 14 12 9 5 0 ?

a) -11
b) -15
c) -6
d) -7

Solution : (c)

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Number Series

20. 119 114 109 104 99 ?

a) 95
b) 94
c) 93
d) 92

Solution : (b)

4. MULTIPLICATION SERIES

a) Constant multiplication series

If the difference between the first term and the last term is very high in the given series and the ratio
between the consecutive terms are equal, then it is constant multiplication series.

21. 2 6 18 54 ?
a) 162
b) 174
c) 176
d) 168

Solution : (a)

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Number Series

22. Find the wrong number in the given series.

3 1. 5 1.5 2.5 4.5 11.25

a) 1.5
b) 2.5
c) 4.5
d) 11.25

Solution : (b) 2.25 should come in place of 2.5

b) Multiplication series (in increasing order)

If the difference between the first term and the last term is very high in the given series and the ratio
between two consecutive terms is towards increasing order then it can be multiplication series.

23. 5 5 15 75 525 ?

a) 3720
b) 4720
c) 4725
d) 3725

Solution : (c)

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Number Series

5. MULTIPLICATION AND ADDITION SERIES

a) Constant multiplication and constant addition series

24. 7 22 67 202 ?

a) 607
b) 706
c) 560
d) 567

Solution : (a)

b) Constant multiplication and addition in increasing order

24. 2 7 23 72 ? 665

a) 215
b) 190
c) 220
d) 195

Solution : (c)

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Number Series

c) Multiplication in increasing order and constant addition series

25. 3 5 12 38 154

a) 672
b) 72
c) 772
d) 572

Solution : (c)

d) Multiplication in increasing order and addition in increasing order series

26. 5 6 14 45 ? 925

a) 184
b) 185
c) 168
d) 186

Solution : (a)

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Number Series

6. MULTIPLICATION AND SUBTRACTION SERIES

a) Constant multiplication and constant subtraction series

27. 10 29 86 257 ?

a) 570
b) 670
c) 870
d) 770

Solution : (d)

b) Constant multiplication and subtraction in increasing order

28. 6 9 13 19 29 47 ?

a) 91
b) 79
c) 71
d) 81

Solution : (d)

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Number Series

29. Find the wrong term in the series?

4 7 12 22 38 71

a) 7
b) 12
c) 22
d) 38

Solution : (C) 21 should come in place of 22.

c) Multiplication in increasing order and constant subtraction series

30. 5 3 4 10 38 ?

a) 154
b) 184
c) 186
d) 188

Solution : (d)

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Number Series

d) Multiplication in increasing order and subtraction in increasing order

31. 7 6 10 27 104 ?

a) 500
b) 515
c) 530
d) 545

Solution : (b)

7. MULTIPLICATION AND DIVISION SERIES

33. 12 36 18 54 27 ?
a) 54
b) 81
c) 85
d) 108

Solution : (b)

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Number Series

34. Find the wrong term in the given series?

36 54 18 27 8 13.5
a) 18
b) 27
c) 8
d) 13.5

Solution : (c) 9 should come in place of 8

8. DIVISION AND MULTIPLICATION SERIES

35. 96 16 32 8 32 ? 96

a) 64
b) 96
c) 16
d) 80

Solution : (c)

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Number Series

36. Find the wrong term in the given series.

144 12 96 12 120 40 360

a) 96
b) 12
c) 120
d) 40

Solution : (d) 30 should be in place of 40.

9. ALTERNATE SERIES
Here, two or three series work together so they are called alternate series. In such series, the
difference between consecutive terms will not be constant or fixed. There will be inequality in
increasing and decreasing order.
In alternate series, the number in the first place is related with the number in third place and the
number in second place is related with the number in fourth place.

37. 18 24 21 27 ? 30 27
a) 33
b) 30
c) 24
d) 21
Solution : (c)

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Number Series

10. GROUP SERIES

Often two types of questions are asked in group series.
 First term [addition, subtraction, multiplication or division], second term=third term.
 Second term [addition, subtraction, multiplication or division], third term = fourth term.
 First term [ addition, subtraction, multiplication or division], third term =second term
 Fourth term [addition, subtraction, multiplication or division], sixth term = fifth term.

38. 9 11 20 31 51 ?
a) 82
b) 84
c) 86
d) 88

Solution : (a)
Here, 9+11=20, 11+20=31, 20+31=51, 31+51= 82

39. 9 20 11 31 ? 51
a) 82
b) 84
c) 86
d) 88

Solution : (a)

9 + 11 = 20 31 + 51= 82
I II III IV V VI

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Number Series

11. MISCELLANEOUS SERIES (Prime number series and other series)

40. 2 3 5 7 11 13 17 ?
a) 19
b) 31
c) 23
d) 29

Solution : (a)
This series is based on prime numbers. A prime number is the whole number greater than 1
whose only factors are 1 and itself. Thus, after 17 the next prime number is 19.

12. SPECIAL SERIES

41. 0246 6024 4602 2460 ?

a) 0426
b) 4620
c) 2064
d) 0246

Solution : (d)
The last term of the series is written in first place and then rests of the numbers are written to
complete the series.

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Number Series

42. 77 49 36 18 ?
a) 7
b) 8
c) 9
d) 3

Solution : (b) Each of the next is the product of the preceding term

43. 255 366 479 684 ?

a) 891
b) 125
c) 216
d) 343

Solution : (a)
The 1st and the 3rd number is the square of middle number, such as
255 25, the square of middle number is 25
366 36, the square of middle number is 36

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