Overview: Inserting the Missing Character | General Intelligence and Reasoning for SSC CGL PDF Download

Introduction

Inserting a missing figure problems are generally asked in various competitive exams, mainly consisting of a figure divided into various regions. In between these regions, there will be numbers, letters, or a combination of letters and numbers following a certain sequence. They are in a series inside the given figure. The question may contain a single figure or a combination of two or more than two figures. The question figure may be any geometrical figure such as a rectangle, triangle, circle or other unusual figure with a set of numbers or letters in it. The figure may be divided into many parts according to the logic and sequence behind the question. In the question figure, the numbers or letters given will change in each step by following a certain sequence or logic. The reader has to analyze sequence or number or logic and to choose the correct answer from given options.
Questions, which ask to insert the missing number, come under this category.  In most cases one of the following will be given.
A diagram or a set of diagrams

Or a matrix 

Or  any random figure e.g. star
Each of these has some characters. These characters can be numbers or letters or a combination of number and letters that follow a particular pattern. We need to crack the reasoning or logic behind this pattern so as to find the missing term.

Most common patterns

Different types of patterns could be there, some of the patterns are as following

• It could be the sum of two numbers divided by a constant
• It could be an average of numbers
• It could be in the form of alphabets, where alphabets are increased by constant or increased by the square of numbers or increased by prime numbers
• It could be the difference between the product of two diametrically opposite numbers.
• It could be the difference in the sum of adjacent numbers.
• The difference in the numbers could be in the pattern   1³±1,2³±1,  and so on.
• The difference of the numbers could be in the pattern 1²±1, 2²±1, and so on.
• Numbers could be 1²,2²,3²and so on or 1³,2³, 3³… and so on.
• The difference could be prime numbers or the difference could be the square of prime numbers.
• The difference could be in the form of N²±N or N³±N.
• The difference could be in the form of ×N+N or ×2+1,×2+2,×2+3…and so on.
• The difference could be in the form of×2±1 alternatively.
• Numbers could be ×1,×2,×3…… and so on.

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Type of Questions

Type: 1

(a) 83
(b) 54
(c) 65
(d) 60

Ans: (c)
Sol: In this example, the question figure has four regions inside which there are numbers which are interchanging their position in next step so 56 may be written as 65 to replace question mark.

Example: 2

(a) 150
(b) 145
(c) 165
(d) 162

Ans: (d)
Sol: The numbers at the bottom row are obtained as 
(28 - 10) × 10 = 180, 
(29 - 17) × 11 = 132, 
(35-24) × 14 = 154, 
therefore missing number is (54 - 36) × 9 = 162.

Type: 2

(a) 36
(b) 40
(c) 22
(d) None of these

Ans: (c)
 In the above 1st figure 

5+4+3+2 = 14
Now in the second figure, the ? will be
5+4+6+7 = 22

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Some Examples and Solutions

(a) 185
(b) 126
(c) 239
(d) 145

Ans: (a)
Sol: The Pattern is 4 × 2 + 1=9, 
9 × 2 +2 =20, 
20 × 2 +3 =43, 
43 × 2 +4 = 90, 
90× 2 +5= 185. 
So missing number is 185.So answer is option A

Example 2: Insert the missing number in each of the following  

(a) 5
(b) 6
(c) 14
(d) 8

Ans: (c)
Sol: In the 1st pattern,
4 -2 = 2
11 - 5 = 6
6 + 2 = 8
In the second pattern, 
20 - 6 = 14
10 - 8 = 2
14 + 2 = 16
In the third pattern,
15 - 6 = 9
8 - 3 = 5
9 + 5 = 14

Example 3:  Insert the missing number in each of the following

(a)19
(b) 28
(c) 32
(d) 34

Ans: (b)
Sol: Going clockwise starting from 16, numbers are increasing by 2 every time. 
So the missing term is 28. 
So, answer is option B