HSPT Quantitative : How to work with number series

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for HSPT Quantitative

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Example Questions

Example Question #171 : How To Work With Number Series

What is the next number in the series?

156, 148, 74, 66, 33, _____

Possible Answers:

\displaystyle 89

\displaystyle 25

\displaystyle 47

\displaystyle 41

\displaystyle 66

Correct answer:

\displaystyle 25

Explanation:

The pattern is to subtract 8, then divide by 2. 

The last two given numbers in the series are 66 and 33. 

Since \displaystyle \frac{66}{2}=33,

the next operation is to subtract 8.

\displaystyle 33-8=25

Example Question #172 : Number Series*

What number should come next in this series?

7, 70, 35, 350, 175, __________

Possible Answers:

\displaystyle 700

\displaystyle 375

\displaystyle 1,750

\displaystyle 500

\displaystyle 3,500

Correct answer:

\displaystyle 1,750

Explanation:

The pattern is multiply by 10, then divide by 2. 

\displaystyle 7\cdot 10 = 70

\displaystyle \frac{70}{2} = 35

\displaystyle 35 \cdot 10 = 350

\displaystyle \frac{350}{2} = 175

\displaystyle 175 \cdot 10 = 1,750

 

Example Question #172 : How To Work With Number Series

What number should come next in the series?

54, 58, 51, 64, 68, 61, ___________

Possible Answers:

\displaystyle 54

\displaystyle 81

\displaystyle 65

\displaystyle 71

\displaystyle 74

Correct answer:

\displaystyle 74

Explanation:

The pattern has three parts:  add 4, subtract 7, add 13. 

The sequence has gone through one whole cycle and two-thirds of the second. 

Therefore, the next part of the pattern is to add 13 to the last number.  

\displaystyle 61 + 13 = 74

Example Question #173 : Number Series*

Which number should come next in the sequence?

612, 204, 1224, 408, 2448, __________

Possible Answers:

\displaystyle 186

\displaystyle 168

\displaystyle 816

\displaystyle 861

\displaystyle 618

Correct answer:

\displaystyle 816

Explanation:

There are two different ways to solve this problem.  The first pattern is to divide by 3, then multiply by 6. 

This would mean we should divide 2448 by 3.

\displaystyle \frac{2448}{3}=816

The second way to view this pattern is that there are two groups of numbers which double themselves.  If we think of 612, 1224 and 2448 as the A sequence, each number in this sequence is multipled by 2.  Think of 204, 408 and the unknown number we're looking for as the B sequence.  408 is double 204.  It is safe to assume that the next number in the B sequence would be double 408. 

\displaystyle 408 \cdot 2 = 816

Example Question #174 : Number Series*

Which number should come next in the sequence?

3, 4, 5, 9, 12, 15, 27, _______

Possible Answers:

\displaystyle 20

\displaystyle 45

\displaystyle 36

\displaystyle 28

\displaystyle 32

Correct answer:

\displaystyle 36

Explanation:

This sequence has groupings of three numbers.  The three numbers in the first group are 3, 4 and 5.  The three numbers in the second group are 9, 12 and 15.  The first number in the third group is 27.  How then do we determine the second number in the third group?  By placing the first group in a line above the second group, and the second group above the third group, we can determine their relationships.

Group 1:     3      4      5

Group 2:     9     12     15

Group 3:     27    ?       ?

Based on the first numbers in each group (3, 9 and 27), we can determine that each group of numbers have been multiplied by 3.  Therefore if we multiply 12 by 3, we get 36. 

 

 

Example Question #175 : Number Series*

Which number should come next in the sequence?

9.1, 8.5, 5.8, 5.2, 2.5, _______

Possible Answers:

\displaystyle 1.5

\displaystyle 1.3

\displaystyle 2.0

\displaystyle 1.9

\displaystyle 1.6

Correct answer:

\displaystyle 1.9

Explanation:

The pattern is to subtract .6 and then invert the next number.  (To invert a number, you merely reverse the digits.)

\displaystyle 9.1 - 0.6 = 8.5

5.8 is the inverse of 8.5

\displaystyle 5.8 - 0.6 = 5.2

2.5 is the inverse of 5.2

\displaystyle 2.5 - 0.6 = 1.9

 

Example Question #173 : How To Work With Number Series

What number should be next in the sequence?

111, 107, 103, 100, 99, 95, 91, 100, 87, _______

Possible Answers:

\displaystyle 74

\displaystyle 83

\displaystyle 92

\displaystyle 80

\displaystyle 79

Correct answer:

\displaystyle 83

Explanation:

The pattern is to subtract 4. 

The number 100 appears every 4th number in the regular pattern. 

If we ignore the number 100, the last operation should be:

\displaystyle 87 - 4 = 83

Example Question #174 : How To Work With Number Series

Which number should be next in the sequence?

791, 778, 765, 752, 739, _______

Possible Answers:

\displaystyle 721

\displaystyle 726

\displaystyle 724

\displaystyle 733

\displaystyle 737

Correct answer:

\displaystyle 726

Explanation:

The pattern is to subtract 13 from each number.

\displaystyle 739 - 13 = 726

 

 

Example Question #179 : Number Series*

Which number should be next in the sequence?

47, 104, 72, 129, 97, _______

Possible Answers:

\displaystyle 40

\displaystyle 134

\displaystyle 154

\displaystyle 72

\displaystyle 65

Correct answer:

\displaystyle 154

Explanation:

The pattern is add 57, then subtract 32. 

\displaystyle 47 + 57 = 104

\displaystyle 104 - 32 = 72

\displaystyle 72 + 57 = 129

\displaystyle 129 - 32 = 97

\displaystyle 97 + 57 = 154

 

Example Question #175 : How To Work With Number Series

Which number should come next in the sequence?

109, 113, 127, 131, 137, _______

Possible Answers:

\displaystyle 156

\displaystyle 142

\displaystyle 139

\displaystyle 168

\displaystyle 153

Correct answer:

\displaystyle 139

Explanation:

This sequence is simply a list, in order, of prime numbers beginning with 109. 

A prime number is a number which can only be divided evenly by itself and 1.

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