​Based on the English alphabetical order, three of the following four letter-clusters are alike in a certain way and thus form a…

Question

​Based on the English alphabetical order, three of the following four letter-clusters are alike in a certain way and thus form a group. Which is the one that DOES NOT belong to that group? (Note: The odd one out is not based on the number of consonants/vowels or their position in the letter-cluster.)

1. A. MJP
2. B. JGM
3. C. URY (Correct answer)
4. D. QNT

Correct Answer

Option C — URY

Detailed Solution & Explanation

The correct answer is URY.

Key Points

• Examine the gaps within each three-letter cluster:
  • MJP: M−3=J, J+6=P ✓
  • JGM: J−3=G, G+6=M ✓
  • QNT: Q−3=N, N+6=T ✓
  • URY: U−3=R ✓, but R+7=Y, not +6
• Three clusters follow the pattern (−3, +6). URY breaks it on the second gap, so it is the odd one out.

Additional Information

• The first gap is −3 in all four clusters, so checking only the first pair of letters reveals nothing. As with the earlier odd-one-out question in this paper, the discriminator sits in the later position.
• Had the pattern held, U−3=R and R+6=X would give URX — noting what the consistent cluster *would* be is a fast way to confirm the outlier.
• Write each cluster as a numeric signature: (−3,+6), (−3,+6), (−3,+7), (−3,+6). The outlier is then visible without tracking letters.
• The note excluding vowel and consonant counts steers you away from observing that URY contains U — take such notes as instructions about where not to look.