Civil Service Numerical Reasoning Test Number Sequences and Patterns

Question 1

What is the next number in the sequence: 3, 6, 12, 24, __?

Accepted Answer

48

Answer

Each term doubles the previous one: 3 × 2 = 6, 6 × 2 = 12, 12 × 2 = 24, 24 × 2 = 48.

Question 2

What is the missing number: 2, 5, 10, 17, __, 37?

Accepted Answer

26

Answer

Differences: +3, +5, +7, +9, +11. Next term = 17 + 9 = 26. The differences increase by 2 each time.

Question 3

What comes next: 100, 95, 85, 70, 50, __?

Accepted Answer

25

Answer

Differences: −5, −10, −15, −20, −25. Next term = 50 − 25 = 25.

Question 4

What is the missing number: 1, 4, 9, 16, __, 36?

Accepted Answer

25

Answer

These are perfect squares: 1², 2², 3², 4², 5², 6². The missing term is 5² = 25.

Question 5

What is the next term: 3, 7, 15, 31, __?

Accepted Answer

63

Answer

Each term = (previous term × 2) + 1. 3→7: (3×2)+1=7. 7→15: (7×2)+1=15. 15→31: (15×2)+1=31. 31→63.

Civil Service Numerical Reasoning Practice Test