GMA Attention to Detail 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A typist checks a document and finds the following sequence of codes: A3B2, A3B2, A3B3, A3B2, A3B2. Which code is different from the rest?
- A3B2 (1st)
- A3B2 (2nd)
- A3B3 (3rd) (Correct answer)
- A3B2 (5th)
Correct answer: A3B3 (3rd)
The third code is A3B3, while all others are A3B2. The digit '2' at the end has been changed to '3'.
Attention to detail tasks require careful comparison of similar-looking items. Here the sequence A3B2 appears four times, but the third entry reads A3B3 — the last digit differs by one. Spotting such small discrepancies is a core perceptual-accuracy skill tested in GMA assessments.
Question 2: Examine the list: 847, 874, 847, 847, 748, 847. How many times does the number 847 appear exactly?
- 3
- 4 (Correct answer)
- 5
- 2
Correct answer: 4
Counting carefully: positions 1, 3, 4, and 6 are 847, giving a total of 4 occurrences. Positions 2 (874) and 5 (748) are different arrangements of the same digits.
This item tests careful visual scanning. The digits 8, 4, and 7 appear in different orders (847, 874, 748), making it easy to miscount if you scan too quickly. Systematic item-by-item comparison is the best strategy.
Question 3: A data entry clerk records weights in kg: 56.7, 56.7, 56.7, 65.7, 56.7. Which entry is a keying error?
- 56.7 (1st entry)
- 56.7 (2nd entry)
- 65.7 (4th entry) (Correct answer)
- 56.7 (5th entry)
Correct answer: 65.7 (4th entry)
The fourth entry, 65.7, has the digits 5 and 6 transposed compared to the correct value of 56.7.
Transposition errors (swapping adjacent digits) are common keying mistakes. Here 56.7 becomes 65.7 in the fourth position — the 5 and 6 are reversed. GMA attention-to-detail questions frequently embed transpositions because they are harder to detect than outright wrong digits.
Question 4: Compare these two addresses and count the differences: Line A: 14 Harrington Street, Apt 7B, New York, NY 10024 Line B: 14 Harrington Street, Apt 7D, New York, NY 10024 How many differences are there?
- 0
- 1 (Correct answer)
- 2
- 3
Correct answer: 1
There is exactly 1 difference: 'Apt 7B' in Line A versus 'Apt 7D' in Line B. All other elements are identical.
Comparing addresses requires methodical field-by-field inspection. The street number, street name, city, state, and ZIP are all identical; only the apartment letter differs (B vs D). Missing even one difference — or overcounting — reflects poor perceptual accuracy.
Question 5: A quality inspector checks serial numbers on five products: XR-4421, XR-4421, XR-4421, XR-4412, XR-4421. Which serial number is defective (incorrect)?
- XR-4421 (1st)
- XR-4421 (3rd)
- XR-4412 (4th) (Correct answer)
- XR-4421 (5th)
Correct answer: XR-4412 (4th)
XR-4412 (4th product) has the last two digits transposed (12 instead of 21), making it the defective item.
Serial number verification is a classic attention-to-detail task. XR-4421 is the correct number appearing four times; XR-4412 contains a digit-reversal in the last two positions. Spotting this quickly and accurately is the skill being assessed.
Question 6: Five employees' clock-out times are recorded: 17:30, 17:30, 17:03, 17:30, 17:30. Which time is the outlier?
- 17:30 (1st)
- 17:30 (2nd)
- 17:03 (3rd) (Correct answer)
- 17:30 (4th)
Correct answer: 17:03 (3rd)
17:03 (3rd entry) is different — the hours and minutes appear as 17:03 instead of 17:30, a classic digit-swap error.
Time entry errors where minutes and partial digit positions are swapped (30 → 03) are easy to overlook because the same digits are present. Careful attention to digit order within each time value is required to catch this type of error.
GMA Attention to Detail 2
A typist checks a document and finds the following sequence of codes: A3B2, A3B2, A3B3, A3B2, A3B2.
Which code is different from the rest?