Word and letter sequence questions look daunting because they punish guessing — but they reward calm, systematic thinking. Once your child learns to read a sequence like a code, the panic disappears and the marks follow. This guide breaks the whole skill down step by step, with worked examples, a handy alphabet-position table and the exam traps that cost children easy marks in a real 11+ paper.
How sequences appear in the 11+ exam
Sequences show up mostly in Verbal Reasoning, but the same logic surfaces in Non-Verbal Reasoning and Maths too. In a GL Assessment paper — now the dominant format across most UK regions since CEM's separate 11+ tests were phased out around 2022–2023 — questions are multiple-choice, with answers marked A–E on a separate OMR answer sheet. You get roughly a minute per question, no calculator, so speed and accuracy both matter. A typical letter-sequence question gives you a run like AZ, BY, CX, __ and five options; your job is to spot the hidden rule and pick the matching pair. Our free GL-style papers drill this exact format under timed conditions.
Letter sequences: track each position separately
The single most useful habit is to treat each letter position as its own mini-sequence. Take AZ, BY, CX, __. Look only at the first letters: A, B, C — going forward by one, so the next is D. Now look only at the second letters: Z, Y, X — going backward by one, so the next is W. Answer: DW. Two rules running at once, one forward and one backward, is the classic 11+ setup, and children who read the pairs as a single blur miss it every time.
Writing the alphabet position number above each letter turns letters into numbers you can add and subtract. Here is the reference every child should know by heart:
| Letter | A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 |
| Letter | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z |
| Position | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 |
With numbers written in, a jump of +2 or a mirrored −3 becomes obvious. A neat memory aid is the halfway pairs: A and Z, B and Y, C and X all add to 27, which is why "reverse-alphabet" rules feel tidy once you notice them.
Number sequences in disguise
Some sequences are pure number puzzles. Take 2, 5, 11, 23, __. It isn't a simple +3 each time, so test a two-step rule: each term doubles and adds 1. Check it — 2×2+1 = 5, 5×2+1 = 11, 11×2+1 = 23, so the next term is 23×2+1 = 47. When a step-difference keeps growing, a "multiply then add" rule is usually hiding underneath.
When in doubt, write the differences
If the rule isn't obvious, write the gap between each pair of terms underneath the sequence. For 3, 6, 12, 24 the differences are +3, +6, +12 — themselves doubling, which points to "×2". For 4, 7, 12, 19, 28 the differences are +3, +5, +7, +9 — the odd numbers, a second-level pattern. Making the differences visible turns an invisible rule into something your eye can read.
A reliable four-step method
- Split the sequence. For letters, separate each position; for numbers, look at the run as a whole first.
- Find the gap. Write the difference (or the direction, forward/backward) between consecutive terms.
- Name the rule. Is it +2, −1, ×2, "double and add 1", or two rules at once?
- Test, then apply. Check the rule works on every earlier gap before you use it to find the missing term, and always confirm your answer matches one of the A–E options.
Practising this routine until it is automatic is exactly what our free worksheets and timed on-site mock papers are built for — every attempt feeds your position on the live leaderboard.
Common exam traps
- Reading pairs as one blur. In letter sequences, always separate the positions — the two rules usually run in opposite directions.
- Assuming a constant difference. If +3 doesn't fit, test doubling or a growing difference before giving up.
- Miscounting near Z. When a rule pushes a letter past Z, it wraps back to A. Count carefully.
- Skipping the check. A rule that fits the first two terms may fail on the third; verify across the whole run.
- Ignoring the options. If your answer isn't among A–E, you have the wrong rule — re-read, don't force it.
Building the skill over Year 4, 5 and 6
Younger pupils in Year 4 and 5 should start with single-rule letter chains (+1, −1) and simple number steps, building fluency with the alphabet table. By Year 6, exam-level questions combine two rules, wrap around Z, or hide a "double and add" pattern — so mixed, timed practice matters most in the final year. Because GL raw scores are converted into an age-adjusted Standard Age Score (SAS, roughly 69–141, with 100 average and around 111+ commonly needed for grammar places), consistent accuracy on the quick, bankable sequence questions lifts the whole paper. Our revision hub and exam guides map every VR question type to the right year group.
Frequently asked questions
Is a calculator allowed on these questions?
No. GL 11+ papers are non-calculator throughout, which is why mental shortcuts — like the alphabet position table and the halfway-pair trick — are so valuable for speed.
How long should each sequence question take?
Aim for about a minute or less. Sequences are among the most bankable marks in a VR paper once the method is automatic, so don't linger — flag a tough one and come back.
What if I genuinely can't spot the rule?
Write the differences, then make a sensible choice from A–E rather than leaving it blank; there is no penalty for a wrong guess on a multiple-choice paper, and eliminating two options often leaves an obvious answer.