Yesterday I presented an Arithmetic Reasoning Question on patterns/sequences.
The pattern was: 5, 13, 8, 16, 11, _____
Were you able to answer this question?
As an ASVAB tutor, I make sure to teach the students in my ASVAB prep course about the topic of patterns and sequences. Knowing how to complete patterns and sequences will help to improve my students’ ASVAB math scores. This is a topic I include in my Arithmetic Reasoning review.
To be able to answer pattern questions, I remind my students to look at the change that happens from one number to the next.
In this pattern, 5, 13, 8, 16, 11, _____,
It can be seen that the numbers go up and down, up and down.
The next number will go up.
So I can at least begin to solve it knowing that the answer must be greater than 11.
To analyze it deeper, I look more closely.
The change from 5 to 13 is an increase of 8.
The change from 13 to 8 is a decrease of 5.
The change from 8 to 16 is an increase of 8.
The change from 16 to 11 is a decrease of 5.
The pattern is up 8, down 5, up 8, down 5.
The next number will go up 8.
11 + 8 is 19.
Did you know how to solve this problem?
