Pair Formation for IBPS PO 2025, Get Free PDF

In the Reasoning Ability section of IBPS PO 2025, questions based on Pair Formation are short yet tricky. While they may seem simple at first glance, they require attention to detail, quick alphabetical recall, and a sharp eye for patterns. To help aspirants tackle these effectively, we’ve compiled key tips, the topic’s importance, and a free PDF of expected questions.

What is Pair Formation?

Pair Formation questions are based on a given word or string of letters. You are asked to identify how many pairs of letters exist in the word that have the same number of letters between them as in the English alphabet (both forward and reverse directions may be considered).

Example:
How many such pairs of letters are there in the word “BRIGHT”, each of which has as many letters between them as in the English alphabet?

Importance and Weightage of Pair Formation in IBPS PO

Exam Stage	Approx. No. of Questions	Difficulty Level
Prelims	1–2	Easy to Moderate
Mains	Rarely Asked	Moderate

• Pair formation is mostly seen in Prelims and is scoring in nature.
  
• It often appears in the miscellaneous section or as part of miscellaneous sets.
  

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Most Important Pair Formation Questions For IBPS PO 2025

Question 1: How many pairs of letters are there in the word “DOWNSTREAM” which has as many letters between them in the word as in the Alphabetical Series?

A) Four

B) Two

C) Five

D) Three

E) None of the above

Solution:

DOWNSTREAM

DM, ST and TW are the three pairs, which have as many letters between them in the word as in the Alphabetical Series.

Hence, option d.

Question 2: How many pairs of letters are there in the word “GUIDEPOST” which has as many letters between them in the word as in the alphabetical series?

A) Four

B) Three

C) Five

D) Two

E) None of the above

Solution:

GI, DG, DE, OP and ST are the five pairs which have as many letters between them in the given word “GUIDEPOST” as in the alphabetical series.

Hence, option c.

Question 3: How many pairs of letters are there in the word “BECOMINGS” which has as many letters between them in the word as in the English Alphabetical Series?

A) Five

B) Three

C) Two

D) Four

E) More than five

Solution:

EI and GI are the two pairs which have as many letters between them in the word as in the English Alphabetical Series.

Hence, option c.

Question 4: How many pairs of letters are there in the word “KILOBARS” which has as many letters between them in the word as in the English Alphabetical Series?

A) Five

B) Three

C) Two

D) Four

E) More than five

Solution:

OR, OS, AB and RS are the four pairs which have as many letters between them in the word as in the English Alphabetical Series.

Hence, option d.

Question 5: How many pairs of letters are there in the word ‘WAREHOUS’ which has as many letters between them as well as we have in the English alphabetical series from both backward and forward direction?

A) One

B) Three

C) Two

D) Five

E) Four

Tips to Solve Pair Formation Questions

1. Know the Alphabet Positions
   
   • Have the A–Z positions (A=1, B=2, …, Z=26) at your fingertips.
     
   • Write down positions above each letter of the word for easy tracking.
     
2. Understand What ‘Pairs’ Mean
   
   • A valid pair means the number of letters between two letters in the word matches the number of letters between them in the alphabet.
     
3. Check Both Forward and Reverse Directions
   
   • Some questions explicitly ask for forward direction only, while others may include both directions. Read instructions carefully.
     
4. Scan Methodically
   
   • Fix the first letter and compare it with all subsequent letters. Then move to the next letter and repeat.
     
   • Avoid recounting already counted pairs.
     
5. Practice with Timers
   
   • Pair formation is a speed-oriented question, so aim to solve it under 60 seconds.
     Practicing with a timer improves scanning speed and accuracy.

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Also Read:

IBPS PO Exam Pattern	IBPS PO Salary
IBPS PO Syllabus	IBPS PO Cut Off

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