Introduction
Classification questions give four or five items and ask which one does NOT belong with the rest. The key is
identifying the specific shared property of the majority, not just a loose surface similarity.
Solving Approach
- Check the most obvious category first (all animals, all fruits, all professions) — then narrow to a more specific shared trait if all items pass the broad check.
- For number sets, test multiple properties: odd/even, prime/composite, perfect square, digit sum, multiples of a number.
- For word sets, check spelling pattern, number of letters, or a common suffix/prefix rather than just meaning.
Q. Find the odd one out: Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Punjab, Chennai
Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, and Chennai are all cities. Punjab is a state, not a city.
Answer: Punjab is the odd one out.
Q. Find the odd one out: 8, 27, 64, 125, 150
8=2³, 27=3³, 64=4³, 125=5³ — all perfect cubes. 150 is not a perfect cube.
Answer: 150 is the odd one out.
⚠️ Key Insight: Watch for questions where the "obvious" category (e.g., all are fruits) is
satisfied by every item — in that case, the real distinguishing property is more specific (e.g., all grow on
trees except one that grows on a vine).
✅ Practice Focus: Testing multiple candidate properties before finalising · Number-based
classification (squares, cubes, primes) · Word-based classification beyond simple meaning grouping.