In each of the following questions, a specific alphabetical pattern is applied to the first word to obtain the second word. Apply the same pattern to the third word and find the correct answer from the given alternatives. CIQY : DJRZ :: AGOW : ?

Correct — B.
Rule: every letter moves one place forward (+1).

CIQY → DJRZ: C → D, I → J, Q → R, Y → Z.
AGOW: A → B, G → H, O → P, W → X.
So AGOW becomes BHPX → option (b).

Why the others are wrong

• (a)
  BJPX — J in second place is G + 3, not G + 1. The first pair turns I into J, but that is one step from I; one step from G is H.
• (c)
  BHPU — U at the end moves W back two places. The rule moves every letter forward one, and W + 1 = X.
• (d)
  BJRZ — BJRZ copies J, R and Z from DJRZ, the answer to the first pair. From AGOW the rule gives H, P and X, one step past G, O and W.

In a letter-cluster analogy, work out what happens to each position on its own, then apply the same move to the third cluster.

Here every position moves by the same amount, +1, so the gaps inside a cluster survive the move. C I Q Y sit at 3, 9, 17, 25 (gaps 6, 8, 8) and A G O W at 1, 7, 15, 23, the same gaps. BHPX, at 2, 8, 16, 24, keeps them too.

Key facts

• A uniform shift keeps the gaps between letters: CIQY, DJRZ, AGOW and BHPX all step 6, 8, 8.
• Alphabet anchors E 5, J 10, O 15, T 20, Y 25 make positions quick: W is Y − 2 = 23.
• W + 1 = X, so the last letter of the answer is X.

Common traps

• Copying J, R or Z from DJRZ instead of shifting G, O and W
• Moving one letter the wrong way, as BHPU does with W → U

No directly related past PYQ was found.