Worked example: How do you solve a dMAT Latin Squares logic grid question?

A Latin Squares item gives you a 5x5 grid partly filled with letters A to E, where each letter appears exactly once per row and column and one cell is marked with a question mark. You find the missing letter by working out which one is absent from that row, then confirming against the column.

Working Through the Grid

If the question mark's row already contains A, B, D, and E, the missing letter in that cell must be C. Where the row alone does not narrow things down enough, check the column too. If the question mark's column already contains C, that confirms C is the answer, since it can only sit in one place that satisfies both the row and the column simultaneously. Since no notes are allowed, hold one derived answer in your head at a time rather than trying to map the entire grid before answering.

Why Indian Test-Takers Find This Hardest

Indian test-takers usually find this subtest the least familiar of the three, since it has no direct equivalent in CAT, GATE, JEE, UPSC, or typical Indian board exams. Because of that, it rewards dedicated, repeated practice more than the other two subtests.

My Advice

If you come from an Indian engineering or commerce background, budget extra drill time specifically for Latin Squares rather than assuming your general aptitude from JEE, GATE, or CAT preparation will transfer automatically; it usually does not, since this exact grid-logic format rarely appears in Indian competitive exams.