Series: Q 6 * D 2 F 9 ! H 5 & 3 K L 8 J ? 7 M 4. How many letters in the series have a digit standing immediately before them and a digit standing immediately after them?

Run through the letters. Q is at the very start and has nothing on its left. D has the symbol * before it. F sits between 2 and 9 — counts. H has ! before it. K has 3 before it but L after it. L has K before it. J has 8 before it but ? after it. M sits between 7 and 4 — counts. Only F and M are flanked by digits on both sides, so the answer is 2. Counting 3 or 4 comes of admitting letters such as K or J that meet the rule on one side only; 1 comes of stopping at the first find.