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Study Guide · Chapter 1

Coding-Decoding — Complete Guide

Free study material · concepts, shortcuts & solved questions

Chapter 1: Introduction to Coding-Decoding
Chapter 2: Essential Reference Tables
Chapter 3: Letter Coding — Direct Letter-Shifting Codes
Chapter 4: Letter Coding — Analogy-Based Questions
Chapter 5: Number Coding
Chapter 6: Substitution Coding
Chapter 7: Coding by Matrix / Grid
Chapter 8: Fictitious / Symbolic Language Coding
Chapter 9: Direction / Operation-Based Coding
Chapter 10: Coded Blood Relations & Coded Arithmetic Operations
Chapter 11: Common Traps — A Consolidated Review
Chapter 12: A Step-by-Step Solving Framework for Exam Speed
Chapter 13: Full-Length Practice Set (25 Mixed Questions)

Chapter 1: Introduction to Coding-Decoding

Coding-Decoding is one of the highest-weightage chapters in the Reasoning section of almost every SSC and RRB examination — CGL, CHSL, MTS, GD, NTPC, and Group D all feature it regularly, often with 2 to 4 questions in a single shift. Its popularity with exam-setters comes from a simple fact: it is easy to frame a fresh-looking question, yet the underlying skill being tested is narrow and learnable. Once you understand the handful of rule-families examiners use, almost any coding-decoding question becomes a matter of pattern-matching rather than guesswork.

At its heart, every coding-decoding question follows the same shape. The examiner starts with a piece of information written in plain English — a letter, a word, a sentence, or a number — and applies a hidden RULE to transform it into a "code". You are shown one or more such transformed examples, and your job is to reverse-engineer the rule from the example(s), then apply that exact same rule to a brand-new piece of information to find its code (or, occasionally, to decode a piece of coded information back into English).

Why This Chapter Deserves Focused Preparation

Unlike topics such as Blood Relations or Syllogism, where the LOGIC changes from question to question, Coding-Decoding is fundamentally an ARITHMETIC-ON-LETTERS skill. Every sub-type reduces to counting alphabet positions, adding or subtracting a fixed or variable number of steps, or matching entries in a small lookup table. This means:

A student who memorises the alphabet position of every letter (both forward and reverse) can solve most questions in under 30 seconds.
Accuracy is almost entirely a matter of careful, letter-by-letter checking — there is very little "aptitude" involved once the method is clear.
The same six or seven rule-families reappear year after year across SSC and RRB papers, so mastering this book's sub-types covers the real exam syllabus comprehensively.

The Core Idea: A Rule Applied, and a Rule Reverse-Engineered

Every coding-decoding question gives you at least one "worked example" — a real-world word or sentence alongside its code. Your first task is ALWAYS to compare the example letter-by-letter (or word-by-word) and discover exactly what operation converts the original into the code. Common operations include:

A fixed forward or backward shift applied uniformly to every letter (e.g., every letter moves 2 steps forward).
A variable shift that changes from letter to letter in a predictable pattern (e.g., +1, +2, +3... or alternating +2, -1, +2, -1...).
Reversing the order of letters in the word, with or without an additional shift.
Replacing each letter with a number (its alphabet position, or some arithmetic function of it).
Assigning letters to coordinates on a grid (matrix coding).
Swapping whole words for unrelated words (substitution coding), or mapping entire sentences to a string of code-words (fictitious language coding).

Once the rule is confirmed by successfully reproducing the given example, you apply the identical rule — never a "similar" or "adjusted" rule — to the new word, sentence, or number given in the question. The single most common reason students lose marks in this chapter is not a lack of knowledge, but impatience: assuming a rule (usually "it must be +1") without actually checking it letter by letter against the example. This book trains you to always verify first, then apply.

The chapters ahead cover, in order: the two foundation reference tables you must know from memory; letter-shifting codes (fixed and variable); analogy-style application questions; number coding; substitution coding; matrix/grid coding; fictitious symbolic language coding; direction- and operation-based coding (alternating shifts, vowel/consonant rules, odd/even position rules); coded blood relations and coded arithmetic (a bridge into other reasoning topics); a dedicated chapter on the traps examiners set; and finally, a speed-focused solving framework, followed by a 25-question full-length practice set with a consolidated answer key.

Chapter 2: Essential Reference Tables

Nearly every sub-type in this book depends on three basic lookup tables. Memorise these thoroughly — under exam pressure, you should be able to recall any letter's forward position, reverse position, or EJOTY-pair partner within a couple of seconds.

2.1 Forward Position Table (A = 1 to Z = 26)

This is the standard alphabet position, used to convert a letter into a number and vice versa.

Letter	Position (A=1)	Letter	Position (A=1)
A	1	N	14
B	2	O	15
C	3	P	16
D	4	Q	17
E	5	R	18
F	6	S	19
G	7	T	20
H	8	U	21
I	9	V	22
J	10	W	23
K	11	X	24
L	12	Y	25
M	13	Z	26

2.2 Reverse Position Table (A = 26 to Z = 1)

The reverse position of a letter is simply 27 minus its forward position. This table is essential whenever a question explicitly codes from the "back" of the alphabet.

Letter	Reverse Position (A=26)	Letter	Reverse Position (A=26)
A	26	N	13
B	25	O	12
C	24	P	11
D	23	Q	10
E	22	R	9
F	21	S	8
G	20	T	7
H	19	U	6
I	18	V	5
J	17	W	4
K	16	X	3
L	15	Y	2
M	14	Z	1

2.3 EJOTY / Opposite-Letter Pairing Table

The EJOTY trick is a memory aid: the letters E, J, O, T, Y sit exactly at positions 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 — evenly spaced across the alphabet — and each is its OWN mirror point pairing with another EJOTY letter or the ends (A-Z, B-Y, and so on). "Opposite letter" means: pair the 1st letter of the alphabet with the last, the 2nd with the second-last, and so on (A pairs with Z, B with Y, C with X ... M with N). This pairing is exactly the same as reverse position — the opposite of any letter L is the letter whose forward position equals 27 minus L's forward position.

Letter	Opposite (EJOTY pair)
A	Z
B	Y
C	X
D	W
E	V
F	U
G	T
H	S
I	R
J	Q
K	P
L	O
M	N

Quick Tip: The EJOTY Shortcut

Remember just five anchor letters: E(5)<->V(22), J(10)<->Q(17), O(15)<->L(12) — actually easier: memorise that E,J,O,T,Y sit at 5,10,15,20,25 and their partners V,Q,L,G,B sit at 22,17,12,7,2.

For ANY letter, opposite = 27 minus its position. Example: opposite of D(4) = 27-4 = 23 = W.

This single formula (27 - position) replaces the entire reverse-position table and the entire opposite-letter table — memorise the formula, not just the tables.

Chapter 3: Letter Coding — Direct Letter-Shifting Codes

3.1 Theory

The most basic and most frequently asked coding-decoding type shifts every letter of a word forward or backward by a FIXED number of steps in the alphabet. If the shift is +2, every letter moves 2 places forward (A becomes C, B becomes D, and so on), wrapping around from Z back to A if needed. If the shift is -3, every letter moves 3 places backward (D becomes A, C wraps around to Z, and so on).

The examiner never tells you the shift directly — you must detect it by comparing the given word with its given code, letter by letter, and computing the difference in position for EACH pair. Only once you have confirmed the SAME difference holds for every letter pair should you conclude the shift is fixed, and then apply that exact shift to the new word.

3.2 Solved Example

Question: If in a certain code, PENCIL is written as QFODJM, how is ERASER written in that code?

Step 1 — Compare letter by letter: P(16)->Q(17) [+1], E(5)->F(6) [+1], N(14)->O(15) [+1], C(3)->D(4) [+1], I(9)->J(10) [+1], L(12)->M(13) [+1].

Step 2 — Every letter shows a consistent +1 shift, so the rule is confirmed: shift each letter 1 step forward.

Step 3 — Apply the same +1 shift to ERASER: E(5)->F(6), R(18)->S(19), A(1)->B(2), S(19)->T(20), E(5)->F(6), R(18)->S(19). This gives FSBTFS.

Answer: ERASER is coded as FSBTFS.

3.3 Common Traps

Checking only the FIRST letter pair and assuming the same shift applies to the rest — always verify at least 2-3 letter pairs before locking in the shift value.
Forgetting to WRAP AROUND the alphabet: shifting Y by +3 does not give an invalid letter — it wraps to B (Y=25, 25+3=28, 28-26=2=B).
Confusing "+2" (forward) with "-2" (backward) — always double check the DIRECTION, not just the magnitude, of the shift.
Losing track when the shift is a two-digit wrap, e.g., computing 25+5=30, forgetting to subtract 26 to land back in the 1-26 range (30-26=4=D, not "30").

Shortcut / Timed Tip

To shift a letter forward by n: new position = ((old position - 1 + n) mod 26) + 1. This one formula handles ALL wrap-arounds correctly and works for both forward and backward shifts (use a negative n for backward).

In the exam, do not fully compute the modulo — just remember: if the raw sum exceeds 26, subtract 26; if the raw difference is less than 1, add 26.

Practice writing out A=1...Z=26 quickly on rough paper at the start of the reasoning section — this 10-second investment saves far more time later.

3.4 Practice MCQs — Letter Coding (Direct Shift)

Q1. If in a certain code language, CAT is written as ECV, how is DOG written in that code language?

(A) GRJ
(B) EPH
(C) IQF
(D) FQI

Answer: (D) FQI Explanation: Compare CAT and ECV letter by letter: C(3) -> E(5), A(1) -> C(3), T(20) -> V(22). Each letter moves 2 step(s) forward in the alphabet (a uniform shift of +2). Apply the SAME rule to DOG: D(4)+2=6=F, O(15)+2=17=Q, G(7)+2=9=I. So DOG is coded as FQI.

Q2. If in a certain code language, BOOK is written as CPPL, how is PAGE written in that code language?

(A) PAGE
(B) RCIG
(C) FHBQ
(D) QBHF

Answer: (D) QBHF Explanation: Compare BOOK and CPPL letter by letter: B(2) -> C(3), O(15) -> P(16), O(15) -> P(16), K(11) -> L(12). Each letter moves 1 step(s) forward in the alphabet (a uniform shift of +1). Apply the SAME rule to PAGE: P(16)+1=17=Q, A(1)+1=2=B, G(7)+1=8=H, E(5)+1=6=F. So PAGE is coded as QBHF.

Q3. If in a certain code language, LAMP is written as ODPS, how is CHAIR written in that code language?

(A) FKDLU
(B) ULDKF
(C) EJCKT
(D) GLEMV

Answer: (A) FKDLU Explanation: Compare LAMP and ODPS letter by letter: L(12) -> O(15), A(1) -> D(4), M(13) -> P(16), P(16) -> S(19). Each letter moves 3 step(s) forward in the alphabet (a uniform shift of +3). Apply the SAME rule to CHAIR: C(3)+3=6=F, H(8)+3=11=K, A(1)+3=4=D, I(9)+3=12=L, R(18)+3=21=U. So CHAIR is coded as FKDLU.

Q4. If in a certain code language, RIVER is written as QHUDQ, how is STONE written in that code language?

(A) DMNSR
(B) RSNMD
(C) QRMLC
(D) STONE

Answer: (B) RSNMD Explanation: Compare RIVER and QHUDQ letter by letter: R(18) -> Q(17), I(9) -> H(8), V(22) -> U(21), E(5) -> D(4), R(18) -> Q(17). Each letter moves 1 step(s) backward in the alphabet (a uniform shift of -1). Apply the SAME rule to STONE: S(19)-1=18=R, T(20)-1=19=S, O(15)-1=14=N, N(14)-1=13=M, E(5)-1=4=D. So STONE is coded as RSNMD.

Q5. If in a certain code language, MOUSE is written as QSYWI, how is TIGER written in that code language?

(A) WLJHU
(B) XMKIV
(C) VIKMX
(D) YNLJW

Answer: (B) XMKIV Explanation: Compare MOUSE and QSYWI letter by letter: M(13) -> Q(17), O(15) -> S(19), U(21) -> Y(25), S(19) -> W(23), E(5) -> I(9). Each letter moves 4 step(s) forward in the alphabet (a uniform shift of +4). Apply the SAME rule to TIGER: T(20)+4=24=X, I(9)+4=13=M, G(7)+4=11=K, E(5)+4=9=I, R(18)+4=22=V. So TIGER is coded as XMKIV.

Q6. If in a certain code language, CLOCK is written as AJMAI, how is TABLE written in that code language?

(A) QXYIB
(B) RYZJC
(C) CJZYR
(D) SZAKD

Answer: (B) RYZJC Explanation: Compare CLOCK and AJMAI letter by letter: C(3) -> A(1), L(12) -> J(10), O(15) -> M(13), C(3) -> A(1), K(11) -> I(9). Each letter moves 2 step(s) backward in the alphabet (a uniform shift of -2). Apply the SAME rule to TABLE: T(20)-2=18=R, A(1)-2=25=Y, B(2)-2=26=Z, L(12)-2=10=J, E(5)-2=3=C. So TABLE is coded as RYZJC.

Q7. If in a certain code language, HOUSE is written as MTZXJ, how is MUSIC written in that code language?

(A) QYWMG
(B) HNXZR
(C) RZXNH
(D) SAYOI

Answer: (C) RZXNH Explanation: Compare HOUSE and MTZXJ letter by letter: H(8) -> M(13), O(15) -> T(20), U(21) -> Z(26), S(19) -> X(24), E(5) -> J(10). Each letter moves 5 step(s) forward in the alphabet (a uniform shift of +5). Apply the SAME rule to MUSIC: M(13)+5=18=R, U(21)+5=26=Z, S(19)+5=24=X, I(9)+5=14=N, C(3)+5=8=H. So MUSIC is coded as RZXNH.

Q8. If in a certain code language, WATER is written as TXQBO, how is PAPER written in that code language?

(A) LWLAN
(B) OBMXM
(C) MXMBO
(D) NYNCP

Answer: (C) MXMBO Explanation: Compare WATER and TXQBO letter by letter: W(23) -> T(20), A(1) -> X(24), T(20) -> Q(17), E(5) -> B(2), R(18) -> O(15). Each letter moves 3 step(s) backward in the alphabet (a uniform shift of -3). Apply the SAME rule to PAPER: P(16)-3=13=M, A(1)-3=24=X, P(16)-3=13=M, E(5)-3=2=B, R(18)-3=15=O. So PAPER is coded as MXMBO.

Q9. If in a certain code language, GARDEN is written as HBSEFO, how is FLOWER written in that code language?

(A) HNQYGT
(B) GMPXFS
(C) SFXPMG
(D) FLOWER

Answer: (B) GMPXFS Explanation: Compare GARDEN and HBSEFO letter by letter: G(7) -> H(8), A(1) -> B(2), R(18) -> S(19), D(4) -> E(5), E(5) -> F(6), N(14) -> O(15). Each letter moves 1 step(s) forward in the alphabet (a uniform shift of +1). Apply the SAME rule to FLOWER: F(6)+1=7=G, L(12)+1=13=M, O(15)+1=16=P, W(23)+1=24=X, E(5)+1=6=F, R(18)+1=19=S. So FLOWER is coded as GMPXFS.

Q10. If in a certain code language, SCHOOL is written as UEJQQN, how is TEACHER written in that code language?

(A) WHDFKHU
(B) VGCEJGT
(C) TGJECGV
(D) UFBDIFS

Answer: (B) VGCEJGT Explanation: Compare SCHOOL and UEJQQN letter by letter: S(19) -> U(21), C(3) -> E(5), H(8) -> J(10), O(15) -> Q(17), O(15) -> Q(17), L(12) -> N(14). Each letter moves 2 step(s) forward in the alphabet (a uniform shift of +2). Apply the SAME rule to TEACHER: T(20)+2=22=V, E(5)+2=7=G, A(1)+2=3=C, C(3)+2=5=E, H(8)+2=10=J, E(5)+2=7=G, R(18)+2=20=T. So TEACHER is coded as VGCEJGT.

Q11. If in a certain code language, SILVER is written as OEHRAN, how is GOLDEN written in that code language?

(A) JAZHKC
(B) CKHZAJ
(C) DLIABK
(D) BJGYZI

Answer: (B) CKHZAJ Explanation: Compare SILVER and OEHRAN letter by letter: S(19) -> O(15), I(9) -> E(5), L(12) -> H(8), V(22) -> R(18), E(5) -> A(1), R(18) -> N(14). Each letter moves 4 step(s) backward in the alphabet (a uniform shift of -4). Apply the SAME rule to GOLDEN: G(7)-4=3=C, O(15)-4=11=K, L(12)-4=8=H, D(4)-4=26=Z, E(5)-4=1=A, N(14)-4=10=J. So GOLDEN is coded as CKHZAJ.

Q12. If in a certain code language, WINTER is written as ZLQWHU, how is SUMMER written in that code language?

(A) VXPPHU
(B) UHPPXV
(C) WYQQIV
(D) UWOOGT

Answer: (A) VXPPHU Explanation: Compare WINTER and ZLQWHU letter by letter: W(23) -> Z(26), I(9) -> L(12), N(14) -> Q(17), T(20) -> W(23), E(5) -> H(8), R(18) -> U(21). Each letter moves 3 step(s) forward in the alphabet (a uniform shift of +3). Apply the SAME rule to SUMMER: S(19)+3=22=V, U(21)+3=24=X, M(13)+3=16=P, M(13)+3=16=P, E(5)+3=8=H, R(18)+3=21=U. So SUMMER is coded as VXPPHU.

Chapter 4: Letter Coding — Analogy-Based Questions

4.1 Theory

Analogy-based coding questions have exactly the same underlying mechanics as direct-shift questions, but the RULE itself can be more varied — not just a uniform shift, but also word reversal, position-dependent shifts (where the 1st letter shifts by 1, the 2nd by 2, and so on), or alternating shifts. The word "analogy" refers to the exam phrasing: "If BOOK is coded as ___, how is PAGE coded?" — you must draw an analogy between the pattern used on the first word and apply the identical pattern to the second, regardless of whether the two words share the same length.

Because the rule family is broader here, your FIRST job is always to test the simplest hypothesis first (uniform shift), and only move to more complex hypotheses (reversal, positional shift, alternating shift) if the uniform-shift check fails on more than one letter pair.

4.2 Solved Example

Question: In a certain code, TABLE is written as FMCBU. How is CHAIR written in that code?

Step 1 — Try the uniform-shift hypothesis first: T(20)->F(6) would be a shift of -14, but A(1)->M(13) would be a shift of +12. These do not match, so the rule is NOT a uniform shift.

Step 2 — Try reversal: reverse TABLE to get ELBAT. Now compare ELBAT to FMCBU letter by letter: E(5)->F(6) [+1], L(12)->M(13) [+1], B(2)->C(3) [+1], A(1)->B(2) [+1], T(20)->U(21) [+1]. Every letter now shows a consistent +1 shift — the rule is: reverse the word, then shift each letter +1 forward.

Step 3 — Apply to CHAIR: reverse it to get RIAHC. Shift each letter +1: R(18)->S(19), I(9)->J(10), A(1)->B(2), H(8)->I(9), C(3)->D(4). This gives SJBID.

Answer: CHAIR is coded as SJBID.

4.3 Common Traps

Jumping to "reversal" or "positional shift" without first ruling out the simpler uniform shift — always test the easiest hypothesis first to save time when it IS a uniform shift.
Forgetting to reverse the SECOND word too, when the rule involves reversal — students often reverse only in their working for the example, then forget to reverse the target word.
Applying a positional shift (1st letter +1, 2nd +2...) starting from the wrong end of the word, or miscounting which letter is "1st" after a reversal.
Assuming the two words must be the same length for the rule to "make sense" — the rule applies letter-by-letter regardless of word length; a 4-letter code word and a 6-letter target word is completely normal.

Shortcut / Timed Tip

Always test in this order: (1) uniform shift, (2) reversal with/without shift, (3) positional/variable shift, (4) alternating shift, (5) vowel/consonant-specific shift. Most SSC/RRB questions are solved by the first two checks.

Write the position numbers directly under each letter of the example word and its code as you check — this visual alignment makes mismatches (and hence the true rule) jump out immediately.

4.4 Practice MCQs — Analogy-Based Letter Coding

Q13. In a certain code, TABLE is written as FMCBU. How is CHAIR written in that code?

(A) DIBJS
(B) TKCJE
(C) RIAHC
(D) SJBID

Answer: (D) SJBID Explanation: Rule: reverse the word, then move every letter 1 step forward. Reverse TABLE -> ELBAT; shift each letter +1: E(5)->F(6) [+1], L(12)->M(13) [+1], B(2)->C(3) [+1], A(1)->B(2) [+1], T(20)->U(21) [+1] giving FMCBU, which matches. Apply the same two steps to CHAIR: reverse it -> RIAHC; shift each letter +1: R(18)->S(19) [+1], I(9)->J(10) [+1], A(1)->B(2) [+1], H(8)->I(9) [+1], C(3)->D(4) [+1] giving SJBID.

Q14. In a certain code, MOTHER is written as SFIUPN. How is FATHER written in that code?

(A) TGJVCH
(B) GBUIFS
(C) REHTAF
(D) SFIUBG

Answer: (D) SFIUBG Explanation: Rule: reverse the word, then move every letter 1 step forward. Reverse MOTHER -> REHTOM; shift each letter +1: R(18)->S(19) [+1], E(5)->F(6) [+1], H(8)->I(9) [+1], T(20)->U(21) [+1], O(15)->P(16) [+1], M(13)->N(14) [+1] giving SFIUPN, which matches. Apply the same two steps to FATHER: reverse it -> REHTAF; shift each letter +1: R(18)->S(19) [+1], E(5)->F(6) [+1], H(8)->I(9) [+1], T(20)->U(21) [+1], A(1)->B(2) [+1], F(6)->G(7) [+1] giving SFIUBG.

Q15. If CAT is coded as DCW, how will DOG be coded using the same rule?

(A) DPI
(B) EQJ
(C) JQE
(D) FRK

Answer: (B) EQJ Explanation: Rule: the 1st letter moves +1, the 2nd letter +2, the 3rd +3, and so on (shift = position number). Check on CAT: C(3)->D(4) [+1], A(1)->C(3) [+2], T(20)->W(23) [+3] = DCW. Apply to DOG: D(4)->E(5) [+1], O(15)->Q(17) [+2], G(7)->J(10) [+3] = EQJ.

Q16. If FISH is coded as GKVL, how will BIRD be coded using the same rule?

(A) BJTG
(B) CKUH
(C) HUKC
(D) DLVI

Answer: (B) CKUH Explanation: Rule: the 1st letter moves +1, the 2nd letter +2, the 3rd +3, and so on (shift = position number). Check on FISH: F(6)->G(7) [+1], I(9)->K(11) [+2], S(19)->V(22) [+3], H(8)->L(12) [+4] = GKVL. Apply to BIRD: B(2)->C(3) [+1], I(9)->K(11) [+2], R(18)->U(21) [+3], D(4)->H(8) [+4] = CKUH.

Q17. In a code language, PENCIL is written as LICNEP. What is the code for ERASER?

(A) QDRZQD
(B) ERASER
(C) RESARE
(D) SFTBSF

Answer: (C) RESARE Explanation: Rule: the letters of the word are simply written in reverse order (no letter-value shift). PENCIL reversed = LICNEP. Applying the same rule, ERASER reversed = RESARE.

Q18. In a code language, MARKET is written as TEKRAM. What is the code for GARDEN?

(A) MDCQZF
(B) GARDEN
(C) NEDRAG
(D) OFESBH

Answer: (C) NEDRAG Explanation: Rule: the letters of the word are simply written in reverse order (no letter-value shift). MARKET reversed = TEKRAM. Applying the same rule, GARDEN reversed = NEDRAG.

Q19. If the word RIVER is coded as SHWDS, how would OCEAN be coded in the same language?

(A) OZFBP
(B) PBFZO
(C) OAEYN
(D) QCGAP

Answer: (B) PBFZO Explanation: Rule: letters in odd positions (1st, 3rd, 5th...) move +1 and letters in even positions (2nd, 4th...) move -1. Check RIVER: R(18)->S(19) [+1], I(9)->H(8) [-1], V(22)->W(23) [+1], E(5)->D(4) [-1], R(18)->S(19) [+1] = SHWDS. Apply to OCEAN: O(15)->P(16) [+1], C(3)->B(2) [-1], E(5)->F(6) [+1], A(1)->Z(26) [-1], N(14)->O(15) [+1] = PBFZO.

Q20. If the word PLANET is coded as QKBMFS, how would ORBITS be coded in the same language?

(A) RUHCQP
(B) PQCHUR
(C) OPBGTQ
(D) QRDIVS

Answer: (B) PQCHUR Explanation: Rule: letters in odd positions (1st, 3rd, 5th...) move +1 and letters in even positions (2nd, 4th...) move -1. Check PLANET: P(16)->Q(17) [+1], L(12)->K(11) [-1], A(1)->B(2) [+1], N(14)->M(13) [-1], E(5)->F(6) [+1], T(20)->S(19) [-1] = QKBMFS. Apply to ORBITS: O(15)->P(16) [+1], R(18)->Q(17) [-1], B(2)->C(3) [+1], I(9)->H(8) [-1], T(20)->U(21) [+1], S(19)->R(18) [-1] = PQCHUR.

Q21. In a certain code, FRIEND is written as EOFJSG. How is ENEMY written in that code?

(A) FOFNZ
(B) ZNFOF
(C) AOGPG
(D) YMENE

Answer: (B) ZNFOF Explanation: Rule: reverse the word, then move every letter 1 step forward. Reverse FRIEND -> DNEIRF; shift each letter +1: D(4)->E(5) [+1], N(14)->O(15) [+1], E(5)->F(6) [+1], I(9)->J(10) [+1], R(18)->S(19) [+1], F(6)->G(7) [+1] giving EOFJSG, which matches. Apply the same two steps to ENEMY: reverse it -> YMENE; shift each letter +1: Y(25)->Z(26) [+1], M(13)->N(14) [+1], E(5)->F(6) [+1], N(14)->O(15) [+1], E(5)->F(6) [+1] giving ZNFOF.

Q22. If WINDOW is coded as XKQHTC, how will MIRROR be coded using the same rule?

(A) NKUVTX
(B) XTVUKN
(C) OLVWUY
(D) MJTUSW

Answer: (A) NKUVTX Explanation: Rule: the 1st letter moves +1, the 2nd letter +2, the 3rd +3, and so on (shift = position number). Check on WINDOW: W(23)->X(24) [+1], I(9)->K(11) [+2], N(14)->Q(17) [+3], D(4)->H(8) [+4], O(15)->T(20) [+5], W(23)->C(3) [+6] = XKQHTC. Apply to MIRROR: M(13)->N(14) [+1], I(9)->K(11) [+2], R(18)->U(21) [+3], R(18)->V(22) [+4], O(15)->T(20) [+5], R(18)->X(24) [+6] = NKUVTX.

Q23. In a code language, STATION is written as NOITATS. What is the code for PLATFORM?

(A) PLATFORM
(B) NSPGUBMQ
(C) MROFTALP
(D) LQNESZKO

Answer: (C) MROFTALP Explanation: Rule: the letters of the word are simply written in reverse order (no letter-value shift). STATION reversed = NOITATS. Applying the same rule, PLATFORM reversed = MROFTALP.

Q24. If the word CANDLE is coded as DZOCMD, how would LANTERN be coded in the same language?

(A) NAPTGRP
(B) OQFSOZM
(C) MZOSFQO
(D) LYNREPN

Answer: (C) MZOSFQO Explanation: Rule: letters in odd positions (1st, 3rd, 5th...) move +1 and letters in even positions (2nd, 4th...) move -1. Check CANDLE: C(3)->D(4) [+1], A(1)->Z(26) [-1], N(14)->O(15) [+1], D(4)->C(3) [-1], L(12)->M(13) [+1], E(5)->D(4) [-1] = DZOCMD. Apply to LANTERN: L(12)->M(13) [+1], A(1)->Z(26) [-1], N(14)->O(15) [+1], T(20)->S(19) [-1], E(5)->F(6) [+1], R(18)->Q(17) [-1], N(14)->O(15) [+1] = MZOSFQO.

Chapter 5: Number Coding

5.1 Theory

Number coding questions replace letters with numbers using the alphabet position (forward or reverse) as the key, sometimes followed by a simple arithmetic operation such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, or summing all the position values into a single total. As with letter coding, you must first determine the exact key/rule from the given example, then apply it to the new word.

Three common formats appear in exams: (a) each letter individually converted to a two-digit position number and then shifted by a constant, (b) the SUM of all letters' position values transformed by one arithmetic operation to give a single number code for the whole word, and (c) each letter converted using the REVERSE position value (A=26...Z=1) instead of the forward value.

5.2 Solved Example

Question: If the word KING is coded as 82 (using position values of letters), how is QUEEN coded using the same rule?

Step 1 — Find the sum of the position values of KING: K=11, I=9, N=14, G=7. Sum = 11+9+14+7 = 41.

Step 2 — Compare to the given code 82. Since 82 = 41 x 2, the rule is: multiply the sum of position values by 2.

Step 3 — Apply to QUEEN: Q=17, U=21, E=5, E=5, N=14. Sum = 17+21+5+5+14 = 62. Multiply by 2: 62 x 2 = 124.

Answer: QUEEN is coded as 124.

5.3 Common Traps

Adding the position values incorrectly under time pressure — always re-add the sum once as a check, especially for longer words.
Confusing "sum of positions x 2" with "sum of positions + 2" — always verify the EXACT arithmetic operation against the given example before applying it to the new word.
Mixing up forward and reverse position values partway through a calculation — decide which table applies at the start and stick with it throughout.
For two-digit-per-letter codes, forgetting the leading zero for single-digit positions (e.g., writing "5" for E instead of "05"), which can misalign the code when read as a continuous digit string.

Shortcut / Timed Tip

When a WHOLE WORD becomes a SINGLE number, it is almost always a sum (sometimes with a simple multiply/add/subtract twist) — compute the raw sum first; the "twist" needed to match the given code is usually obvious once you see the raw sum.

When each LETTER becomes a two-digit number joined together, the rule is almost always a straightforward position value with a constant added or subtracted — line up the digits under each letter to spot the constant quickly.

5.4 Practice MCQs — Number Coding

Q25. In a certain code, DELHI is written as 05-06-13-09-10. How is MUMBAI written in that code?

(A) 14-22-14-03-02-09
(B) 10-02-03-14-22-14
(C) 15-22-14-03-02-10
(D) 14-22-14-03-02-10

Answer: (D) 14-22-14-03-02-10 Explanation: Each letter is replaced by its alphabet position (A=1...Z=26) as a two-digit number, adding 1. For DELHI: D=4+1=5, E=5+1=6, L=12+1=13, H=8+1=9, I=9+1=10 -> 05-06-13-09-10. For MUMBAI: M=13+1=14, U=21+1=22, M=13+1=14, B=2+1=3, A=1+1=2, I=9+1=10 -> 14-22-14-03-02-10.

Q26. In a certain code, LOTUS is written as 11-14-19-20-18. How is MANGO written in that code?

(A) 13-26-13-06-14
(B) 12-26-13-06-13
(C) 14-06-13-26-12
(D) 12-26-13-06-14

Answer: (D) 12-26-13-06-14 Explanation: Each letter is replaced by its alphabet position (A=1...Z=26) as a two-digit number, subtracting 1. For LOTUS: L=12-1=11, O=15-1=14, T=20-1=19, U=21-1=20, S=19-1=18 -> 11-14-19-20-18. For MANGO: M=13-1=12, A=1-1=26(after wrap), N=14-1=13, G=7-1=6, O=15-1=14 -> 12-26-13-06-14.

Q27. In a certain code, TRAIN is written as 22-20-03-11-16. How is FLIGHT written in that code?

(A) 08-14-11-09-10-21
(B) 22-10-09-11-14-08
(C) 08-14-11-09-10-22
(D) 09-14-11-09-10-22

Answer: (C) 08-14-11-09-10-22 Explanation: Each letter is replaced by its alphabet position (A=1...Z=26) as a two-digit number, adding 2. For TRAIN: T=20+2=22, R=18+2=20, A=1+2=3, I=9+2=11, N=14+2=16 -> 22-20-03-11-16. For FLIGHT: F=6+2=8, L=12+2=14, I=9+2=11, G=7+2=9, H=8+2=10, T=20+2=22 -> 08-14-11-09-10-22.

Q28. In a certain code, BREAD is written as 26-16-03-25-02. How is BUTTER written in that code?

(A) 26-19-18-18-03-16
(B) 16-03-18-18-19-26
(C) 26-19-18-18-03-15
(D) 01-19-18-18-03-16

Answer: (A) 26-19-18-18-03-16 Explanation: Each letter is replaced by its alphabet position (A=1...Z=26) as a two-digit number, subtracting 2. For BREAD: B=2-2=26(after wrap), R=18-2=16, E=5-2=3, A=1-2=25(after wrap), D=4-2=2 -> 26-16-03-25-02. For BUTTER: B=2-2=26(after wrap), U=21-2=19, T=20-2=18, T=20-2=18, E=5-2=3, R=18-2=16 -> 26-19-18-18-03-16.

Q29. If the word DOG is coded as 52 (using position value of letters), how is CAT coded using the same rule?

(A) 50
(B) 48
(C) 47
(D) 49

Answer: (B) 48 Explanation: Find the sum of alphabet positions of the letters, then multiply the sum by 2. For DOG: D=4+O=15+G=7 = 26; multiply the sum by 2 -> 52. For CAT: C=3+A=1+T=20 = 24; multiply the sum by 2 -> 48.

Q30. If the word FISH is coded as 46 (using position value of letters), how is BIRD coded using the same rule?

(A) 36
(B) 37
(C) 39
(D) 38

Answer: (B) 37 Explanation: Find the sum of alphabet positions of the letters, then add the number of letters in the word to the sum. For FISH: F=6+I=9+S=19+H=8 = 42; add the number of letters in the word to the sum -> 46. For BIRD: B=2+I=9+R=18+D=4 = 33; add the number of letters in the word to the sum -> 37.

Q31. If the word KING is coded as 82 (using position value of letters), how is QUEEN coded using the same rule?

(A) 124
(B) 123
(C) 126
(D) 125

Answer: (A) 124 Explanation: Find the sum of alphabet positions of the letters, then multiply the sum by 2. For KING: K=11+I=9+N=14+G=7 = 41; multiply the sum by 2 -> 82. For QUEEN: Q=17+U=21+E=5+E=5+N=14 = 62; multiply the sum by 2 -> 124.

Q32. If the word MOON is coded as 53 (using position value of letters), how is STAR coded using the same rule?

(A) 54
(B) 53
(C) 56
(D) 55

Answer: (A) 54 Explanation: Find the sum of alphabet positions of the letters, then subtract the number of letters in the word from the sum. For MOON: M=13+O=15+O=15+N=14 = 57; subtract the number of letters in the word from the sum -> 53. For STAR: S=19+T=20+A=1+R=18 = 58; subtract the number of letters in the word from the sum -> 54.

Q33. In a code, PEN is written as 11-22-13 using the reverse-alphabet position value (A=26, B=25, ..., Z=1). How is BOOK written in the same code?

(A) 25-12-12-15
(B) 16-12-12-25
(C) 25-12-12-16
(D) 26-12-12-16

Answer: (C) 25-12-12-16 Explanation: Reverse position value: A=26, B=25 ... Z=1 (i.e., 27 - forward position). For PEN: P=11, E=22, N=13 -> 11-22-13. For BOOK: B=25, O=12, O=12, K=16 -> 25-12-12-16.

Q34. In a code, CHAIR is written as 24-19-26-18-09 using the reverse-alphabet position value (A=26, B=25, ..., Z=1). How is TABLE written in the same code?

(A) 08-26-25-15-22
(B) 22-15-25-26-07
(C) 07-26-25-15-22
(D) 07-26-25-15-21

Answer: (C) 07-26-25-15-22 Explanation: Reverse position value: A=26, B=25 ... Z=1 (i.e., 27 - forward position). For CHAIR: C=24, H=19, A=26, I=18, R=9 -> 24-19-26-18-09. For TABLE: T=7, A=26, B=25, L=15, E=22 -> 07-26-25-15-22.

Q35. In a code, APPLE is written as 26-11-11-15-22 using the reverse-alphabet position value (A=26, B=25, ..., Z=1). How is GRAPE written in the same code?

(A) 21-09-26-11-22
(B) 20-09-26-11-22
(C) 22-11-26-09-20
(D) 20-09-26-11-21

Answer: (B) 20-09-26-11-22 Explanation: Reverse position value: A=26, B=25 ... Z=1 (i.e., 27 - forward position). For APPLE: A=26, P=11, P=11, L=15, E=22 -> 26-11-11-15-22. For GRAPE: G=20, R=9, A=26, P=11, E=22 -> 20-09-26-11-22.

Q36. In a code, WATER is written as 04-26-07-22-09 using the reverse-alphabet position value (A=26, B=25, ..., Z=1). How is EARTH written in the same code?

(A) 22-26-09-07-19
(B) 23-26-09-07-19
(C) 19-07-09-26-22
(D) 22-26-09-07-18

Answer: (A) 22-26-09-07-19 Explanation: Reverse position value: A=26, B=25 ... Z=1 (i.e., 27 - forward position). For WATER: W=4, A=26, T=7, E=22, R=9 -> 04-26-07-22-09. For EARTH: E=22, A=26, R=9, T=7, H=19 -> 22-26-09-07-19.

Chapter 6: Substitution Coding

6.1 Theory

Substitution coding questions have nothing to do with alphabet positions at all. Instead, the examiner simply swaps one real-world word for a completely unrelated word: for example, "if apple is called orange, and orange is called mango...". Your job is to answer a common-sense, real-world question (such as "which fruit is yellow and curved?") using ONLY the substituted code-word for the correct real-world answer — never the real-world word itself, and never a word further down an unrelated chain.

This sub-type tests careful reading and discipline far more than arithmetic. The biggest danger is being "pulled" by the real-world meaning of the words into giving the everyday answer instead of tracing the substitution chain correctly.

6.2 Solved Example

Question: If 'Doctor' is called 'Teacher', 'Teacher' is called 'Engineer', and 'Engineer' is called 'Lawyer', who treats patients in a hospital, according to the code?

Step 1 — Answer the question in the REAL world first, ignoring the code completely: in real life, a Doctor treats patients.

Step 2 — Now find what the code calls that real-world word. The chain says 'Doctor' is called 'Teacher'. Stop here — you have found the code-name for the specific real-world word the question asked about.

Step 3 — Do NOT continue the chain further (do not also convert 'Teacher' to 'Engineer') — the question asks for the code-name of "Doctor" only, one substitution away.

Answer: Teacher.

6.3 Common Traps

Giving the plain real-world answer (e.g., "Doctor") instead of applying the substitution at all — always re-read the question stem: it asks "according to the code".
Chasing the substitution chain one link too far or too few — trace EXACTLY one hop from the real-world word you identified in Step 1, unless the question explicitly asks for a word two hops away.
Getting confused by circular chains (e.g., A is called B, B is called C, C is called A) — write the chain out as a simple diagram (A -> B -> C -> A) before answering, so the direction is crystal clear.
Assuming the substitution word's real-world meaning matters at all — it never does; the substitute is just a label, and you must not reason about oranges, teachers, or whatever the substitute word means in real life.

Shortcut / Timed Tip

Always solve substitution questions in two clean steps: (1) answer the question truthfully about the real world, ignoring the code entirely; (2) look up ONLY that one real-world word in the given substitution list to find its code-name. Never skip step 1.

Draw a quick arrow-chain (Word1 -> Word2 -> Word3...) on rough paper the moment you read the substitutions — this prevents chain-direction errors under time pressure.

6.4 Practice MCQs — Substitution Coding

Q37. In a certain code language, 'Sun' is called 'Moon', 'Moon' is called 'Star', and 'Star' is called 'Sky'. What lights up the earth during the day, according to this code?

(A) Sky
(B) Sun
(C) Star
(D) Moon

Answer: (D) Moon Explanation: In real life, the Sun lights up the earth during the day. In this code, the real 'Sun' is called 'Moon'. So the answer (in the code language) is Moon. Trap: do not chase the chain further (Moon->Star) — you must code only the REAL-WORLD word asked about, i.e., Sun, once.

Q38. If 'Water' is called 'Milk', 'Milk' is called 'Juice', and 'Juice' is called 'Tea', what does a baby usually drink, as per the code?

(A) Water
(B) Tea
(C) Milk
(D) Juice

Answer: (D) Juice Explanation: In real life, a baby usually drinks Milk. In the code, real 'Milk' is called 'Juice'. So the coded answer is Juice.

Q39. If 'Cow' is called 'Dog', 'Dog' is called 'Cat', 'Cat' is called 'Horse', and 'Horse' is called 'Cow', which animal gives milk, according to the code?

(A) Cat
(B) Horse
(C) Cow
(D) Dog

Answer: (D) Dog Explanation: In real life, a Cow gives milk. In the code, real 'Cow' is called 'Dog'. So the coded answer is Dog.

Q40. If 'Doctor' is called 'Teacher', 'Teacher' is called 'Engineer', and 'Engineer' is called 'Lawyer', who treats patients in a hospital, as per the code?

(A) Doctor
(B) Engineer
(C) Lawyer
(D) Teacher

Answer: (D) Teacher Explanation: In real life, a Doctor treats patients. In the code, real 'Doctor' is called 'Teacher'. So the coded answer is Teacher.

Q41. If 'Red' is called 'Green', 'Green' is called 'Blue', 'Blue' is called 'Yellow', and 'Yellow' is called 'Red', what is the colour of a clear sky, according to the code?

(A) Blue
(B) Green
(C) Red
(D) Yellow

Answer: (D) Yellow Explanation: In real life, a clear sky is Blue. In the code, real 'Blue' is called 'Yellow'. So the coded answer is Yellow.

Q42. If 'Book' is called 'Table', 'Table' is called 'Chair', and 'Chair' is called 'Bed', on what does a student usually sit while studying at a desk, as per the code?

(A) Book
(B) Chair
(C) Table
(D) Bed

Answer: (D) Bed Explanation: In real life, a student sits on a Chair while studying at a desk. In the code, real 'Chair' is called 'Bed'. So the coded answer is Bed.

Q43. If 'Rice' is called 'Wheat', 'Wheat' is called 'Pulses', and 'Pulses' is called 'Rice', which grain is used to make chapati/roti, according to the code?

(A) Grain
(B) Wheat
(C) Rice
(D) Pulses

Answer: (D) Pulses Explanation: In real life, Wheat is used to make chapati/roti. In the code, real 'Wheat' is called 'Pulses'. So the coded answer is Pulses.

Q44. If 'Four' is called 'Five', 'Three' is called 'Four', 'Two' is called 'Three', and 'One' is called 'Two', how many legs does a table normally have, according to the code?

(A) Three
(B) Five
(C) Two
(D) Four

Answer: (B) Five Explanation: In real life, a table normally has Four legs. In the code, real 'Four' is called 'Five'. So the coded answer is Five.

Q45. If each day of the week is renamed as the day that follows it (Monday is called Tuesday, Tuesday is called Wednesday, ..., Sunday is called Monday), which day, according to the code, refers to the day that comes right after Saturday?

(A) Tuesday
(B) Monday
(C) Saturday
(D) Sunday

Answer: (B) Monday Explanation: In the real calendar, the day right after Saturday is Sunday. In the code, real 'Sunday' is called 'Monday' (since every day is renamed as the NEXT day). So the coded answer is Monday.

Q46. If 'Teacher' is called 'Doctor', 'Doctor' is called 'Nurse', 'Nurse' is called 'Patient', and 'Patient' is called 'Hospital', who commonly checks a patient's temperature in a hospital, according to the code?

(A) Hospital
(B) Doctor
(C) Patient
(D) Nurse

Answer: (C) Patient Explanation: In real life, a Nurse commonly checks a patient's temperature. In the code, real 'Nurse' is called 'Patient'. So the coded answer is Patient.

Chapter 7: Coding by Matrix / Grid

7.1 Theory

In matrix (or grid) coding, letters of the alphabet are arranged in a square grid, and each letter's code is formed from its ROW number and COLUMN number. The grid used throughout this chapter (and in the practice set) is shown below: rows and columns are numbered 1 to 5, and 25 letters (A to Y) are arranged left-to-right, top-to-bottom (Z is excluded from this standard 5x5 grid, or is given a special separate code when a question needs it).

Col 1	Col 2	Col 3	Col 4	Col 5
A (Row 1)	B (Row 1)	C (Row 1)	D (Row 1)	E (Row 1)
F (Row 2)	G (Row 2)	H (Row 2)	I (Row 2)	J (Row 2)
K (Row 3)	L (Row 3)	M (Row 3)	N (Row 3)	O (Row 3)
P (Row 4)	Q (Row 4)	R (Row 4)	S (Row 4)	T (Row 4)
U (Row 5)	V (Row 5)	W (Row 5)	X (Row 5)	Y (Row 5)

The code for any letter is typically written as a two-digit number: EITHER the row number followed by the column number (row-first), OR the column number followed by the row number (column-first). Which convention applies is always determinable from the worked example given in the question — you must check both possibilities if the first guess does not fit.

7.2 Solved Example

Question: Using the matrix above, if BAT is coded as 12-11-45, how is FOX coded (using the same rule)?

Step 1 — Locate each letter of BAT in the grid: B is in Row 1, Col 2; A is in Row 1, Col 1; T is in Row 4, Col 5.

Step 2 — Compare to the given code 12-11-45: B gives "12" (row 1, col 2 -> "1" then "2" = row-first), A gives "11" (row 1, col 1), T gives "45" (row 4, col 5). This confirms the rule is ROW NUMBER FIRST, then column number.

Step 3 — Apply to FOX: F is Row 2, Col 1 -> code 21. O is Row 3, Col 5 -> code 35. X is Row 5, Col 4 -> code 54.

Answer: FOX is coded as 21-35-54.

7.3 Common Traps

Assuming row-first without checking against the example — always verify using at least one letter from the given word before applying the rule to the target word.
Miscounting rows or columns by one, especially for letters in the middle rows (K-O, P-T) — trace along the row with a finger/pencil-tip on rough paper rather than counting mentally.
Forgetting that Z is usually excluded (or specially handled) in a standard 5x5 grid built from 25 letters — if a question needs Z, check its instructions for a special rule.
Swapping row and column at the wrong moment mid-question when some letters use one convention and the question tests whether you re-verify for every new example (rare, but seen in tricky vowel/consonant matrix variants).

Shortcut / Timed Tip

Memorise the grid by row starting letter: Row 1 starts at A, Row 2 at F, Row 3 at K, Row 4 at P, Row 5 at U — each row starts 5 letters after the last. From any letter, row = ceil(position/5), column = position - 5x(row-1).

Always verify the row/column CONVENTION (row-first or column-first) using the FIRST letter of the given example word before doing anything else — this single check prevents the most common matrix-coding mistake.

7.4 Practice MCQs — Matrix / Grid Coding

Q47. Using the letter matrix given above, where the code for each letter is formed such that the row number is written first, followed by the column number, if CAT is coded as 13-11-45, how is DOG coded?

(A) 14-35-12
(B) 41-53-22
(C) 24-35-22
(D) 14-35-22

Answer: (D) 14-35-22 Explanation: Locate each letter of CAT in the grid and note its (row, column): C(row 1, col 3)->13; A(row 1, col 1)->11; T(row 4, col 5)->45 -> 13-11-45, matching the given code. Apply the same rule to DOG: D(row 1, col 4)->14; O(row 3, col 5)->35; G(row 2, col 2)->22 -> 14-35-22.

Q48. Using the letter matrix given above, where the code for each letter is formed such that the column number is written first, followed by the row number, if HEN is coded as 32-51-43, how is LAMP coded?

(A) 32-11-33-41
(B) 23-11-33-54
(C) 33-11-33-14
(D) 23-11-33-14

Answer: (D) 23-11-33-14 Explanation: Locate each letter of HEN in the grid and note its (row, column): H(row 2, col 3)->32; E(row 1, col 5)->51; N(row 3, col 4)->43 -> 32-51-43, matching the given code. Apply the same rule to LAMP: L(row 3, col 2)->23; A(row 1, col 1)->11; M(row 3, col 3)->33; P(row 4, col 1)->14 -> 23-11-33-14.

Q49. Using the letter matrix given above, where the code for each letter is formed such that the row number is written first, followed by the column number, if NOSE is coded as 34-35-44-15, how is ROPE coded?

(A) 43-35-41-55
(B) 34-53-14-51
(C) 43-35-41-15
(D) 53-35-41-15

Answer: (C) 43-35-41-15 Explanation: Locate each letter of NOSE in the grid and note its (row, column): N(row 3, col 4)->34; O(row 3, col 5)->35; S(row 4, col 4)->44; E(row 1, col 5)->15 -> 34-35-44-15, matching the given code. Apply the same rule to ROPE: R(row 4, col 3)->43; O(row 3, col 5)->35; P(row 4, col 1)->41; E(row 1, col 5)->15 -> 43-35-41-15.

Q50. Using the letter matrix given above, where the code for each letter is formed such that the column number is written first, followed by the row number, if SALT is coded as 44-11-23-54, how is KITE coded?

(A) 31-24-45-15
(B) 13-42-54-41
(C) 13-42-54-51
(D) 23-42-54-51

Answer: (C) 13-42-54-51 Explanation: Locate each letter of SALT in the grid and note its (row, column): S(row 4, col 4)->44; A(row 1, col 1)->11; L(row 3, col 2)->23; T(row 4, col 5)->54 -> 44-11-23-54, matching the given code. Apply the same rule to KITE: K(row 3, col 1)->13; I(row 2, col 4)->42; T(row 4, col 5)->54; E(row 1, col 5)->51 -> 13-42-54-51.

Q51. Using the letter matrix given above, where the code for each letter is formed such that the row number is written first, followed by the column number, if GOAT is coded as 22-35-11-45, how is TOWN coded?

(A) 54-53-35-43
(B) 45-35-53-34
(C) 45-35-53-24
(D) 55-35-53-34

Answer: (B) 45-35-53-34 Explanation: Locate each letter of GOAT in the grid and note its (row, column): G(row 2, col 2)->22; O(row 3, col 5)->35; A(row 1, col 1)->11; T(row 4, col 5)->45 -> 22-35-11-45, matching the given code. Apply the same rule to TOWN: T(row 4, col 5)->45; O(row 3, col 5)->35; W(row 5, col 3)->53; N(row 3, col 4)->34 -> 45-35-53-34.

Q52. Using the letter matrix given above, where the code for each letter is formed such that the column number is written first, followed by the row number, if CAT is coded as 31-11-54, how is HEN coded?

(A) 23-15-34
(B) 32-51-43
(C) 32-51-33
(D) 42-51-43

Answer: (B) 32-51-43 Explanation: Locate each letter of CAT in the grid and note its (row, column): C(row 1, col 3)->31; A(row 1, col 1)->11; T(row 4, col 5)->54 -> 31-11-54, matching the given code. Apply the same rule to HEN: H(row 2, col 3)->32; E(row 1, col 5)->51; N(row 3, col 4)->43 -> 32-51-43.

Q53. Using the letter matrix given above, where the code for each letter is formed such that the row number is written first, followed by the column number, if DOG is coded as 14-35-22, how is NOSE coded?

(A) 34-35-44-15
(B) 34-35-44-55
(C) 43-53-44-51
(D) 44-35-44-15

Answer: (A) 34-35-44-15 Explanation: Locate each letter of DOG in the grid and note its (row, column): D(row 1, col 4)->14; O(row 3, col 5)->35; G(row 2, col 2)->22 -> 14-35-22, matching the given code. Apply the same rule to NOSE: N(row 3, col 4)->34; O(row 3, col 5)->35; S(row 4, col 4)->44; E(row 1, col 5)->15 -> 34-35-44-15.

Q54. Using the letter matrix given above, where the code for each letter is formed such that the column number is written first, followed by the row number, if ROPE is coded as 34-53-14-51, how is SALT coded?

(A) 44-11-23-54
(B) 44-11-23-44
(C) 44-11-32-45
(D) 54-11-23-54

Answer: (A) 44-11-23-54 Explanation: Locate each letter of ROPE in the grid and note its (row, column): R(row 4, col 3)->34; O(row 3, col 5)->53; P(row 4, col 1)->14; E(row 1, col 5)->51 -> 34-53-14-51, matching the given code. Apply the same rule to SALT: S(row 4, col 4)->44; A(row 1, col 1)->11; L(row 3, col 2)->23; T(row 4, col 5)->54 -> 44-11-23-54.

Q55. Using the letter matrix given above, where the code for each letter is formed such that the row number is written first, followed by the column number, if KITE is coded as 31-24-45-15, how is GOAT coded?

(A) 32-35-11-45
(B) 22-53-11-54
(C) 22-35-11-45
(D) 22-35-11-35

Answer: (C) 22-35-11-45 Explanation: Locate each letter of KITE in the grid and note its (row, column): K(row 3, col 1)->31; I(row 2, col 4)->24; T(row 4, col 5)->45; E(row 1, col 5)->15 -> 31-24-45-15, matching the given code. Apply the same rule to GOAT: G(row 2, col 2)->22; O(row 3, col 5)->35; A(row 1, col 1)->11; T(row 4, col 5)->45 -> 22-35-11-45.

Q56. Using the letter matrix given above, where the code for each letter is formed such that the column number is written first, followed by the row number, if TOWN is coded as 54-53-35-43, how is CAT coded?

(A) 41-11-54
(B) 13-11-45
(C) 31-11-54
(D) 31-11-44

Answer: (C) 31-11-54 Explanation: Locate each letter of TOWN in the grid and note its (row, column): T(row 4, col 5)->54; O(row 3, col 5)->53; W(row 5, col 3)->35; N(row 3, col 4)->43 -> 54-53-35-43, matching the given code. Apply the same rule to CAT: C(row 1, col 3)->31; A(row 1, col 1)->11; T(row 4, col 5)->54 -> 31-11-54.

Chapter 8: Fictitious / Symbolic Language Coding

8.1 Theory

This sub-type presents two or more complete SENTENCES in English, each alongside its full coded version made up of meaningless code-words (e.g., "sea is deep" is written as "lo ki ta"). You are then asked to find the code-word for one specific English word. Because a single sentence usually gives you no way to tell WHICH code-word corresponds to WHICH English word, the standard technique is the SET-INTERSECTION METHOD.

Find two (or more) of the given statements that BOTH contain your target English word. List the code-words used in each of those statements as a set. The code-word that is COMMON to all these sets (and does not appear in the code-set of any statement where the target word is absent) must be the code for your target word — because every other word differs between the statements, so their codes must also differ.

8.2 Solved Example

Question: In a certain fictitious language: 'sea is deep' is written as 'lo ki ta'; 'deep lake calm' is written as 'ta mo wa'; 'calm waves sea' is written as 'wa ju lo'. What is the code for 'deep'?

Step 1 — Find which statements contain the word 'deep': statement 1 ('sea is deep' -> 'lo ki ta') and statement 2 ('deep lake calm' -> 'ta mo wa').

Step 2 — List the code-word sets for these two statements: {lo, ki, ta} and {ta, mo, wa}.

Step 3 — Find the intersection (the code-word common to both sets): only 'ta' appears in both sets.

Step 4 — Since 'sea' and 'is' are NOT in statement 2, and 'lake' and 'calm' are NOT in statement 1, none of their codes can be the common word 'ta' — only 'deep', which IS common to both statements, can correspond to 'ta'.

Answer: 'deep' = 'ta'.

8.3 Common Traps

Trying to solve using only ONE statement — a single statement can never tell you which code-word matches which English word; you always need at least two statements sharing your target word.
Picking a pair of statements that share TWO or more common English words — this makes the intersection ambiguous (more than one common code), so choose a pair of statements where your target word is the ONLY word common to both.
Forgetting to cross-check that the "leftover" code-words in each statement correctly match the "leftover" English words — this is a good final sanity check once you believe you have solved the puzzle.
Assuming the ORDER of words in the sentence matches the order of code-words — it usually does NOT; code-words are typically scrambled, so you must match by set membership, not position.

Shortcut / Timed Tip

Always scan the given statements first for the SHORTEST path (a pair of statements sharing exactly one word) — this is the fastest and least error-prone route to your answer.

If three statements form a "chain" sharing words pairwise (A-B share one word, B-C share another, C-A share a third), you can solve for ALL words in one pass by taking pairwise intersections — a common and efficient exam pattern.

8.4 Practice MCQs — Fictitious Language Coding

Q57. In a certain fictitious language: 'pen on table' is written as 'mo du pa'; 'table is red' is written as 'pa ki ve'; 'red box pen' is written as 've so mo'. What is the code for 'table'?

(A) so
(B) ki
(C) ve
(D) pa

Answer: (D) pa Explanation: The word 'table' appears in two of the given statements: 'pen on table' -> 'mo du pa' and 'table is red' -> 'pa ki ve'. The code common to BOTH of these (the intersection of the two code-sets) must stand for 'table', since every other word in these two statements is different across them and gets a different code. Comparing the two code sets, the only common code word is 'pa'. Hence 'table' = 'pa'.

Q58. In a certain fictitious language: 'cat runs fast' is written as 'ju ta ri'; 'fast dog barks' is written as 'ri ho ne'; 'barks loud cat' is written as 'ne fi ju'. What is the code for 'fast'?

(A) ne
(B) ta
(C) ho
(D) ri

Answer: (D) ri Explanation: The word 'fast' appears in two of the given statements: 'cat runs fast' -> 'ju ta ri' and 'fast dog barks' -> 'ri ho ne'. The code common to BOTH of these (the intersection of the two code-sets) must stand for 'fast', since every other word in these two statements is different across them and gets a different code. Comparing the two code sets, the only common code word is 'ri'. Hence 'fast' = 'ri'.

Q59. In a certain fictitious language: 'rain falls hard' is written as 'za pe lo'; 'hard wind blows' is written as 'lo du wa'; 'blows cold rain' is written as 'wa ki za'. What is the code for 'hard'?

(A) za
(B) ki
(C) du
(D) lo

Answer: (D) lo Explanation: The word 'hard' appears in two of the given statements: 'rain falls hard' -> 'za pe lo' and 'hard wind blows' -> 'lo du wa'. The code common to BOTH of these (the intersection of the two code-sets) must stand for 'hard', since every other word in these two statements is different across them and gets a different code. Comparing the two code sets, the only common code word is 'lo'. Hence 'hard' = 'lo'.

Q60. In a certain fictitious language: 'king rules land' is written as 'no ba shi'; 'land queen helps' is written as 'shi ta mu'; 'helps poor king' is written as 'mu le no'. What is the code for 'land'?

(A) no
(B) ta
(C) le
(D) shi

Answer: (D) shi Explanation: The word 'land' appears in two of the given statements: 'king rules land' -> 'no ba shi' and 'land queen helps' -> 'shi ta mu'. The code common to BOTH of these (the intersection of the two code-sets) must stand for 'land', since every other word in these two statements is different across them and gets a different code. Comparing the two code sets, the only common code word is 'shi'. Hence 'land' = 'shi'.

Q61. In a certain fictitious language: 'fire burns wood' is written as 'de ka so'; 'wood smoke rises' is written as 'so ju ni'; 'rises high fire' is written as 'ni wo de'. What is the code for 'wood'?

(A) wo
(B) de
(C) so
(D) ni

Answer: (C) so Explanation: The word 'wood' appears in two of the given statements: 'fire burns wood' -> 'de ka so' and 'wood smoke rises' -> 'so ju ni'. The code common to BOTH of these (the intersection of the two code-sets) must stand for 'wood', since every other word in these two statements is different across them and gets a different code. Comparing the two code sets, the only common code word is 'so'. Hence 'wood' = 'so'.

Q62. In a certain fictitious language: 'river flows fast' is written as 'mi ta ri'; 'fast lake stays' is written as 'ri vo ku'; 'stays calm river' is written as 'ku se mi'. What is the code for 'fast'?

(A) vo
(B) ku
(C) ri
(D) mi

Answer: (C) ri Explanation: The word 'fast' appears in two of the given statements: 'river flows fast' -> 'mi ta ri' and 'fast lake stays' -> 'ri vo ku'. The code common to BOTH of these (the intersection of the two code-sets) must stand for 'fast', since every other word in these two statements is different across them and gets a different code. Comparing the two code sets, the only common code word is 'ri'. Hence 'fast' = 'ri'.

Q63. In a certain fictitious language: 'farmer grows wheat' is written as 'ho pi ta'; 'wheat field looks' is written as 'ta du zi'; 'looks green farmer' is written as 'zi ne ho'. What is the code for 'wheat'?

(A) zi
(B) ta
(C) ho
(D) du

Answer: (B) ta Explanation: The word 'wheat' appears in two of the given statements: 'farmer grows wheat' -> 'ho pi ta' and 'wheat field looks' -> 'ta du zi'. The code common to BOTH of these (the intersection of the two code-sets) must stand for 'wheat', since every other word in these two statements is different across them and gets a different code. Comparing the two code sets, the only common code word is 'ta'. Hence 'wheat' = 'ta'.

Q64. In a certain fictitious language: 'train moves slow' is written as 'ra mo ku'; 'slow bus stops' is written as 'ku ve ta'; 'stops often train' is written as 'ta jo ra'. What is the code for 'slow'?

(A) ku
(B) mo
(C) ta
(D) jo

Answer: (A) ku Explanation: The word 'slow' appears in two of the given statements: 'train moves slow' -> 'ra mo ku' and 'slow bus stops' -> 'ku ve ta'. The code common to BOTH of these (the intersection of the two code-sets) must stand for 'slow', since every other word in these two statements is different across them and gets a different code. Comparing the two code sets, the only common code word is 'ku'. Hence 'slow' = 'ku'.

Q65. In a certain fictitious language: 'child loves toys' is written as 'fo du ta'; 'toys baby likes' is written as 'ta ki se'; 'likes milk child' is written as 'se mo fo'. What is the code for 'toys'?

(A) ta
(B) mo
(C) fo
(D) du

Answer: (A) ta Explanation: The word 'toys' appears in two of the given statements: 'child loves toys' -> 'fo du ta' and 'toys baby likes' -> 'ta ki se'. The code common to BOTH of these (the intersection of the two code-sets) must stand for 'toys', since every other word in these two statements is different across them and gets a different code. Comparing the two code sets, the only common code word is 'ta'. Hence 'toys' = 'ta'.

Q66. In a certain fictitious language: 'star shines bright' is written as 'pu fa ta'; 'bright moon glows' is written as 'ta du ki'; 'glows soft star' is written as 'ki se pu'. What is the code for 'bright'?

(A) ta
(B) fa
(C) pu
(D) se

Answer: (A) ta Explanation: The word 'bright' appears in two of the given statements: 'star shines bright' -> 'pu fa ta' and 'bright moon glows' -> 'ta du ki'. The code common to BOTH of these (the intersection of the two code-sets) must stand for 'bright', since every other word in these two statements is different across them and gets a different code. Comparing the two code sets, the only common code word is 'ta'. Hence 'bright' = 'ta'.

Chapter 9: Direction / Operation-Based Coding

9.1 Theory

This chapter groups together three related sub-types where the SHIFT applied to a letter is not a single constant, but instead depends on some property of the letter or its position:

Alternating shift: letters at odd positions in the word (1st, 3rd, 5th...) get one shift, letters at even positions (2nd, 4th...) get a different shift.
Vowel/consonant-specific rule: all VOWELS (A, E, I, O, U) shift by one fixed amount, and all CONSONANTS shift by a different fixed amount.
Odd/even alphabet-position rule: whether a letter shifts one way or another depends on whether ITS OWN forward alphabet position (not its position in the word) is odd or even. For example, letters whose own position (A=1, B=2, ...) is odd might shift forward, while letters whose own position is even shift backward.

These three rule-families look intimidating at first, but the SAME verification discipline from Chapters 3 and 4 applies: check the given example letter-by-letter, note the shift for each letter individually, and look for a PATTERN in when the shift changes (every other letter? only on vowels? only on letters with even position value?).

9.2 Solved Example

Question: If the word BOOK is coded as APPL, where the shift applied to each letter depends on whether its own alphabet position is odd or even, how is DESK coded by the same rule?

Step 1 — Find each letter's own alphabet position and its shift: B is position 2 (even) and B->A means a shift of -1. O is position 15 (odd) and O->P means a shift of +1. The second O also shifts +1 to P. K is position 11 (odd) and K->L means a shift of +1.

Step 2 — Pattern found: if a letter's OWN position is ODD, it shifts +1; if its own position is EVEN, it shifts -1.

Step 3 — Apply to DESK: D is position 4 (even) -> shift -1 -> C. E is position 5 (odd) -> shift +1 -> F. S is position 19 (odd) -> shift +1 -> T. K is position 11 (odd) -> shift +1 -> L.

Answer: DESK is coded as CFTL.

9.3 Common Traps

Confusing "position IN THE WORD" (1st letter, 2nd letter...) with "the letter's OWN alphabet position" (A=1, B=2...) — these are two completely different rules and produce different answers; read the question carefully to see which one applies.
For alternating shifts, miscounting which letters are "odd position in the word" after a repeated letter throws off the counting — count positions strictly left to right, 1, 2, 3, 4..., regardless of repeats.
For vowel/consonant rules, forgetting that Y is usually treated as a CONSONANT in these questions unless stated otherwise — check the given example to confirm how Y (and sometimes W) is being treated.
Applying the odd/even-position rule using the position IN THE WORD instead of the letter's OWN alphabet position (or vice versa) — always re-derive the rule type fresh from the given example rather than assuming it matches a previous question.

Shortcut / Timed Tip

When a uniform shift hypothesis fails, immediately check: does the shift change every other letter (alternating)? Does it correlate with vowels vs consonants? Does it correlate with the letter's own odd/even position value? Testing these three in order covers almost all Chapter 9 style questions quickly.

Mark vowels with a small dot above them as you write out the example word — this makes vowel/consonant-based patterns visually obvious in seconds.

9.4 Practice MCQs — Direction / Operation-Based Coding

Q67. If DELHI is coded as EGMJJ, how is MADRAS coded in the same language?

(A) MBDSAT
(B) ODFUCV
(C) UBTECN
(D) NCETBU

Answer: (D) NCETBU Explanation: Rule: letters at odd positions (1st, 3rd, 5th...) shift +1, letters at even positions (2nd, 4th...) shift +2. Verify on DELHI: D(4)->E(5) [+1], E(5)->G(7) [+2], L(12)->M(13) [+1], H(8)->J(10) [+2], I(9)->J(10) [+1] = EGMJJ. Apply to MADRAS: M(13)->N(14) [+1], A(1)->C(3) [+2], D(4)->E(5) [+1], R(18)->T(20) [+2], A(1)->B(2) [+1], S(19)->U(21) [+2] = NCETBU.

Q68. If MARKET is coded as OBTLGU, how is FLOWER coded in the same language?

(A) SGXQMH
(B) INRYHT
(C) GLPWFR
(D) HMQXGS

Answer: (D) HMQXGS Explanation: Rule: letters at odd positions (1st, 3rd, 5th...) shift +2, letters at even positions (2nd, 4th...) shift +1. Verify on MARKET: M(13)->O(15) [+2], A(1)->B(2) [+1], R(18)->T(20) [+2], K(11)->L(12) [+1], E(5)->G(7) [+2], T(20)->U(21) [+1] = OBTLGU. Apply to FLOWER: F(6)->H(8) [+2], L(12)->M(13) [+1], O(15)->Q(17) [+2], W(23)->X(24) [+1], E(5)->G(7) [+2], R(18)->S(19) [+1] = HMQXGS.

Q69. If GARDEN is coded as HZSCFM, how is SPIRIT coded in the same language?

(A) UPKRKT
(B) SJQJOT
(C) SNIPIR
(D) TOJQJS

Answer: (D) TOJQJS Explanation: Rule: letters at odd positions (1st, 3rd, 5th...) shift +1, letters at even positions (2nd, 4th...) shift -1. Verify on GARDEN: G(7)->H(8) [+1], A(1)->Z(26) [-1], R(18)->S(19) [+1], D(4)->C(3) [-1], E(5)->F(6) [+1], N(14)->M(13) [-1] = HZSCFM. Apply to SPIRIT: S(19)->T(20) [+1], P(16)->O(15) [-1], I(9)->J(10) [+1], R(18)->Q(17) [-1], I(9)->J(10) [+1], T(20)->S(19) [-1] = TOJQJS.

Q70. If PICTURE is coded as RGERWPG, how is MEASURE coded in the same language?

(A) NBBPVOF
(B) OCCQWPG
(C) GPWQCCO
(D) PDDRXQH

Answer: (B) OCCQWPG Explanation: Rule: letters at odd positions (1st, 3rd, 5th...) shift +2, letters at even positions (2nd, 4th...) shift -2. Verify on PICTURE: P(16)->R(18) [+2], I(9)->G(7) [-2], C(3)->E(5) [+2], T(20)->R(18) [-2], U(21)->W(23) [+2], R(18)->P(16) [-2], E(5)->G(7) [+2] = RGERWPG. Apply to MEASURE: M(13)->O(15) [+2], E(5)->C(3) [-2], A(1)->C(3) [+2], S(19)->Q(17) [-2], U(21)->W(23) [+2], R(18)->P(16) [-2], E(5)->G(7) [+2] = OCCQWPG.

Q71. In a code, TABLE is written as VBDNF. Vowels and consonants are shifted by different fixed amounts. How is CHAIR written in the same code?

(A) EJBJT
(B) DIAIS
(C) TJBJE
(D) FKCKU

Answer: (A) EJBJT Explanation: Rule: every VOWEL (A,E,I,O,U) moves +1 step(s), and every CONSONANT moves +2 step(s). Verify on TABLE: T(20)->V(22) [+2], A(1)->B(2) [+1], B(2)->D(4) [+2], L(12)->N(14) [+2], E(5)->F(6) [+1] = VBDNF. Apply to CHAIR: C(3)->E(5) [+2], H(8)->J(10) [+2], A(1)->B(2) [+1], I(9)->J(10) [+1], R(18)->T(20) [+2] = EJBJT.

Q72. In a code, WINDOW is written as XKOEQX. Vowels and consonants are shifted by different fixed amounts. How is MIRROR written in the same code?

(A) MJRRPR
(B) SQSSKN
(C) NKSSQS
(D) OLTTRT

Answer: (C) NKSSQS Explanation: Rule: every VOWEL (A,E,I,O,U) moves +2 step(s), and every CONSONANT moves +1 step(s). Verify on WINDOW: W(23)->X(24) [+1], I(9)->K(11) [+2], N(14)->O(15) [+1], D(4)->E(5) [+1], O(15)->Q(17) [+2], W(23)->X(24) [+1] = XKOEQX. Apply to MIRROR: M(13)->N(14) [+1], I(9)->K(11) [+2], R(18)->S(19) [+1], R(18)->S(19) [+1], O(15)->Q(17) [+2], R(18)->S(19) [+1] = NKSSQS.

Q73. In a code, GARDEN is written as HBSEFO. Vowels and consonants are shifted by different fixed amounts. How is FRIEND written in the same code?

(A) FRIEND
(B) EOFJSG
(C) GSJFOE
(D) HTKGPF

Answer: (C) GSJFOE Explanation: Rule: every VOWEL (A,E,I,O,U) moves +1 step(s), and every CONSONANT moves +1 step(s). Verify on GARDEN: G(7)->H(8) [+1], A(1)->B(2) [+1], R(18)->S(19) [+1], D(4)->E(5) [+1], E(5)->F(6) [+1], N(14)->O(15) [+1] = HBSEFO. Apply to FRIEND: F(6)->G(7) [+1], R(18)->S(19) [+1], I(9)->J(10) [+1], E(5)->F(6) [+1], N(14)->O(15) [+1], D(4)->E(5) [+1] = GSJFOE.

Q74. In a code, MOUNTAIN is written as NNTOUZHO. Vowels and consonants are shifted by different fixed amounts. How is ELEPHANT written in the same code?

(A) UOZIQDMD
(B) DMDQIZOU
(C) CLCPHYNT
(D) ENERJAPV

Answer: (B) DMDQIZOU Explanation: Rule: every VOWEL (A,E,I,O,U) moves -1 step(s), and every CONSONANT moves +1 step(s). Verify on MOUNTAIN: M(13)->N(14) [+1], O(15)->N(14) [-1], U(21)->T(20) [-1], N(14)->O(15) [+1], T(20)->U(21) [+1], A(1)->Z(26) [-1], I(9)->H(8) [-1], N(14)->O(15) [+1] = NNTOUZHO. Apply to ELEPHANT: E(5)->D(4) [-1], L(12)->M(13) [+1], E(5)->D(4) [-1], P(16)->Q(17) [+1], H(8)->I(9) [+1], A(1)->Z(26) [-1], N(14)->O(15) [+1], T(20)->U(21) [+1] = DMDQIZOU.

Q75. If the word BOOK is coded as APPL where the shift applied to each letter depends on whether its own alphabet position is odd or even, how is DESK coded by the same rule?

(A) LTFC
(B) CFTL
(C) BESK
(D) DGUM

Answer: (B) CFTL Explanation: Rule: if a letter's own position in the alphabet (A=1...Z=26) is ODD, it moves +1 step(s); if its position is EVEN, it moves -1 step(s). Verify on BOOK: B(2)->A(1) [-1], O(15)->P(16) [+1], O(15)->P(16) [+1], K(11)->L(12) [+1] = APPL (check each letter's own position for odd/even first, then shift). Apply to DESK: D(4)->C(3) [-1], E(5)->F(6) [+1], S(19)->T(20) [+1], K(11)->L(12) [+1] = CFTL.

Q76. If the word LAMP is coded as KCOO where the shift applied to each letter depends on whether its own alphabet position is odd or even, how is CORD coded by the same rule?

(A) EQQC
(B) CQQE
(C) FRRD
(D) DPPB

Answer: (A) EQQC Explanation: Rule: if a letter's own position in the alphabet (A=1...Z=26) is ODD, it moves +2 step(s); if its position is EVEN, it moves -1 step(s). Verify on LAMP: L(12)->K(11) [-1], A(1)->C(3) [+2], M(13)->O(15) [+2], P(16)->O(15) [-1] = KCOO (check each letter's own position for odd/even first, then shift). Apply to CORD: C(3)->E(5) [+2], O(15)->Q(17) [+2], R(18)->Q(17) [-1], D(4)->C(3) [-1] = EQQC.

Q77. If the word STONE is coded as TVPPF where the shift applied to each letter depends on whether its own alphabet position is odd or even, how is RIVER coded by the same rule?

(A) TJXFT
(B) TFXJT
(C) UKYGU
(D) SIWES

Answer: (A) TJXFT Explanation: Rule: if a letter's own position in the alphabet (A=1...Z=26) is ODD, it moves +1 step(s); if its position is EVEN, it moves +2 step(s). Verify on STONE: S(19)->T(20) [+1], T(20)->V(22) [+2], O(15)->P(16) [+1], N(14)->P(16) [+2], E(5)->F(6) [+1] = TVPPF (check each letter's own position for odd/even first, then shift). Apply to RIVER: R(18)->T(20) [+2], I(9)->J(10) [+1], V(22)->X(24) [+2], E(5)->F(6) [+1], R(18)->T(20) [+2] = TJXFT.

Q78. If the word CANDLE is coded as BZOEMD where the shift applied to each letter depends on whether its own alphabet position is odd or even, how is MARKET coded by the same rule?

(A) UDJSZL
(B) MATKEV
(C) LZSJDU
(D) KYRICT

Answer: (C) LZSJDU Explanation: Rule: if a letter's own position in the alphabet (A=1...Z=26) is ODD, it moves -1 step(s); if its position is EVEN, it moves +1 step(s). Verify on CANDLE: C(3)->B(2) [-1], A(1)->Z(26) [-1], N(14)->O(15) [+1], D(4)->E(5) [+1], L(12)->M(13) [+1], E(5)->D(4) [-1] = BZOEMD (check each letter's own position for odd/even first, then shift). Apply to MARKET: M(13)->L(12) [-1], A(1)->Z(26) [-1], R(18)->S(19) [+1], K(11)->J(10) [-1], E(5)->D(4) [-1], T(20)->U(21) [+1] = LZSJDU.

Chapter 10: Coded Blood Relations & Coded Arithmetic Operations

10.1 Theory

Some exam papers combine Coding-Decoding with two other reasoning topics: Blood Relations and basic Arithmetic. These "bridge" questions use coding logic (a symbol or letter standing in for something else) as the OUTER layer, while the actual reasoning needed is from the other topic. They are included here because recognising the coding layer quickly is what unlocks the rest of the question.

Coded blood relation questions define symbols like '+', '-', 'x', '÷' (or letters like A, B, C) to mean specific family relationships (e.g., 'P + Q' means 'P is the father of Q'). You must substitute the REAL relationship for each symbol, then work out the final relationship using standard blood-relation logic (build a quick family tree).

Coded arithmetic operation questions swap the standard mathematical symbols (+, -, x, ÷) for OTHER symbols or letters. You must first substitute every symbol with its TRUE meaning throughout the entire expression, and only then solve the resulting arithmetic expression using the correct order of operations (BODMAS/BIDMAS).

10.2 Solved Example (Blood Relation)

Question: If 'P x Q' means 'P is the husband of Q' and 'P ÷ Q' means 'P is the daughter of Q', then in 'M x N ÷ O', how is M related to O?

Step 1 — Decode each part: 'M x N' means M is the husband of N. 'N ÷ O' means N is the daughter of O.

Step 2 — Build the relationship: N is O's daughter, and M is married to N (M is N's husband).

Step 3 — Since M is married to O's daughter, M is the SON-IN-LAW of O.

Answer: M is the son-in-law of O.

10.3 Solved Example (Coded Arithmetic)

Question: If 'A' means '+', 'B' means '×', 'C' means '÷', and 'D' means '-', find the value of: 10 A 4 B 2 C 2 D 3

Step 1 — Substitute every letter with its real operator: A=+, B=×, C=÷, D=-. The expression becomes: 10 + 4 × 2 ÷ 2 - 3.

Step 2 — Apply BODMAS: multiplication and division first, left to right: 4 × 2 = 8, then 8 ÷ 2 = 4.

Step 3 — The expression is now 10 + 4 - 3. Solve left to right: 10 + 4 = 14, then 14 - 3 = 11.

Answer: 11.

10.4 Common Traps

Substituting the symbols but then solving the arithmetic in the WRONG order (ignoring BODMAS) — always substitute FIRST, fully, then apply standard order of operations from scratch as if it were a normal sum.
For blood relations, mixing up "A + B means A is father of B" with "B is father of A" — always re-read which side of the symbol is the parent/senior relation before building your family tree.
Forgetting gender when converting a relationship like "child of the sibling" into a specific term (nephew/niece, uncle/aunt) — track the gender of each person mentioned as you build the family tree.
Losing track partway through a long chain of three or more symbols — write out the decoded chain in plain English FIRST (e.g., "M is father of N, N is sister of O") before attempting to state the final relationship.

Shortcut / Timed Tip

For coded blood relations, always sketch a 3-line family tree the moment you decode the symbols — visualising beats mental tracking, especially for chains of 3+ relationships.

For coded arithmetic, write the FULL substituted expression in one neat line before calculating anything — do not try to substitute and calculate simultaneously, as this is where careless slips creep in.

10.5 Practice MCQs — Coded Blood Relations & Coded Arithmetic

Q79. If 'A + B' means 'A is the father of B' and 'A - B' means 'A is the sister of B', then in 'M + N - O', how is M related to O?

(A) Mother
(B) Uncle
(C) Brother
(D) Father

Answer: (D) Father Explanation: M + N means M is the father of N. N - O means N is the sister of O. Since M is N's father, and N is O's sister (so N and O are siblings with the same parents), M is also the father of O. So M is the FATHER of O.

Q80. If 'A x B' means 'A is the brother of B' and 'A ÷ B' means 'A is the mother of B', then in 'P x Q ÷ R', how is P related to R?

(A) Cousin
(B) Father
(C) Brother
(D) Uncle

Answer: (D) Uncle Explanation: P x Q means P is the brother of Q. Q ÷ R means Q is the mother of R. So Q is R's mother, and P is Q's brother, i.e., P is the brother of R's mother — this makes P the MATERNAL UNCLE (Uncle) of R.

Q81. If 'A @ B' means 'A is the mother of B', and 'A # B' means 'A is the husband of B', then in 'X @ Y # Z', how is X related to Z?

(A) Sister-in-law
(B) Wife
(C) Mother
(D) Mother-in-law

Answer: (D) Mother-in-law Explanation: X @ Y means X is the mother of Y. Y # Z means Y is the husband of Z, i.e., Y and Z are a married couple. Since X is the mother of Z's husband Y, X is Z's MOTHER-IN-LAW.

Q82. If 'A x B' means 'A is the son of B' and 'A + B' means 'A is the sister of B', then in 'P x Q + R', how is P related to R?

(A) Cousin
(B) Brother
(C) Nephew
(D) Son

Answer: (C) Nephew Explanation: P x Q means P is the son of Q. Q + R means Q is the sister of R. So P's mother, Q, is R's sister — which makes P the NEPHEW of R.

Q83. If 'A - B' means 'A is the daughter of B' and 'A x B' means 'A is the brother of B', then in 'M - N x O', how is M related to O?

(A) Sister
(B) Aunt
(C) Niece
(D) Daughter

Answer: (C) Niece Explanation: M - N means M is the daughter of N. N x O means N is the brother of O. So M's father, N, is O's brother — which makes M the NIECE of O.

Q84. If 'A ÷ B' means 'A is the wife of B' and 'A + B' means 'A is the father of B', then in 'M ÷ N + O', how is M related to O?

(A) Mother
(B) Grandmother
(C) Aunt
(D) Wife

Answer: (A) Mother Explanation: M ÷ N means M is the wife of N. N + O means N is the father of O. So M, being the wife of O's father N, is the MOTHER of O.

Q85. If '+' means '÷', '-' means '×', '×' means '+', and '÷' means '-', find the value of: 20 + 4 - 3 × 2 ÷ 5

(A) 7
(B) 12
(C) 3
(D) 17

Answer: (B) 12 Explanation: Replace each symbol with its real meaning: '+' means ÷, '-' means ×, '×' means +, '÷' means -. So 20 + 4 - 3 × 2 ÷ 5 becomes 20 ÷ 4 × 3 + 2 - 5. Now solve left to right respecting order of operations (÷ and × first, left to right; then + and -): 20 ÷ 4 = 5; 5 × 3 = 15; 15 + 2 = 17; 17 - 5 = 12. The value is 12.

Q86. If 'A' means '+', 'B' means '-', 'C' means '×', and 'D' means '÷', find the value of: 18 D 3 C 4 A 6 B 2

(A) 30
(B) 22
(C) 28
(D) 24

Answer: (C) 28 Explanation: Substitute letters with actual operators: D means ÷, C means ×, A means +, B means -. So 18 D 3 C 4 A 6 B 2 becomes 18 ÷ 3 × 4 + 6 - 2. Apply order of operations (÷, × before +, -, left to right): 18 ÷ 3 = 6; 6 × 4 = 24; 24 + 6 = 30; 30 - 2 = 28. The value is 28.

Q87. If 'A % B' means 'A is the daughter of B' and 'A $ B' means 'A is the husband of B', then in 'X % Y $ Z', how is X related to Z?

(A) Sister
(B) Wife
(C) Daughter
(D) Niece

Answer: (C) Daughter Explanation: X % Y means X is the daughter of Y. Y $ Z means Y is the husband of Z, i.e., Y and Z are husband and wife. Since X is Y's daughter and Z is Y's wife, X is also the DAUGHTER of Z.

Q88. If 'P' means '-', 'Q' means '+', 'R' means '÷', and 'S' means '×', find the value of: 16 S 2 Q 8 R 4 P 3

(A) 29
(B) 31
(C) 13
(D) 35

Answer: (B) 31 Explanation: Substitute the letters with their actual operators: S means ×, Q means +, R means ÷, P means -. So 16 S 2 Q 8 R 4 P 3 becomes 16 × 2 + 8 ÷ 4 - 3. Apply order of operations: 16 × 2 = 32; 8 ÷ 4 = 2; then 32 + 2 - 3 = 31. The value is 31.

Chapter 11: Common Traps — A Consolidated Review

Every chapter so far has flagged sub-type-specific traps. This chapter consolidates the FOUR biggest traps that cut across the entire topic, because they are responsible for the vast majority of avoidable mistakes in real exams.

Trap 1: Assuming a Fixed Shift When the Real Rule Is Variable or Alternating

The single most common error. A student checks only the first letter of the example, sees (say) a +1 shift, and locks it in — without noticing that the second letter actually shifts by +2, or that the shift alternates. ALWAYS check at least 3 letter-pairs, ideally all of them, before finalising the rule.

Trap 2: Miscounting Letter Positions

Whether it is counting A as 0 instead of 1, or losing count in the middle of the alphabet (is M the 12th or 13th letter?), position-counting errors silently produce a wrong-but-plausible-looking answer. Keep the forward and reverse position tables from Chapter 2 fresh in memory, and re-verify any position you are unsure of by counting forward from a known anchor letter (E=5, J=10, O=15, T=20, Y=25).

Trap 3: Ignoring the Case of Repeated Letters

When a word has a repeated letter (like the two O's in BOOK, or the two E's in QUEEN), BOTH occurrences must be transformed IDENTICALLY under the same rule. A rushed solver sometimes transforms the first occurrence correctly but slips on the second, producing an internally inconsistent (and wrong) code.

Trap 4: Ignoring Word-Length Changes Between Example and Target

The example word and the target word are very often different lengths (e.g., a 3-letter example and a 6-letter target). Some students get confused, wrongly assuming the rule somehow "resets" or "repeats" a fixed number of times. In reality, per-letter rules (shift, vowel/consonant, odd/even position) apply independently to every single letter of the target word, however long it is — length has no bearing on how many times you apply the rule.

11.1 Trap-Recognition Practice MCQs

Q89. If CAT is coded as DCW, how is DOG coded? (Be careful: is the shift really the same for every letter?)

(A) DPI
(B) FRK
(C) EQJ
(D) JQE

Answer: (C) EQJ Explanation: Trap: a hasty solver sees C->D (a +1 shift) and assumes EVERY letter shifts by +1, giving a wrong answer. Checking all letters of CAT: C->D[+1], A->C[+2], T->W[+3] shows the shift is NOT constant — it increases by 1 for each letter (+1, +2, +3), i.e., shift = letter's position in the word. Applying this correct variable rule to DOG: D->E[+1], O->Q[+2], G->J[+3] gives EQJ.

Q90. If LAMP is coded as NZOO, how is DESK coded? (Check whether the shift is uniform or alternating.)

(A) FDUJ
(B) GEVK
(C) ECTI
(D) JUDF

Answer: (A) FDUJ Explanation: Trap: the first letter shows a +2 shift, tempting one to apply +2 to every letter. But checking all letters: L->N[+2], A->Z[-1], M->O[+2], P->O[-1] shows the shift ALTERNATES: odd positions +2, even positions -1. Applying this to DESK: D->F[+2], E->D[-1], S->U[+2], K->J[-1] gives FDUJ.

Q91. A student lists the alphabet position of each letter of ZEBRA as Z=25, E=4, B=1, R=17, A=0. Is this correct? If not, what is the correct set of position values?

(A) Z=25, E=4, B=1, R=17, A=0
(B) Z=26, E=5, B=2, R=18, A=1
(C) Z=26, E=4, B=2, R=17, A=1
(D) Z=25, E=5, B=1, R=18, A=0

Answer: (B) Z=26, E=5, B=2, R=18, A=1 Explanation: Trap: treating A as position 0 instead of position 1 shifts every value down by 1 — a very common miscounting error under exam time pressure. The CORRECT standard convention is A=1, B=2, ..., Z=26. So for ZEBRA: Z=26, E=5, B=2, R=18, A=1.

Q92. If CAT is coded as DBU, a student is asked to code ELEPHANT. The student pairs up letters incorrectly assuming ELEPHANT also has 3 letters worth of 'pattern' to repeat and gets confused. What is the correct code for ELEPHANT?

(A) ELEPHANT
(B) UOBIQFMF
(C) GNGRJCPV
(D) FMFQIBOU

Answer: (D) FMFQIBOU Explanation: Trap: some solvers assume the coding pattern only applies to words of the SAME LENGTH as the example, or try to reuse letter-by-letter positions from the short example word for a longer target word. The rule (here, uniform +1 shift) applies independently to EACH letter of whatever word you are coding, regardless of length. So ELEPHANT, letter by letter, becomes FMFQIBOU.

Q93. If BOOK is coded using a uniform +1 shift, a student writes the two O's differently as CQ and CR by mistake. What is the correct code for BOOK?

(A) CPPL
(B) DPPL
(C) CQOL
(D) CPPL

Answer: (A) CPPL Explanation: Trap: when a letter repeats in the word (like the two O's in BOOK), BOTH occurrences must get the SAME transformation — here, O(15)+1=16=P for both. The correct code for BOOK is CPPL. Never let a repeated letter accidentally get two different codes.

Chapter 12: A Step-by-Step Solving Framework for Exam Speed

Use this checklist on every coding-decoding question, in order. With practice, the entire sequence should take well under 30 seconds for most questions.

Step 1: Identify the Sub-Type

Glance at the question: is it letters-to-letters (Chapters 3, 4, 9), letters-to-numbers (Chapter 5), whole-word substitution (Chapter 6), a grid/matrix reference (Chapter 7), or full sentences in an invented language (Chapter 8)? This single glance narrows down which technique to apply.

Step 2: Write Out Positions Under Every Letter of the Given Example

For any letter-based sub-type, write the forward alphabet position number directly under each letter of BOTH the example word and its given code. This visual alignment is the fastest way to spot the true rule.

Step 3: Test Hypotheses in Order of Simplicity

Test in this order: uniform shift -> reversal (with or without shift) -> positional/variable shift -> alternating shift -> vowel/consonant rule -> odd/even own-position rule. Stop as soon as one hypothesis fits EVERY letter of the example (not just the first one or two).

Step 4: Apply the Confirmed Rule to the Target, Letter by Letter

Never skip re-deriving each letter of the target word individually — do not try to shortcut by pattern-matching the target word's SHAPE to the example word's shape.

Step 5: Sanity-Check Your Final Answer Against the Options

Before marking your answer, check whether more than one option looks "close" to your computed answer (differing by one letter or one digit) — this is a strong signal you may have mis-shifted a single letter, and it is worth a 5-second re-check of that one letter.

Quick-Reference Alphabet Position Chart

A=1 B=2 C=3 D=4 E=5 F=6 G=7 H=8 I=9 J=10 K=11 L=12 M=13

N=14 O=15 P=16 Q=17 R=18 S=19 T=20 U=21 V=22 W=23 X=24 Y=25 Z=26

Reverse position = 27 - forward position (e.g., reverse of M(13) = 27-13 = 14 = N).

Anchor letters to memorise for fast recall: E=5, J=10, O=15, T=20, Y=25 (each is exactly 5 apart).

Chapter 13: Full-Length Practice Set (25 Mixed Questions)

This final set mixes every sub-type covered in the book, in random order, exactly as you would encounter them in a real exam. Attempt all 25 questions under timed conditions (aim for under 15 minutes total) before checking the consolidated answer key with brief reasoning that follows.

Q94. If PENCIL is coded as QFODJM, how is ERASER coded in the same language? (Q1)

(A) ERASER
(B) FSBTFS
(C) GTCUGT
(D) SFTBSF

Q95. If MARKET is coded as KYPICR, how is GARDEN coded in the same language? (Q2)

(A) FZQCDM
(B) DXOABK
(C) LCBPYE
(D) EYPBCL

Q96. If SILVER is coded as VLOYHU, how is BRONZE coded in the same language? (Q3)

(A) DTQPBG
(B) FVSRDI
(C) HCQRUE
(D) EURQCH

Q97. If WINDOW is coded as VHMCNV, how is MIRROR coded in the same language? (Q4)

(A) QNQQHL
(B) MIRROR
(C) KGPPMP
(D) LHQQNQ

Q98. If ORANGE is coded as QTCPIG, how is BANANA coded in the same language? (Q5)

(A) CPCPCD
(B) EDQDQD
(C) CBOBOB
(D) DCPCPC

Q99. If PICTURE is coded as MFZQROB, how is MEASURE coded in the same language? (Q6)

(A) IAWOQNA
(B) BORPXBJ
(C) KCYQSPC
(D) JBXPROB

Q100. If STREAM is coded as NBFSUT, how is RIVER coded using the same rule? (Q7)

(A) SFWJS
(B) TGXKT
(C) REVIR
(D) SJWFS

Q101. If SHIP is coded as TJLT, how is BOAT coded using the same rule? (Q8)

(A) XDQC
(B) DREY
(C) BPCW
(D) CQDX

Q102. If GARDEN is coded as NEDRAG, how is FLOWER coded using the same rule? (Q9)

(A) FLOWER
(B) QDVNKE
(C) SFXPMG
(D) REWOLF

Q103. If CLOUD is coded as DNRYI, how is STORM coded using the same rule? (Q10)

(A) SUQUQ
(B) RVRVT
(C) UWSWS
(D) TVRVR

Q104. If CANDLE is coded as 05-03-16-06-14-07 (using alphabet position values, A=1...Z=26), how is MARKET coded in the same way? (Q11)

(A) 15-03-20-13-07-22
(B) 15-03-20-13-07-21
(C) 16-03-20-13-07-22
(D) 22-07-13-20-03-15

Q105. If SIGNAL is coded as 18-08-06-13-26-11 (using alphabet position values, A=1...Z=26), how is JOURNEY coded in the same way? (Q12)

(A) 09-14-20-17-13-04-23
(B) 24-04-13-17-20-14-09
(C) 10-14-20-17-13-04-24
(D) 09-14-20-17-13-04-24

Q106. If the word LION is coded as 100 (using position values of its letters), how is BEAR coded using the same rule? (Q13)

(A) 53
(B) 51
(C) 52
(D) 54

Q107. If the word ROSE is coded as 61 (using position values of its letters), how is LILY coded using the same rule? (Q14)

(A) 62
(B) 63
(C) 61
(D) 64

Q108. Using the letter matrix given in Chapter 6 (rows/columns numbered 1-5), where each letter's code is formed with the row number first, then column number, if BAT is coded as 12-11-45, how is FOX coded? (Q15)

(A) 21-35-54
(B) 31-35-54
(C) 21-35-44
(D) 12-53-45

Q109. Using the letter matrix given in Chapter 6 (rows/columns numbered 1-5), where each letter's code is formed with the column number first, then row number, if MEN is coded as 33-51-43, how is SKY coded? (Q16)

(A) 44-13-45
(B) 44-13-55
(C) 54-13-55
(D) 44-31-55

Q110. Using the letter matrix given in Chapter 6 (rows/columns numbered 1-5), where each letter's code is formed with the row number first, then column number, if TIN is coded as 45-24-34, how is WEB coded? (Q17)

(A) 53-15-52
(B) 35-51-21
(C) 13-15-12
(D) 53-15-12

Q111. If 'Pen' is called 'Pencil', 'Pencil' is called 'Book', and 'Book' is called 'Bag', what does a student use to write, according to the code? (Q18)

(A) Pen
(B) Book
(C) Pencil
(D) Bag

Q112. If 'Hot' is called 'Cold', 'Cold' is called 'Warm', and 'Warm' is called 'Hot', what is ice, according to the code? (Q19)

(A) Hot
(B) Cold
(C) Warm
(D) Cool

Q113. If 'Up' is called 'Down', 'Down' is called 'Left', and 'Left' is called 'Right', which direction does a bird fly to reach the sky, according to the code? (Q20)

(A) Right
(B) Up
(C) Left
(D) Down

Q114. If 'A + B' means 'A is the mother of B' and 'A - B' means 'A is the brother of B', then in 'M + N - O', how is M related to O? (Q21)

(A) Mother
(B) Aunt
(C) Sister
(D) Grandmother

Q115. If 'P x Q' means 'P is the husband of Q' and 'P ÷ Q' means 'P is the daughter of Q', then in 'M x N ÷ O', how is M related to O? (Q22)

(A) Son-in-law
(B) Husband
(C) Father
(D) Brother-in-law

Q116. If 'A' means '+', 'B' means '×', 'C' means '÷', and 'D' means '-', find the value of: 10 A 4 B 2 C 2 D 3 (Q23)

(A) 17
(B) 9
(C) 13
(D) 11

Q117. In a fictitious language: 'sea is deep' is written as 'lo ki ta'; 'deep lake calm' is written as 'ta mo wa'; 'calm waves sea' is written as 'wa ju lo'. What is the code for 'deep'? (Q24)

(A) mo
(B) ta
(C) lo
(D) wa

Q118. In a fictitious language, 'red rose blooms' is written as 'zil dor fen' and 'blooms bring joy' is written as 'fen kot piv'. What is the code for 'blooms'? (Q25)

(A) dor
(B) fen
(C) zil
(D) kot

13.1 Consolidated Answer Key with Brief Reasoning

Q. No.	Answer	Brief Reasoning
Q94	(B) FSBTFS	Each letter of PENCIL shifts 1 step(s) forward to give QFODJM. Applying the same uniform shift to ERASER gives FSBTFS.
Q95	(D) EYPBCL	Each letter of MARKET shifts 2 step(s) backward to give KYPICR. Applying the same uniform shift to GARDEN gives EYPBCL.
Q96	(D) EURQCH	Each letter of SILVER shifts 3 step(s) forward to give VLOYHU. Applying the same uniform shift to BRONZE gives EURQCH.
Q97	(D) LHQQNQ	Each letter of WINDOW shifts 1 step(s) backward to give VHMCNV. Applying the same uniform shift to MIRROR gives LHQQNQ.
Q98	(D) DCPCPC	Each letter of ORANGE shifts 2 step(s) forward to give QTCPIG. Applying the same uniform shift to BANANA gives DCPCPC.
Q99	(D) JBXPROB	Each letter of PICTURE shifts 3 step(s) backward to give MFZQROB. Applying the same uniform shift to MEASURE gives JBXPROB.
Q100	(A) SFWJS	Rule: reverse the word, then shift every letter +1. Reverse STREAM -> MAERTS, then +1 each: NBFSUT. Apply to RIVER: reverse -> REVIR, then +1 each: SFWJS.
Q101	(D) CQDX	Rule: 1st letter +1, 2nd letter +2, 3rd +3, and so on. Check SHIP: S->T[+1], H->J[+2], I->L[+3], P->T[+4] = TJLT. Apply to BOAT: B->C[+1], O->Q[+2], A->D[+3], T->X[+4] = CQDX.
Q102	(D) REWOLF	Rule: the letters are simply written in reverse order. GARDEN reversed = NEDRAG. FLOWER reversed = REWOLF.
Q103	(D) TVRVR	Rule: 1st letter +1, 2nd letter +2, 3rd +3, and so on. Check CLOUD: C->D[+1], L->N[+2], O->R[+3], U->Y[+4], D->I[+5] = DNRYI. Apply to STORM: S->T[+1], T->V[+2], O->R[+3], R->V[+4], M->R[+5] = TVRVR.
Q104	(A) 15-03-20-13-07-22	Each letter's position value is adjusted by +2. For CANDLE: C=3+2=5, A=1+2=3, N=14+2=16, D=4+2=6, L=12+2=14, E=5+2=7 -> 05-03-16-06-14-07. For MARKET: M=13+2=15, A=1+2=3, R=18+2=20, K=11+2=13, E=5+2=7, T=20+2=22 -> 15-03-20-13-07-22.
Q105	(D) 09-14-20-17-13-04-24	Each letter's position value is adjusted by -1. For SIGNAL: S=19-1=18, I=9-1=8, G=7-1=6, N=14-1=13, A=1-1=26, L=12-1=11 -> 18-08-06-13-26-11. For JOURNEY: J=10-1=9, O=15-1=14, U=21-1=20, R=18-1=17, N=14-1=13, E=5-1=4, Y=25-1=24 -> 09-14-20-17-13-04-24.
Q106	(C) 52	Find the sum of alphabet positions, then multiply the sum of letter-positions by 2. For LION: L=12+I=9+O=15+N=14 = 50; multiply the sum of letter-positions by 2 -> 100. For BEAR: B=2+E=5+A=1+R=18 = 26; multiply the sum of letter-positions by 2 -> 52.
Q107	(A) 62	Find the sum of alphabet positions, then add the number of letters to the sum of letter-positions. For ROSE: R=18+O=15+S=19+E=5 = 57; add the number of letters to the sum of letter-positions -> 61. For LILY: L=12+I=9+L=12+Y=25 = 58; add the number of letters to the sum of letter-positions -> 62.
Q108	(A) 21-35-54	Locate each letter in the grid: B(row1,col2)->12; A(row1,col1)->11; T(row4,col5)->45 -> 12-11-45. Applying the same rule to FOX: F(row2,col1)->21; O(row3,col5)->35; X(row5,col4)->54 -> 21-35-54.
Q109	(B) 44-13-55	Locate each letter in the grid: M(row3,col3)->33; E(row1,col5)->51; N(row3,col4)->43 -> 33-51-43. Applying the same rule to SKY: S(row4,col4)->44; K(row3,col1)->13; Y(row5,col5)->55 -> 44-13-55.
Q110	(D) 53-15-12	Locate each letter in the grid: T(row4,col5)->45; I(row2,col4)->24; N(row3,col4)->34 -> 45-24-34. Applying the same rule to WEB: W(row5,col3)->53; E(row1,col5)->15; B(row1,col2)->12 -> 53-15-12.
Q111	(C) Pencil	In real life, a student writes with a Pen. In the code, real 'Pen' is called 'Pencil'. So the coded answer is Pencil.
Q112	(C) Warm	In real life, ice is Cold. In the code, real 'Cold' is called 'Warm'. So the coded answer is Warm.
Q113	(D) Down	In real life, a bird flies Up to reach the sky. In the code, real 'Up' is called 'Down'. So the coded answer is Down.
Q114	(A) Mother	M + N means M is the mother of N. N - O means N is the brother of O. Since M is N's mother and N is O's brother (same parents), M is also the MOTHER of O.
Q115	(A) Son-in-law	M x N means M is the husband of N. N ÷ O means N is the daughter of O. So M is married to O's daughter N, which makes M the SON-IN-LAW of O.
Q116	(D) 11	Substitute the operators: A means +, B means ×, C means ÷, D means -. So 10 A 4 B 2 C 2 D 3 becomes 10 + 4 × 2 ÷ 2 - 3. By order of operations, first do × and ÷ left to right: 4 × 2 = 8, then 8 ÷ 2 = 4. Now the expression is 10 + 4 - 3 = 11. The value is 11.
Q117	(B) ta	The word 'deep' appears in exactly two statements: 'sea is deep' -> 'lo ki ta' and 'deep lake calm' -> 'ta mo wa'. The code common to BOTH sets (their intersection) is 'ta', since every other word differs between the two statements and therefore has a different code in each. So 'deep' = 'ta'.
Q118	(B) fen	The word 'blooms' appears in both statements: 'red rose blooms' -> 'zil dor fen' and 'blooms bring joy' -> 'fen kot piv'. The code common to both sets is 'fen'. So 'blooms' = 'fen'.

This book has covered 118 fully solved practice questions across every major Coding-Decoding sub-type tested in SSC and RRB examinations. Revisit the reference tables in Chapter 2 regularly, redo the trap-recognition set in Chapter 11 a few days before your exam, and always apply the Chapter 12 framework under timed conditions. Best of luck for your exam — visit pareeksha.in for more topic-wise practice across the full Reasoning and Quantitative Aptitude syllabus.

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TOC Index

Letter	Position (A=1)	Letter	Position (A=1)
A	1	N	14
B	2	O	15
C	3	P	16
D	4	Q	17
E	5	R	18
F	6	S	19
G	7	T	20
H	8	U	21
I	9	V	22
J	10	W	23
K	11	X	24
L	12	Y	25
M	13	Z	26

Letter	Reverse Position (A=26)	Letter	Reverse Position (A=26)
A	26	N	13
B	25	O	12
C	24	P	11
D	23	Q	10
E	22	R	9
F	21	S	8
G	20	T	7
H	19	U	6
I	18	V	5
J	17	W	4
K	16	X	3
L	15	Y	2
M	14	Z	1

Letter	Position (A=1)	Letter	Position (A=1)
A	1	N	14
B	2	O	15
C	3	P	16
D	4	Q	17
E	5	R	18
F	6	S	19
G	7	T	20
H	8	U	21
I	9	V	22
J	10	W	23
K	11	X	24
L	12	Y	25
M	13	Z	26

Letter	Reverse Position (A=26)	Letter	Reverse Position (A=26)
A	26	N	13
B	25	O	12
C	24	P	11
D	23	Q	10
E	22	R	9
F	21	S	8
G	20	T	7
H	19	U	6
I	18	V	5
J	17	W	4
K	16	X	3
L	15	Y	2
M	14	Z	1

Table of Contents