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Question

In a certain code language, 'CAKES’ is written as 'FXNBV' and 'ABUSE' is written as 'DYXPH'. How will 'BARKS' be written in that language?

This question was previously asked in
SSC CGL 2022 Tier-II (Paper 2 JSO) Previous Year Paper (04-Mar-2023)
The correct answer is

EXUHV

Solving Letter Coding Questions

This question involves a type of coding language puzzle where letters in a word are transformed into other letters based on a specific rule or pattern. To solve this, we need to identify the rule applied to the given examples and then use that rule to code the target word.

Analyzing the Given Coding Examples

We are given two examples of words coded into new words:

  • 'CAKES' is coded as 'FXNBV'
  • 'ABUSE' is coded as 'DYXPH'

Let's look at the letter-by-letter transformation for 'CAKES' to 'FXNBV':

  • C to F
  • A to X
  • K to N
  • E to B
  • S to V

To find the pattern, we can look at the positions of these letters in the English alphabet (A=1, B=2, ..., Z=26):

Original Letter Position Coded Letter Position Shift
C 3 F 6 $6 - 3 = +3$
A 1 X 24 $24 - 1 = +23$ (or $1 - 3 = -2$ mod 26, which is 24)
K 11 N 14 $14 - 11 = +3$
E 5 B 2 $2 - 5 = -3$
S 19 V 22 $22 - 19 = +3$

The pattern observed is a sequence of shifts: $+3, -3, +3, -3, +3$. Let's verify this pattern with the second example, 'ABUSE' to 'DYXPH'.

Original Letter Position Coded Letter Position Shift
A 1 D 4 $4 - 1 = +3$
B 2 Y 25 $25 - 2 = +23$ (or $2 - 3 = -1$ mod 26, which is 25)
U 21 X 24 $24 - 21 = +3$
S 19 P 16 $16 - 19 = -3$
E 5 H 8 $8 - 5 = +3$

The second example also follows the same $+3, -3, +3, -3, +3$ shift pattern. This confirms our identified rule for this code language.

Applying the Pattern to Code 'BARKS'

Now we apply the $+3, -3, +3, -3, +3$ shift rule to the word 'BARKS':

  • B: Position 2. Shift $+3 \implies 2 + 3 = 5$. The 5th letter is E.
  • A: Position 1. Shift $-3 \implies 1 - 3 = -2$. In a 26-letter alphabet cycle, this is $26 - 2 = 24$. The 24th letter is X.
  • R: Position 18. Shift $+3 \implies 18 + 3 = 21$. The 21st letter is U.
  • K: Position 11. Shift $-3 \implies 11 - 3 = 8$. The 8th letter is H.
  • S: Position 19. Shift $+3 \implies 19 + 3 = 22$. The 22nd letter is V.

Combining the coded letters, 'BARKS' is written as 'EXUHV'.

Final Coded Word for BARKS

Based on the $+3, -3, +3, -3, +3$ coding pattern derived from 'CAKES' and 'ABUSE', the word 'BARKS' is coded as EXUHV.

Original Word Coded Word
BARKS EXUHV

Revision Table: Letter Coding Patterns

Concept Description Example
Letter Position Assigning a numerical value to each letter (A=1, B=2, ..., Z=26). C = 3, S = 19
Constant Shift Adding or subtracting the same number for every letter. A $+2 \implies$ C, B $+2 \implies$ D (e.g., AB $\implies$ CD)
Varying Shift Adding or subtracting different numbers, or following a pattern like $+3, -3, +3, ...$ Used in this problem: $+3, -3, +3, -3, +3$.
Alphabetical Cycle When a shift goes beyond Z (26) or below A (1), you wrap around (e.g., Z $+1 \implies$ A, A $-1 \implies$ Z). A $-3 \implies$ X (wraps around from Z to Y to X).

Additional Information: Types of Coding-Decoding

Coding-decoding questions test your ability to identify patterns and rules in letter or number sequences. Common types include:

  • Letter Coding: Letters are replaced by other letters based on specific rules (like shifts, reversal, or swapping). This problem is an example of letter coding with shifts.
  • Number Coding: Words are assigned numerical values based on letter positions, sum of positions, or other arithmetic operations.
  • Symbol Coding: Letters or words are replaced by symbols.
  • Mixed Coding: A combination of letters, numbers, and symbols.
  • Substitution Coding: Direct substitution of one word/letter/number for another, where the code is given explicitly.

Practicing different types helps you quickly identify the pattern in coding-decoding problems.

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Important Questions from Coding and Decoding By Letter Shifting

  1. In a certain code language, 'MANGOES' is written as 'AEGMNOS'. How will 'FRIEND' be written in that language?

  2. In a certain code language, ‘SPIRIT’ is written as ‘WKMIMG’. How will ‘GLOBAL’ be written in that language?

  3. In a certain code language, ‘ABSTRACT’ is written as ‘IIYYVDEU’. How will ‘INSTINCT’ be written in that language?

  4. In a certain code language, 'LUCKNOW' is written as 'CULKWON' and 'UDAIPUR' is written as 'ADUIRUP'. How will 'GWALIOR' be written in that language?

  5. If in a code language ADVENTURES is coded as VDANEUTSER, then SYSTEMATIC would be coded as:

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