Difficulty: Medium
Correct Answer: AMBITION
Explanation:
Introduction / Context:
This question asks you to determine which word cannot be formed using the letters of the base word EXAMINATION. These kinds of questions are common in verbal reasoning sections of competitive exams and test your ability to work with letter frequencies and to quickly detect missing or overused letters.
Given Data / Assumptions:
Concept / Approach:
The safe and systematic method is to count how many times each letter appears in EXAMINATION and then check each option carefully. If any option contains a letter not present in the base word, or requires a letter more times than its available count, that option cannot be formed. Typically, only one option fails this test and becomes the correct answer.
Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: List letter frequencies for EXAMINATION: E(1), X(1), A(2), M(1), I(2), N(2), T(1), O(1).Step 2: Check NATION: letters N, A, T, I, O, N. Required counts are N(2), A(1), T(1), I(1), O(1). All are within the available frequencies, so NATION can be formed.Step 3: Check EXAM: letters E, X, A, M. Required counts E(1), X(1), A(1), M(1) all fit within the base word counts, so EXAM can be formed.Step 4: Check MENTION: letters M, E, N, T, I, O, N. Required counts M(1), E(1), N(2), T(1), I(1), O(1) are also within the available frequencies, so MENTION can be formed.Step 5: Check AMBITION: letters A, M, B, I, T, I, O, N. This option introduces the letter B, which does not appear anywhere in EXAMINATION. Therefore, AMBITION cannot be formed.
Verification / Alternative check:
Why Other Options Are Wrong:
NATION is not the correct answer because all its letters and their required frequencies are satisfied by EXAMINATION.EXAM is not the correct answer, as it uses only E, X, A, M, all of which appear in the base word.MENTION is not the correct answer because every letter in it appears in EXAMINATION with adequate frequency.
Common Pitfalls:
The main pitfall is ignoring the introduction of a completely new letter like B. Some students check only a subset of letters and miss this important detail. Another common error is to assume that longer words like MENTION must be the impossible ones simply because they seem more complex. Instead, you should always base your decision on a systematic letter frequency comparison, not on word length or intuition.
Final Answer:
The word that cannot be formed using the letters of EXAMINATION is AMBITION.
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