In a certain code language, the word "HISTORY" is written as "XQNSRHI" by rearranging and shifting its letters. Using the same coding rule, how is the word "ETHICS" written in that code language?

Introduction / Context:
This question belongs to the coding–decoding type in verbal reasoning. We are told that the word "HISTORY" is written as "XQNSRHI" in a certain code. Our task is to discover the pattern used to encode "HISTORY" and then apply exactly the same rule to the word "ETHICS" so that we can find its coded form from the given options.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Original word: HISTORY.
• Coded word: XQNSRHI.
• We need to encode: ETHICS.
• The same systematic rule must be used for both words.
• The code likely involves both alphabet shifts and reversal of letter order.

Concept / Approach:
A good way to handle such questions is to reverse the given code and compare it letter by letter with the original word. This often reveals a simple shifting rule. Here, when we reverse "XQNSRHI", we get "IHR SNQX" (or I H R S N Q X). Comparing "HISTORY" with this reversed string shows a clear pattern: the first letter of "HISTORY" is shifted one step forward in the alphabet, while all remaining letters are shifted one step backward. After these shifts, the resulting string is reversed to get the final code.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Write the original word and the reversed code: HISTORY → reversed code I H R S N Q X. Compare positions: H becomes I (shift +1), I becomes H (shift -1), S becomes R (shift -1), T becomes S (shift -1), O becomes N (shift -1), R becomes Q (shift -1), Y becomes X (shift -1). So the rule is: first letter → +1 shift; all other letters → -1 shift; then reverse the resulting string. Apply this to ETHICS: Original letters: E, T, H, I, C, S. First letter E shifted forward by 1 becomes F. T shifted back by 1 becomes S. H shifted back by 1 becomes G. I shifted back by 1 becomes H. C shifted back by 1 becomes B. S shifted back by 1 becomes R. Intermediate string after shifts: F S G H B R. Reverse this string to obtain the final code: R B H G S F. Thus "ETHICS" is written as RBHGSF in the given code language.

Verification / Alternative check:
We can verify the pattern by re-encoding "HISTORY" with the same method. Apply +1 to H and -1 to the remaining letters, then reverse the result. This reconstruction again gives "XQNSRHI", confirming that our rule is correct and consistently applied. Using the same rule for "ETHICS" therefore must produce an accurate code word.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Options DSGHBR, RBHDSG and GSDRBH either do not follow the +1 and -1 shift pattern correctly or do not result from reversing the shifted string for "ETHICS". They break the clear positional relationship identified between "HISTORY" and its code, so they cannot represent the correct encoding of "ETHICS".

Common Pitfalls:
Students sometimes look only for simple uniform shifts (like +2 or -3 for every letter) and ignore reordering. Others notice reversal but miss that the first letter is treated differently from the rest. Carefully checking both shifting and order is essential in such mixed-pattern coding questions.

Final Answer:
Therefore, in this code language, "ETHICS" is written as RBHGSF.