Difficulty: Medium
Correct Answer: 4926@
Explanation:
Introduction / Context:
This coding–decoding question uses a direct letter-to-symbol and digit substitution. We are given three example words and their corresponding codes: Pour, Sware and Clear. From these, we have to deduce the hidden mapping for each letter, then apply it to a new word, Pearl, to find its code. Problems like this are common in banking and competitive exams to test pattern recognition and careful observation skills.
Given Data / Assumptions:
Concept / Approach:
The main idea is to treat each example as evidence for how individual letters are coded. By aligning letters and their codes, we can build a mapping table. Once we know the code for P, E, A, R and L, we can simply concatenate them in order to obtain the code for Pearl. It is important to check that each letter always produces the same symbol or digit across different words.
Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: From Pour -> 4156, we get P -> 4, O -> 1, U -> 5, R -> 6.
Step 2: From Sware -> 78269, we get S -> 7, W -> 8, A -> 2, R -> 6, E -> 9 (confirming R -> 6 again).
Step 3: From Clear -> 3@926, we get C -> 3, L -> @, E -> 9, A -> 2, R -> 6 (confirming E -> 9 and A -> 2 again).
Step 4: Now write Pearl and substitute letter by letter: P -> 4, E -> 9, A -> 2, R -> 6, L -> @.
Step 5: Joining these in sequence produces the code 4926@ for the word Pearl.
Verification / Alternative check:
Recheck the mapping quickly: every time P appears it becomes 4, every time R appears it becomes 6, and so on. The code 4926@ uses only the established symbol for each letter and preserves the order P-E-A-R-L. Therefore it is fully consistent with all three given examples. No other option fits the complete mapping correctly.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option A: 429@6 places the @ symbol in the wrong position and puts 6 at the end, breaking the mapping for R and L.
Option B: 4962@ changes the position of digits 2 and 6, which correspond to A and R, so the letter order is not preserved.
Option C: 4692@ misassigns the digits for E and A compared with the required sequence.
Option E: 492@6 again swaps the positions of L and R, which contradicts the letter order in Pearl.
Common Pitfalls:
Candidates often rush and mix up positions when copying or mentally rearranging digits. Another pitfall is to assume a mathematical pattern in the numbers instead of treating them as labels tied to letters. The safest method is to build a clear substitution table from all examples and then strictly follow that mapping for the target word.
Final Answer:
The correct coded form of PEARL in this language is 4926@.
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