Data Sufficiency — Letter Code Mapping Question: How is the word ‘‘DATE’’ written in the given code language? Statements: I. DEAR is written as $#@?. II. TREAT is written as %?#@%. III. TEAR is written as %#@?.
Verbal Reasoning
Data Sufficiency
Difficulty: Easy
Choose an option
Answer
Correct Answer: Only I and either II or III
Explanation
Introduction / Context: This Data Sufficiency problem uses letter-to-symbol coding. We must decide which statements provide enough mapping to encode the word ‘‘DATE’’ unambiguously.
Given Data / Assumptions:
- Words and their codes:
- DEAR → $#@?
- TREAT → %?#@%
- TEAR → %#@?
- Each letter maps to a fixed symbol consistently across words.
Concept / Approach: Extract the symbol for each letter needed in DATE (D, A, T, E). Then check which statement combinations supply all four letters’ mappings.
Step-by-Step Solution:
From I (DEAR): D = $, E = #, A = @, R = ?. From II (TREAT): T = %, R = ?, E = #, A = @. From III (TEAR): T = %, E = #, A = @, R = ?. Target DATE = D-A-T-E ⇒ $ @ % #. I + II: supplies D, A, E from I and T from II ⇒ sufficient. I + III: supplies D from I and T from III; both cover A and E as well ⇒ sufficient. II + III (without I): do not supply D ⇒ insufficient.Verification / Alternative check: Using either pair (I+II) or (I+III), DATE always codes to $@%#.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:
- Only I and II: True but not the only sufficient pair.
- Only II and III: Lacks D.
- All three: Overkill.
- None of these: Incorrect because a valid choice exists.
Common Pitfalls: Mixing symbol order; forgetting consistency across all samples; overlooking that D appears only in Statement I.
Final Answer: Only I and either II or III.