Question 1

A, B, C, D, E and F are sitting around a round table at equal distances. F is sitting opposite to E and is between A and D. C is sitting to the right of E and opposite to A. Who are the neighbours of A?

Accepted Answer

Introduction / Context: This problem is a classic circular seating arrangement question. Such questions test your ability to visualise positions around a table and interpret relational clues like “between”, “opposite” and “to the right of”. Here, six people are seated around a round table, and we must carefully use the given information to determine the neighbours of A. Given Data / Assumptions: - People: A, B, C, D, E, F are seated around a round table at equal distances. - F is opposite to E. - F is between A and D (so A and D are the immediate neighbours of F). - C is sitting to the right of E and is opposite to A. - We assume everyone faces the centre, so a persons right is clockwise. Concept / Approach: In circular arrangement questions, it is usually best to fix one person at a convenient reference point without loss of generality and then place others step by step using the clues. Opposite positions in a 6-seat circle are exactly three seats apart. The phrase “between A and D” means F has A on one side and D on the other. Combining these constraints with “right of E” and “opposite to A” for C lets us uniquely determine everyone's position and thus identify A's neighbours. Step-by-Step Solution: Step 1: Fix A at a reference position on the circle (say at the top). In a 6-seat circle, the seat exactly opposite A is three positions away. Step 2: C is opposite to A, so place C directly opposite A. Step 3: F must sit between A and D, which means F is a direct neighbour of A and also of D. So F can be either the immediate seat to A's left or A's right. Step 4: F is opposite E, so E must be three seats away from F. Consider the two possible positions for F and test which one fits all clues. Step 5: Case 1: Put F on A's right. Then D is next to F on the other side. E would end up opposite F, but then C cannot be both opposite A and to the right of E in a consistent way. This arrangement fails. Step 6: Case 2: Put F on A's left. Then D must sit on F's other side. Now, placing E opposite F makes E two seats clockwise from A. The seat to the right of E is then exactly where C is already placed opposite A, so this arrangement satisfies all clues. Step 7: In this valid arrangement, the two neighbours of A are B on one side and F on the other. Verification / Alternative check: Label the seats clockwise as A, B, E, C, D, F. Check clues: F is between A and D (yes), F opposite E (yes), C right of E (moving clockwise from E takes you to C) and C opposite A (yes). Since this arrangement uses all clues consistently, it is correct, and the neighbours of A are indeed B and F. Why Other Options Are Wrong: - “F and D”: D is not directly next to A in the valid layout, so this is incorrect. - “E and F”: E sits two places away from A, not adjacent to A. - “E and C”: Neither of these is a neighbour of A in the consistent arrangement. Common Pitfalls: Students often misinterpret “to the right of” in a circular setting or forget that everyone is assumed to face the centre. Another mistake is not checking all clues after drawing one possible arrangement. The safe approach is to draw neat diagrams for each case and confirm every statement before finalising your answer. Final Answer: The neighbours of A around the table are B and F.

Question 2

From the given alternative words, select the word which cannot be formed using the letters of the word INTELLIGENCE.

Accepted Answer

Introduction / Context: Word-formation questions check whether you can mentally track the availability and frequency of letters in a base word. The twist is that you are allowed to use each letter only as many times as it appears in the original word. Here, the base word is INTELLIGENCE, and you must decide which option cannot be formed from its letters under this restriction. Given Data / Assumptions: - Base word: INTELLIGENCE. - Available letters and their counts are fixed by this word. - Each letter can be used at most as many times as it appears in INTELLIGENCE. - Option words: CANCEL, NEGLECT, GENTLE, INCITE. Concept / Approach: The core idea is to count letters. First, list the letters in the base word with their frequencies. Then, for each option word, compare the required letters and their counts with what is available. If any option demands a letter that either does not appear at all or appears more times than available, that word cannot be formed. Exactly one such option should fail this test. Step-by-Step Solution: Step 1: Write the base word INTELLIGENCE and count each letter. Letters: I, N, T, E, L, L, I, G, E, N, C, E. Frequencies: I(2), N(2), T(1), E(3), L(2), G(1), C(1). Step 2: Check CANCEL: C, A, N, C, E, L. It uses C twice and A once. INTELLIGENCE has only one C and no A at all, so CANCEL cannot be formed. Step 3: Check NEGLECT: N, E, G, L, E, C, T. Needed: N(1), E(2), G(1), L(1), C(1), T(1). All of these counts are within the available limits, so NEGLECT can be formed. Step 4: Check GENTLE: G, E, N, T, L, E. Needed: G(1), E(2), N(1), T(1), L(1). All are present in sufficient quantity, so GENTLE can be formed. Step 5: Check INCITE: I, N, C, I, T, E. Needed: I(2), N(1), C(1), T(1), E(1). Again, this is within the available counts, so INCITE can be formed. Verification / Alternative check: Summarise counts quickly: INTELLIGENCE has no A and only one C. CANCEL requires A and two Cs, which already violates the rules. The other three words use only letters present in INTELLIGENCE, and none of them exceed the available counts. So only CANCEL fails the formation test and is therefore the required answer. Why Other Options Are Wrong: - NEGLECT: all required letters occur in INTELLIGENCE, and each is used within limit. - GENTLE: uses G, E, N, T, L, all of which are safely available. - INCITE: uses I twice, N, C, T, E, and these frequencies all match or stay below the base word frequencies. Common Pitfalls: Students often check only whether letters exist, forgetting to check how many times they appear. Another common error is to miscount repeated letters like E or L in the base word. A systematic approach is to write the base letter frequencies clearly once, then tick off counts for each option word. This almost eliminates mistakes in such questions. Final Answer: The word that cannot be formed from INTELLIGENCE is CANCEL.

Question 3

From the given alternative words, select the word which cannot be formed using the letters of the word PERSONALITY.

Accepted Answer

Introduction / Context: Again, this is a word-formation problem based on letter availability and frequency. The base word here is PERSONALITY, and you must identify which one of the options cannot be formed from its letters. This type of verbal reasoning question is designed to test careful counting and attention to repeated letters rather than vocabulary alone. Given Data / Assumptions: - Base word: PERSONALITY. - Letters: P, E, R, S, O, N, A, L, I, T, Y. - Each letter can be used at most once, because it appears at most once in PERSONALITY. - Option words: REALITY, REASON, PERSON, ROYALTY. Concept / Approach: The strategy is to list the letters of PERSONALITY and note that each is available only once. Then, for each option, break it into letters and check whether any letter either does not appear in PERSONALITY at all or is required more times than it appears. If either happens, that word cannot be formed. You must find the single option that fails this test. Step-by-Step Solution: Step 1: List letters of PERSONALITY with counts. P(1), E(1), R(1), S(1), O(1), N(1), A(1), L(1), I(1), T(1), Y(1). Step 2: Check REALITY: R, E, A, L, I, T, Y. Each letter occurs once in REALITY and also occurs at least once in PERSONALITY. Counts are within limits, so REALITY can be formed. Step 3: Check REASON: R, E, A, S, O, N. All these letters are present in PERSONALITY exactly once each. So REASON can be formed. Step 4: Check PERSON: P, E, R, S, O, N. Again, each letter occurs once in both the option and the base word, so PERSON can be formed. Step 5: Check ROYALTY: R, O, Y, A, L, T, Y. Here, the letter Y appears twice (at the third and last positions), but PERSONALITY has only one Y. Therefore, you do not have enough Ys to form ROYALTY. Verification / Alternative check: Summarise quickly: every letter of REALITY, REASON and PERSON appears in PERSONALITY and none of them requires a duplicate letter that is missing. ROYALTY, however, needs two Ys, while PERSONALITY provides only one. Since frequency limits are violated here, ROYALTY alone cannot be formed from PERSONALITY. Why Other Options Are Wrong: - REALITY uses R, E, A, L, I, T, Y, all available exactly once in PERSONALITY. - REASON uses R, E, A, S, O, N, again all present and not repeated beyond what is available. - PERSON uses P, E, R, S, O, N, which also matches the available letters exactly. Common Pitfalls: Students often forget to check repeated letters within the option word. ROYALTY looks plausible at a glance because all its letters appear somewhere in PERSONALITY, but the duplication of Y is the crucial detail. To avoid such mistakes, always count each letter carefully and compare required counts with what the base word actually offers. Final Answer: The word that cannot be formed from PERSONALITY is ROYALTY because it requires Y twice while the base word has only one Y.

Question 4

Arrange the following words in the sequence in which they would occur in an English dictionary: 1. Clamp 2. Cloud 3. Cable 4. Cannal 5. Capricon

Accepted Answer

Introduction / Context: This is another dictionary order problem where you must arrange a list of words as they would appear in a standard English dictionary. Even though some spellings like “Cannal” and “Capricon” look slightly off, you still follow the strict alphabetical comparison of their letters. The goal is to determine the correct index sequence of these words. Given Data / Assumptions: - Words with indices: 1. Clamp 2. Cloud 3. Cable 4. Cannal 5. Capricon - We apply normal alphabetical comparison of letters from left to right. - Dictionary order depends purely on letter sequence, not meaning. Concept / Approach: To arrange words alphabetically, compare them letter by letter. First, group by the first differing letter. Here, all words begin with C, so we compare the second letter, then the third, and so on as needed. It often helps to mentally sort subsets of words that share the same initial pattern, then merge them into a final order. Step-by-Step Solution: Step 1: Note that all words start with 'C', so go to the second letter. Second letters: Clamp (l), Cloud (l), Cable (a), Cannal (a), Capricon (a). Step 2: Words with 'Ca' (Cable, Cannal, Capricon) come before words with 'Cl' (Clamp, Cloud), because a comes before l. Step 3: Order the 'Ca' words by third letter: Cable (C a b...), Cannal (C a n...), Capricon (C a p...). Here b < n < p, so the order is Cable (3), Cannal (4), Capricon (5). Step 4: Now order the 'Cl' words: Clamp (C l a...), Cloud (C l o...). Comparing 'a' with 'o' shows that Clamp (1) comes before Cloud (2). Step 5: Combine the two groups: 3, 4, 5, 1, 2. Verification / Alternative check: Imagine the words written on a page under the letter C. You would first see all the “Ca…” words: Cable, Cannal, Capricon, then the “Cl…” words: Clamp, Cloud. Within “Ca…”, you naturally see the b-word, then the n-word, then the p-word. Within “Cl…”, you see Clamp before Cloud. This confirms the final sequence 34512. Why Other Options Are Wrong: - 35412 swaps Cannal and Capricon incorrectly, even though n comes before p. - 43512 starts with Cannal instead of Cable, ignoring that b comes before n. - 45312 places Capricon before Cannal despite p coming after n. Common Pitfalls: A common mistake is to focus on the first few letters and then guess, especially when several words share the same first two letters. Another is to be distracted by familiar words or meanings instead of strict letter sequences. To avoid errors, explicitly compare letters at the first position where they differ and proceed systematically. Final Answer: In dictionary order, the words appear as Cable, Cannal, Capricon, Clamp, Cloud, corresponding to the index sequence 34512.

Question 5

Arrange the following words in the sequence in which they occur in the dictionary: i. Accuse ii. Accord iii. Acquisite iv. Acquire

Accepted Answer

Introduction / Context: This problem again tests your skill with alphabetical ordering, now using words that share very similar prefixes. With words like “Accuse”, “Accord”, “Acquire” and “Acquisite”, it is easy to get confused if you do not carefully compare each letter. Correct dictionary order requires precise left-to-right comparison at the first point of difference. Given Data / Assumptions: - Words: Accuse, Accord, Acquisite, Acquire. - Guide indices: i. Accuse, ii. Accord, iii. Acquisite, iv. Acquire. - Standard English alphabetical rules apply. Concept / Approach: The common prefix “Acc” and “Acq” hides the true order. You must separate the “Acc…” words from the “Acq…” words first, because c comes before q. Within each group, compare subsequent letters until you find the first difference. As a rule, shorter words come before longer ones if one is a complete prefix of the other and all earlier letters match. Step-by-Step Solution: Step 1: Split words into two groups by the third letter sequence: Accuse, Accord (Acc…) and Acquire, Acquisite (Acq…). Step 2: Since c comes before q, both “Acc…” words come before both “Acq…” words in the dictionary. Step 3: Order the “Acc…” words: Accord vs Accuse. Compare: A C C O R D vs A C C U S E. The first three letters A-C-C match. The fourth letters are O and U. O comes before U, so Accord (ii) comes before Accuse (i). Step 4: Now order the “Acq…” words: Acquire vs Acquisite. Acquire: A C Q U I R E; Acquisite: A C Q U I S I T E. Up to A C Q U I, they match. The next letters are R and S. R comes before S, so Acquire (iv) comes before Acquisite (iii). Step 5: Combine the group orders: Accord (ii), Accuse (i), Acquire (iv), Acquisite (iii). Verification / Alternative check: Imagine scanning a dictionary page. You would first find all “Acc…” entries; among them, Accord comes before Accuse. After those, you would reach “Acq…” entries. Under Acq, you would see Acquire before Acquisite for the reason that “acquir-” precedes “acquis-”. This matches the sequence ii, i, iv, iii. Why Other Options Are Wrong: - i, ii, iv, iii starts with Accuse before Accord, ignoring that O is before U. - ii, i, iii, iv incorrectly places Acquisite before Acquire, even though R comes before S. - iv, i, ii, iii mixes Acc- and Acq- groups in an order that does not follow alphabetical rules. Common Pitfalls: Candidates often glance only at the first few letters and assume words beginning with Acq must always come before those beginning with Acc, simply because q appears later in the alphabet. Others ignore subtle differences in later letters like R versus S. Always compare words carefully at the first differing letter and remember that entire prefixes matter for ordering. Final Answer: The correct dictionary order is Accord, Accuse, Acquire, Acquisite, corresponding to ii, i, iv, iii.

Question 6

Arrange the following words in the sequence in which they occur in the dictionary: i. Recognize ii. Receptive iii. Record iv. Recur

Accepted Answer

Introduction / Context: This is a dictionary order question involving words with a common prefix “Rec-”. The challenge is to accurately compare the letters that follow this prefix to determine the correct sequence. Such questions reward methodical letter-by-letter analysis and punish guessing based on word familiarity or meaning. Given Data / Assumptions: - Words: Recognize, Receptive, Record, Recur. - Index mapping: i. Recognize, ii. Receptive, iii. Record, iv. Recur. - Standard alphabetical ordering rules apply. Concept / Approach: Since all words start with “Re”, and more specifically “Rec” for three of them, we must move to subsequent letters to separate them. You compare words character by character: the first point where they differ decides their order. When all earlier letters match, you continue until you find a difference or one word ends, in which case the shorter word comes first. Step-by-Step Solution: Step 1: Write the words with their initial letters highlighted: Receptive, Recognize, Record, Recur. Step 2: Compare the first three letters. Receptive, Recognize and Record all start with R-E-C; Recur starts with R-E-C as well? Actually Recur is R-E-C-U-R, so all four start with R-E-C. Step 3: Look at the fourth letter: Receptive has E (Rece...), Recognize has O (Reco...), Record has O (Reco...), Recur has U (Recu...). Alphabetically, E comes before O, which comes before U. Step 4: Therefore, Receptive (ii) must come first among all four words. Step 5: Next, consider the two words starting with Reco: Recognize (Recognize) and Record (Record). Compare: R E C O G... vs R E C O R.... The letters match as R-E-C-O; then G comes before R, so Recognize (i) comes before Record (iii). Step 6: Finally, Recur (iv), starting with Recu, follows the Reco words because U comes after O. Step 7: Combining these conclusions gives the order: Receptive, Recognize, Record, Recur → ii, i, iii, iv. Verification / Alternative check: Picture a dictionary page: you would first arrive at “receptive” under “rece…”. After finishing the “rece…” group, you would encounter “recognize” and then “record” under “reco…”, ordered by the difference between “recogn-” and “recor-”. After all “reco…” words, “recur” with “recu…” follows. This matches the sequence ii, i, iii, iv. Why Other Options Are Wrong: - iv, iii, ii, i wrongly starts with Recur and places it before the “rece…” and “reco…” words, which contradicts the ordering of E, O and U. - ii, i, iv, iii incorrectly puts Recur before Record, though U comes after O. - i, ii, iii, iv starts with Recognize before Receptive, ignoring that E comes before O. Common Pitfalls: Learners sometimes focus on the familiarity of words and may assume that “record” should appear earlier because it is more common. Others might misjudge the order of E, O and U. To avoid errors, temporarily ignore meanings and rely strictly on letter comparison: E < O < U. This ensures the right sequence even with similar-looking words. Final Answer: The correct dictionary order is Receptive, Recognize, Record, Recur, corresponding to ii, i, iii, iv.

Question 7

Arrange the following words in the sequence in which they occur in the dictionary: i. Optimistic ii. Opposition iii. Organization iv. Ordinary

Accepted Answer

Introduction / Context: Here you must arrange four words beginning with the letter O in dictionary order. The trick is to pay attention not only to the first letter but to the sequence of the next few letters, especially where words share a common starting pattern. The choices are Optimistic, Opposition, Organization and Ordinary. Given Data / Assumptions: - Words to arrange: Optimistic, Opposition, Organization, Ordinary. - Indices: i. Optimistic, ii. Opposition, iii. Organization, iv. Ordinary. - Standard alphabetical order rules apply. Concept / Approach: First group words by the initial letters; then refine order by comparing subsequent characters. All of these words start with O, but quickly diverge into Op- and Or- groups. Within each group, compare letters at each position stepping to the right until a difference appears. This systematic approach prevents confusion with similar-looking words. Step-by-Step Solution: Step 1: Note the first two letters: Optimistic → Op… Opposition → Op… Organization → Or… Ordinary → Or… Step 2: Words starting with Op come before those starting with Or, because p comes before r. So Opposition and Optimistic will come before Ordinary and Organization. Step 3: Order the “Op” words: Opposition and Optimistic. Opposition: O P P O S…; Optimistic: O P T I M… At the third letter we compare P vs T. Since P comes before T, Opposition (ii) comes before Optimistic (i). Step 4: Order the “Or” words: Organization and Ordinary. Ordinary: O R D I…; Organization: O R G A… Compare third letters: D vs G. D comes before G, so Ordinary (iv) comes before Organization (iii). Step 5: Combine the groups: Opposition (ii), Optimistic (i), Ordinary (iv), Organization (iii). Verification / Alternative check: Visualise a dictionary: all “Opp…” entries are encountered before “Opt…”, and all “Op…” words are listed before any “Or…” words. Under “Or…”, you will see “Ord…” before “Org…”. This yields the order Opposition, Optimistic, Ordinary, Organization, which matches the sequence ii, i, iv, iii. Why Other Options Are Wrong: - ii, i, iii, iv incorrectly places Organization (Org…) before Ordinary (Ord…), despite D coming before G. - iv, iii, ii, i starts with Ordinary and Organization, ignoring that all “Op…” words must come earlier than “Or…” words. - i, ii, iii, iv puts Optimistic before Opposition, though P (from OPP…) is alphabetically prior to T (from OPT…). Common Pitfalls: Students sometimes rely on the approximate sound of words and may, for example, place “organization” earlier because it feels more familiar. Another mistake is failing to separate Op and Or groups correctly. Always work strictly by letters: compare them at each position and do not skip ahead or rely only on intuition. Final Answer: The correct dictionary order is Opposition, Optimistic, Ordinary, Organization, corresponding to ii, i, iv, iii.

Question 8

Arrange the following words in the sequence in which they occur in the dictionary: i. Foresay ii. Foreseize iii. Foreseeable iv. Foresail

Accepted Answer

Introduction / Context: Here you must alphabetically order four words that all begin with “Fore…”. Because they share a long common prefix, the distinguishing letters occur further inside each word, and you must be patient and careful in comparing them. The words are Foresay, Foreseize, Foreseeable and Foresail. Given Data / Assumptions: - Words: Foresay, Foreseize, Foreseeable, Foresail. - Indices: i. Foresay, ii. Foreseize, iii. Foreseeable, iv. Foresail. - All are treated according to normal English dictionary rules. Concept / Approach: Since every word starts with “Fore”, and more precisely “Fores…”, we need to look at letters that follow “fores”. Words are ordered based on the first letter that differs, and then, if necessary, the second, third and so on. A practical technique is to group words by the shared prefix and then compare letter by letter beyond that prefix. Step-by-Step Solution: Step 1: Note the common prefix: all words start with F O R E S. Step 2: Examine the sixth letter (immediately after “fores”): Foresail → fores a… Foresay → fores a… Foreseeable → forese e… Foreseize → forese i… Step 3: The words with 'foresa…' (Foresail, Foresay) come before those with 'forese…' (Foreseeable, Foreseize), because a comes before e. Step 4: Order Foresail vs Foresay. Foresail: f o r e s a i l; Foresay: f o r e s a y. After 'foresa', compare 'i' vs 'y'. Since i comes before y, Foresail (iv) comes before Foresay (i). Step 5: Order Foreseeable vs Foreseize. Foreseeable: f o r e s e e…; Foreseize: f o r e s e i… After 'forese', compare 'e' vs 'i'. E comes before I, so Foreseeable (iii) comes before Foreseize (ii). Step 6: Combine: Foresail (iv), Foresay (i), Foreseeable (iii), Foreseize (ii). Verification / Alternative check: Imagine turning the pages of a dictionary under “fores-”. All entries starting with “foresa-” appear before any words beginning with “forese-”. Under “foresa-”, “foresail” (…ail) precedes “foresay” (…ay) because i comes before y. Under “forese-”, “foreseeable” (…ee…) precedes “foreseize” (…ei…) because e comes before i. This confirms the sequence iv, i, iii, ii. Why Other Options Are Wrong: - i, iii, iv, ii starts with Foresay before Foresail, ignoring that i comes before y after the shared prefix. - i, iii, ii, iv incorrectly mixes positions of Foresail and Foresay and places Foreseize too late. - iii, i, ii, iv puts Foreseeable first, but all “foresa-” words must come before “forese-” words. Common Pitfalls: The main trap is to stop comparing too early, deciding based only on the first 5 letters (“fores”) and then guessing. Another mistake is to rely on familiarity rather than letter order. Always continue letter-by-letter beyond the shared prefix until you locate a clear alphabetical difference. That process guarantees the correct order. Final Answer: In dictionary order, the correct sequence is Foresail, Foresay, Foreseeable, Foreseize, corresponding to iv, i, iii, ii.

Question 9

Arrange the following words in the sequence in which they occur in the dictionary: 1. Soften 2. Sterilize 3. Stick 4. Sterile 5. Status

Accepted Answer

Introduction / Context: This question asks you to arrange five English verbs or adjectives in dictionary order: Soften, Sterilize, Stick, Sterile and Status. Although they share some similar starting letters (such as “St…”), you must still carefully compare their spelling character by character to find the correct alphabetical sequence. Given Data / Assumptions: - Words: Soften (1), Sterilize (2), Stick (3), Sterile (4), Status (5). - We assume standard English alphabetical rules. - The answer choices list only possible index sequences, not the words themselves. Concept / Approach: First, look at the first two letters of each word. Words starting with “So” will come before those starting with “St”. Among the “St” words, the third and fourth letters will determine the finer order. Recall that within a given prefix, words with earlier letters come first; if all letters match up to a point, the shorter word appears before the longer one. Step-by-Step Solution: Step 1: Group words by the second letter. Soften: S o… Sterilize: S t e… Stick: S t i… Sterile: S t e… Status: S t a… Step 2: Since o comes before t, Soften (1) must come first overall. Step 3: Among the remaining words starting with “St…”, compare the third letter: Status (Sta…), Sterilize (Ste…), Sterile (Ste…), Stick (Sti…). Alphabetically, a < e < i, so Status (5) comes before any “Ste…” word, which in turn come before Stick (3). Step 4: Now order Sterile vs Sterilize. Sterile: S T E R I L E; Sterilize: S T E R I L I Z E. They match up to “steril”. Then Sterile ends with “e”, while Sterilize continues with “ize”. Since the shorter word comes first when one is a prefix of the other, Sterile (4) is before Sterilize (2). Step 5: Put everything together: Soften (1), Status (5), Sterile (4), Sterilize (2), Stick (3) → 1 5 4 2 3. Verification / Alternative check: Simulate the dictionary: first “soften” under “so-”, then move to “sta-” (status), then “ste-” (sterile, sterilize in that order), and finally “sti-” (stick). The resulting pattern exactly matches the index sequence 15423. Why Other Options Are Wrong: - 25134 starts with Status (5), ignoring that any “so-” word must precede “st-” words. - 54213 incorrectly places Soften after several “st-” words and scrambles the internal ordering. - 32154 has Stick (3) before Soften and other incorrectly arranged words, which contradicts basic alphabetical order. Common Pitfalls: A common error is to group all “St…” words together without considering that “Sta…”, “Ste…” and “Sti…” have different third letters. Another mistake is forgetting that when two words are identical up to the last letter of the shorter word, the shorter word comes first. Carefully comparing each position avoids these mistakes. Final Answer: The correct dictionary order is Soften, Status, Sterile, Sterilize, Stick, corresponding to the sequence 15423.

Question 10

A series of planets is given with one term missing. Choose the correct alternative that will complete the series: Jupiter, ?, Uranus, Neptune.

Accepted Answer

Introduction / Context: This question uses a simple series based on the names of planets in our Solar System. You are given three planets with one missing in the middle and asked to identify the missing one. Even though it appears to be a general knowledge question, the underlying pattern is just the standard order of the outer planets by increasing distance from the Sun. Given Data / Assumptions: - Given series: Jupiter, ?, Uranus, Neptune. - The options are: Saturn, Earth, Pluto, Mercury. - We assume the pattern uses the conventional order of planetary orbits from the Sun outward. Concept / Approach: The classical order of the major planets from the Sun is: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune. In this sequence, Jupiter is followed by Saturn, then Uranus, then Neptune. The series in the question is therefore taking a consecutive slice from the outer planets starting at Jupiter. Identifying this standard astronomic order allows you to fill the missing term easily. Step-by-Step Solution: Step 1: Recall the planetary order: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune. Step 2: Locate Jupiter in this sequence. Immediately after Jupiter comes Saturn, then Uranus, then Neptune. Step 3: Match this with the question: Jupiter, ?, Uranus, Neptune. The missing planet between Jupiter and Uranus is therefore Saturn. Step 4: Check that “Saturn” is indeed one of the options provided. Verification / Alternative check: Check each option against the Solar System order: - Earth and Mercury both lie inside the orbit of Jupiter and therefore cannot appear between Jupiter and Uranus in an outward sequence. - Pluto is not part of the traditional eight major planets and, in any case, lies beyond Neptune, not between Jupiter and Uranus. Only Saturn correctly fits between Jupiter and Uranus in the standard planetary ordering. Why Other Options Are Wrong: - Earth: placed earlier in the sequence than Jupiter, so it cannot appear after Jupiter where the blank is. - Pluto: considered a dwarf planet and located beyond Neptune, so it does not fit the pattern of the given four consecutive outer planets. - Mercury: the innermost planet, far inside Jupiter’s orbit; it cannot logically fill the gap between Jupiter and Uranus. Common Pitfalls: The main risk is either forgetting the correct order of planets or mixing up inner and outer planets. Some candidates might be tempted by Pluto due to its association with the outer Solar System. To avoid such confusion, memorise the eight major planets in order and recognise that Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune form a neat consecutive group of outer gas and ice giants. Final Answer: The missing planet in the series is Saturn, giving the complete sequence: Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune.

Question 11

Arrange the following words in the sequence in which they occur in the dictionary: i. Obstacle ii. Obscure iii. Obsession iv. Obstruct

Accepted Answer

Introduction / Context: This question asks for the dictionary order of four words: Obstacle, Obscure, Obsession and Obstruct. Because they all begin with the common prefix “Obs-”, you must compare subsequent letters carefully to detect the correct alphabetical sequence. Such problems reinforce precision in letter-by-letter comparison. Given Data / Assumptions: - Words: Obstacle (i), Obscure (ii), Obsession (iii), Obstruct (iv). - We assume standard English alphabetical rules. - All words start with “Obs…”. Concept / Approach: Once you see that all words share “Obs” at the start, you move to the next letters to differentiate them. Compare the fourth letter, and if that is the same for some words, compare the fifth, and so on. The word with the earliest differing letter in alphabetical order goes first, and if a word is a strict prefix of another, the shorter word comes earlier. Step-by-Step Solution: Step 1: Write the words with key letters: Obstacle → O B S T… Obscure → O B S C… Obsession → O B S E… Obstruct → O B S T… Step 2: Compare the fourth letter (after O B S): C (Obscure), T (Obstacle), E (Obsession), T (Obstruct). Alphabetically, C < E < T. Thus Obscure (ii) must come first, then Obsession (iii), and the two “Obst…” words (Obstacle and Obstruct) come later. Step 3: Order the “Obst…” words: Obstacle vs Obstruct. Obstacle: O B S T A…; Obstruct: O B S T R… After O B S T, we compare A vs R. Since A comes before R, Obstacle (i) comes before Obstruct (iv). Step 4: Combine the order: Obscure (ii), Obsession (iii), Obstacle (i), Obstruct (iv) → ii, iii, i, iv. Verification / Alternative check: If you were to scan a dictionary, under “obs…”, you would first encounter “obscure” (obs-c…), then “obsession” (obs-e…), then words beginning with “obst…”, where “obstacle” (obsta…) appears before “obstruct” (obstru…). This matches the sequence ii, iii, i, iv and confirms the logic. Why Other Options Are Wrong: - iii, iv, i, ii puts Obsession before Obscure and Obstruct before Obstacle, both of which violate alphabetical comparisons. - i, iv, iii, ii starts with Obstacle, even though its fourth letter T comes after C (in Obscure) and E (in Obsession). - iv, iii, ii, i jumbles the order, ignoring the C < E < T relationship at the fourth letter. Common Pitfalls: Many learners see the “obst…” pattern and hastily group Obstacle and Obstruct together without considering the earlier words “obsc…” and “obse…”. Others confuse the order of C, E and T when scanning quickly. Writing down the first few differing letters and ordering them separately often makes such questions much easier. Final Answer: The dictionary order is Obscure, Obsession, Obstacle, Obstruct, corresponding to ii, iii, i, iv.

Question 12

Arrange the following words in the sequence in which they occur in the dictionary: i. Speaker ii. Surreptitious iii. Spontaneous iv. Spurious

Accepted Answer

Introduction / Context: In this question, you must arrange four words starting with S in dictionary order: Speaker, Surreptitious, Spontaneous and Spurious. Although they have different prefixes (Sp- vs Su-), it is still essential to compare letters carefully because three of them begin with “Spo-” or “Spe-” and one with “Sur-”. Given Data / Assumptions: - Words: Speaker (i), Surreptitious (ii), Spontaneous (iii), Spurious (iv). - We assume standard dictionary order rules. Concept / Approach: First, split words by their second letter. Words beginning with “Sp…” come before those beginning with “Su…”, since p comes before u. Among the “Sp…” words, you then compare the third letters: e, o and u. Finally, you place the remaining “Su…” word at the end. This structured approach ensures you do not mix up similar-looking prefixes. Step-by-Step Solution: Step 1: Write initial patterns: Speaker → S p e… Spontaneous → S p o… Spurious → S p u… Surreptitious → S u r… Step 2: Compare the second letters. All except Surreptitious start with “Sp…”. Since p comes before u, all “Sp…” words must come before the “Su…” word. Step 3: Order the three “Sp…” words by the third letter: e (Speaker), o (Spontaneous), u (Spurious). Alphabetically, e < o < u. Step 4: Thus the order of “Sp…” words is Speaker (i), Spontaneous (iii), Spurious (iv). Step 5: Finally, Surreptitious (ii) starting with “Su…” comes after all “Sp…” words. Step 6: The complete dictionary order is: Speaker, Spontaneous, Spurious, Surreptitious → i, iii, iv, ii. Verification / Alternative check: Think of packing these words into a dictionary: all entries under “spe-” appear before those under “spo-”, which come before “spu-”. After all “sp-” words are exhausted, you reach “su-” words like “surreptitious”. This mental dictionary scan confirms that Speaker appears first, then Spontaneous, then Spurious, and lastly Surreptitious. Why Other Options Are Wrong: - iv, ii, i, iii starts with Spurious, even though its third letter u comes after e and o, and it places Surreptitious too early. - iii, ii, iv, i places Surreptitious among the “Sp…” words, which is not correct alphabetically. - iv, iii, i, ii reverses the order of Speaker and Spontaneous and again misplaces Surreptitious. Common Pitfalls: Some candidates focus on the length or familiarity of words instead of strict alphabetical order. Others accidentally overlook the third letter and consider only the first two. The simplest way to avoid mistakes is to explicitly write the first three letters of each word, sort those, and then reconstruct the full order from that sorted list. Final Answer: The correct dictionary order is Speaker, Spontaneous, Spurious, Surreptitious, corresponding to i, iii, iv, ii.

Question 13

Find the odd number from the following options. 36, 64, 54, 108.

Accepted Answer

Introduction / Context: This is an odd-one-out question involving four numbers: 36, 64, 54 and 108. You must identify which number does not share a common numerical property with the others. Such questions commonly use divisibility, parity, or special patterns (like squares or cubes) as the underlying rule. Given Data / Assumptions: - Numbers: 36, 64, 54, 108. - Exactly one number behaves differently according to a simple numerical property. - Common tests include divisibility by particular integers or recognition as a special kind of number. Concept / Approach: One convenient approach is to test divisibility by a shared factor. Looking at 36, 54 and 108, you may notice they are all multiples of 18. Checking 64 against this pattern quickly reveals that it does not fit. Another possible property is that 64 is a perfect power of 2 (2^6), while the others are not, but the simplest and most consistent pattern here is the “multiple of 18” test. Step-by-Step Solution: Step 1: Test 36 for divisibility by 18. 36 ÷ 18 = 2, so 36 is a multiple of 18. Step 2: Test 54 for divisibility by 18. 54 ÷ 18 = 3, so 54 is a multiple of 18. Step 3: Test 108 for divisibility by 18. 108 ÷ 18 = 6, so 108 is also a multiple of 18. Step 4: Test 64 for divisibility by 18. 64 ÷ 18 is not an integer (18 × 3 = 54, 18 × 4 = 72), so 64 is not divisible by 18. Step 5: Therefore, three numbers share the property “multiple of 18”, while 64 does not. This makes 64 the odd one out. Verification / Alternative check: Check other simple properties: parity and divisibility by 2 or 3. All four numbers are even. 36, 54 and 108 are all divisible by 9 as well, whereas 64 is not. So another way to see the pattern is that three of the numbers are divisible by 9 and 18, but 64 is not. Both viewpoints support the same conclusion that 64 stands apart from the rest. Why Other Options Are Wrong: - 36: divisible by 18 and 9, like 54 and 108. - 54: divisible by 18 and 9, matching the common pattern. - 108: also divisible by 18 and 9, fitting the same group property. Common Pitfalls: Some students might be distracted by the fact that 64 is a perfect square (8^2) and a power of 2, and assume that makes it the pattern, not the exception. However, the more consistent and natural property across the other three numbers is divisibility by 18 (and 9). Always look for a property shared by three numbers and missing in one, not the other way around. Final Answer: The odd number is 64, because it is not a multiple of 18 (or 9) while 36, 54 and 108 all are.

Question 14

Arrange the following words in the sequence in which they occur in the dictionary: 1. Herbivorous 2. Harmony 3. House 4. Honour 5. Helm

Accepted Answer

Introduction / Context: This dictionary order question involves five words beginning with H: Herbivorous, Harmony, House, Honour and Helm. You must determine the correct alphabetical order in which they would appear on a dictionary page. This tests your precision with letter-by-letter comparison beyond the initial character. Given Data / Assumptions: - Words with indices: 1. Herbivorous 2. Harmony 3. House 4. Honour 5. Helm - Standard English alphabetical ordering is used. Concept / Approach: First compare the second letter in each word since they all start with H. This splits the words into groups like “Ha…”, “He…” and “Ho…”. Then, within each group, you compare the third and subsequent letters. Use the fact that when all letters match up to a point, shorter words usually come before longer ones, but only after ties in earlier letters. Step-by-Step Solution: Step 1: Compare the second letters: Harmony → H a… Herbivorous → H e… House → H o… Honour → H o… Helm → H e… So the blocks are: “Ha…” (2), “He…” (1 and 5), and “Ho…” (3 and 4). Step 2: The “Ha…” word Harmony (2) comes first because a comes before e and o. Step 3: Among the “He…” words, compare third letters: Herbivorous → H e r… Helm → H e l… At the third letter, l comes before r, so Helm (5) comes before Herbivorous (1). Step 4: Among the “Ho…” words, compare third letters: Honour → H o n… House → H o u… n comes before u, so Honour (4) comes before House (3). Step 5: Combine all groups in order of their second letters: Harmony (2), Helm (5), Herbivorous (1), Honour (4), House (3) → 2,5,1,4,3. Verification / Alternative check: Imagine flipping through an English dictionary under the letter H. You would first see “ha…” entries, then “he…”, then “ho…”. Within “he…”, words beginning with “hel…” appear before those with “her…”. And within “ho…”, words starting “hon…” come before “hou…”. This confirms the order Harmony, Helm, Herbivorous, Honour, House, matching the index sequence 25143. Why Other Options Are Wrong: - 12543 starts with Herbivorous (1) instead of Harmony (2), ignoring that “ha…” must precede “he…”. - 21534 reverses Helm and Herbivorous and misorders Honour and House. - 12354 has Herbivorous before Helm and Honour before Harmony, which is alphabetically inconsistent. Common Pitfalls: People often assume that longer words should appear later without actually checking earlier letters, or they mix up the order of vowels a, e and o. To avoid errors, always scan the second letter, then third, and so on, grouping words systematically by shared prefixes. Final Answer: The correct dictionary sequence is Harmony, Helm, Herbivorous, Honour, House, giving the index order 25143.

Question 15

Arrange the following words in the sequence in which they occur in the dictionary: 1. Flinching 2. Flintlock 3. Flinpites 4. Flintlocks 5. Flinchers

Accepted Answer

Introduction / Context: This dictionary order problem involves several very similar-looking words: Flinching, Flintlock, Flinpites, Flintlocks and Flinchers. Because they all start with “Flin…”, you must examine letters beyond this shared prefix carefully. The question checks your ability to compare such closely related spellings systematically. Given Data / Assumptions: - Words with indices: 1. Flinching 2. Flintlock 3. Flinpites 4. Flintlocks 5. Flinchers - Standard alphabetical rules apply. Concept / Approach: Once you see each word starts with “flin”, you look at the next letters. The pattern shifts into various continuations: “flinch…”, “flinp…”, “flintl…”. You compare letter by letter at the first point of difference. Additionally, when one word is a prefix of another (for example, Flintlock vs Flintlocks), the shorter word comes first in the dictionary. Step-by-Step Solution: Step 1: Strip the common prefix “flin”. Consider the remaining parts: 1. Flinching → ching 2. Flintlock → tlock 3. Flinpites → pites 4. Flintlocks → tlocks 5. Flinchers → chers Step 2: Compare the first letters of these remainders: c (1), t (2), p (3), t (4), c (5). Alphabetically, c < p < t, so the “flinch…” words (1 and 5) come before the “flinp…” word (3), which in turn comes before the “flintl…” words (2 and 4). Step 3: Order the “flinch…” words: Flinchers vs Flinching. Flinchers: f l i n c h e r s; Flinching: f l i n c h i n g. After “flinch”, compare “e” vs “i”. Since e comes before i, Flinchers (5) comes before Flinching (1). Step 4: The “flinp…” word Flinpites (3) comes next. Step 5: Now order the “flintl…” words: Flintlock vs Flintlocks. Flintlock is a prefix of Flintlocks. When one word is a complete prefix of another, the shorter word (Flintlock, 2) comes before the longer word (Flintlocks, 4). Step 6: Combine all groups: Flinchers (5), Flinching (1), Flinpites (3), Flintlock (2), Flintlocks (4) → 5,1,3,2,4. Verification / Alternative check: Visualise the words as they would appear on a page. Under “flinch…”, you would see “flinchers” then “flinching”, since e comes before i. After finishing the “flinch…” group, you encounter “flinpites”, and only afterwards the “flintl…” group, where “flintlock” precedes “flintlocks”. This reading confirms the sequence 51324. Why Other Options Are Wrong: - 15243 puts Flinching before Flinchers, ignoring that e comes before i after “flinch”. - 51243 reverses the order of Flinpites and Flintlock, even though p comes before t, so Flinpites must come earlier. - 51342 misplaces Flintlock and Flintlocks relative to each other; the shorter word must appear first. Common Pitfalls: It is easy to get lost when several words share long prefixes. Some candidates focus only on the part after “flint” and neglect that “flinch…” and “flinp…” must come first. Others forget the rule that a shorter word comes before its longer extension when all earlier letters match. Writing out the changing suffixes separately, as we did, is a reliable method for avoiding confusion. Final Answer: The correct dictionary order is Flinchers, Flinching, Flinpites, Flintlock, Flintlocks, corresponding to 51324.

Question 16

From the given alternative words, select the word which can be formed using the letters of the word CAPITULATE.

Accepted Answer

Introduction / Context: This word-formation question asks you to identify which one of the options can be formed from the letters of the base word CAPITULATE. Letters can be used only as often as they appear in the base word. This tests your careful counting and recognition of which letters are missing or insufficient. Given Data / Assumptions: - Base word: CAPITULATE. - Letters: C, A, P, I, T, U, L, A, T, E. - Available counts: A(2), T(2), and C, P, I, U, L, E each once. - Options: CAPABLE, LUPIN, PITTY, TALE. Concept / Approach: The method is straightforward: list the letters and their frequencies in the base word, then for each option, check if every letter is present and if the required count does not exceed what is available. Any option requiring a letter not present at all, or more copies of a letter than available, cannot be formed. Exactly one option here should pass this test. Step-by-Step Solution: Step 1: Count CAPITULATE letters. CAPITULATE → C(1), A(2), P(1), I(1), T(2), U(1), L(1), E(1). Step 2: Check CAPABLE: C, A, P, A, B, L, E. This requires B, which is not present in CAPITULATE at all. So CAPABLE cannot be formed. Step 3: Check LUPIN: L, U, P, I, N. This requires N, which is not available in CAPITULATE. So LUPIN cannot be formed. Step 4: Check PITTY: P, I, T, T, Y. This requires Y, which is not present, so PITTY cannot be formed either. Step 5: Check TALE: T, A, L, E. T(1) needed, A(1), L(1), E(1). The base word has T(2), A(2), L(1), E(1). All required letters exist and within their available counts. Step 6: Thus, TALE is the only option that can be formed from CAPITULATE. Verification / Alternative check: Form TALE explicitly from CAPITULATE: Remove a T, an A, an L and an E from the base word's pool, and you still have extra letters left over. No conflicts appear. For the other options, a quick scan shows missing letters B, N or Y which are not in the base word, immediately disqualifying them. Hence TALE stands as the only feasible constructed word. Why Other Options Are Wrong: - CAPABLE: demands B, which is not present in CAPITULATE. - LUPIN: demands N, not found in the base word. - PITTY: demands Y, which does not appear in CAPITULATE. Common Pitfalls: Learners sometimes check only whether most letters are present and overlook a single missing or repeated one. Another common error is ignoring the frequency of repeated letters such as A or T. To avoid mistakes, always explicitly tick off letters against the base word and watch for any new letter that does not belong to the base set at all. Final Answer: The word that can be formed from CAPITULATE is TALE.

Question 17

Arrange the following words in the sequence in which they occur in the dictionary: 1. Ball 2. Balanced 3. Balls 4. Balance 5. Balancing

Accepted Answer

Introduction / Context: This dictionary order question uses five words that all begin with the letters “Bal-”: Ball, Balanced, Balls, Balance and Balancing. Because the words share a long prefix, you must carefully compare letters beyond it and use the rule that a shorter word preceding a longer extension comes first. Given Data / Assumptions: - Words with indices: 1. Ball 2. Balanced 3. Balls 4. Balance 5. Balancing - Standard English alphabetical rules apply. Concept / Approach: Since all words start with “bal”, you next compare the fourth letter. Some words have “bala…” while others have “ball…”. The “bala…” words come before the “ball…” words because a comes before l. Among the “bala…” words, you then compare letters where they differ, and if one is a complete prefix of another, the shorter one is earlier in the dictionary. Step-by-Step Solution: Step 1: Consider the fourth letter of each word: Ball → b a l l Balanced → b a l a… Balls → b a l l s Balance → b a l a n c e Balancing → b a l a n c i n g Step 2: Words with “bala…” (indices 2, 4, 5) come before words with “ball…” (indices 1, 3) because a < l at the fourth position. Step 3: Order the “bala…” group: Balance (4), Balanced (2), Balancing (5). Compare Balance vs Balanced: they match as “balance” vs “balanced”. The shorter word Balance ends first, so it comes before Balanced. Now compare Balanced vs Balancing: both share “balanc” and then have “ed” vs “ing”. At the next differing letter, e comes before i, so Balanced (2) comes before Balancing (5). Step 4: Order the “ball…” words: Ball (1) vs Balls (3). Ball is a complete prefix of Balls, so Ball comes before Balls. Step 5: Combine all: Balance (4), Balanced (2), Balancing (5), Ball (1), Balls (3) → 4,2,5,1,3. Verification / Alternative check: Simulate dictionary scanning: all “balance…” words come before “ball…” words. Under “balance…”, you see “balance” first, then “balanced”, then “balancing”. Only after exhausting these do you see “ball”, then “balls”. This sequence exactly matches 42513. Why Other Options Are Wrong: - 24135 puts Balanced before Balance, contrary to the prefix rule. - 42135 incorrectly places Balancing after Ball, even though all “bala…” words must precede any “ball…” words. - 54213 has Balancing first, ignoring that words beginning “bala…” must be ordered correctly among themselves and appear before “ball…”. Common Pitfalls: A frequent mistake is to treat Ball as if it should come earliest because it is very short and familiar. However, dictionary ordering is based on letter sequence, not word length alone. Within “bala…” and “ball…”, word length becomes relevant only once all earlier letters match exactly. Always check the exact positions where words diverge. Final Answer: The correct dictionary order is Balance, Balanced, Balancing, Ball, Balls, corresponding to 42513.

Question 18

From the given alternative words, select the word which cannot be formed using the letters of the word COMMENTATOR.

Accepted Answer

Introduction / Context: This word-formation question asks which word cannot be built from the letters of the base word COMMENTATOR. Each letter in COMMENTATOR can be used only as many times as it appears there. You must check letter availability and frequency for each option word and find the one that breaks the rules. Given Data / Assumptions: - Base word: COMMENTATOR. - Letters: C, O, M, M, E, N, T, A, T, O, R. - Frequencies: C(1), O(2), M(2), E(1), N(1), T(2), A(1), R(1). - Options: MART, COMMON, MOMENT, CONTRACT. Concept / Approach: For each option, decompose the word into letters and compare how many times each letter is needed versus how many times it is available in COMMENTATOR. If an option requires any letter that does not exist in COMMENTATOR or requires more copies of a letter than available, that option cannot be formed. Exactly one of these will fail the test. Step-by-Step Solution: Step 1: Check MART: M, A, R, T. Required counts: M(1), A(1), R(1), T(1). COMMENTATOR has M(2), A(1), R(1), T(2). All are available in enough quantity, so MART can be formed. Step 2: Check COMMON: C, O, M, M, O, N. Required counts: C(1), O(2), M(2), N(1). COMMENTATOR provides exactly C(1), O(2), M(2), N(1). So COMMON can be formed. Step 3: Check MOMENT: M, O, M, E, N, T. Required counts: M(2), O(1), E(1), N(1), T(1). COMMENTATOR has at least these counts, so MOMENT can be formed. Step 4: Check CONTRACT: C, O, N, T, R, A, C, T. Required counts: C(2), O(1), N(1), T(2), R(1), A(1). COMMENTATOR has only C(1), which is not enough to supply two Cs. Therefore, CONTRACT cannot be formed. Verification / Alternative check: Reconfirm by listing available letters and “spending” them. After using letters for MART, COMMON or MOMENT, there are no conflicts with counts. For CONTRACT, however, immediately upon seeing two Cs in the spelling, you know there is a problem since COMMENTATOR contains only one C. This single mismatch is sufficient to disqualify CONTRACT. Why Other Options Are Wrong: - MART uses letters M, A, R, T, all supplied adequately by COMMENTATOR. - COMMON uses two Ms, two Os, one C and one N, all of which match the base word's letter counts. - MOMENT uses two Ms, one O, one E, one N and one T, again within available limits. Common Pitfalls: Students sometimes neglect to check repeated letters like C in CONTRACT or M and O in COMMON. They may also forget that each letter can only be used up to its count in the base word. A reliable strategy is to write down the exact letter frequencies for the base word first, then systematically compare each option against that list. Final Answer: The word that cannot be formed from COMMENTATOR is CONTRACT because it requires two Cs while COMMENTATOR has only one C.

Question 19

Arrange the following words in the sequence in which they occur in the dictionary: 1. Decollete 2. Desecrate 3. Decorous 4. Desipicable 5. Destitute

Accepted Answer

Introduction / Context: This dictionary order problem involves five words that all begin with “De-”: Decollete, Desecrate, Decorous, Desipicable and Destitute. Even though some spellings look slightly unusual, the alphabetical rules remain the same: compare letters from left to right, and place words in the order dictated by those comparisons. Given Data / Assumptions: - Words with indices: 1. Decollete 2. Desecrate 3. Decorous 4. Desipicable 5. Destitute - We assume standard alphabetical ordering, ignoring accents or stylistic marks. Concept / Approach: All words share the prefix “de”. The next letters “c” and “s” divide the list into two main groups: those starting with “dec…” and those starting with “des…”. Since c comes before s, all “dec…” words must appear before any “des…” words. Inside each group, we compare further letters to determine the precise order. Within “des…”, we again separate based on subsequent letters e, i and t. Step-by-Step Solution: Step 1: Split the words by their third letter after “de”. Decollete → d e c… Decorous → d e c… Desecrate → d e s e… Desipicable → d e s i… Destitute → d e s t… Step 2: Since c comes before s, all “dec…” words (1 and 3) come before all “des…” words (2, 4, 5). Step 3: Order the “dec…” words: Decollete vs Decorous. Decollete: d e c o l l e t e; Decorous: d e c o r o u s. Up to “deco”, letters are the same. Next letters are l (Decollete) vs r (Decorous). Since l comes before r, Decollete (1) comes before Decorous (3). Step 4: Order the “des…” words based on the fourth letter: Desecrate (d e s e…), Desipicable (d e s i…), Destitute (d e s t…). Alphabetically, e < i < t. So the “des…” group is Desecrate (2), then Desipicable (4), then Destitute (5). Step 5: Combine: Decollete (1), Decorous (3), Desecrate (2), Desipicable (4), Destitute (5) → 1,3,2,4,5. Verification / Alternative check: Imagine scanning a dictionary starting at “dec…”. You would see “decollete” then “decorous”. After finishing “dec…”, you would move to “des…”, where words are ordered by their fourth and fifth letters, giving “dese…”, then “desi…”, and finally “dest…”. This mental check reproduces the sequence 13245, confirming the answer. Why Other Options Are Wrong: - 15243 wrongly inserts Destitute (des t…) among the “dec…” words, which contradicts the c < s rule at the third letter. - 32451 starts with Decorous and Desecrate, even though Decollete should precede Decorous and all “dec…” words should precede any “des…” word. - 45231 places Desipicable first, mixing “des…” words before “dec…” words, which is not alphabetically valid. Common Pitfalls: A key source of error is failing to divide the words into “dec…” and “des…” groups and attempting to order all five at once. Some candidates also misread or overlook the third letter because the words look long and similar. By consciously grouping and then comparing only at the first point of difference, you can handle such problems reliably. Final Answer: The correct dictionary order is Decollete, Decorous, Desecrate, Desipicable, Destitute, corresponding to 13245.

Question 20

In the following question, from the given alternative words, select the word which cannot be formed by using the letters of the word ENCYCLOPEDIA.

Accepted Answer

Introduction / Context: This verbal reasoning question tests the candidate's ability to check whether a given word can be formed from the letters of another word. Such questions appear frequently in bank exams, SSC, and other competitive tests under the topic of word formation. The focus is on careful counting of letters and visual comparison rather than high level vocabulary. The source word here is ENCYCLOPEDIA, and we need to see which option word cannot be constructed using exactly the letters that appear in this source word, without adding any new letter and without using any letter more times than it appears in the original word. Given Data / Assumptions: - The given base word is ENCYCLOPEDIA. - We assume standard English spelling for all option words. - Each letter in ENCYCLOPEDIA can be used at most as many times as it appears there. - No extra letters can be introduced beyond those present in ENCYCLOPEDIA. Concept / Approach: The general approach is to first list the frequency of each letter in the main word, then compare that frequency with each option word. If the option demands any letter that does not appear in the main word, or demands more copies of a letter than available, that option cannot be formed. If all letters of the option are present in equal or larger quantities in the base word, the option word can indeed be formed. This systematic frequency comparison avoids guesswork and reduces the chance of missing hidden constraints such as repeated letters. Step-by-Step Solution: Step 1: Write ENCYCLOPEDIA and list its letters: E, N, C, Y, C, L, O, P, E, D, I, A. Step 2: Count the frequency of each letter: A(1), C(2), D(1), E(2), I(1), L(1), N(1), O(1), P(1), Y(1). Step 3: Check the word CONE: C, O, N, E. All appear and none exceed available counts, so CONE can be formed. Step 4: Check the word CYCLE: C, Y, C, L, E. Two C, one Y, one L, one E are all available, so CYCLE can be formed. Step 5: Check the word PEACE: P, E, A, C, E. There is one P, two E, one A and two C, so PEACE can be formed. Step 6: Check the word NOISY: N, O, I, S, Y. N, O, I, Y are available, but letter S does not appear in ENCYCLOPEDIA at all. Step 7: Since S is missing in the base word, NOISY cannot be formed from ENCYCLOPEDIA. Verification / Alternative check: Another quick method is to scan ENCYCLOPEDIA visually and mark letters that appear in each option. For CONE, C, O, N and E are easy to locate. For CYCLE and PEACE, you can double check the repeated letters C and E and see that counts match. For NOISY, the moment you look for S in ENCYCLOPEDIA, you notice that it never appears, so the option fails the requirement. Repeating this mental scan confirms that only NOISY introduces an external letter, so it is the only impossible word. Why Other Options Are Wrong: Option A (CONE) is possible because all letters C, O, N and E occur at least once in ENCYCLOPEDIA. Option B (CYCLE) is valid because ENCYCLOPEDIA contains two C, one Y, one L and two E, matching the needs of CYCLE. Option D (PEACE) is also possible, since P, E, A and C are all present in sufficient counts. Option E (PENCIL) can be formed with P, E, N, C, I and L, all of which exist in the base word. None of these violates the letter frequency condition. Common Pitfalls: A common mistake in word formation questions is to only check whether each letter type exists, but ignore how many times it appears. Another error is to overlook a single missing letter such as S here, especially when the rest of the letters fit nicely. Test takers also sometimes confuse similar looking letters or mentally assume that any common word must be possible, which is not always true. To avoid these mistakes, it is helpful to write a quick frequency table and then methodically compare each option against that table instead of relying on intuition alone. Final Answer: The only option that cannot be formed from the letters of ENCYCLOPEDIA is NOISY, because the letter S is not present in the original word at all.

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