From the following options, select the word that cannot be formed using the letters of the word CONSULTATION.

Introduction / Context:
This word formation question is based on the base word CONSULTATION. You need to choose which one of the given words cannot be made from its letters. The options are designed so that several words look very similar and share many letters with the base word, but one introduces a new letter that does not appear there. Identifying this extra letter requires a systematic check and forms an important part of verbal reasoning skills for exams.

Given Data / Assumptions:
Base word: CONSULTATION.
Letters available: C, O, N, S, U, L, T, A, T, I, O, N.
Options: CONSTANT, NATION, SALUTE, STATION.
We assume that each letter from the base word can be used only as many times as it occurs there and that no new letters can be introduced.

Concept / Approach:
The standard method is to count the letters from CONSULTATION and then check each option individually. If an option uses any letter that does not appear in CONSULTATION, or needs more copies of a letter than the base word provides, that option cannot be formed. Words like CONSTANT, NATION and STATION look very close to the base word and may easily mislead candidates, so a careful letter by letter check is essential.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Note the letters and their approximate counts in CONSULTATION. C: 1, O: 2, N: 2, S: 1, U: 1, L: 1, T: 2, A: 1, I: 1. Step 2: Check CONSTANT. CONSTANT requires C, O, N, S, T, A, N, T. All these letters are present in CONSULTATION with enough frequency, so CONSTANT can be formed. Step 3: Check NATION. NATION requires N, A, T, I, O, N. CONSULTATION has N, A, T, I and O in sufficient quantity, so NATION is possible. Step 4: Check STATION. STATION requires S, T, A, T, I, O, N. Each of these letters appears in CONSULTATION, and the counts of T, N and O are within limits, so STATION can be formed. Step 5: Check SALUTE. SALUTE requires S, A, L, U, T, E. CONSULTATION contains S, A, L, U and T, but it does not contain the letter E at all. Therefore SALUTE cannot be formed from CONSULTATION.

Verification / Alternative check:
Scan the base word CONSULTATION once more: C, O, N, S, U, L, T, A, T, I, O, N. The letter E is completely absent. Because SALUTE requires E, it is impossible to create this word. For CONSTANT, NATION and STATION, each required letter appears in the base word and is used within the available frequency counts. Thus there is exactly one impossible option, confirming that SALUTE is the correct choice.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
CONSTANT is valid because C, O, N, S, T, A and N all appear in CONSULTATION and the counts of O, N and T are sufficient.
NATION is valid since N, A, T, I and O all occur in the base word and the two Ns and two Os needed are available.
STATION is valid because S, T, A, T, I, O and N all can be found without exceeding the allowed number of occurrences of T, O and N.
These three words therefore can be formed and are not the required answer.

Common Pitfalls:
Because words like NATION and STATION clearly appear as parts or rearrangements of CONSULTATION, candidates may assume that all similarly looking options, including SALUTE, are possible. Under exam pressure, it is easy to miss a single new letter, especially a vowel such as E. Another pitfall is focusing only on positions of letters rather than on their existence and counts. A reliable strategy is to scan each option for any letter that the base word completely lacks before checking repeated letters and counts.

Final Answer:
The word that cannot be formed using the letters of CONSULTATION is SALUTE, because it requires the letter E, which does not appear in the base word.