CODING & DECODING

What is Coding-Decoding ?

Coding is used for transmitting secret messages from

one place to another, especially in defense services.

Decoding is the ability to break the secret code.

The codes are based on various principles or patterns.

 Points to Remember
 First memorize the alphabets numbers

 First letter & last letter reverse

 Reverse both First & Second parts of the word

 Reverse of alphabets

 Increase or decrease the position of alphabets by

+ 1 or -1
 The questions based on coding-decoding
are broadly categorized into following
categories

TYPES OF
CODING

ARTIFICIAL
LETTER NUMBER SUBSTITUTION
LANGUAGE
CODING CODING CODING
CODING
 Letter Coding

In these questions the real alphabets in a word are

replaced by certain other alphabets according to a
specific rule to form its code.

The candidate is required to detect the common rule and

answer the questions accordingly.

C A T

D B U
 Example

If VARANASI is coded as WCUESGZQ, then the code of KOLKATA will

be

(a) ZELHOQO (b)LQOOFZH (c) LOQOZEH (d) HLZEOOQ

V A R A N A S I
+1 +2 +3 +4 +5 +6 +7 +8 ↓
W C U E S G Z Q

K O L K A T A
+1 +2 +3 +4 +5 +6 +7 ↓
L Q O O F Z H
 Example

If FRANCE’ is coded as NCEFRA’ and ‘CANADA’ is coded as

ADACAN, then how will you code ‘MEDICINE’?
(a) CNIEMEDI (b) CINEDEMI (c) CINEMEDI (d) CINEDEIM

Solution. (c)

So, the code of MEDICINE will be coded as ‘CINEMEDI’.

 DECODING EXAMPLE

If in a certain language, POPULAR is coded as QPQVMBS, which would

be coded as GBNPVT?
(a) FAMOSU (b) FAMOUS (c) FASOUM (d) FOSAUM

Q P Q V M B S

-1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1

P O P U L A R

G B N P V T

-1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1

F A M O U S
 Number Coding
The principle of coding with numbers is similar to that
of coding with letters except the use of digits.
If in a certain language, E is coded as 2, H is coded as 1, N is
coded as 7, P is codec as 5, A is coded as 0, T is coded as 8 and
L is coded as 3, how is ELEPHANT coded in that language ?
(a) 23251078 (b) 32210587 (c) 23527801 (d) 22315078

Solution. (a) E = 2, L = 3, E = 2, P = 5, H = 1, A = 0, N = 7, T = 8
Hence, only (a) is valid.
In a certain language, 1 is coded as C, 6 is coded as E, 0 is
coded as L, 2 is coded as G and 3 is coded as O. How is
1300626 coded in that language ?
(a) OLCGELE (b) EGEOLEL (c) COLLGEE (d) COLLEGE

Solution. (d) 1 = C, 3 = 0, 0 = L 0 = L, 6 = E, 2 = G, 6 = E
Hence, only (d) is valid.
 SUBSTITUTION CODING

In this type of questions, certain object names are coded by

some other object names . Then a question is asked that is to
be answered in the code language.
Ex.: If room is called bed, bed is called window, window is called
flower and flower is called cooler, on what would a man sleep?
(a) Window (b) Bed (c) Flower (d) Cooler
Solution:
A man sleeps on a ‘bed’ and as given, ‘bed’ is called window.
So, the man will sleep on the ‘window’. Hence the answer is (a).
Ex. If ORANGE is called BUTTER, BUTTER is called SOAP, SOAP is called
INK, INK is called HONEY and HONEY is called ORANGE, which of the
following is used for washing clothes?
(a) Honey (b) Butter (c) Orange (d) Ink
Solution:
Clearly, ’soap’ is used for washing the clothes. But, ’soap’ is called
‘ink’. So, ‘ink’ is used for washing the clothes. Hence the answer is
(d).
 ARTIFICIAL LANGUAGE CODING
Case (i): Letter based coding
In this type of questions, three or four complete messages are
given in the coded language and the code for a particular word is
asked.
Ex. If ‘nso ptr kli chn’ stands for
‘sharma gets marrige gift’,

‘ptr lnm wop chn’ stands for

‘wife gives marrige gift’ and

‘tti wop nhi’ stands for

‘he gives nothing’, what would mean ‘gives’?
(a) Chn (b) nhi (c) ptr (d) wop

Solution:
In the second and third statements, the common word is ‘gives’ and
the common code word is ‘wop’.
So,’wop’ means ‘gives’. Hence the answer is (d).
 Ex. If ‘tee see pee’ means
‘ Drink fruit juice’,

‘see kee lee’ means

‘Juice is sweet’ and

’lee ree mee’ means

‘He is intelligent’,

which word in that language means ‘sweet’?

(a) See (b) kee (c) lee (d) pee

In the first and second statements, the common word is ‘Juice’

and the common code word is ‘see’. So, ‘see’ means ‘juice’.

In the second and third statements, the common word is ‘is’.

So, ‘lee’ means ‘is’.

Thus, in the second statement, the remaining word ‘sweet’ is

coded as ‘kee’.

Hence, the answer is (b).

 Case (ii): Number based Coding

Ex. : In a certain code, ‘786’ means ‘study very hard’

‘ 958’ means ‘hard work pays’ and

‘645’ means ‘study and work’.

Which of the following is the code for ‘very’?

(a) 8 (b) 6 (c) 7 (d) can’t be determined

Solution:
In the first and second statements, the common word is ‘hard’ and the
common code digit is ‘8’. So,’8’ means ‘hard’.

In the first and third statements, the common word is ‘study’ and the
common code digit is ‘6’. So, ‘6’ means ‘study’.

Thus using first statement,’7’ means ‘very’. Hence the answer is(c).
 Ex. If in a certain code language,

‘324’ means ‘Light is bright’,

‘629’ means ‘Girl is beautiful’ and

‘4758’ means ‘I prefer bright clothes’,

which digit means ‘Light’ in that language?

(a)3 (b) 2(c) 4 (d) 7

In the first and second statements, the common word is ‘is’

and the common code digit is ‘2’. So,’2’ means ‘is’.

In the first and third statements, the common word is,

’bright’, and common code digit is ‘4’. So, ‘4’ means bright’.

Thus using first statement,’3’means ‘Light’.

Hence the answer is (a).
 LETTER CODING QUESTIONS

In a certain code, ROUNDS is written as RONUDS.

How will PLEASE will be written in the same code

(A) LPAESE (B) PLAESE
(C) LPAEES (D) PLASEE [DEC 2005]

Answer: B

In a certain code, FHQK means GIRL.

How will WOMEN be written in the same code?
(A) VNLDM (B) FHQKN
(C) XPNFO (D) VLNDM [June 2006]

Answer: C
 LETTER CODING QUESTIONS
In a certain code, GAMESMAN is written as AGMEMSAN.
How would DISCLOSE be written in that code?
(A) IDSCOLSE (B) IDCSOLES (C) IDSCOLES (D) IDSCLOSE [Dec 2008]

Answer: A
First two characters interchange the position and Next two
characters same again
Next 2 characters interchange the position and Next 2 is same
again.
Therefore DI SC LO SE decode as ID SC OL SE
In a certain code, CLOCK is written as KCOLC. How would STEPS
be written in that code?
(A) SPEST (B) SPSET
(C) SPETS (D) SEPTS [June 2009]

Answer: C
Write Given Code in Reverse order
STEPS ---> SPETS.
 LETTER CODING QUESTIONS

If INSURANCE is coded as ECNARUSNI, how HINDRANCE will be

coded ?
(A) CADNIHWCE (B) HANODEINR
(C) AENIRHDCN (D) ECNARDNIH [June 2010]

Answer: B [REVERSE ORDER]

If HOBBY is coded as IOBY and LOBBY is coded as MOBY; then

BOBBY is coded as
(A) BOBY (B) COBY (C) DOBY (D) OOBY [June 2011]

Answer: B

If MOHAN is represented by the code KMFYL, then COUNT will

be represented by
(A) AMSLR (B) MSLAR (C) MASRL (D) SAMLR [Dec 2012]

Answer: A [-2]
 LETTER CODING QUESTIONS

In certain code HEALTH is written as KHDOWK. The code of

NORTH will be
(A) QRUWK (B) RQWUK (C) RWQUK (D) RWUKQ [June 2013]

Answer: A [+3]
If STREAMERS is coded as UVTGALDQR, then KNOWLEDGE will be
coded as
(A) MQPYLCDFD (B) MPQYLDCFD (C) PMYQLDFCD
(D) YMQPLDDFC [Dec 2014]

Answer: B
 LETTER CODING QUESTIONS

In certain code MATHURA is coded as JXQEROX. The code of

HOTELS will be:
(A) ELIPQB (B) LEQIBP (C) ELQBIP (D) LEBIQP [June 2015]

Answer: C [-3]

In certain code, SELECTION is coded as QCJCARGML. The

code of AMERICANS will be
(A) YKCPGAYLQ (B) BNFSJDBMR (C) QLYAGPCKY (D) YQKLCYPAG
[July 2016]

Answer: A
 LETTER CODING QUESTIONS
In certain coding method, the word QUESTION is encoded as
DOMESTIC. In this coding, what is the code word for the word
RESPONSE? [June 2014]
(A) OMESUCEM (B) OMESICSM (C) OMESICEM (D) OMESISCM

Answer: C

QUESTION

DOMESTIC

R ES P ON SE
O ME S IC EM
In a particular code, HOSPITALS is coded as HSOLSAPTI.
The code of BIOLOGICALS will be
(A) BLICOALIOSG (B) BOLGICAILOS
(C) SBLAOILOBCG (D) BSILOALCOIG [August 2016]

Answer: D
In a certain coding language, 'AEIOU' is written as 'TNHDZ'.
Using the same coding language, 'BFJPV' will be written as
A) AUOIEA B) BAEIOU C) CCGKQW D) DWQKGC [DEC 2019]

The above code follows two conditions

1. Character - 1
2. First position is replaced with last position.

ANSWER IS A
 Number coding

If BLOOD is coded as 24113 and BRUST as 20678, then code

for ROBUST is [DEC 2004]
(A) 620781 (B) 012678 (C) 678102 (D) 610732

Answer: B

We know, BLOOD is coded as 24113 and BRUST as 20678

From above codes, B=2, L=4, O=1, D=3, R=0, U=6, S=7,T=8

So, ROBUST is coded as 012678

If A stands for 5 , B for 6, C for 7, D for 8, and so on, what

do the following numbers stand for 22, 25, 8, 22 and 5 ? (A)
PRIYA (B) NEEMA (C) MEENA (D) RUDRA [DEC 2004]

Answer: D
 Number coding

In a certain code, PAN is written as 31 and PAR as 35. In

this code PAT is written as:
(A) 30 (B) 37 (C) 38 (D) 39 [Dec 2006][Dec 2010]

Answer: B
According to the position number of alphabets
A =1, P=16, T=20
Hence, PAT=16+1+20 = 37.

If in a certain language TRIVANDRUM is coded as 2 5 9 5 3

5 4 7 5 8, how would MADRAS be coded?
(A) 8 3 4 5 3 6 (B) 8 3 4 5 3 8 (C) 8 3 4 5 3 0 (D) 8 3 4 5 3 9
[June 2007]

Answer: A
 Number coding

If 5472 = 9, 6342 = 6, 7584 = 6, what is 9236 ?

(A) 2 (B) 3 (C) 4 (D) 5 [Dec 2010]

Answer: A

If A is coded as C, M as I, N as P, S as O, I as A, P as
N, E as M, O as E and C as S, then the code of
COMPANIES will be
(A) SPEINMOAC (B) NCPSEIOMA (C) SMOPIEACH
(D) SEINCPAMO [Jan 2017]

Answer: D
 Number coding

AGARTALA is written in code as 14168171, the code for

AGRA is:
(A) 1641 (B) 1416 (C) 1441 (D) 1461 [June 2007]

Answer: D

A G A R T A L A is written in code as 1 4 1 6 8 1 7 1

Therefore A G R A = 1 4 6 1
 SUBSTITUTION CODING
If water is called food, food is called tree, tree is called Earth
and Earth is called world, which of the following grows a fruit?
a) Water b) Tree c) Earth d) World [JUNE 2010]

If green means red, red means yellow, yellow means blue, blue
means orange and orange means green, what is the colour of
clear sky?

(a) Blue (b) Red (c) Yellow (d) Green

 ARTIFICIAL LANGUAGE CODING

If ‘367’ means ‘I am happy’;

‘748’ means ‘you are sad’ and
‘469’ means ‘happy and sad’ in a given code,
then which of the following represents ‘and’ in that code?

(A) 3 (B) 6 (C) 9 (D) 4 [Dec 2011]

Answer: C

Given that in a code language,

‘645’ means ‘day is warm’;
‘42’ means ‘warm spring’ and
‘634’ means ‘spring is sunny’;
which digit represents ‘sunny’ ?
(A) 3 (B) 2 (C) 4 (D) 5 [June 2012]

Answer: A
 ARTIFICIAL LANGUAGE CODING

In a certain code, ‘nee tim see’ means ‘how are you’; ‘ble nee
see’ means ‘where are you’, what is the code for ‘where’?

(a) nee (b) tim (c) see (d) None of these

In a certain code, ‘37’ means ‘which class’ and ‘583’ means

‘caste and class’. What is the code for ‘caste’?

(a) 3 (b) 7 (c) 8 (d) either 5 or 8

In a certain code, ‘247’ means ‘spread red carpet’; ‘256’

means ‘dust one carpet’ and ‘234’ means ‘one red carpet’.
Which digit in that code means ‘dust’?

(a) 2 (b) 3 (c) 5 (d) can’t say