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IBPS Clerk Coding Decoding

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This page covers IBPS Clerk Coding Decoding with complete concept notes, 14 graded practice MCQs, key points and exam-specific tips. Free to study.

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Concept Notes

Coding Decoding— Rules & Concept

Core ConceptRead this first — the foundation of the topic
Core Concept

In coding, each letter or word is replaced by another letter, number, or symbol following a fixed rule. In decoding, you reverse this process to find the original word or its coded form

Letter Shift Coding

Each letter moves forward or backward by a fixed number in the alphabet. 2. Number/Position Coding: Letters are replaced by their position numbers in alphabet. 3

Substitution Coding

Specific letters are replaced by other specific letters. 4

Mixed Letter Coding

Combination of different coding methods

Formula for Letter Shift Coding

If A=1, B=2, C=3... Z=26 Forward Shift: New Position = (Original Position + Shift Value) Backward Shift: New Position = (Original Position - Shift Value) If result > 26, subtract 26. If result < 1, add 26.

Exam PatternsWhat examiners ask — read before attempting PYQs
Recognition

SSC CGL typically asks 1-2 questions on coding decoding

Common formats include

- If CAT = DOG, then BAT = ? - In a code language, CHAIR is written as FKDLU. How is TABLE written? - If MONDAY is coded as 123456, then SUNDAY is coded as?

ShortcutsUse these to save 30–60 seconds per question

#1 - Position Gap Method: Find the gap between original and coded letters for first 2-3 letters. Apply same gap to remaining letters. This works for 80% of shift coding questions.

Worked ExampleSolve this step-by-step before moving on
1
Step 1

Find the pattern H → K (H=8, K=11, difference = +3) O → R (O=15, R=18, difference = +3) R → U (R=18, U=21, difference = +3) S → V (S=19, V=22, difference = +3) E → H (E=5, H=8, difference = +3)

2
Step 2

Pattern identified = Each letter shifts +3 positions

3
Step 3

Apply to TIGER T → W (T=20, +3=23=W) I → L (I=9, +3=12=L) G → J (G=7, +3=10=J) E → H (E=5, +3=8=H) R → U (R=18, +3=21=U) Answer: TIGER = WLJHU Worked Example 2: Question: If in a certain code, BRAIN is written as CQBJO, how is SMILE written?

1
Step 1

Analyze each position B → C (+1) R → Q (-1) A → B (+1) I → J (+1) N → O (+1)

2
Step 2

Pattern = +1, -1, +1, +1, +1 (mostly +1 except 2nd position)

3
Step 3

Apply to SMILE S → T (+1) M → L (-1) I → J (+1) L → M (+1) E → F (+1) Answer: SMILE = TLJMF Shortcut Trick #2 - Reverse Alphabet Method: If A→Z, B→Y, C→X pattern appears, use formula: Coded Letter Position = 27 - Original Letter Position. Shortcut Trick #3 - Number Coding Quick Check: For number codes, first check if numbers represent alphabetical positions (A=1, B=2...). If not, look for arithmetic progression patterns. #1 Most Common Trap/Mistake: Students often assume the same shift applies to all letters without checking each position carefully. Many codes use different shifts for different positions (like Example 2 above). Always verify the pattern for at least 3 letters before applying to the answer. Additional exam tip: If the pattern seems too complex, try working backwards from answer options - this often saves precious time in competitive exams.

Key Points to Remember

  • Coding Decoding involves finding patterns in letter/number substitutions
  • Most common pattern: Each letter shifts by same number of positions in alphabet
  • Formula: New Position = Original Position + Shift Value (adjust for alphabet limits)
  • Always check pattern in first 3 letters before applying to entire word
  • Reverse alphabet coding: A=Z, B=Y, use 27 minus original position
  • Number codes often represent alphabetical positions (A=1, B=2, C=3)
  • Mixed patterns have different shifts for different letter positions
  • Position Gap Method works for 80% of shift coding questions
  • If pattern is complex, work backwards from answer options to save time
  • SSC CGL typically includes 1-2 coding decoding questions per paper

Exam-Specific Tips

  • A=1, B=2, C=3... Z=26 is the standard alphabetical position formula
  • Forward shift formula: New Position = Original Position + Shift Value
  • Backward shift formula: New Position = Original Position - Shift Value
  • Reverse alphabet coding formula: Coded Position = 27 - Original Position
  • If coded position exceeds 26, subtract 26 to get correct alphabet position
  • If coded position is less than 1, add 26 to get correct alphabet position
  • Common shift values in SSC exams are +3, +2, +1, -1, -2, -3
  • Mixed position patterns typically alternate between +1 and -1 shifts
Practice MCQs

Coding Decoding — Practice Questions

14graded MCQs · easy to hard · full solution & trap analysis

All MCQs →
Practice 1easy

In a certain code, every alternate letter (starting from the 1st letter) is shifted forward by 1 position in the alphabet, while the remaining letters stay unchanged. For example, 'ABCD' is coded as 'BBCD' (A→B at position 1, B stays at position 2, C→D at position 3, D stays at position 4). What is the code for 'PENCIL'?

Practice 2easy

In a certain coding system, each letter is replaced by the letter that comes 3 positions after it in the English alphabet. For example, A is coded as D, B is coded as E, and so on. If a letter reaches beyond Z, it wraps around to the beginning (e.g., Y becomes B, Z becomes C). Using this rule, how will the word 'PRINT' be coded?

Practice 3easy

In a code language, consonants are replaced by the consonant that comes 2 positions after them (B→D, C→F, D→F, etc.), and vowels are replaced by the symbol '*'. Using this rule, what is the code for 'SMILE'?

Practice 4easy

In a certain code, each letter is assigned a number based on its position in the alphabet (A=1, B=2, C=3, ..., Z=26). A word is encoded by writing the numbers of its letters in reverse order. For example, 'CAT' is encoded as 20-1-3 (because T=20, A=1, C=3). What is the code for 'DOG'?

Practice 5easy

In a code language, vowels are replaced by the next vowel in sequence (A→E, E→I, I→O, O→U, U→A), and consonants remain unchanged. Using this rule, what is the code for the word 'BRAIN'?

Practice 6easy

In a certain code, each letter is replaced by the letter that comes 3 positions after it in the English alphabet. For example, A is coded as D, B is coded as E, and so on. If the word 'HELLO' is coded using this rule, what will be the code?

Practice 7medium

In a certain code, each letter is assigned a number: A=1, B=2, C=3, ..., Z=26. A word is encoded by writing the numbers of its letters in reverse order. For example, 'CAT' is encoded as 20-1-3 (because T=20, A=1, C=3). What is the code for 'BRAIN'?

Practice 8medium

In a code language, vowels are replaced by the next vowel in sequence (A→E, E→I, I→O, O→U, U→A), and consonants remain unchanged. What is the code for 'FRIEND'?

Practice 9medium

In a certain coding system, each letter is replaced by the letter that comes 3 positions after it in the English alphabet, and the positions wrap around (Z wraps to C). Additionally, vowels are replaced by the number corresponding to their position in the vowel sequence (A=1, E=2, I=3, O=4, U=5). Using this code, what is the encoding of the word 'PHONE'?

Practice 10medium

In a code language, each letter is replaced by a symbol based on this rule: vowels (A, E, I, O, U) become *, and consonants become the number representing their position in the consonant sequence (B=1, C=2, D=3, F=4, G=5, H=6, J=7, K=8, L=9, M=10, N=11, P=12, Q=13, R=14, S=15, T=16, V=17, W=18, X=19, Y=20, Z=21). What is the code for 'MARKET'?

Practice 11medium

In a certain code, each letter is replaced by the letter that comes 3 positions ahead in the English alphabet. For example, A→D, B→E, C→F, and so on. Z wraps around to C. Using this rule, what is the code for the word 'LOGIC'?

Practice 12hard

In a coding system, each letter is replaced by the number representing its position in the alphabet, then each number is multiplied by 2 and decreased by 1. For example, A (position 1) becomes 1×2−1=1, B (position 2) becomes 2×2−1=3. If the word 'LOGIC' is encoded using this rule, what is the sum of all encoded values?

Practice 13hard

A reverse-substitution code works as follows: first, replace each letter with its reverse position in the alphabet (A↔Z, B↔Y, C↔X, etc.), then reverse the entire word. For example, 'BAD' becomes 'YZW' (B→Y, A→Z, D→W), then reversed to 'WZY'. Using this rule, if the code for a word is 'ZYXWVU', what is the original word?

Practice 14hard

In a positional-shift code, each letter in a word is replaced by the letter that is (position of letter in word) places ahead in the alphabet. For example, in 'CAT', C is at position 1, so C→D (1 place ahead); A is at position 2, so A→C (2 places ahead); T is at position 3, so T→W (3 places ahead), giving 'DCW'. Using this rule, what is the code for 'SYMBOL'?

60-Second Revision — Coding Decoding

  • Remember: Check pattern in first 3 letters before solving completely
  • Formula: Shift coding = Original Position ± Shift Value
  • Trap: Don't assume same shift for all positions - verify each letter
  • Shortcut: Use Position Gap Method for quick pattern recognition
  • Technique: Work backwards from options if pattern seems complex
  • Quick check: A=1 to Z=26 for number-based coding questions
  • Time saver: Reverse alphabet uses 27 minus original position formula
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