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Difficulty: MediumCoding and Decoding

A weather monitoring station encodes its daily operational logs to secure data integrity. In this specific coding system, the word MODULE is written as NQWWOG, and the word SYSTEM is written as HBHGGN.

Based on the logic used in this system, how will the word FORMAT be encoded?

  1. A
    TQHMCF
  2. UQINCGAnswer
  3. C
    HLTOZV
  4. D
    HQTOCV

Answer

The correct answer is UQINCG.
The encoding logic applies two distinct rules based on letter type. Consonants are replaced by their reverse alphabetical equivalent (e.g., A=26, Z=1, so F=6 becomes U=21). Vowels are shifted forward by exactly 2 positions in the alphabet (e.g., O=15 becomes Q=17). Applying this to the target word FORMAT: The consonants F, R, M, and T reverse to U, I, N, and G respectively. The vowels O and A shift forward +2 to become Q and C. Reassembling these gives the encoded word UQINCG.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the first example (MODULE -> NQWWOG) to identify distinct patterns for vowels and consonants.
Consonants (M, D, L) become (N, W, O). Vowels (O, U, E) become (Q, W, G).
Recognizing that letters may follow different rules based on their type is a key strategy in coding-decoding.
2
Determine the mathematical shifts for each letter type.
Consonants are replaced by their reverse alphabetical equivalent (M=13, N=14; 13+14=27). Vowels are shifted forward by exactly 2 positions (O=15 to Q=17).
Establishing the exact transformation formulas is required before applying them to a new word.
3
Verify the established logic against the second example (SYSTEM -> HBHGGN).
Consonants S(19)->H(8), Y(25)->B(2), T(20)->G(7), M(13)->N(14) match the reverse rule. Vowel E(5)->G(7) matches the +2 shift rule.
Confirming the pattern ensures the derived logic is consistently applied across the entire system.
4
Apply the verified rules to the target word (FORMAT).
Identify consonants: F, R, M, T. Identify vowels: O, A.
Categorizing the letters of the target word correctly dictates which rule to apply to each letter.
5
Calculate the encoded letters for FORMAT using the formulas.
Consonants: F(6)->U(21), R(18)->I(9), M(13)->N(14), T(20)->G(7). Vowels: O(15)->Q(17), A(1)->C(3). Combining these yields UQINCG.
Executing the mathematical transformations provides the final decoded string.

Key Concept

Differentiating transformation rules between vowels and consonants, and accurately applying reverse alphabetical indexing.
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Topics

Coding and Decoding

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