In a certain code language, ABONDONMENT is written as DNOBAOTNEMN and ESTABLISHED is written as BATSELDEHSI. Then in the same code language, GERMINATION will be written as ?

Correct — option (4), IMREGNNOITA.

Step 1 — split each 11-letter word around its middle (6th) letter.
ABONDONMENT = ABOND | O | NMENT
ESTABLISHED = ESTAB | L | ISHED

Step 2 — split the codes the same way.
DNOBAOTNEMN = DNOBA | O | TNEMN
BATSELDEHSI = BATSE | L | DEHSI

Step 3 — name the rule.
First five letters reversed: ABOND → DNOBA, ESTAB → BATSE
Middle letter kept in place: O, L
Last five letters reversed: NMENT → TNEMN, ISHED → DEHSI

Step 4 — apply it to GERMINATION.
GERMINATION = GERMI | N | ATION
GERMI → IMREG
ATION → NOITA
Code: IMREG + N + NOITA = IMREGNNOITA

The rule fits both given examples, and it keeps every letter of the word: only the order changes.

The idea to remember: test a coding rule on every example given before applying it to the new word.

Why the others are wrong

• (1)
  NMEGRONTIAG — Option (1) is not even a rearrangement of GERMINATION. It has two G's and only one I, while GERMINATION has one G and two I's.

  The rule shown by both examples only reorders letters. Reversing GERMI and ATION around the middle N gives IMREGNNOITA.

• (2)
  GOERGONITAN — Option (2) starts with G, the word's own first letter, but the rule reverses the first five letters, so the code must start with I.

  Its letters do not match either: it has two G's, two O's and no M, while GERMINATION has one G, one O and one M. It cannot come from reordering the word.

• (3)
  IMERGNONITA — Option (3) uses the right letters and the right middle N, but both halves are out of order.

  GERMI reversed is IMREG; the option has IMERG, with E and R swapped. ATION reversed is NOITA; the option has ONITA, with N and O swapped. Only IMREGNNOITA reverses both halves exactly.

Coding–decoding means finding the rule that turns a word into its code and applying that rule to a new word.

A rule can shift letters along the alphabet, replace letters by their opposites (A ↔ Z, B ↔ Y), rearrange letters, or drop and add letters.

A rearrangement keeps the word's letters and changes only their order. Comparing the letters first separates it from a shift, and splitting the word into blocks exposes rules such as reversing each half around a middle letter.

Key facts

• ABONDONMENT → DNOBA + O + TNEMN: first five letters reversed, 6th letter kept, last five reversed.
• ESTABLISHED → BATSE + L + DEHSI follows the same rule.
• GERMINATION → IMREG + N + NOITA = IMREGNNOITA.
• A rearrangement code uses exactly the word's letters; a code with different letters cannot be one.
• A transposition cipher rearranges letters; a substitution cipher, such as the Caesar shift, replaces them.

Common traps

• Reversing the whole word. GERMINATION written backwards is NOITANIMREG, which breaks the rule shown by both examples.
• Checking only the opening letters. Option (3) starts IM… like the answer, but its halves are IMERG and ONITA, not IMREG and NOITA.
• Skipping the letter check. Options (1) and (2) contain letters in counts that GERMINATION does not have, so no rearrangement can produce them.

• practice — not a real PYQ

  In a certain code language, EDUCATIONAL is written as ACUDETLANOI. How will INFORMATION be written in that code language ?

  • (a)ROFNIMNOITA
  • (b)ROFNIMNOTIA
  • (c)NOITAMROFNI
  • (d)ORFNIMNOITA
  Answer(1) — The rule reverses the first five letters (EDUCA → ACUDE), keeps the 6th (T) and reverses the last five (IONAL → LANOI). INFORMATION gives INFOR → ROFNI, then M, then ATION → NOITA.

  Option (2) swaps T and I in the last block, option (3) reverses the whole word, and option (4) swaps R and O in the first block.

• practice — not a real PYQ

  In a certain code, MONARCHY is written as ANOMYHCR. How will ELEPHANT be written in that code ?

  • (a)TNAHPELE
  • (b)PELETANH
  • (c)PELETNAH
  • (d)ELEPTNAH
  Answer(3) — The 8-letter word splits into two halves of four, each written in reverse: MONA → ANOM, RCHY → YHCR. ELEPHANT gives ELEP → PELE and HANT → TNAH. Option (1) reverses the whole word, option (2) misorders the second half, and option (4) leaves the first half unreversed.