Coding: ZONAL = 89517, ALONE = 57498 → Code for 'E'?

Appeared in: UP NHM CHO 7 Sept 2022 (Shift-2)

Explanation

The question uses a jumbled coding system where letters are assigned specific numbers, but not in a sequential order.
The common letters between ZONAL and ALONE are A, L, O, N, and the common numbers in their codes are 5, 7, 8, 9.
The letter 'E' is unique to the word ALONE.
The number '4' is unique to the code for ALONE (57498) when compared to the code for ZONAL (89517).
Therefore, the unique letter 'E' must correspond to the unique number '4'.

Option A: The number 8 is present in the codes for both ZONAL (89517) and ALONE (57498). This means it represents one of the common letters (A, L, O, or N), not the unique letter E.
Option B: The number 5 is present in the codes for both ZONAL (89517) and ALONE (57498). Like 8, it must correspond to one of the common letters (A, L, O, or N).
Option D: The number 1 is unique to the code for ZONAL (89517). The unique letter in ZONAL is 'Z'. Therefore, 1 is the code for Z, not E.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Jumbled Coding-Decoding as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
This type of logical reasoning question is not directly related to clinical practice.
However, it assesses analytical and problem-solving skills, which are crucial for nurses in making sound clinical judgments, interpreting patient data, and troubleshooting issues in patient care.
What if? If the code for ALONE was 17985, the common numbers would be {1, 7, 9, 8, 5}. In this case, there would be no unique number for 'E', and the problem would be unsolvable with the given information, indicating a flaw in the question's premise.

How to Approach the Question

First, identify the two words and their corresponding codes provided in the question.
Write down the set of letters for each word and the set of numbers for each code.
Find the common letters that appear in both words and the common numbers that appear in both codes.
Identify the unique letter in the word that contains the letter you need to decode (in this case, 'E' in 'ALONE').
Identify the unique number in the corresponding code that does not appear in the other code.
The unique letter corresponds to the unique number. This is your answer.

Concept Tested & Keywords

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Practise the full UP NHM CHO 7 Sept 2022 (Shift-2)

Attempt every question from this paper in a timed mock, then review the full solution for each one.