If the first and second letter in the word 'COMMUNICATIONS' were interchanged, also the third and the fourth letters, the fifth and the sixth letters and so on. Which letter would be the tenth letter counting from your right?

1. A

   N

2. B

   M

3. C

   C

4. D

   A

Appeared in: AIIMS Raipur NO- 2019 (shift 3rd)

Explanation

• The original word is 'COMMUNICATIONS'.
• Interchanging adjacent pairs of letters results in the new word: 'OCMMNUCITAOISN'.
• Counting 10 letters from the right end of the new word (starting with N, S, I, O, A, T, I, C, U...) lands on the letter 'N'.
• Alternatively, the 10th letter from the right in a 14-letter word is the 5th letter from the left (14 - 10 + 1 = 5). The 5th letter of 'OCMMNUCITAOISN' is 'N'.

Why Other Options Were Wrong

• Option B: The letter 'M' appears as the 11th and 12th letter when counting from the right in the rearranged word.
• Option C: The letter 'C' is the 8th letter from the right in the rearranged word.
• Option D: The letter 'A' is the 5th letter from the right in the rearranged word.

Related Visual

Clinical Relevance

• Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Logical Reasoning and Pattern Recognition as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
• This question tests logical reasoning and attention to detail, which are essential cognitive skills for nurses.
• Nurses must follow multi-step procedures accurately, interpret complex information, and avoid errors, similar to the process required to solve this puzzle.
• What if the question asked for the 10th letter from the left? The answer would be 'A'. This highlights the critical importance of carefully reading and understanding every detail of an instruction or question.

How to Approach the Question

• First, carefully read the word and the rule for rearrangement. Here, the word is 'COMMUNICATIONS' and the rule is to interchange adjacent pairs of letters.
• Write down the original word and apply the rule systematically. It's helpful to group the letters in pairs: (CO)(MM)(UN)(IC)(AT)(IO)(NS).
• Perform the interchange for each pair to create the new word: (OC)(MM)(NU)(CI)(TA)(OI)(SN) -> OCMMNUCITAOISN.
• Identify the final task: find the 10th letter counting from the right.
• Carefully count 10 positions from the end of the new word to find the correct letter.
• Alternatively, use the formula (Total letters - Position from Right + 1) to find the equivalent position from the left, which can be faster and less prone to counting errors.

Concept Tested & Keywords

• Concept Tested: Logical Reasoning and Pattern Recognition
• Stem keywords: COMMUNICATIONS, interchanged, tenth letter, counting from your right
• Lead-in keywords: Which letter

Question ID

QzePPXaA_iu5QMaPzeaAbh

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