The process/approach for answering Translation of Language or Coded Questions

Look at the question and, if appropriate:

1. See if there is already an obvious pattern
2. See whether the pattern is between the code and the word OR
3. A relationship holding within the code that matches with relationship holding the word. For e.g. AZB = 435
4. Are there any repeated letters/numbers for letters appearing more than once in a word? If so, likely to be a constant number
5. Does it match one on one? e.g. Television = 1232846497 e.g. the first code item represents the first letter.
6. Does it match one on one in reverse? E.g. Television = 7946482321 e.g. the first code item represents the first letter
7. If none seems obvious – need to make that decision and then set the code and word in rows and analyse how they relate (see below). You can see by putting the code and word into rows that the pattern is actually V to X, I to G etc… so the pattern is between the number of units going up between the word and the code.

Make sure that you:

1. Count units correctly
2. Can clearly see the pattern instead of making one up
3. Spend the allocated time

Example of Strategy in Action:

The following code BLRZ means DOVE, what does the following code YZP

mean?

(A) RYE (B) ACT (C) CAT (D) RAN

Correct answer is (b) ACT

Why?

• Look at how the code and the word could possibly relate – in this instance easy to put the code and word in rows.
• Notice that the first letter in the word goes down by two to the code letter, and it follows…
• Second letter in the word goes down by three to the code letter
• Third letter in the word goes down by four to the code letter etc…
• Therefore the correct answer is (b).

The video will go through the below four examples:

In a foreign language

OBBI WON KONOBI means HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAUGHTER.

AHI OBBI CUP WON means DAUGHTER IS HAPPY TODAY.

AHI OBI CUP WON means SON IS HAPPY TODAY.

Which word means BIRTHDAY?

A : OBBI B : WON C: CUP D : KONOBI E : AHI

In the olden days, sailors would say "ejaff icki" when they've had a good smooth run at sea which meant "easy sailing". When they arrived home, their children would ask them, "ejaff icki o-pecko?", which meant "Was smooth sailing"? The sailors would either reply "o-pecki ejaff icki" ("Was smooth sailing") or "o-pecki ajaff icki!"

If** ajaff symbolises the opposite of easy**, what does "o-pecki ajaff icki" mean?

A : was turbulent sailing B : was difficult sailing C : was fun sailing

D : was smooth sailing E : was cold sailing

The following 45700909 code means LABOURER, what word could the following code 4080 mean

(a) LOVE (b) LISP (c) LOON (d) LIPS (e) None of these

The following code ENIN means NINE, what word then does the following code

ENO stand for?

(a) NIT (b) NOT (c) ONE (d) NIP (e) None of these

Key Rules to remember:

• Identify 'translation words'
• Look at commonality and or Look at modification of sentence structure to establish a set of rules.
• Apply these rules to your question.

Now it's time to do your assignment.

1. Download the assignment question here.
2. Print it out or if you want to do it electronically, save it.
3. Complete the questions to it.
4. Then check the solutions on the video below.
5. If you want the written answers (instead of the video), you can download them here.