Letter Codes: Practice Set 2
Letter Codes: Practice Set 2 is a second practice round on GL Assessment-style letter-shift codes, where a demonstration word and its coded version reveal a fixed shift through the alphabet that must then be applied to a new word. This set moves into rules that wrap around the end of the alphabet more than once, shifts that reverse direction partway through the word, and larger shifts of four or five places.
Method
- Compare the demonstration word with its code letter by letter, converting each letter to its alphabet position (A=1 to Z=26) if the shift is not obvious by eye.
- Confirm the same shift applies to every letter of the demonstration word before treating it as the rule, since a single mismatched letter usually means the shift changes partway through the word.
- If the shift is not constant, check whether it reverses direction at the midpoint of the word, for example the first half moving forward and the second half moving back by the same amount.
- Apply the confirmed rule to the new word one letter at a time, writing each coded letter down as you go rather than working from memory.
- Handle wraparound carefully on every letter close to either end of the alphabet: a shift that takes you past Z continues counting from A, and a shift that takes you before A continues counting back from Z.
- Check your finished code letter by letter against the given options, since a single missed wraparound is the commonest way a mark is lost on this question type.
Worked example
If the code for GRAPE is KVETI, what is the code for STONE, using the same rule?
- Compare GRAPE with its code KVETI letter by letter: G+4=K, R+4=V, A+4=E, P+4=T, E+4=I.
- Every letter has moved exactly 4 places forward in the alphabet, so the rule is add 4 places to each letter.
- Apply the same rule to STONE: S+4=W, T+4=X, O+4=S, N+4=R, E+4=I.
- Write the coded letters in order: W, X, S, R, I.
- Final answer: WXSRI.
Practice questions
Try each question, then tap to reveal the answer.
Q1If the code for PLAN is UQFS, what is the code for VOTE, using the same rule? A) AYTJ B) ZSYK C) ATYJ D) BUZK E) ZTXIShow answer
Answer: C) ATYJ - each letter of PLAN moves 5 places forward to make UQFS, so the same +5 shift applied to VOTE gives ATYJ (V wraps past Z to A).
Q2If the code for BRISK is WMDNF, what is the code for CLOUD, using the same rule? A) YHKQZ B) XGJPY C) WFIOX D) XHJPZ E) YGKPXShow answer
Answer: B) XGJPY - each letter of BRISK moves 5 places back, wrapping past A, to make WMDNF, so the same -5 shift applied to CLOUD gives XGJPY.
Q3In this code, the first two letters of a four-letter word move 3 places forward in the alphabet, and the last two letters move 3 places back. If the code for FLAT is IOXQ, what is the code for GONE, using the same rule? A) JRKB B) JQKB C) IRKB D) JRLC E) KRJBShow answer
Answer: A) JRKB - the first two letters G and O move forward 3 to J and R, and the last two letters N and E move back 3 to K and B.
Q4If the code for TUVW is ZABC, what is the code for XYZQ, using the same rule? A) DEFW B) CDEV C) DEFX D) EFGX E) CDEWShow answer
Answer: A) DEFW - each letter of TUVW moves 6 places forward, wrapping past Z, to make ZABC, so the same +6 shift applied to XYZQ gives DEFW.
Q5If the code for JQVX is FMRT, what is the code for KPWY, using the same rule? A) GLSU B) HLSV C) GMSU D) FLSU E) GLRTShow answer
Answer: A) GLSU - each letter of JQVX moves 4 places back to make FMRT, so the same -4 shift applied to KPWY gives GLSU.
Q6In this code, the first three letters of a six-letter word move 2 places forward in the alphabet, and the last three letters move 2 places back. If the code for GARDEN is ICTBCL, what is the code for PLANET, using the same rule? A) RNCLCR B) RMCLCR C) RNCKCR D) RNCLBR E) SNCLCRShow answer
Answer: A) RNCLCR - the first three letters P, L and A move forward 2 to R, N and C, and the last three letters N, E and T move back 2 to L, C and R.
Exam-style questions
Written in the style of a 11+ exam paper, with a full mark scheme.
In this code, odd-position letters move 2 places forward in the alphabet and even-position letters move 3 places back. If the code for MELON is OBNLP, what is the code for TIGER, using the same rule? A) VFIBT B) UFIBT C) VEIBT D) VFHBT E) VFIAT
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In this code, the 1st letter moves 2 places forward, the 2nd letter 4 places forward, the 3rd letter 6 places forward, and so on, with each letter moving twice as many places as its position number. If the code for FISH is HMYP, what is the code for BIRD, using the same rule? A) DMXL B) DLXL C) DMWL D) CMXL E) DMXK
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In this code, vowels (A, E, I, O, U) move 1 place forward in the alphabet and consonants move 1 place back. If the code for OCEAN is PBFBM, what is the code for IGLOO, using the same rule? A) JFKPP B) JGKPP C) JFKPQ D) HFKPP E) JFJPP
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Free printable worksheet
Want more practice on paper? Download the letter codes: practice set 2 worksheet pack - 10 pages of exam-style questions with a full mark scheme. One email opens every download in this browser for 14 days - no account, no card. Print it for personal and classroom use.
This topic is chapter 33 of 11+ Verbal Reasoning Workbook 2, the whole course as one free printable PDF.
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