SSC Coding Decoding Questions with Answers PDF

SSC Coding Decoding Questions with Answers PDF: Quick Overview

This guide gives you the types of coding-decoding asked in SSC exams, the shortcuts to solve them and 35 practice questions with answers and step-by-step explanations. Everything is on this page, so you can read it on your phone and also save it as a PDF (browser Print → Save as PDF) for offline practice. No sign-up is needed.

Key Takeaways

• Coding-decoding is a quick, scoring topic: most questions can be solved in 20 to 30 seconds once you know the pattern.
• Learn the alphabet positions (A = 1 to Z = 26) and the rule that opposite letters add up to 27.
• There are six common types: fixed shift, changing shift, opposite letters, letter values, word substitution and mixed coding.
• Solve the 35 questions below in a timer and check the explanations for every mistake.
• Save this page as a PDF from the browser print option if you want an offline copy.

What Is Coding-Decoding?

In coding-decoding, a word, number or group of symbols is written in a different form according to a fixed rule. You are given one or more examples of the code and you have to find the rule and use it on a new word. For example, if CAT is written as ECV, every letter has moved two places forward in the alphabet, so DOG will be written as FQI.

Types of Coding-Decoding Questions in SSC Exams

Alphabet Positions You Must Remember

Write these positions on your rough sheet at the start of the exam. Remember EJOTY (E = 5, J = 10, O = 15, T = 20, Y = 25) to jump quickly to any letter.

Opposite Letter Pairs

Opposite letters are always the same distance from the two ends of the alphabet, so their positions add up to 27.

Step-by-Step Method to Solve Coding-Decoding Questions

1. Write positions. Put the alphabet position under every letter of the word and of its code.
2. Find the difference between each letter and its code letter (+ for forward, − for backward).
3. Check the pattern: same shift, changing shift, opposite letters or reversal.
4. Apply the same pattern to the new word, letter by letter.
5. Verify by applying the rule to the given example once more.

Solved Example 1: Fixed Shift

If MANGO is coded as OCPIQ, how is APPLE coded?

M(13) → O(15), A(1) → C(3), N(14) → P(16), G(7) → I(9), O(15) → Q(17). Every letter moves +2. So APPLE: A → C, P → R, P → R, L → N, E → G = CRRNG.

Solved Example 2: Changing Shift

If FRIEND is coded as HUMJTK, how is CANDLE coded?

F+2 = H, R+3 = U, I+4 = M, E+5 = J, N+6 = T, D+7 = K. The shift increases by one each time, starting at +2. For CANDLE: C+2 = E, A+3 = D, N+4 = R, D+5 = I, L+6 = R, E+7 = L, so the code is EDRIRL.

Shortcuts and Tricks for Coding-Decoding

• Compare the first letter and last letter of the word and code first; they usually reveal the rule.
• If the shift is the same for all letters, one letter is enough to find it.
• If the code has the same letters in reverse, check for reversal before trying shifts.
• For opposite-letter questions, do not count: use position + opposite = 27.
• For word substitution, always find the word that is repeated in two statements first.
• When two rules seem to fit, check a third letter to confirm.

Practice Questions: SSC Coding Decoding (35 Questions)

Solve the questions in a timer (about 25 seconds each) and then check the answers below.

Letter Shifting (Fixed Shift) (8 Questions)

Q1. If BAT is coded as DCV, how is BALL coded in the same code?
(A) EDOO    (B) CBMM    (C) DCNN    (D) FEPP

Q2. If PLAN is coded as SODQ, how is GOLD coded in the same code?
(A) KSPH    (B) IQNF    (C) MURJ    (D) JROG

Q3. If WATER is coded as XBUFS, how is FIRE coded in the same code?
(A) GJSF    (B) HKTG    (C) FIRE    (D) EHQD

Q4. If CLOUD is coded as FORXG, how is RAIN coded in the same code?
(A) VEMR    (B) TCKP    (C) UDLQ    (D) XGOT

Q5. If SCHOOL is coded as QAFMMJ, how is PAPER coded in the same code?
(A) OZODQ    (B) MXMBO    (C) NYNCP    (D) LWLAN

Q6. If STUDY is coded as QRSBW, how is EXAM coded in the same code?
(A) DWZL    (B) CVYK    (C) BUXJ    (D) ATWI

Q7. If TABLE is coded as UBCMF, how is CHAIR coded in the same code?
(A) DIBJS    (B) EJCKT    (C) CHAIR    (D) BGZHQ

Q8. If GOOD is coded as HPPE, how is BOYS coded in the same code?
(A) DQAU    (B) BOYS    (C) CPZT    (D) ANXR

Letter Shifting (Changing Shift) (5 Questions)

Q9. If ABCD is coded as BDFH, how is EFGH coded in the same code?
(A) FGHI    (B) FHJL    (C) GIKM    (D) IIII

Q10. If DOG is coded as EQJ, how is CAT coded in the same code?
(A) DBU    (B) EDX    (C) DCW    (D) FCU

Q11. If STAR is coded as TSBQ, how is MOON coded in the same code?
(A) NPPO    (B) NNPM    (C) OOQN    (D) LPNO

Q12. If READ is coded as SFZC, how is MAKE coded in the same code?
(A) NBJD    (B) NBLF    (C) OCKE    (D) LZLF

Q13. If BIRD is coded as DMXL, how is FISH coded in the same code?
(A) HMYP    (B) HKUJ    (C) INZQ    (D) NOWJ

Opposite Letter Coding (5 Questions)

Q14. If SSC is written as HHX (each letter replaced by its opposite letter), how is CGL written?
(A) DHM    (B) BFK    (C) LGC    (D) XTO

Q15. If BOAT is written as YLZG (each letter replaced by its opposite letter), how is ROAD written?
(A) ILZW    (B) SPBE    (C) QNZC    (D) DAOR

Q16. If PLANT is written as KOZMG (each letter replaced by its opposite letter), how is FLOWER written?
(A) GMPXFS    (B) EKNVDQ    (C) UOLDVI    (D) REWOLF

Q17. What is the opposite-letter code (A↔Z, B↔Y, …) of the word EXAM?
(A) FYBN    (B) VCZN    (C) DWZL    (D) VCNZ

Q18. What is the opposite-letter code of the word GIRL?
(A) HJSM    (B) TRIP    (C) TRIO    (D) TROI

Letter Value and Number Coding (8 Questions)

Q19. If A = 1, B = 2, C = 3 and so on, what is the sum of the letter values of the word EXAM?
(A) 41    (B) 44    (C) 43    (D) 46

Q20. If the word CAT has the value 24 (sum of letter positions), what is the value of DOG?
(A) 24    (B) 28    (C) 30    (D) 26

Q21. If A = 1, B = 2, C = 3 and so on, what is the sum of the letter values of the word CGL?
(A) 20    (B) 22    (C) 21    (D) 24

Q22. If A = 1, B = 2, C = 3 and so on, what is the sum of the letter values of the word CHSL?
(A) 40    (B) 41    (C) 44    (D) 42

Q23. If A = 1, B = 2, C = 3 and so on, what is the sum of the letter values of the word MTS?
(A) 50    (B) 51    (C) 54    (D) 52

Q24. If A = 26, B = 25, C = 24 and so on up to Z = 1, what is the sum of the letter values of the word DOG?
(A) 55    (B) 45    (C) 53    (D) 60

Q25. If the value of each letter is twice its alphabet position, what is the value of the word ACE?
(A) 18    (B) 9    (C) 15    (D) 21

Q26. If CODE is written as 3-15-4-5, how is DECODE written?
(A) 4-5-3-15-5-4    (B) 5-4-3-15-4-5    (C) 4-5-3-15-4-5    (D) 4-5-15-3-4-5

Word Substitution and Fictitious Language (5 Questions)

Q27. In a code language, "apple is red" is written as "ta mo ki", "red rose bloom" is written as "ki ne su" and "apple tree grows" is written as "ta lo pe". What is the code for "red"?
(A) ki    (B) ta    (C) mo    (D) ne

Q28. In a code language, "sun is bright" is written as "na ti ro", "moon is pale" is written as "ti se la" and "sun and moon" is written as "na jo se". What is the code for "moon"?
(A) na    (B) se    (C) ti    (D) jo

Q29. In a code language, "red pen box" is written as "mi ka do", "pen and pencil" is written as "ka ve su" and "red flower" is written as "mi lo". What does "do" stand for?
(A) pen    (B) red    (C) box    (D) flower

Q30. If table is called chair, chair is called bed, bed is called sofa and sofa is called desk, on what does a person sleep?
(A) Bed    (B) Sofa    (C) Chair    (D) Desk

Q31. If blue is called red, red is called green, green is called yellow and yellow is called white, what is the colour of grass?
(A) Green    (B) Red    (C) White    (D) Yellow

Mixed and Reverse Coding (4 Questions)

Q32. If MOTHER is coded as NPUIFS, how is FATHER coded in the same code?
(A) HCVJGT    (B) FATHER    (C) GBUIFS    (D) EZSGDQ

Q33. If CHAIR is coded as EJCKT, how is TABLE coded in the same code?
(A) VCDNG    (B) WDEOH    (C) UBCMF    (D) XEFPI

Q34. If CAT is coded as DBU, how is PIG coded in the same code?
(A) RKI    (B) PIG    (C) QJH    (D) OHF

Q35. If WORLD is coded as DLROW, how is INDIA coded in the same code?
(A) AIDIN    (B) ADINI    (C) AIDNI    (D) IANDI

Answer Key at a Glance

Answers with Explanations

Letter Shifting (Fixed Shift)

Q1. Answer: (C) DCNN — Each letter is moved 2 places forward (B→D, A→C…). Applying the same rule to BALL: B→D, A→C, L→N, L→N = DCNN.

Q2. Answer: (D) JROG — Each letter is moved 3 places forward (P→S, L→O…). Applying the same rule to GOLD: G→J, O→R, L→O, D→G = JROG.

Q3. Answer: (A) GJSF — Each letter is moved 1 place forward (W→X, A→B…). Applying the same rule to FIRE: F→G, I→J, R→S, E→F = GJSF.

Q4. Answer: (C) UDLQ — Each letter is moved 3 places forward (C→F, L→O…). Applying the same rule to RAIN: R→U, A→D, I→L, N→Q = UDLQ.

Q5. Answer: (C) NYNCP — Each letter is moved 2 places backward (S→Q, C→A…). Applying the same rule to PAPER: P→N, A→Y, P→N, E→C, R→P = NYNCP.

Q6. Answer: (B) CVYK — Each letter is moved 2 places backward (S→Q, T→R…). Applying the same rule to EXAM: E→C, X→V, A→Y, M→K = CVYK.

Q7. Answer: (A) DIBJS — Each letter is moved 1 place forward (T→U, A→B…). Applying the same rule to CHAIR: C→D, H→I, A→B, I→J, R→S = DIBJS.

Q8. Answer: (C) CPZT — Each letter is moved 1 place forward (G→H, O→P…). Applying the same rule to BOYS: B→C, O→P, Y→Z, S→T = CPZT.

Letter Shifting (Changing Shift)

Q9. Answer: (B) FHJL — The letters move by +1, +2, +3, +4 places (A→B, B→D, C→F, D→H). Applying this to EFGH: E→F, F→H, G→J, H→L = FHJL.

Q10. Answer: (C) DCW — The letters move by +1, +2, +3 places (D→E, O→Q, G→J). Applying this to CAT: C→D, A→C, T→W = DCW.

Q11. Answer: (B) NNPM — The letters move by +1, −1, +1, −1 places (S→T, T→S, A→B, R→Q). Applying this to MOON: M→N, O→N, O→P, N→M = NNPM.

Q12. Answer: (A) NBJD — The letters move by +1, +1, −1, −1 places (R→S, E→F, A→Z, D→C). Applying this to MAKE: M→N, A→B, K→J, E→D = NBJD.

Q13. Answer: (A) HMYP — The letters move by +2, +4, +6, +8 places (B→D, I→M, R→X, D→L). Applying this to FISH: F→H, I→M, S→Y, H→P = HMYP.

Opposite Letter Coding

Q14. Answer: (D) XTO — Opposite letters add up to 27 in position (A↔Z, B↔Y, …, M↔N). So C→X, G→T, L→O = XTO.

Q15. Answer: (A) ILZW — Opposite letters add up to 27 in position (A↔Z, B↔Y, …, M↔N). So R→I, O→L, A→Z, D→W = ILZW.

Q16. Answer: (C) UOLDVI — Opposite letters add up to 27 in position (A↔Z, B↔Y, …, M↔N). So F→U, L→O, O→L, W→D, E→V, R→I = UOLDVI.

Q17. Answer: (B) VCZN — Replace each letter by the letter whose position adds up to 27: E→V, X→C, A→Z, M→N = VCZN.

Q18. Answer: (C) TRIO — Replace each letter by its opposite: G→T, I→R, R→I, L→O = TRIO.

Letter Value and Number Coding

Q19. Answer: (C) 43 — E = 5, X = 24, A = 1, M = 13. Sum = 5 + 24 + 1 + 13 = 43.

Q20. Answer: (D) 26 — DOG = 4 + 15 + 7 = 26.

Q21. Answer: (B) 22 — C = 3, G = 7, L = 12. Sum = 3 + 7 + 12 = 22.

Q22. Answer: (D) 42 — C = 3, H = 8, S = 19, L = 12. Sum = 3 + 8 + 19 + 12 = 42.

Q23. Answer: (D) 52 — M = 13, T = 20, S = 19. Sum = 13 + 20 + 19 = 52.

Q24. Answer: (A) 55 — D = 23, O = 12, G = 20. Sum = 23 + 12 + 20 = 55. (Value = 27 − normal position.)

Q25. Answer: (A) 18 — A = 2, C = 6, E = 10. Sum = 2 + 6 + 10 = 18.

Q26. Answer: (C) 4-5-3-15-4-5 — C = 3, O = 15, D = 4, E = 5. So D-E-C-O-D-E = 4-5-3-15-4-5.

Word Substitution and Fictitious Language

Q27. Answer: (A) ki — "red" is common to the first two statements, and "ki" is the only code common to them.

Q28. Answer: (B) se — "moon" is common to statements 2 and 3, and "se" is the only code common to them.

Q29. Answer: (C) box — "pen" = ka (statements 1 and 2) and "red" = mi (statements 1 and 3). In statement 1 the remaining code "do" stands for "box".

Q30. Answer: (B) Sofa — A person sleeps on a bed, and a bed is called “sofa” in this code.

Q31. Answer: (D) Yellow — Grass is green, and green is called “yellow” in this code.

Mixed and Reverse Coding

Q32. Answer: (C) GBUIFS — Each letter is moved 1 place forward (M→N, O→P…). Applying the same rule to FATHER: F→G, A→B, T→U, H→I, E→F, R→S = GBUIFS.

Q33. Answer: (A) VCDNG — Each letter is moved 2 places forward (C→E, H→J…). Applying the same rule to TABLE: T→V, A→C, B→D, L→N, E→G = VCDNG.

Q34. Answer: (C) QJH — Each letter is moved 1 place forward (C→D, A→B…). Applying the same rule to PIG: P→Q, I→J, G→H = QJH.

Q35. Answer: (C) AIDNI — The word is written in reverse order: INDIA → A-I-D-N-I = AIDNI.

How to Save These Coding-Decoding Questions as a PDF

You do not need to download any file. Use the browser to create your own PDF copy of this page:

1. On a computer: press Ctrl + P (Cmd + P on Mac).
2. In the print window choose Save as PDF as the destination.
3. Select the pages you need and click Save.
4. On mobile (Chrome): tap the three dots → Share → Print → Save as PDF.

Tip: print the questions first, attempt them with a timer, and use the saved PDF with answers only when you check your work.

How to Check Your Performance

Common Mistakes in Coding-Decoding

• Counting on fingers: not knowing positions makes you slow. Practice the position table daily.
• Applying the rule to only one letter: always verify the pattern on at least two letters.
• Wrong direction: confusing forward (+) with backward (−) shifts, especially near A and Z.
• Forgetting wrap-around: after Z the alphabet starts again from A.
• Missing the changing shift: if the differences are not equal, look for +1, +2, +3 or alternate patterns.

Related SSC Reasoning Resources

• SSC reasoning practice set with answers (top 100 questions)
• SSC CGL previous year question papers
• SSC practice papers
• SSC CHSL exam details

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is coding-decoding in SSC reasoning?

Coding-decoding is a reasoning topic in which a word, number or symbol is converted into another form using a hidden rule (called the code). You find the rule from the given example and apply it to a new word, or decode a coded word back to its original form.

How many coding-decoding questions come in SSC CGL and CHSL?

The number changes from shift to shift, but coding-decoding usually contributes a small number of questions (often 1 to 4) in the 25-question reasoning section. Because they are quick to solve, they are considered scoring questions.

What are the main types of coding-decoding questions?

The main types are fixed letter shifting, changing letter shifting, opposite-letter coding, letter-to-number (value) coding, word substitution (fictitious language) and mixed or reverse coding.

What is the fastest trick to solve letter coding questions?

Write the position of each letter (A = 1 to Z = 26), compare the word with its code letter by letter, find whether the shift is fixed, changing or opposite, and then apply the same rule to the new word.

What is opposite-letter coding?

In opposite-letter coding every letter is replaced by the letter that is the same distance from the other end of the alphabet: A becomes Z, B becomes Y and so on. A letter and its opposite always add up to 27 in position.

How can I remember the alphabet positions quickly?

Remember EJOTY: E = 5, J = 10, O = 15, T = 20 and Y = 25. Also remember that M = 13 and N = 14 are the middle letters, and that opposite letters add up to 27. You can then find any other letter within a few steps.

How do I solve word-substitution (fictitious language) questions?

Look for a word that repeats in two statements and a code that repeats in the same two codes. That pair is the same word. Repeat this for the other words and eliminate the codes you have already matched.

Is there a downloadable PDF of these coding-decoding questions?

You do not need a separate download. All the questions and answers are on this page, and you can save them as a PDF by opening the browser print option (Ctrl + P on a computer) and choosing Save as PDF. The steps are given in the section above.

What should I do if the code has more than one rule?

Test the patterns in a fixed order: same shift for all letters, changing shift, opposite letters, reversed order, and then position values. Many mixed questions are a simple combination of two of these.

How many coding-decoding questions should I practice every day?

Practice 15 to 20 questions a day for two weeks, mixing letter coding, number coding and word substitution. Try to solve each question in 20 to 30 seconds.

Which type of coding-decoding is asked most in SSC exams?

Letter coding (fixed or changing shifts) and letter-to-number coding are the most common. Word substitution and opposite-letter coding also appear regularly, so practice all types.

Do I need to remember the whole alphabet with numbers for the exam?

It helps a lot. If you can quickly recall positions, most letter-based questions can be solved in under 30 seconds. Practice the position table given on this page until you no longer need to count.

Are the practice questions in this post exam-level?

Yes. They follow the type and difficulty of questions that SSC asks in tier 1 papers, and each answer is explained step by step so you can learn the pattern, not just the answer.

Where can I practice more SSC reasoning questions?

You can solve SSC previous year papers on the PYQ section of SSC Education and try the practice papers section for topic-wise sets. Combine them with this coding-decoding set for the best results.

Conclusion

Coding-decoding rewards a clear method: write positions, find the shift, apply the rule and verify. Practice this set once with a timer, revise the explanations of your mistakes and attempt it again after a few days. With the alphabet positions on your fingertips, coding-decoding becomes one of the fastest scoring topics in the SSC reasoning section.