14 November 2025 · Shift 2

Letter coding Compare PLEASURE with its code SOHDVXUH letter by letter: P→S, L→O, E→H, A→D, S→V, U→X, R→U, E→H. Every letter has moved 3 places forward in the alphabet, so the rule is +3. Applying the same +3 shift to UNIVERSE: U→X, N→Q, I→L, V→Y, E→H, R→U, S→V, E→H. So UNIVERSE is coded as XQLYHUVH — option (c).

Letter coding Check COMPUTER → DPNQVUFS: C→D, O→P, M→N, P→Q, U→V, T→U, E→F, R→S. Each letter is replaced by the very next letter of the alphabet, and MICROWAVE → NJDSPXBWF obeys the same +1 rule. Apply +1 to every letter of ADMINISTRATION: A→B, D→E, M→N, I→J, N→O, I→J, S→T, T→U, R→S, A→B, T→U, I→J, O→P, N→O. The code is BENJOJTUSBUJPO — option (a). The other options match at the start but then swap or replace a letter (…BUIPO, …NUSB…, …UBSU…), so they break the one-to-one +1 shift.

Letter coding In GOVERNMENT → HPWFSONFOU every letter is replaced by the next letter: G→H, O→P, V→W, E→F, R→S, N→O, M→N, E→F, N→O, T→U. DEMOCRACY → EFNPDSBDZ follows the same +1 rule, with Y→Z at the end. So for DEVELOPMENT: D→E, E→F, V→W, E→F, L→M, O→P, P→Q, M→N, E→F, N→O, T→U. The code is EFWFMPQNFOU — option (a); the other three merely shuffle the middle letters M, P, Q and N.

Statement and conclusions A conclusion follows only if the statement itself contains it; nothing extra may be assumed. Conclusion I calls household use the only major cause. The statement blames households, industries and agriculture together, and the word 'only' is far stronger than anything said, so I does not follow. Conclusion II says adoption is limited by practical difficulties. The statement says households hesitate because of high installation costs and lack of technical knowledge — exactly such difficulties — so II follows. Conclusion III says coordinated effort across sectors is needed. The statement closes by 'indicating the need for coordinated action across multiple sectors', so III follows. Hence only II and III follow — option (c).

Ethical judgement The phone holds another person's contacts and photographs, so whoever finds it becomes a temporary custodian of that person's property and privacy. The ethical duty is therefore to return it — either by contacting the owner through the phone itself or by handing it to the lost-and-found authorities. Option (a) destroys the owner's data, option (b) keeps property that is not one's own with no attempt to return it, and option (d) leaves the phone where anyone may misuse it. Only option (c) protects both the property and the privacy of the owner, so it is the most appropriate response.

Symbol substitution Put the real signs in place of the symbols: '#' stands for '−', '*' stands for '÷' and the last symbol stands for '×'. The expression becomes $12-16÷20\times 5$. By BODMAS, division and multiplication are done first, from left to right. $16÷20=\frac{4}{5}$ $\frac{4}{5}\times 5=4$ So the value is 12-4=8 — option (b).

Symbol substitution Put the real signs in place of the symbols: '%' stands for '−', '&' stands for '÷' and '@' stands for '+'. The expression becomes $5-18÷5+16$. By BODMAS the division is carried out first: $18÷5=\frac{18}{5}$. $5-\frac{18}{5}+16=21-\frac{18}{5}$ $=\frac{105-18}{5}=\frac{87}{5}$ So the required value is $\frac{87}{5}$ — option (b).

Social responsibility The student is being excluded on the strength of a comment that nobody has verified, so the harm is being done by rumour and not by fact. A socially responsible response must do two things — undo the harm already done to the student and stop the rumour from spreading further. Option (d) does both: it reassures the student privately, brings them back into the team and discourages the spread of unverified comments. Option (a) lets the injustice continue, while options (b) and (c) actively join in the unfair treatment. Hence option (d) is correct.

Ranking in a row Bring both players to the same end before counting. Position from left = total - position from right $+1$. For S: 40-11+1=30, so S is 30th from the left, while R is 16th from the left. Players standing strictly between them =30-16-1=13. Hence option (b).

Ranking in a row Express both positions from the same end, the left. Position from left = total - position from right $+1$. For the green light: 25-11+1=15, so it is 15th from the left; the yellow light is 8th from the left. Lights lying strictly between them =15-8-1=6. Hence option (a).

Statement and arguments An argument is strong only when it is directly related to the question and rests on a serious, lasting consequence. Argument I links the excessive use of single-use materials to environmental degradation — a real and long-lasting harm that regulation can actually reduce, so it is strong. Argument II offers only cheapness and easy availability. Convenience is a small, temporary personal gain and cannot outweigh permanent damage to the environment, so it is weak. Hence only I is strong — option (a).

Statement and arguments A strong argument must answer the question asked and must point to a consequence of real weight. Argument I does exactly that: harmful videos can influence viewers, and children are the most easily influenced, so monitoring is justified. It is strong. Argument II raises creative freedom, but the monitoring proposed is aimed only at harmful content, and no creator has a right to publish material that damages viewers; so the objection does not really meet the issue and is weak. Hence only I is strong — option (a).

Letter series Write the alphabet position of each letter: A =1, D =4, H =8, M =13. The differences are 4-1=3, 8-4=4, 13-8=5 — they grow by one each time, so the next gap is +6. Next position =13+6=19, and the 19th letter of the alphabet is S. Hence option (a).

Letter series Write the alphabet positions: I =9, F =6, C =3, Z =26. Each term is 3 steps back: 9-3=6 gives F and 6-3=3 gives C. From C the count runs past A, so the alphabet is treated as a circle and it wraps to the end: 3-3=0, which is read as Z (position 26). Continuing the same step, 26-3=23, and the 23rd letter is W. Hence option (c).

Decision making Two interests meet here: the public need for a wider road and the livelihood of the traders who occupy part of that land. A sound administrative decision serves the public purpose without destroying the livelihood, so the shops must be shifted rather than simply removed. Relocating them to nearby spaces does both — the widening goes ahead and the traders keep their business and their customers. Option (a) abandons a needed public work, option (b) is needlessly harsh and invites protest and litigation, and option (d) leaves obstructions standing on the widened road, defeating its very purpose. Hence option (c) is the correct judgement.

Word formation First list the letters available in INFORMATION: I, N, F, O, R, M, A, T, I, O, N — so I, N and O are available twice each, and F, R, M, A, T once each. FORM, RATION and NOTION use only these letters (NOTION needs two N's and two O's, and both are available). MENTION needs the letter E, which does not occur in INFORMATION at all, so this word cannot be formed. Hence, option (b) is the most appropriate answer.

Problem solving The stated cause of the delay is an unclear workflow, so the right remedy must remove that unclearness itself. A clear process chart fixes every step of book issuance and the person responsible for it, so the staff no longer lose time deciding what to do next. Replacing staff often or letting everyone invent a personal method makes the workflow even less uniform, and ignoring the delays leaves the cause completely untouched. Hence, option (a) is the most appropriate answer.

Letter-pair analogy Compare the two letters of the first pair with the corresponding letters of the second pair. P+2=R and X-2=V, so the first letter moves two steps forward and the second letter two steps backward. Applying the same rule to QV: Q+2=S and V-2=T, which gives ST. Hence, option (b) is the most appropriate answer.

Letter-pair analogy Compare CD with BD letter by letter. C-1=B while the second letter D stays as it is, so the rule is: first letter one step back, second letter unchanged. Applying it to EF: E-1=D and F remains F, which gives DF. GF, DG and EH each change the second letter as well, so they break the rule. Hence, option (a) is the most appropriate answer.

Number series Take the differences of consecutive terms: 23-5=18, 59-23=36, 119-59=60. These differences themselves grow as 18, 24, 30 — an increase of 6 each time — so the next difference is 60+30=90. Required term =119+90=209. The same series can also be read as $2^3-3$, $3^3-4$, $4^3-5$, $5^3-6$, so the next term is $6^3-7=216-7=209$. Hence, option (b) is the most appropriate answer.

Number series Take the differences of consecutive terms: 9-1=8, 25-9=16, 57-25=32. Each difference is exactly double the previous one, so the next difference is $32\times 2=64$. Required term =57+64=121. Hence, option (b) is the most appropriate answer.

Number series Each term is a little more than four times the term before it, so test the rule $\times 4+9$. $5\times 4+9=29$, $29\times 4+9=125$, $125\times 4+9=509$ — the rule holds throughout. Required term $=509\times 4+9=2036+9=2045$. Hence, option (b) is the most appropriate answer.

Odd pair out Read each pair as (square of a number : square of the next number). $4=2^2$ and $9=3^2$; $1=1^2$ and $4=2^2$; $25=5^2$ and $36=6^2$ — in each of these the two numbers are squares of consecutive natural numbers. In 16:26, $16=4^2$ but 26 is not a perfect square; to follow the pattern the pair should have been 16:25. Hence, option (c) is the most appropriate answer.

Dictionary order Compare the words letter by letter; all five begin with 'In'. At the third letter s comes before t, so the 'Ins…' words (1, 2, 3) all come before the 'Int…' words (4, 5). Inside 'Ins…': 'Inst' < 'Insu', so 1 and 3 come before 2; and between them 'Institu…' < 'Instru…' because i < r — giving 1, 3, 2. Between 4 and 5 both start with 'Inte'; 'Intel' < 'Inter' because l < r, so 4 comes before 5. The dictionary order is therefore 1, 3, 2, 4, 5. Hence, option (c) is the most appropriate answer.

Dictionary order All six words begin with 'Man', so arrange them by the fourth letter, whose order is a, i, n, u. 'Mana…' comes first: Management (1). Then 'Mani…': Manifestation (2) and Manipulation (4); f < p, so 2 comes before 4. Next 'Mann…': Mannerism (5). Finally 'Manu…': Manufacturing (3) and Manuscript (6); f < s, so 3 comes before 6. The dictionary order is therefore 1, 2, 4, 5, 3, 6. Hence, option (b) is the most appropriate answer.