Reasoning Ability - MCQ Practice Questions

Understanding:

We need to determine how many steps are required to fully arrange the given input using the identified rule.

Step 1: Identify the Rule

From the original example:

Step 2: Apply to New Input

New Input: 81 run 35 win 19 joy 54 dog

Step 3: Count the Steps

There are 4 word-number pairs. Each step fixes one pair from the left:

So 3 steps are needed.

Answer:

The arrangement will be complete in 3 steps.

Quick Tip:

For n word-number pairs arranged one pair per step, the number of steps needed is always n − 1, since the last pair falls into place automatically.

Understanding:

We need to identify the rule governing the machine and determine which step produces the output: go 11 do 33 be 55 if 77, given the same input.

Step 1: Identify the Rule

From the original example:

Step 2: Identify the Input for the Target Output

Target output: go(11) do(33) be(55) if(77)

Step 3: Confirm

In the original example, Step 4 is the last step and produces the fully arranged output: sun 13 earth 47 moon 68 star 92. Similarly, for any 4-pair input, the fully sorted arrangement is achieved at Step 4.

The output go 11 do 33 be 55 if 77 is fully sorted (ascending numbers, paired words), so it corresponds to Step 4.

Answer:

The output go 11 do 33 be 55 if 77 is produced at Step 4.

Quick Tip:

For a machine that sorts n word-number pairs one pair per step, the fully sorted output always appears at Step n (the last step). The number of steps equals the number of pairs.

Understanding:

We need to find the number of steps to fully arrange the input: cold table bright warm ice strong.

Step 1: Identify the Rule

From the original example:

Step 2: Apply to New Input

New Input: cold table bright warm ice strong

Step 3: Count Steps

Exactly 4 steps are needed — the same as the original, since both inputs have 6 words and follow the same rule.

Answer:

The machine will take 4 steps to fully arrange the input cold table bright warm ice strong.

Quick Tip:

For n words sorted one per step where the last two auto-arrange, the number of steps = n − 2. Here n = 6, so steps = 4.

Understanding:

We need to apply the identified rule to find Step 2 of the new input.

Step 1: Identify the Rule

From the original example:

Alphabetical order of original: apple, mango, ocean, river, tiger.

→ apple mango tiger river ocean ✓

→ apple mango ocean tiger river → but Step 2 shows apple mango ocean tiger river ✓

→ apple mango ocean river tiger ✓

Rule: At each step, the next alphabetical word is placed at its correct position by swapping it with the word currently occupying that position.

Step 2: Apply to New Input

New Input: zebra kite park under bowl

Alphabetical order: bowl, kite, park, under, zebra.

Step 1: Place bowl (alphabetically 1st) at pos 1. Bowl is at pos 5; swap pos 1 (zebra) with pos 5 (bowl):

→ bowl kite park under zebra

Step 2: Place kite (alphabetically 2nd) at pos 2. Kite is already at pos 2 — no swap needed.

→ bowl kite park under zebra

Step 3 (if needed): Place park at pos 3 — already at pos 3.

→ bowl kite park under zebra (fully sorted — done in Step 1 effectively, but the machine still counts steps).

So Step 2 output = bowl kite park under zebra.

Answer:

Step 2 for the input zebra kite park under bowl is bowl kite park under zebra.

Quick Tip:

When the target word is already in its correct position, the step count still increments but the arrangement doesn't change visually. Always check whether the word to be placed is already correctly positioned before performing a swap.

Understanding:

We must decode the machine's rule from the given input-output steps, then apply it to the new input to find the output after Step 4.

Step 1: Identify the rule from the example.

The original input is: bright 48 calm 17 dense 63 easy 29

Observing the pattern:

Let us verify step by step:

Step 1: Place the smallest word (calm) at the front → calm bright 48 17 dense 63 easy 29

Step 2: Place the smallest number (17) next → calm 17 bright 48 dense 63 easy 29

Step 3: Place the next word (dense) next → calm 17 dense bright 48 63 easy 29

Step 4: Place the next number (48) next → calm 17 dense 48 bright 63 easy 29

Step 5: Place the next word (easy) next → calm 17 dense 48 easy bright 63 29

Step 6: Place the next number (29) next → calm 17 dense 48 easy 29 bright 63

The rule is confirmed: alternately place the next alphabetically smallest remaining word, then the next numerically smallest remaining number, building from left to right.

Step 2: Identify elements for the new input.

Input: forest 55 age 82 jump 34 over 19

Step 3: Apply the rule step by step.

Input: forest 55 age 82 jump 34 over 19

Step 1: age forest 55 82 jump 34 over 19 (place 'age')

Step 2: age 19 forest 55 82 jump 34 over (place '19')

Step 3: age 19 jump forest 55 82 34 over (place 'jump')

Step 4: age 19 jump 34 forest 55 82 over (place '34')

Answer:

After Step 4, the output is: age 19 jump 34 forest 55 82 over

Quick Tip:

In alternating word-number arrangement machines, always sort words alphabetically and numbers in ascending order separately first — this lets you predict any step without tracing every previous one.

Understanding:

This question had an internal inconsistency in the rule extraction. It is replaced by a clean question below. Please see Question 2 replacement.

Answer: