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Input – Output Arrangements Shortcuts

Important Info

In today’s post we shall discuss one of the most promising, easiest and time taking model of the Reasoning paper Input – Output arrangements. People often leave this area as this is little time taking. But with little practice and concentration you can easily get 5 out of 5 marks in this area within less time. First of all lets see how the problem will look like. In these type of problems they will give you an input line of words and numbers and rearranges them in a few steps (normally 5 to 7 steps). and you should find out the logic behind the rearrangement and work with the problems given by them. Lets see an example.

Directions : Study the following information carefully and answer the following questions :
A word and number arrangement machine when given an input line of words and numbers rearranges them following a particular rule in each step. The following is an illustration of input and rearrangement :

Input : Now 41 28 Credit Join 37 Go 61

Step 1 : 61 Now 41 28 Credit  Join 37 Go

Step 2 : 61 Credit Now 41 28 Join 37 Go

Step 3 : 31 Credit 41 Now 28 Join 37 Go

Step 4 : 61 Credit 41 Go 37 Now 28 Join

Step 5 : 61 Credit 41 Go 37 Now 28 Join

Step 6 : 61 Credit 41 Go 37 Now 28 Join

Step 7 : 61 Credit 41 Go 37 Join 28 Now

Step 7 is the last step for this input.

As per the rules followed in the above steps, find out in each of the following Questions the appropriate step for the given input. (followed by some questions).
Now first lets have a look at the given problem. The logic in the arrangement is : The input is the combination of words and numbers. Firstly, the numbers got arranged in descending order. Whereas the words get arranged in alphabetical order. Numbers occupy the odd places and words occupy even places in the final step. When any element gets arranged, the previous element occupying that place shifts one place towards right. And one more basic rule here we have to remember is, we can make only one change in one step.
In step One, 61 occupies the first place from the left end and the other elements are pushed one place rightward.
Similarly, in the step 2 now occupies the second place from the left end and the other elements are pushed one place rightward.
So, alternate arranging of numbers and words finally gives the last step in which the odd places from the left are occupied by numbers and the even places are occupied by the words.

Shortcuts

  1. When ever you see this type of problems just see the last step first. So that you can understand the logic without wasting your valuable time (generally these arrangements will be of assenting and descending orders). Then just check from bottom to top for the arrangement of words. And then only check the questions.
  2. If you cant get answers mentally, you should write them on paper, but its waste of time. In those type of situations just write the first letters of the words. So, for the above example you can write
    • N 41 28 C J 37 G 61 and work with this example. Suppose you encounter two words with the same starting letter then you should write two letters instead of one.
      • Ex : If you encounter Gun and Goat as two words you will be confused if you write two Gs. so just write Go and Gu to avoid confusion.
  3. Without giving you the raw data if they give you some third or fourth step and ask you to find out the Sixth step there is no need to solve the problem completely. If the given step is the third one atleast three words will be already arranged in order. So just check the given arrangement and check how many words are arranged in order and just strike those words with pencil. And just work with the remaining words (as there is no need to change the already arranged words again). It will save your time and effort.
  4. In some cases the required word or number which is to be arranged will be the first letter in the first letter of the resulting arrangement, in this case we will cut tha word or number but we will not increase the step counter as we do not have to shift it anywhere, it was already at its place
  5. Keep in mind that If they give you an arrangement and asks you to guess the prior steps (I mean giving you the 5th or 6th step and asking you the prior steps 2nd or 4th), then the answer would be Cant be Determined. Because there wont be any rule for guessing backwards as the word may come from anywhere.

Input – Output Arrangements – Examples

Note : To save the space, We are not posting the previous example problem here. So please refer to the example problem here for reference.
As per the rules followed in the above steps, find out in each of the following questions the appropriate step for the given input.
1 ) Input : Chair Wood 21 42 59 Height Bench 78.
      How many steps will be required to complete the rearrangement?
1. Three
2. Four
3. Five
4. Six
5. None of the above.
Solution : write the first letters of the given problem.
  • Step 1 : 78 C W 21 42 59 H B
  • Step 2 : 78 B C W 21 42 59 H
  • Step 3 : 78 B 59 C W 21 42 H
  • Step 4 : 78 B 59 C 42 W 21 H
  • Step 5 : 78 B 59 C 42 H 21 W
  • Step 6 : 78 B 59 C 42 H 21 W

So, according to the logic, step 6 is the last step for this input (Numbers are in descending order and words are in alphabetical order in this step 6). So 6 Steps will be required to complete the rearrangement. So the answer is option 4.

2)  Input : When You 22 Special 31 16 47 Town
Which of the following steps will be the last but one?

    • 1. 4th
    • 2. 6th
    • 3. 5th
    • 4. 7th
    • 5. Non of the above
Solution : 
  • Step 1 : 47 W Y 22 S 31 16 T
  • Step 2 : 47 S W Y 22 31 16 T
  • Step 3 : 47 S 31 W Y 22 16 T
  • Step 4 : 47 S 31 T W Y 22 16
  • Step 5 : 47 S 31 T 22 W Y 16
  • Step 6 : 47 S 31 T 22 W 16 Y

So, the answer is Step 5. So option 3 is correct.

3) Step 4 of an input is : 74 Again 69 Call 17 32 Horse Desk 
      Which of the following is definitely the input?

    • 1. Again Call 74 69 17 32 Horse Desk
    • 2.  74 Call Again 17 69 Horse 32 Desk
    • 3.  Call 74 Again 69 17 32 Desk Horse
    • 4.  Cannot be Determined
    • 5.  None of these
Sol : As we have already discussed, this is the case of arrangement. So, the previous steps cannot be determined with certainty. We cannot estimate the exact input.
4) Step 3 of an input is :
82 Brown 74 Sugar Hobby Lady 32 49
Which of the following will be step 6?
    • 1.  82 Brown 74 Hobby 49 Sugar Lady 32
    • 2.  82 Brown 74 Hobby 49 Lady Sugar 32
    • 3.  82 Brown  Hobby  74 Hobby 49 Lady 32 Sugar
    • 4.  Cannot be determined
    • 5.  None of these.
Sol : Step 3 is 82 Brown 74 Sugar Hobby Lady 32 49, And  we can find that first 3 words are in a proper order. So just strike them off with pencil and work with remaining words.
  • Step 4 : H S L 32 49
  • Step 5 : H 49 S L 32
  • Step 6 : H 49 L S 32
So, option 2 is correct.
Note: If you don’t have enough time and you want to take risk then just see the answers. They’ve given the step 3, so there are chances that the first 3 letters wont change (in this case). So obviously the answer will be either option 1 or option 2. But this method is not suggestible.
5) Input : Goal Team Ask 12 92 85 42 Sound.
Which of the following will be the step 4 ?
      • 1.  92 Ask 85 Goal 42 Sound 12 Team
      • 2.  92 Ask 85 Goal 42 Sound Team 12
      • 3.  92 Ask 85 Goal 42 Team 12 Sound
      • 4.  92 Ask 85 Goal 12 42 Sound
      • 5. None of These
Sol : Input : G T A 12 92 85 42 S
  • Step 1 : 92 G T A 12 85 42 S
  • Step 2 : 92 A G T 12 85 42 S
  • Step 3 : 92 A 85 G T 12 42 S
  • Step 4 : 92 A 85 G 42 T 12 S
So the answer is option 3.

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