Four girls P, Q, R and S are studying languages in a University. P is learning French and Dutch. Q is learning Chinese and Japanese. R is learning Spanish and French. S is learning Dutch and Japanese. Given that: - French is easier than Dutch - Chinese is harder than Japanese - Dutch is easier than Japanese - Spanish is easier than French Based on the above information, which girl is learning the most difficult pair of languages? A. P B. Q C. R D. S

GATE 2022 · General Aptitude · Logical Reasoning · hard

Answer: Q (option B)

1. Chain the pairwise inequalities: Spanish < French (given); French < Dutch (given); Dutch < Japanese (given); Japanese < Chinese (given). Chaining: Spanish < French < Dutch < Japanese < Chinese.
2. Map each girl to her pair's position in the ranking: P: French(2) + Dutch(3); Q: Chinese(5) + Japanese(4); R: Spanish(1) + French(2); S: Dutch(3) + Japanese(4). Sum of ranks: P=5, Q=9, R=3, S=7.
3. Identify the girl studying the most difficult pair: Q studies Chinese (hardest) and Japanese (second hardest), so Q is learning the most difficult pair.