Letter codes hand your child a secret rule and ask them to crack it. A worked example is given (for instance, COLD is coded as DPME), and from that single clue your child has to work out exactly how each letter was shifted along the alphabet. Then they either encode a brand new word or decode a mystery one back into real English. It is one of the most satisfying question types in the GL Assessment 11+ Verbal Reasoning paper, because every answer can be checked and proved.
Letter codes do not appear in every GL paper. When they do, our research estimate is a block of around 6 questions, and the type tends to rotate with other code and letter puzzles from one sitting to the next. As with the rest of the VR paper, each question gives five options (A to E) and the answer is marked on a separate answer sheet. GL prints an alphabet line on the page, and your child is expected to use it, counting the gaps between letters rather than trying to hold the whole alphabet in their head.
On this page your child practises with a printed alphabet line just like the real exam, working through one code at a time. Every question carries a worked explanation that shows the shift letter by letter, so your child learns to verify each step instead of guessing the rule from the first letter alone.
Letter codes are built from a small set of shift rules. GL does not publish how often each appears, so the order below is our research estimate from analysing practice papers, roughly from most to least common:
Difficulty runs from a stated +1 rule on a three-letter word, through four-letter words where your child must discover the rule themselves, up to decoding five-letter words with wrap-around or a shift that changes at every position.
Five questions drawn from PrepStep’s letter codes bank, spanning Foundation to Challenging. Tap “Show worked explanation” to see the full method after you’ve had a go. The correct answer is highlighted on each question so you can check immediately.
If COLD is coded as DPME, what is WARM coded as?
Work out the pattern from the example, then apply it to the new word
Each letter moves forward 1: C→D, O→P, L→M, D→E. Applying the same rule to WARM: W→X, A→B, R→S, M→N = XBSN. Tip: For +1, each letter moves one step forward. A handy check: the last letter of the alphabet, Z, wraps round to A. ✓
If the code for PRIDE is MOFAB, what rule has been used?
Work out the pattern from the example, then apply it to the new word
P→M (back 3), R→O (back 3), I→F (back 3), D→A (back 3), E→B (back 3). Each letter has been moved three places back. Tip: For -3, count back three places using EJOTY anchors (E, J, O, T, Y) as signposts. Near A, letters wrap round to Z, Y, X. ✓
If the code for RUBY is UXEB, what is the code for DARK?
Work out the pattern from the example, then apply it to the new word
Each letter shifts forward by 3: D→G, A→D, R→U, K→N. So DARK becomes GDUN. Tip: When the shift changes each position, write the pattern above the letters. Look for +1,+2,+3,+4 or similar sequences. ✓
If BOAT is coded as ERDW, what word is coded as VKLS?
Work out the pattern from the example, then apply it to the new word
Each letter in the code has been moved forward 3. To decode, move back 3: V→S, K→H, L→I, S→P = SHIP. Tip: For -3, count back three places using EJOTY anchors (E, J, O, T, Y) as signposts. Near A, letters wrap round to Z, Y, X. ✓
If CAT is coded as DBU, what is the code for DOG?
Work out the pattern from the example, then apply it to the new word
The code moves each letter forward by 1 in the alphabet. C→D, A→B, T→U. Apply the same rule to DOG: D→E, O→P, G→H. The code is EPH. ✓
Common mistake 1 of 4
Working out the rule from only the first letter.
Tip: A code can look like a simple +1 shift on its first letter, then change. Teach your child to check every single letter against the example before deciding on the rule, then apply that proven rule to the new word.
Common mistake 2 of 4
Mixing up encoding and decoding.
Tip: If the example moves letters forward to make the code, then turning a code back into a word means moving the same number of places backward. Encourage your child to read carefully whether they are being asked for the code or for the word, and to flip the direction when decoding.
Common mistake 3 of 4
Forgetting that the alphabet wraps round.
Tip: Shifting Y forward by 3 lands on B, not on a letter past Z. Shifting B back by 3 lands on Y. Remind your child to picture the alphabet as a circle, so after Z comes A again and before A comes Z.
Common mistake 4 of 4
Getting caught by near-miss options.
Tip: GL designs wrong answers that differ from the correct code by just one letter, so a single miscount picks the wrong one. The fix is to count each shift on the alphabet line and verify the finished answer letter by letter before committing.
Letter codes are a Verbal Reasoning question type where your child is shown a word and its coded version, then has to work out the rule that turned one into the other. The rule is almost always a shift along the alphabet, such as moving every letter two places forward. Your child then uses that rule to encode a new word or decode a mystery one, choosing from five options (A to E).
EJOTY is a memory aid for the position of certain letters: E is the 5th letter, J is the 10th, O is the 15th, T is the 20th and Y is the 25th. These act as signposts along the alphabet, so instead of counting from A every time, your child jumps to the nearest anchor and counts on from there. It makes shifting letters much faster and more accurate.
Not always. Letter codes appear in some GL Verbal Reasoning papers and not others, and our research estimate is a block of around 6 questions when they do feature. The type tends to rotate with other code-style puzzles, so it is worth preparing for even if it does not turn up every time. GL provides a printed alphabet line on the page to help.
The trickiest are variable shifts, where the amount each letter moves changes with its position, for example the first letter moves one place, the second moves two, the third moves three. Mirror codes and decoding longer words with wrap-around are also demanding. These reward children who check every letter rather than assuming the same shift applies throughout.
The fastest gains come from learning the EJOTY anchors, practising small shifts until they are automatic, and always verifying every letter against the example before answering. Free PrepStep practice gives your child a printed alphabet line and one code at a time, with a worked explanation that shows the shift letter by letter, so the method becomes second nature.
PrepStep has 196 letter codes questions in GL Assessment format: five options, instant feedback, and step-by-step explanations. Free to start.
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