Question

Directions for Questions 97 to 101: A company launches eight products, Q, R, S, T, V, W, Y and Z, in one of the four metros of India. The products are launched one after another over a period of six months in 2006. The order of launch follows these conditions:

• V is launched before both Y and Q.
• Q gets launched after Z.
• T gets launched before V but after R.
• S gets launched after V.
• R gets launched before W.

Q99. If Q is the fifth product to be launched, then each of the following could be true EXCEPT:

• A. Z is the first product to be launched.
• B. T is the second product to be launched.
• C. V is the third product to be launched.
• D. W is the fourth product to be launched.

Hint:

Count exactly how many products must launch before Q; that count equals the number of open slots before it.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is D

Step 1: Identify every product that must launch before Q.
From the rules, R comes before T, T comes before V, and V comes before Q. Chaining these gives R before T before V before Q, four products in strict order.
Z must also launch before Q directly. That makes four distinct products, R, T, V and Z, that are all required to launch before Q.

Step 2: Use "Q is the fifth product."
If Q sits at position 5, then exactly 4 positions (1 to 4) come before it. We just found four products (R, T, V, Z) that must all be among those 4 slots. Since there are exactly 4 slots and exactly 4 such products, positions 1 to 4 must be R, T, V and Z in some valid order, with none of the other products (S, W, Y) allowed in that range.
That pushes S, W and Y entirely into positions 6, 7 and 8.

Step 3: Test each option.
Option 4 says W is the fourth product. We just showed positions 1 to 4 can only ever hold R, T, V and Z, never W. So option 4 can never be true, which is exactly what the question (an EXCEPT question) is asking for.
Check the others can be true: Option 1, Z first: try Z, R, T, V, Q, S, W, Y; every rule holds (R before T before V before Q, V before Y and S, R before W, Z before Q). Works.
Option 2, T second: try R, T, V, Z, Q, S, W, Y; R before T before V still holds, Z before Q holds. Works.
Option 3, V third: the same sequence R, T, V, Z, Q, S, W, Y has V in the third slot. Works.
Option 5, Y sixth: try R, T, V, Z, Q, Y, S, W; V before Y holds (3 before 6). Works.

Final Answer:
Four different products, R, T, V and Z, must always occupy the four slots ahead of Q, so W can never be fourth when Q is fifth.
\[ \boxed{\text{Option 4: "W is the fourth product to be launched" is the one that can never be true.}} \]