Q18: Guessing a 6-digit PIN when the first 4 digits are known
A person observed the first 4 digits of your 6-digit PIN. What is the probability that the person can guess your PIN?
(A)
(B)
(C)
(D)
The person knows the first 4 digits, so only the last two digits must be guessed, each from 0 to 9.
Why?
Each digit of a PIN is one of the 10 digits 0 to 9, and digits may repeat. The 4 known digits are right for certain, with probability 1 each. Each unknown digit is guessed right with probability .
Why?
Getting the fifth digit right and getting the sixth digit right are independent events and , so the probabilities multiply:
Another way: the last two digits can be equally likely pairs, and only one of them is right.
Watch out: wrongly assumes the two digits are different, and wrongly uses only 9 choices for each digit.
Answer: (B)
Chapter 13, Probability: Probability: independent choices multiplied.
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Probability in past papers: question 20 of 38 · see them all