PPSC Past Papers 2025

In Excel, a formula is a sequence of values, cell references, functions, or operators that produces a new value. To signal to Excel that you are entering a formula, it must always begin with an equals sign (=). This foundational concept allows Excel to differentiate between plain text or numbers and a calculation it needs to perform.

• A. = (Correct): The equals sign is the universal indicator for a formula in Excel.
• B. + (False): While you can start a formula with a plus sign, Excel automatically converts it to an equals sign, making '=' the fundamental starting symbol.
• C. - (False): Similar to '+', starting with a minus sign will also be converted to '=' by Excel, indicating a negative value or subtraction within a formula.
• D. / (False): The forward slash is an arithmetic operator for division and cannot initiate a formula on its own.

The correct answer is Achhoots/Untouchables. The Poona Pact, signed in 1932, was an agreement between Mahatma Gandhi and B.R. Ambedkar concerning the electoral representation of the 'Depressed Classes' (also known as Achhoots or Untouchables) in British India. It replaced the separate electorates for the Depressed Classes, as proposed by the British Communal Award, with reserved seats within the general electorate in provincial legislatures. This ensured their representation while maintaining a unified Hindu electorate.

• The pact was not primarily for Muslims or Sikhs, who had their own separate electoral arrangements.
• Brahman refers to a specific caste and was not the focus of this pact, which aimed to uplift the marginalized.

The human digestive process begins in the mouth, where salivary glands produce saliva containing enzymes crucial for initial food breakdown. The correct enzyme produced by salivary glands is Ptyalin, also known as salivary amylase. This enzyme is responsible for initiating the digestion of complex carbohydrates (starches) into simpler sugars.

• Pepsin is an enzyme produced in the stomach, where it plays a vital role in protein digestion.
• Trypsin is produced by the pancreas and functions in the small intestine to further break down proteins.
• Therefore, 'None' is incorrect as Ptyalin is indeed produced by salivary glands.

Microsoft Word organizes its features into various tabs, each dedicated to specific functionalities. For academic and professional documents, managing sources and citations is crucial. The References tab is specifically designed for these tasks, providing tools to streamline the process.

• A. Insert (False): The Insert tab is used for adding objects like pictures, tables, shapes, headers, footers, and page numbers.
• B. Design (False): The Design tab focuses on document formatting, themes, watermarks, page borders, and document styling.
• C. References (Correct): This tab contains all the necessary tools for adding citations, creating bibliographies, inserting footnotes, endnotes, and generating a table of contents.
• D. Home (False): The Home tab provides basic editing and formatting options such as font styles, paragraph settings, and clipboard functions.

The correct answer is James Wilfred Jefford. Rear Admiral James Wilfred Jefford was a British Royal Navy officer who served as the first Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Pakistan Navy (later Pakistan Navy) from 1947 to 1953. He played a crucial role in establishing and organizing the nascent Pakistan Navy after the partition of British India.

• Haji Mohammad Siddiq was a later prominent figure but not the first Admiral.
• Afzal Rahman Khan became Commander-in-Chief much later.
• Syed Mohammad Ahsan also served as Commander-in-Chief at a later stage.

Jefford's appointment reflected the initial reliance on British officers to lead the armed forces of newly independent Pakistan.

The first animal successfully cloned from an adult somatic cell was Dolly the Sheep. She was born on July 5, 1996, at the Roslin Institute in Scotland, marking a significant breakthrough in genetic engineering and reproductive science. Dolly's creation demonstrated that a specialized adult cell could be used to create an entire organism.

• While other animals like goats, dogs, and cows have been successfully cloned since Dolly, she holds the historical distinction as the first mammal cloned from an adult cell.
• The cloning of Dolly sparked widespread debate about the ethics and potential applications of cloning technology.

Function keys (F1-F12) on a keyboard often serve as shortcuts for common tasks in operating systems and applications. In Windows, there's a universally recognized key for accessing help documentation, which is a foundational aspect of user support.

• A. F1 (Correct): The F1 key is the standard shortcut for opening the Help window or accessing the help system in almost all Windows applications and the Windows operating system itself.
• B. F2 (False): F2 is typically used to rename a selected file or folder.
• C. F5 (False): F5 is commonly used to refresh the active window or web page, or to start a slideshow in PowerPoint.
• D. F11 (False): F11 is often used to toggle full-screen mode in web browsers and some other applications.

Correct Answer: Three

At the All Parties Conference (1928), Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah proposed three amendments to the Nehru Report to safeguard the political rights of Muslims. When these amendments were rejected, he later presented his famous Fourteen Points (1929).

The three amendments proposed by Jinnah were:

• One-third representation: Muslims should have one-third representation in the Central Legislature.
• Residuary powers: All residuary powers should remain with the provinces, not the central government.
• Muslim majorities: The existing Muslim majorities in Punjab and Bengal should not be reduced through territorial redistribution or changes in representation.

Why the other options are incorrect:

• Two: Jinnah proposed three amendments, not two.
• Four: This is incorrect. Jinnah later presented the Fourteen Points, but his amendments to the Nehru Report were only three.
• Seven: There were not seven amendments proposed by Jinnah to the Nehru Report.

The mixture of hydrogen, methane, and carbon monoxide is commonly known as Coal gas. This combustible gaseous fuel was historically produced from coal through a process called coal gasification and was widely used for lighting and heating before the advent of natural gas.

• CNG (Compressed Natural Gas) is primarily composed of methane and is used as a fuel for vehicles.
• Biogas is produced from the anaerobic digestion of organic matter and consists mainly of methane and carbon dioxide.
• Natural gas is a naturally occurring hydrocarbon gas mixture consisting primarily of methane.

Cyber security is a broad field dedicated to protecting computer systems and networks from digital attacks. Its foundational goal is to ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of information. This involves safeguarding against a multitude of threats that can compromise these aspects.

• A. Unauthorized Access (True): Cybersecurity prevents individuals or entities without proper permissions from gaining entry to systems or data.
• B. Exploitation (True): It protects against the misuse of system vulnerabilities to gain control or cause harm.
• C. Modification (True): Cybersecurity ensures that data and system configurations are not altered without authorization, maintaining data integrity.
• D. All of these (Correct): Cybersecurity encompasses protection against unauthorized access, exploitation of vulnerabilities, and unauthorized modification of data or systems. Therefore, all the listed options are critical areas of protection provided by cybersecurity.

Nivedita Menon is an Indian feminist writer, professor, and activist known for her critical views on Indian politics, including statements regarding Kashmir. Her assertion that “India illegally occupied Kashmir” aligns with her public stance and academic work, making her the correct answer.

• Krishna Menon was a prominent diplomat and politician, but not associated with this specific controversial quote.
• V.P. Menon was a key civil servant during India's partition and integration of princely states, a different historical context.
• J.P. Narayan was a socialist leader known for the Total Revolution, not for this particular statement on Kashmir.

The question tests knowledge of specific public figures and their controversial statements.

The Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) were a semi-autonomous tribal region in northwestern Pakistan, governed under a special legal and administrative system. In a significant constitutional reform, FATA was officially merged into the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) in May 2018 through the 25th Amendment to the Constitution of Pakistan.

• This merger aimed to integrate the region into Pakistan's mainstream political, judicial, and administrative systems, extending provincial laws and governance structures to FATA.
• The options 'Punjab', 'Sindh', and 'Baluchistan' are other provinces of Pakistan, but FATA shared its geographical and cultural proximity primarily with KPK, making it the logical province for integration.

In Microsoft PowerPoint, the F5 key is the standard shortcut used to start a presentation from the very beginning, displaying the first slide in full-screen slideshow mode. This allows the presenter to review or deliver their presentation.

• The Esc (Escape) key is used to exit the slideshow mode and return to the editing view.
• The F7 key is typically used to perform a spell check in many Microsoft Office applications, including PowerPoint.
• The F2 key is generally used to edit the selected cell or object, not to start a presentation.

Microsoft PowerPoint is a presentation software that uses specific shortcuts to manage and display slide shows effectively. Understanding these shortcuts is a foundational skill for efficient presentation delivery. The ability to quickly start a presentation is key.

• A. F1 (False): F1 is typically used to open the Help window in most applications.
• B. F5 (Correct): The F5 key is the standard shortcut in PowerPoint to start a slide show from the beginning of the presentation.
• C. F7 (False): F7 is commonly used to perform a spell check in many Microsoft Office applications, including PowerPoint.
• D. Esc (False): The Esc (Escape) key is used to exit or stop a slide show that is currently running.

Monrovia is the capital and largest city of Liberia, a country located on the West African coast. It was founded in 1822 by the American Colonization Society and named after U.S. President James Monroe, making it the correct answer.

• Freetown is the capital of Sierra Leone.
• Accra is the capital of Ghana.
• Bamako is the capital of Mali.

These are all capitals of other West African nations, serving as plausible distractors, but only Monrovia is the capital of Liberia. This question assesses geographical knowledge of African capitals.

The Wardha Scheme, also known as Nai Talim or Basic Education, was a revolutionary educational plan proposed by Mahatma Gandhi in 1937. It is fundamentally related to Education.

• The scheme emphasized learning through activity, vocational training, and making education self-sufficient by linking it to productive work, aiming for holistic development of children.
• It sought to make education relevant to the lives of the students and the needs of the community.
• Options 'Agriculture', 'Child welfare', and 'Development' are broader societal aspects, but the Wardha Scheme specifically focused on reforming the educational system to achieve these broader goals, making 'Education' the precise answer.

When you convert a Word file into a PDF (Portable Document Format) document, the primary outcome is that it appears as read-only. PDFs are designed to preserve the formatting and layout of documents, making them universally viewable across different devices and operating systems without requiring the original software. This fixed layout makes them difficult to alter without specialized PDF editing tools.

• It does not automatically share to everyone; sharing is a separate action.
• It does not necessarily reduce the file size; sometimes, complex Word documents can result in larger PDFs.
• It cannot be easily edited by anyone; PDFs are intended for viewing and printing, not for general editing.

Understanding keyboard shortcuts is crucial for efficient computer usage.

• Correct Answer: Ctrl+K is the universal shortcut key used to insert a hyperlink in most applications, including web browsers and Microsoft Office programs. This shortcut directly opens the 'Insert Hyperlink' dialog box.
• Distractor A: Ctrl+H is commonly used for 'Find and Replace' in text editors or to open 'History' in web browsers.
• Distractor B: Ctrl+L is often used to 'Align Left' in word processors or to highlight the address bar in web browsers.
• Distractor D: Ctrl+Y is the shortcut for 'Redo', which reverses the effect of an 'Undo' action.

Mastering these shortcuts significantly speeds up workflow.

Burhan Wani, a commander of the Hizbul Mujahideen, was killed by Indian security forces on July 8, 2016. His death sparked widespread protests and unrest in the Kashmir Valley, making 2016 the correct year.

• The years 2015, 2017, and 2018 are incorrect as his death occurred specifically in 2016.

This event is a significant point in the recent history of the Kashmir conflict, and the question tests knowledge of specific historical events and their timing, which is crucial for understanding regional dynamics.

Pakistan conducted its first series of nuclear weapons tests, known as Chagai-I, on May 28, 1998. These five simultaneous underground nuclear tests were carried out at Ras Koh Hills in the Chagai District of Balochistan.

• This event marked Pakistan's official entry into the nuclear club, a direct response to India's Pokhran-II tests conducted earlier that month.
• 'May 11, 1998' was the date of India's Pokhran-II tests. 'June 1, 1998' was when Pakistan conducted its sixth nuclear test (Chagai-II). 'May 14, 1998' is not associated with Pakistan's nuclear tests.
• The tests were a pivotal moment in Pakistan's defense history, asserting its strategic deterrence capabilities.

The question asks about the function of the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + N. This shortcut is a fundamental command in many software applications, particularly word processors and web browsers.

• New Document is the correct answer. Ctrl + N universally creates a new, blank document, file, or window in most programs, allowing users to start fresh without affecting existing work.
• Save Document (Option A) is typically achieved with Ctrl + S.
• Open Document (Option B) is usually performed using Ctrl + O.
• Close Document (Option C) is commonly done with Ctrl + W or Alt + F4 to close the application itself.

Understanding these basic shortcuts significantly improves efficiency in computer usage.

A file path illustrates the hierarchical structure of directories (folders) on a computer system.

• Correct Answer: Market. In the given path C > Documents and files > Desktop > City > Market, the directories are nested. The innermost directory is always the last one in the sequence, as it is contained within all preceding directories. Therefore, 'Market' is the deepest level in this specific path.
• Distractor A: Computer (represented by C:) is the root drive, the outermost level.
• Distractor B: Documents and files is an outer directory, containing 'Desktop'.
• Distractor C: Desktop is also an outer directory, containing 'City' and subsequently 'Market'.

Understanding file paths is fundamental for navigating and organizing digital information.

Sanghar District in Sindh, Pakistan, is historically significant for its strong association with the Hur Movement and its leader, Pir Pagaro. The term Hur Mujahid refers to the fighters of this movement, who resisted British rule and played a notable role in regional politics, making this the district's primary claim to fame.

• While Sanghar, like any region, possesses its own culture and may have some art or fish resources, these are not its most distinguishing features compared to the specific historical and political significance of the Hur Mujahid.

The question assesses knowledge of regional history and specific cultural or historical associations.

The Ganda Singh Wala border crossing is a historical and less-frequented border point between Pakistan and India. It specifically connects Kasur district in Pakistan with Firozpur district in India.

• While the Wagah-Attari border is the most famous crossing connecting Lahore and Amritsar, Ganda Singh Wala serves as another significant, albeit smaller, crossing point.
• The option 'Sialkot and Gurdaspur' refers to other border regions, but not the specific connection for Ganda Singh Border.
• Therefore, 'Kasur and Firozpur' is the accurate geographical link for this particular border post, making 'None of these' incorrect.

This question focuses on a specific Excel functionality: inserting a new line within the same cell. Excel cells typically treat 'Enter' as a command to move to the next cell, so a special key combination is required for multi-line text.

• Alt + Enter is the correct key combination. When editing a cell, pressing Alt + Enter inserts a line break, allowing text to wrap within that single cell. This is crucial for formatting and readability when a cell contains a significant amount of text.
• Ctrl + Enter (Option A) is used to fill a selected range of cells with the current entry.
• Shift + Enter (Option B) moves the active cell selection up one row.
• Ctrl + Shift + Enter (Option D) is used to enter array formulas in older Excel versions.

Knowing this shortcut is essential for advanced Excel users.