PPSC Past Papers 2025

The biggest mosque in the world is Masjid al-Haram. Located in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, it is the most sacred site in Islam, encompassing the Kaaba, which Muslims face during their daily prayers. It is the primary destination for the annual Hajj pilgrimage and the lesser Umrah pilgrimage, accommodating millions of worshippers. Its vast expansion over centuries has made it the largest in terms of capacity and area.

• Masjid an-Nabawi (The Prophet's Mosque) in Medina is the second largest.
• Faisal Mosque in Islamabad, Pakistan, is one of the largest mosques but not the biggest globally.
• Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem is historically and religiously significant but much smaller than Masjid al-Haram.

During the Hijrah (migration) of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) from Mecca to Medina, the Quraish, fearing the growing influence of Islam, offered a substantial reward to anyone who could capture or kill him. The correct answer is 100 camels. This significant bounty motivated many individuals, including Suraqah ibn Malik, to pursue the Prophet (SAW) and Abu Bakr (RA) in the desert. This event highlights the immense opposition faced by the early Muslims and the divine protection afforded to the Prophet (SAW) during this pivotal journey in Islamic history.

• Options 50, 10, and 500 camels are incorrect figures for the bounty offered by the Quraish.

In the science of Hadith, narrations are classified based on their chain of transmission and attribution. The correct answer is موقوف (Mawquf). A Mawquf Hadith is a narration that is attributed to a Companion (Sahabi) of the Prophet Muhammad (SAW), whether it is their saying, action, or approval. It does not trace back directly to the Prophet himself.

• مرفوع (Marfu') refers to a Hadith directly attributed to the Prophet (SAW).
• مقطوع (Maqtu') refers to a narration attributed to a Tabi'i (successor of a Sahabi).
• مرسل (Mursal) is a type of Marfu' Hadith where a Tabi'i narrates directly from the Prophet without mentioning the Sahabi in between.

Understanding these classifications is crucial for authenticating and interpreting Hadith.

The correct option is B. will. 'Will' is used to express future certainty, prediction, or a strong expectation. In this sentence, 'I know that you will pass the exam with flying colors' conveys a confident prediction about the future.

• A. shall: While 'shall' can indicate the future, it is less common in modern English for general predictions and is often used for offers, suggestions, or formal statements with 'I' or 'we'.
• C. would: 'Would' is typically used for conditional sentences, polite requests, or to refer to the past future (e.g., 'He said he would come'). It doesn't fit a direct future prediction here.
• D. will have: 'Will have' is the future perfect tense, indicating an action that will be completed by a certain time in the future (e.g., 'By next year, you will have passed the exam'). It doesn't fit the simple future prediction.

The correct option is B. The laborers have been on strike for four days. This sentence correctly uses the present perfect continuous tense ('have been on strike') to describe an action that started in the past (four days ago) and is still continuing in the present. The preposition 'on' is also correct for 'on strike'.

• A. The laborers are on strike for four days: The present simple 'are on strike' is incorrect when a duration ('for four days') is specified, as it implies a current state without indicating its ongoing nature from the past.
• C. The laborers are being on strike for four days: The present continuous passive 'are being on strike' is grammatically incorrect and not used in this context.
• D. The laborers have been in strike for four days: The preposition 'in' is incorrect; the correct idiom is 'on strike'.

The correct option is A. Conjunction. In the sentence 'I knocked the door but nobody answered,' the word 'but' serves to connect two independent clauses ('I knocked the door' and 'nobody answered') and introduces a contrast between them. This is the primary function of a conjunction, specifically a coordinating conjunction.

• B. Preposition: A preposition shows the relationship between a noun/pronoun and another word in the sentence (e.g., 'on the table', 'with a friend'). 'But' does not function this way here.
• C. Adverb: An adverb modifies a verb, an adjective, or another adverb (e.g., 'quickly ran', 'very happy'). 'But' does not modify another word in this sentence.
• D. Interjection: An interjection is a word or phrase that expresses strong emotion (e.g., 'Oh!', 'Wow!'). 'But' is not used as an interjection here.

The verb "mind" is typically followed by a gerund (the -ing form of a verb) when it means "to object to" or "to be bothered by." In this sentence, the speaker is offering to drive and asking if the other person would object to it. Therefore, the correct option is C: Driving.

• A: To drive (infinitive) and B: Drive (base form) are incorrect because "mind" does not take an infinitive or a bare infinitive in this context.
• D: Driven is the past participle and is grammatically incorrect here.

The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) began his secret preaching of Islam from the house of Hazrat Arqam RA. This house, known as Dar al-Arqam, was a safe and discreet location where early Muslims could gather, learn about Islam, and pray away from the persecution of the Quraish in Mecca. Therefore, the correct option is C: Hazrat Arqam RA.

• A: Hazrat Abu Bakr RA, B: Hazrat Usman RA, and D: Hazrat Umar RA were prominent companions, but the initial secret gatherings for preaching and instruction took place at Hazrat Arqam's residence.

This question involves simple interest calculations. Let the principal amount be P and the annual simple interest rate be R. The formula for simple interest is I = PRT/100.

• Step 1: Find the interest rate (R). If the investment triples in 20 years, the interest earned (I) is 2P (since P becomes 3P). So, 2P = P * R * 20 / 100. This simplifies to 2 = R * 20 / 100, which means R = 10%.
• Step 2: Find the time (T) to double the investment. To double the investment, the interest earned (I) needs to be P (since P becomes 2P). Using the rate R=10%, we have P = P * 10 * T / 100. This simplifies to 1 = 10 * T / 100, which means T = 10 years.

Therefore, the correct answer is 10 years. The other options are incorrect calculations based on the principles of simple interest.

A Compound Sentence consists of two or more independent clauses joined by a coordinating conjunction (like 'or', 'and', 'but', 'for', 'nor', 'so', 'yet'). In the given sentence, 'You must hurry' is an independent clause, and 'you will miss the train' is another independent clause, connected by 'or'.

• A Complex Sentence contains one independent clause and at least one dependent clause.
• A Simple Sentence has only one independent clause.
• An Interrogative Sentence asks a question.

Therefore, the presence of two independent clauses linked by 'or' makes it a compound sentence.

The correct preposition to use with the verb 'rely' is 'on'. The phrasal verb 'rely on' means to depend on someone or something. This is a common idiom in English, indicating trust or dependence.

• 'Rely at' is grammatically incorrect in this context.
• 'Rely in' is also incorrect; 'in' is used with 'believe in' or 'trust in' but not 'rely'.
• 'Rely of' is not a standard English construction.

Understanding common phrasal verbs and their associated prepositions is crucial for correct English usage, making 'on' the only accurate choice here.

To change an active voice sentence to passive voice, the object of the active sentence becomes the subject of the passive sentence, and the verb form changes to 'to be' + past participle. The original subject becomes the agent, often introduced by 'by'.

• The active sentence is: 'The doctor (subject) bandaged (verb) the arm of the injured man (object).'
• The correct passive voice is: 'The arm of the injured man (new subject) was bandaged (passive verb) by the doctor (agent).' The verb 'bandaged' is past tense, so 'was bandaged' is appropriate.
• Option A and B change the meaning or structure incorrectly.
• Option C uses the present tense 'is bandaged', which is incorrect for the past tense action.

When converting direct speech to indirect (reported) speech, several changes occur, especially if the reporting verb is in the past tense. The tense of the verb in the reported clause usually shifts backward (backshift).

• The reporting verb 'said' is in the past tense.
• The pronoun 'I' changes to 'she' to match the subject of the reporting clause.
• The modal verb 'can' must backshift to its past form, 'could'.
• The conjunction 'that' is typically used to introduce the reported clause.

Therefore, 'She said that she could speak French fluently' is the correct transformation. Options A, B, and C fail to apply the correct backshift or introduce grammatical errors.

An antonym is a word that means the opposite of another word. The word 'Benign' means gentle, kind, not harmful, or not cancerous (in a medical context).

• 'Malevolent' means wishing evil or harm to others; malicious. This is the direct opposite of benign.
• 'Kind' is a synonym of benign.
• 'Gentle' is also a synonym of benign.
• 'Generous' means showing a readiness to give more of something than is necessary or expected, which is a positive trait but not an antonym of benign.

Understanding the precise meaning of words is key to identifying their antonyms.

To change an interrogative sentence from active to passive voice, the passive form must also remain a question. The object of the active sentence becomes the subject of the passive sentence, and the verb form changes to 'to be' + past participle, maintaining the original tense.

• The active sentence is: 'Do you (subject) understand (verb) what I mean (object)?' This is in the simple present tense.
• The object 'what I mean' becomes the subject. The passive verb for simple present is 'is/are + past participle'.
• The correct passive interrogative form is: 'Is what I mean understood by you?'
• Option A is grammatically awkward.
• Option B uses the past tense 'Was', which is incorrect for the present tense original.
• Option D changes it to a declarative sentence, losing the interrogative nature.

The correct option is B. on. The phrase 'keen on' is an idiomatic expression in English, meaning to be very interested in something or enthusiastic about doing something. In this context, 'She is keen on learning new skills' correctly conveys her enthusiasm for acquiring new knowledge.

• A. at: 'Keen at' is not a standard idiom in this context; 'good at' is common, but not 'keen at'.
• C. of: 'Keen of' is grammatically incorrect and not used to express enthusiasm.
• D. for: While 'keen for' can sometimes be used to express a strong desire for something (e.g., 'keen for a promotion'), 'keen on' is specifically used when referring to an activity or interest.

The correct option is C. Bankrupt. 'Insolvent' describes a state where an individual or organization is unable to pay their debts. This financial condition is precisely what 'bankrupt' means, making it the direct synonym.

• A. Wealthy: This is an antonym, meaning having a great deal of money, property, or assets.
• B. Prosperous: This is also an antonym, meaning successful in material terms; flourishing financially.
• D. Rich: Similar to wealthy, 'rich' means having a lot of money or assets, making it an antonym.

Keyboard shortcuts are combinations of keys that provide a quicker way to perform common commands in software applications. Knowing these shortcuts can significantly improve efficiency.

• Ctrl + F9 is the correct shortcut in Microsoft Excel to minimize the active workbook window. This action reduces the workbook to a button on the taskbar.
• Ctrl + M is often used for indenting paragraphs in applications like Microsoft Word, not for minimizing workbooks in Excel.
• Alt + F9 is typically used in some applications to toggle between field codes and their results, or for minimizing/restoring windows in other contexts, but not for minimizing an Excel workbook.
• Ctrl + Shift + F9 is used in Word to unlink a field or in Excel to recalculate dependent formulas, not to minimize a workbook.

Understanding place value and number systems is fundamental in mathematics. The largest 4-digit number is the highest possible number that can be represented using four digits.

• The largest 4-digit number is 9999. When 1 is added to 9999, the sum is 10000. This is the smallest 5-digit number, demonstrating the transition between number magnitudes.
• 9999 is incorrect as it is the largest 4-digit number itself, not the result of adding 1 to it.
• 9998 is incorrect as it is one less than the largest 4-digit number.
• 10001 is incorrect as it is two more than the largest 4-digit number.

Number series questions test pattern recognition and logical reasoning. To solve them, one must identify the mathematical relationship between consecutive terms.

• The given series is 1, 1, 2, 6, 24, ?. The pattern involves multiplying the previous term by an increasing integer:
  • 1st term: 1
  • 2nd term: 1 × 1 = 1
  • 3rd term: 1 × 2 = 2
  • 4th term: 2 × 3 = 6
  • 5th term: 6 × 4 = 24
  • Following this pattern, the next term (6th) will be 24 × 5 = 120.
• The other options (60, 100, 144) do not follow this established multiplication pattern, making them incorrect.

Simplifying fractions involves reducing them to their lowest terms by dividing both the numerator and the denominator by their greatest common divisor (GCD). This makes the fraction easier to understand and work with.

• To simplify 39/26, we need to find the greatest common divisor of 39 and 26. Both numbers are divisible by 13.
  • 39 ÷ 13 = 3
  • 26 ÷ 13 = 2

  Therefore, the simplified value is 3/2.

• 2/3 is incorrect; it is the reciprocal of the correct answer.
• 1/2 is incorrect; it results from dividing by 26 and 13 respectively, which is not the correct simplification.
• 13/12 is incorrect; it does not represent the simplified form of 39/26.

The foundational concept here is identifying patterns in numerical series, specifically arithmetic progressions. An arithmetic progression is a sequence of numbers such that the difference between consecutive terms is constant.

• Correct Answer: 53 is the odd number out. Analyzing the series (19, 26, 33, 40, 47), each number is obtained by adding 7 to the previous one (19+7=26, 26+7=33, 33+7=40, 40+7=47). Following this pattern, the next number should be 47 + 7 = 54. Since 53 is presented instead of 54, it breaks the established pattern.
• Distractors: Options A (26), B (40), and C (33) all perfectly fit the arithmetic progression of adding 7 to the preceding term in the series.

This question tests the understanding of absolute value equations. The absolute value of a number represents its distance from zero, meaning |x| = a implies x = a or x = -a.

• Correct Answer: 4. For the equation |n - 2| = 10, there are two possibilities: either n - 2 = 10 or n - 2 = -10. Solving the first, n = 10 + 2 = 12. Solving the second, n = -10 + 2 = -8. The sum of these two values of n is 12 + (-8) = 4.
• Distractors: Options A (2), C (10), and D (12) represent incorrect calculations or individual values of n rather than their sum.