PPSC Past Papers & Solved MCQs

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 Sun is approximately 4.6 billion years old. It is currently in its main-sequence phase, where it fuses hydrogen into helium in its core. Scientists estimate that the Sun has already consumed about half of the hydrogen fuel in its core during this period. Therefore, the correct option is B: 4.6 billion years.

• Options A: 3 billion years, C: 5.5 billion years, and D: 6.1 billion years are incorrect as they do not accurately represent the current estimated age of the Sun and the amount of hydrogen it has consumed. The Sun is expected to continue burning hydrogen for another 5 billion years.

The instrument used to measure blood pressure is a sphygmomanometer. It consists of an inflatable cuff, a measuring unit (mercury or aneroid manometer), and a mechanism for inflation. Therefore, the correct option is B: Sphygmomanometer.

• A: Thermometer measures temperature.
• C: Barometer measures atmospheric pressure.
• D: Stethoscope is used to listen to internal sounds of the body, such as heartbeats and breathing, but does not directly measure blood pressure.

To create a copy of an existing document while keeping the original intact, the "Save as" function is used. This command allows the user to save the current document with a new name, in a different location, or in a different file format, effectively creating a duplicate. Therefore, the correct option is B: Save as.

• A: Save overwrites the existing document with the current changes.
• C: Print creates a hard copy of the document.
• D: Export typically converts the document into a different file format, which might create a copy but is not its primary purpose for simple duplication.

Software is a collection of instructions, data, or programs that tell a computer's hardware what to do and how to perform specific tasks. It acts as the intermediary between the user and the physical components of the computer.

• Instructing hardware is the correct answer because software's primary role is to provide commands and data to the hardware, enabling it to execute functions like displaying information, processing data, or running applications.
• Cleaning hardware is incorrect; this is a physical maintenance task, not a function of software.
• Powering monitor is incorrect; monitors receive electrical power from an external source, not from software.
• Producing electricity is incorrect; electricity is generated by power sources, not by software.

Page orientation defines the direction in which a document is displayed or printed. It determines whether the page is taller than it is wide (portrait) or wider than it is tall (landscape).

• Page Orientation is the correct and precise term for the direction of a page layout. It directly refers to the vertical or horizontal alignment of the content on a page.
• Page Setup is a broader category that encompasses various settings like margins, paper size, and orientation, but it is not the specific term for direction itself.
• Paper Layout is a general descriptive phrase and not the standard technical term.
• Format Style refers to the aesthetic appearance of text and elements, such as fonts, colors, and paragraph styles, not the physical direction of the page.

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.

This problem requires knowledge of the volume formula for a rectangular prism (tank) and unit conversion between liters and cubic meters.

• Correct Answer: 2 m. First, convert the volume from liters to cubic meters: 50,000 L = 50 m³ (since 1 m³ = 1000 L). The formula for the volume of a rectangular tank is Volume = Length × Breadth × Depth. Substituting the given values, we have 50 m³ = 2.5 m × Breadth × 10 m. This simplifies to 50 = 25 × Breadth. Therefore, Breadth = 50 / 25 = 2 m.
• Distractors: Options A (1 m), C (2.5 m), and D (5 m) are results of incorrect calculations or unit conversions.