PPSC Past Papers & Solved MCQs

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.

Hazrat Jaffar Tayyar (Ja'far ibn Abi Talib), a cousin of Prophet Muhammad and a revered companion, was martyred in the Battle of Mottah. This battle took place in 629 AD (8 AH) near the village of Mu'tah, east of the Jordan River, between the Muslim forces and the Byzantine Empire.

• A. 'Battle of Mottah' is correct. Hazrat Jaffar Tayyar led the Muslim army after the initial commanders were martyred and bravely fought until his own martyrdom.
• B. 'Battle of Badr' is incorrect. This battle occurred in 624 AD, and while significant, Hazrat Jaffar Tayyar was not martyred in it.
• C. 'Battle of Khandaq' (also known as the Battle of the Trench) is incorrect. This battle took place in 627 AD, and Hazrat Jaffar Tayyar was not martyred there.
• D. 'Battle of Hunain' is incorrect. This battle occurred in 630 AD, after the martyrdom of Hazrat Jaffar Tayyar.

The correct answer is Muhammad ibn Ismail. Imam Bukhari, a towering figure in Islamic scholarship, is universally recognized for compiling the most authentic collection of Hadith, known as Sahih al-Bukhari. His full name was Abu Abdullah Muhammad ibn Ismail ibn Ibrahim ibn al-Mughirah ibn Bardizbah al-Ju'fi al-Bukhari. The other options are names of other prominent Islamic figures:

• Ahmad bin Hanbal was another great Imam and founder of the Hanbali school of thought.
• Musa bin Nusair was an Umayyad general.
• Ismail bin Umar refers to Ibn Kathir, a renowned historian and exegete.

Understanding the full names of key scholars is fundamental to Islamic history and Hadith studies.

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.

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 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.