PPSC Past Papers & Solved MCQs

This question assesses understanding of Urdu idioms and their figurative meanings. Idioms are phrases whose meaning cannot be understood from the ordinary meaning of its words.

• Correct Answer: وقت یا موقع ضائع ہو گیا (Time or opportunity is wasted). The phrase "یہ پانی ملتان بہ گیا ہے" is an Urdu idiom. It literally translates to "this water has flowed to Multan," implying that something is gone beyond retrieval or use. Its idiomatic meaning is that time or an opportunity has been lost or wasted and cannot be recovered.
• Distractors: Option A ("پانی بہت دور چلا گیا" - water went very far) is a literal translation but misses the idiomatic sense. Option B ("پانی ضائع ہو گیا" - water is wasted) is close but less specific to time/opportunity. Option D ("پانی کی قلت" - water shortage) is unrelated to the idiom's meaning.

This question tests the ability to convert an active voice sentence into its passive voice equivalent. In passive voice, the object of the active sentence becomes the subject, and the verb form changes.

• Correct Answer: An old shirt was given to the beggar by Sajid. In the active sentence "Sajid gave the beggar an old shirt," "an old shirt" is the direct object. To form the passive voice, this object becomes the subject. The past tense verb "gave" transforms into "was given," and the original subject "Sajid" is introduced with "by."
• Distractors: Option A incorrectly reverses the roles of Sajid and the beggar. Options C and D use the grammatically incorrect verb form "was gave" instead of the correct past participle "was given."

India is the correct answer. Indra Nooyi, a highly influential businesswoman and former CEO of PepsiCo, was born in Chennai, India. Her journey from India to leading a global corporation like PepsiCo highlights her exceptional career and global impact. The other options, US, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka, are incorrect as they are not her country of origin. While she has significant ties to the US through her professional life and citizenship, her birthplace and original nationality are Indian. This question tests knowledge of prominent global figures and their foundational origins.

The 1992 Cricket World Cup was famously won by Pakistan. Under the captaincy of Imran Khan, Pakistan achieved a remarkable victory, defeating England in the final held in Melbourne, Australia. This win was a significant moment in cricket history for the nation. England was the runner-up, while Australia and India, though strong cricketing nations, did not win this particular tournament. The 1992 World Cup is remembered for its colorful kits and the emergence of day-night matches with white balls.

The Tarbela Dam, a major engineering marvel and one of the world's largest earth-filled dams, was constructed and completed in 1976. Located on the Indus River in Pakistan, it plays a crucial role in irrigation, flood control, and hydroelectric power generation for the country. The other years listed, 1965, 1968, and 1982, are incorrect as they do not mark the completion year of this significant infrastructure project. Its construction began in 1968, but its operational completion was in 1976.

The series of massive anti-government protests, uprisings, and armed rebellions that spread across much of the Arab world starting in 2010 is widely known as the Arab Spring. This term encapsulates the wave of revolutionary demonstrations and civil wars that challenged authoritarian regimes in the region. While 'Arab Uprising' or 'Arab Revolution' might describe aspects of these events, 'Arab Spring' is the universally recognized and accepted historical term. 'Islamic Awakening' is a different concept, not directly referring to these specific political movements.

The regions of Makran and Kharan were formally merged into the Balochistan province in 1952. Prior to this, these areas existed as princely states or agencies within the broader administrative framework of British India and later Pakistan. The merger was part of the administrative reorganization and integration of various territories into the newly formed provinces of Pakistan. The years 1947 (Pakistan's independence), 1948, and 1957 represent other significant historical periods but not the specific year of this particular administrative consolidation.

The Dyarchy system, introduced in British India primarily through the Government of India Act 1919, was fundamentally based on Provincial autonomy. This system aimed to introduce a measure of self-governance at the provincial level by dividing subjects into 'reserved' and 'transferred' lists. Reserved subjects remained under the control of British governors, while transferred subjects were administered by Indian ministers responsible to provincial legislatures, thus granting limited autonomy. It was not about centralization of power, martial law, or solely religious division, though communal representation was a feature of the reforms.

The nanometer (nm) is a unit of length in the metric system, representing one billionth of a meter. The prefix 'nano-' universally denotes 10⁻⁹. Therefore, 1 nanometer is equal to 10⁻⁹ meters.

• 10⁻⁶ meters corresponds to a micrometer (µm).
• 10⁻³ meters corresponds to a millimeter (mm).
• 10⁻¹² meters corresponds to a picometer (pm).

Understanding these prefixes is fundamental in scientific measurements, especially in fields like nanotechnology and physics, where extremely small scales are common.

Selenium is an essential trace element that functions as a powerful antioxidant in the body. It works synergistically with Vitamin E, another potent antioxidant, to protect cells from oxidative damage caused by free radicals. This partnership is crucial for maintaining cellular integrity and supporting immune function.

• Vitamin A is vital for vision, immune function, and cell growth, but does not have this direct synergistic antioxidant relationship with selenium.
• Vitamin B complex vitamins are involved in metabolism and energy production.
• Vitamin C is a water-soluble antioxidant, but its primary synergistic partner in antioxidant defense is not selenium in the same way as Vitamin E.

When a star exhausts its hydrogen fuel in the core, it begins to contract, causing its core temperature and pressure to rise. This allows helium fusion to begin, converting helium into carbon. During this phase, the star's outer layers expand significantly and cool, causing it to become a Red Giant. This is a crucial stage in the evolution of low-to-intermediate mass stars like our Sun.

• A White Dwarf is the dense, hot remnant of a star after it has shed its outer layers.
• A Neutron Star is the extremely dense core left after a massive star undergoes a supernova.
• A Supernova is a powerful and luminous stellar explosion, marking the end of a massive star's life.

The first generation of computers, developed from the 1940s to the 1950s, relied on Vacuum Tubes for their internal circuitry. These tubes were large, generated significant heat, consumed a lot of power, and were prone to failure, making these early computers enormous and expensive.

• Transistors replaced vacuum tubes in the second generation of computers, leading to smaller, faster, and more reliable machines.
• Integrated Circuits (ICs) characterized the third generation, further miniaturizing components and increasing processing power.
• Microprocessors emerged in the fourth generation, integrating the entire CPU onto a single chip, which paved the way for personal computers.

In the computer memory hierarchy, Registers have the shortest access time, making them the fastest memory component. Registers are small, high-speed storage locations directly within the CPU that hold data currently being processed. Their proximity and direct connection to the CPU allow for immediate data retrieval and manipulation.

• Cache memory is faster than RAM but slower than registers, acting as a buffer between the CPU and main memory.
• RAM (Random Access Memory) is the main memory, significantly slower than cache and registers.
• Hard Disk is the slowest memory type listed, serving as long-term, non-volatile storage.

This series consists of two interleaved sequences. The numbers at the odd positions (1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th...) are cubes of consecutive integers, while the numbers at the even positions (2nd, 4th, 6th, 8th...) are squares of consecutive integers.

• Odd positions: 1 (1³), 8 (2³), 27 (3³), the next term is 64 (4³).
• Even positions: 1 (1²), 4 (2²), 9 (3²), the next term is 16 (4²).

Therefore, the missing term in the sequence, following 9, is 64, which is the next cube in the first interleaved series.

This question tests your understanding of changing direct speech into indirect (reported) speech. The key rules involve changes in pronouns, tenses, and sometimes time/place expressions.

• Option B is correct because it correctly applies these rules: 'I' changes to 'he' (referring to the original speaker), 'want' (present simple) changes to 'wanted' (past simple), and 'your' changes to 'her' (referring to the person spoken to).
• Option A is incorrect as it fails to change the pronoun 'I' and the tense 'want', which are essential for indirect narration.
• Option C incorrectly changes the pronoun to 'she', altering the subject of the desire to meet.
• Option D introduces 'might meet', which is a change in modality (possibility) not present in the original statement's direct intent.

This question assesses your knowledge of adverbs that describe how an action is performed, specifically how someone speaks. The most appropriate adverb depends on the context and common expectations.

• Option B, 'Politely', is the most suitable answer as it describes a respectful and courteous manner of speaking, which is generally expected from a teacher in a neutral context.
• Option A, 'Gently', describes a soft or careful manner, which might be true but 'politely' is a more encompassing description of respectful interaction.
• Option C, 'Rudely', implies disrespect and is generally an inappropriate way for a teacher to speak to a student.
• Option D, 'Loudly', describes the volume of speech, not the manner or tone, and doesn't fit the general context of how a teacher would typically address a student.

This question tests your knowledge of the Islamic (Hijri) calendar. Understanding the sequence of months is a foundational aspect of Islamic culture and practice.

• Option C, '9th', is the correct answer. Ramadan is universally recognized as the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. It is a holy month observed by Muslims worldwide as a month of fasting, prayer, reflection, and community.
• Options A, B, and D (7th, 8th, and 12th) are incorrect as they represent different months in the Hijri calendar. For example, Rajab is the 7th, Sha'ban is the 8th, and Dhul Hijjah is the 12th month.

This question requires knowledge of historical facts, specifically the invention dates of common items.

• Correct Answer: 1893. The zipper, initially known as the "Clasp Locker," was invented by Whitcomb L. Judson. He received a patent for his invention in 1893, which was primarily designed to fasten shoes. While the design underwent significant improvements and popularization in later years, 1893 marks the year of its foundational invention.
• Distractors: Options A (1851), C (1905), and D (1923) are incorrect dates for the initial invention of the zipper.

یہ سوال مرزا غالب کی جائے پیدائش کے بارے میں آپ کے علم کی جانچ کرتا ہے۔ مرزا غالب اردو اور فارسی کے ایک عظیم شاعر تھے، اور ان کی زندگی کے حقائق کو جاننا اہم ہے۔

• آپشن C، 'آگرہ'، درست جواب ہے۔ مرزا اسد اللہ خان غالب 27 دسمبر 1797 کو آگرہ میں پیدا ہوئے۔ آگرہ ان کی جائے پیدائش کے طور پر مشہور ہے۔
• آپشن A، 'کلکتہ'، غلط ہے کیونکہ غالب نے کلکتہ کا سفر کیا تھا لیکن وہ وہاں پیدا نہیں ہوئے تھے۔
• آپشن B، 'لاہور'، غلط ہے کیونکہ لاہور کا غالب کی جائے پیدائش سے کوئی تعلق نہیں ہے۔
• آپشن D، 'دہلی'، غلط ہے اگرچہ غالب نے اپنی زندگی کا بیشتر حصہ دہلی میں گزارا اور وہیں وفات پائی، لیکن وہ وہاں پیدا نہیں ہوئے تھے۔