PPSC Past Papers & Solved MCQs

The correct answer is Richard Nixon. The Watergate Scandal, a major political scandal in the United States, is inextricably linked to President Richard Nixon. It involved a break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate office complex and the subsequent attempts by the Nixon administration to cover it up, ultimately leading to Nixon's resignation in 1974.

• John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, and Jimmy Carter were all U.S. Presidents, but none were associated with the Watergate Scandal. Kennedy was assassinated in 1963, Johnson served before Nixon, and Carter served after Nixon.

The August Offer was a significant proposal made by the British government during World War II to gain the support of Indian political parties. It was officially announced on 8 August 1940 by Viceroy Lord Linlithgow, promising dominion status for India after the war and an expansion of the Viceroy's Executive Council to include more Indians.

• 26 January 1930 is incorrect; this date is historically significant as Purna Swaraj Day, marking the Indian Declaration of Independence.
• 22 March 1942 is incorrect; this was the date when the Cripps Mission arrived in India with a revised set of proposals.
• 15 August 1947 is incorrect; this date marks India's independence from British rule.

The correct answer is ASCII (American Standard Code for Information Interchange). ASCII is the standard character encoding system used to represent letters, numbers, symbols, and control characters in computers. When a key is pressed on a keyboard, the corresponding ASCII code is generated and processed by the computer.

Why the Other Options Are Incorrect

• ANSI: ANSI is a standards organization, not a character encoding standard used for keyboard input.
• EBCDIC: EBCDIC is a character encoding system used mainly on IBM mainframe computers.
• ISO: ISO is an international standards organization and does not itself define the keyboard character codes used in this context.

Therefore, ASCII is the correct answer.

The book Al-Futuhat al-Makkiyah, meaning 'The Meccan Illuminations', is a monumental work of Islamic mysticism and philosophy. It was authored by Ibn Arabi, a highly influential Andalusian Muslim scholar, mystic, poet, and philosopher, considered one of the most significant figures in Sufism.

• Imam al-Ghazali was a prominent Persian polymath known for 'The Revival of the Religious Sciences', not Al-Futuhat al-Makkiyah.
• Ibn Sina (Avicenna) was a Persian polymath, physician, and philosopher, famous for 'The Canon of Medicine'.
• Al Shafi (Imam Shafi'i) was a renowned Arab Muslim jurist and founder of the Shafi'i school of Islamic jurisprudence.

The book "Songs of Blood and Sword" is a powerful memoir detailing the tumultuous political history and personal tragedies of the Bhutto family. It was authored by Fatima Bhutto, the niece of former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, offering an insider's perspective on one of Pakistan's most prominent political dynasties.

• Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto is incorrect; he was Fatima's grandfather and a former Prime Minister of Pakistan.
• Benazir Bhutto is incorrect; she was Fatima's aunt and also a former Prime Minister of Pakistan.
• Maleeha Lodhi is incorrect; she is a distinguished Pakistani diplomat and journalist, not the author of this specific memoir.

The correct answer is Counts non-empty cells.

• Explanation: The COUNTA() function in Excel is designed to count the number of cells within a specified range that are not empty. This means it counts cells containing any type of data, whether it's numbers, text, logical values (TRUE/FALSE), or error values.
• Why other options are false:
• A (Counts cells having alphabets): COUNTA counts any non-empty cell, not specifically those with alphabets. To count cells with only alphabets, you would typically use a combination of functions like SUMPRODUCT and ISTEXT.
• B (Counts empty cells): The COUNTBLANK() function is used to count empty cells.
• C (Counts cells having numbers): The COUNT() function is specifically used to count cells that contain only numbers.

The UK is a classic example of a country that does not have a single, codified written constitution. Its constitution is uncodified, meaning it is derived from various sources including statutes, common law, conventions, and treaties, rather than being contained in one supreme document.

• India has a comprehensive written constitution, adopted in 1950, which is the longest in the world.
• The US has a foundational written constitution, ratified in 1788, serving as the supreme law of the land.
• New Zealand also has an uncodified constitution, similar to the UK, but the UK is the most commonly cited example for this question.

The operation that successfully killed Osama bin Laden in 2011 at his compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, was codenamed Operation Neptune Spear. This highly secretive mission was carried out by the United States Navy SEALs, marking a significant victory in the global War on Terror.

• Operation Desert Storm is incorrect; this was the codename for the 1991 Gulf War against Iraq.
• Operation Enduring Freedom is incorrect; this refers to the broader U.S. military operations in Afghanistan following the 9/11 attacks.
• Operation Iraqi Freedom is incorrect; this was the codename for the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq.

The correct answer is A range of cells from A20 to A31.

• Explanation: In Microsoft Excel, the colon (:) operator is used to define a range of cells. When you see 'A20:A31', it refers to all the cells starting from cell A20 and extending down to cell A31, encompassing every cell in column A between those two points, inclusively.
• Why other options are false:
• A (A single cell): A single cell would be referenced as 'A20' or 'A31'.
• C (A formula to calculate average): A formula always begins with an equals sign (=), for example, '=AVERAGE(A20:A31)'.
• D (A specific column labeled A20 and A31): This notation refers to a contiguous block of cells within a single column, not two separate columns or labels.

The term "sociology" was coined by Auguste Comte in 1838. This French philosopher is widely regarded as the "Father of Sociology" for his pioneering efforts in establishing the scientific study of society.

• Karl Marx was a German philosopher and economist known for his theories on class struggle and capitalism, but he did not coin the term "sociology."
• Emile Durkheim was a French sociologist who significantly contributed to the discipline's methodology and theories on social facts, but he did not originate the term.
• Max Weber was a German sociologist known for his work on bureaucracy and rationalization, not for coining "sociology."

The Indian National Congress, a pivotal political party in India's struggle for independence and a major force in post-independence politics, was founded in 1885. It was established by Allan Octavian Hume, a retired British Indian Civil Service officer, with the aim of creating a platform for civic and political dialogue among educated Indians.

• 1857 is incorrect; this year is known for the Indian Rebellion of 1857, a major uprising against British rule.
• 1905 is incorrect; this year saw the controversial Partition of Bengal, which fueled nationalist sentiments.
• 1942 is incorrect; this year is associated with the Quit India Movement, a significant phase of the independence struggle.

The correct answer is The smallest resolvable part of a picture.

• Explanation: A pixel, short for 'picture element', is the smallest individual unit of a digital image or display that can be controlled or represented. Each pixel contains color information, and when many pixels are combined, they form a complete image. The resolution of an image or screen is determined by the number of pixels it contains.
• Why other options are false:
• B (A picture stored in secondary memory): A pixel is a component of a picture, not the entire picture itself, nor does it describe where the picture is stored.
• C (A computer program that draws picture): A pixel is a data unit, a building block of an image, not a program or software.
• D (A virus): A pixel is a fundamental concept in digital imaging and has no relation to computer viruses.

The Durand Line, which demarcates the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan, was formed after the Second Anglo-Afghan War (1878-1880). It was established in 1893 by Sir Mortimer Durand and Abdur Rahman Khan, the Amir of Afghanistan, as a result of British imperial policy in the region.

• The First Anglo-Afghan War (1839-1842) and Third Anglo-Afghan War (1919) occurred at different times and were not directly responsible for the line's formation.
• WWI (1914-1918) was a global conflict and not directly related to the establishment of this specific border.

The insightful book "Pakistan: Between Mosque and Military", which critically examines the complex interplay of religion, military, and politics in Pakistan, was written by Husain Haqqani. Haqqani is a prominent Pakistani diplomat, scholar, and former Ambassador to the United States, known for his analytical perspectives on Pakistan's internal and external affairs.

• Sardar Masood is incorrect; he is a Pakistani diplomat and former President of Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
• Asad Majeed is incorrect; he is a Pakistani diplomat who has served as Ambassador to the United States.
• Jaleel Abbas Jilani is incorrect; he is also a Pakistani diplomat who has held various significant positions, including Foreign Secretary.

The correct answer is 745. Here's why:

• The article was sold for 596 after a 20% discount. This means 596 represents 100% - 20% = 80% of the original price.
• To find the original price, you divide the discounted price by the percentage it represents: Original Price = 596 / 0.80 = 745.
• Option A (600) is incorrect because a 20% discount on 600 would be 120, making the selling price 480, not 596.
• Option C (800) is incorrect because a 20% discount on 800 would be 160, making the selling price 640.
• Option D (945) is incorrect as a 20% discount on 945 would result in a much lower selling price than 596.

The Ottoman Empire emerged as the successor of the Seljuk Dynasty. As the power of the Seljuk Sultanate of Rum in Anatolia declined, various Turkoman beyliks (principalities) arose. One of these, led by Osman I, gradually expanded to form the Ottoman Empire around 1299, inheriting much of the Seljuk's cultural and political legacy in the region.

• The Umayyad Dynasty (661-750 AD) and Abbasid Dynasty (750-1258 AD) were earlier Islamic caliphates that preceded the Seljuks and Ottomans.
• The Fatimid Dynasty (909-1171 AD) was a Shi'ite Islamic caliphate based in North Africa and Egypt, distinct from the Sunni Seljuks and Ottomans.

Baltit Fort is a historic fort located in the Hunza Valley, Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan. It stands as a prominent cultural landmark, reflecting the architectural heritage of the region and offering panoramic views of the valley. The fort has been meticulously restored and is now a museum, attracting tourists and researchers alike. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Tentative Site, underscoring its global significance.

• Chitral Valley is incorrect; while also in northern Pakistan, it has its own distinct historical sites.
• Gilgit Valley is incorrect; it is a neighboring valley, but Baltit Fort is specifically in Hunza.
• Kashmir Valley is incorrect; it is a separate geographical and political region with its own unique heritage.

The correct answer is Extend.

• The word “Prolong” means to make something last for a longer period of time or to extend its duration.
• Option A (Extend) is a direct synonym of “Prolong” as it also means to make something longer or to continue for a longer time.
• Option B (Shorten) is an antonym of “Prolong,” meaning to make something shorter.
• Option C (Cancel) means to call off or annul something, which is unrelated to the duration of an event.
• Option D (End) means to bring something to a conclusion or stop it, which is the opposite of prolonging it.

Biography is fundamentally the study of an individual's life. It involves chronicling significant events, relationships, achievements, and challenges to provide a comprehensive understanding of a person's journey. Therefore, "Lives of people" is the accurate answer. Option A, "Plants," is the domain of botany. Option B, "Maps," falls under cartography. Option C, "Rocks," is the subject of geology. Each of these distractors represents distinct fields of study unrelated to the personal histories that biographies explore.

Siberia is widely recognized as the coldest inhabited region on Earth, particularly its eastern parts like Oymyakon and Verkhoyansk, which frequently record extremely low temperatures. This vast Russian territory experiences an extreme continental climate due to its distance from moderating oceans and high latitude, leading to long, severely cold winters.

• The Arctic Circle is a geographical region encompassing the North Pole, but it's not a single landmass, and specific locations within Siberia often record lower temperatures than other parts of the Arctic.
• Greenland is a large island covered mostly by an ice sheet, making it very cold, but Siberia's continental extremes often surpass it.
• Alaska, while cold, does not generally experience the same record-breaking low temperatures as parts of Siberia.