1
The Treaty of Versailles (1919) formally ended:
Correct answer: A. The First World War
Signed on 28 June 1919, it ended the war between Germany and the Allied Powers.
easy
PPSC Assistant (BS-16) Practice Paper 1
Practice paper100 MCQs90 minutesPublished 27 October 2026
A full 100-MCQ practice paper for the PPSC Assistant (BS-16) General Ability test, a step harder than clerk-level papers, covering every syllabus subject with answers and explanations.
Written by our editorial team in the official pattern of the PPSC Assistant (BS-16) written test. This is not a past paper: the questions are our own, and every answer was checked against reliable sources.
General Knowledge and Geography
- 2
The Magna Carta, which limited the powers of the English king, was sealed in:
Correct answer: B. 1215
King John agreed to the Magna Carta at Runnymede in 1215.
medium - 3
The headquarters of NATO is in:
Correct answer: B. Brussels
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization, formed in 1949, is headquartered in Brussels, Belgium.
medium - 4
The world's largest lake by surface area is the:
Correct answer: A. Caspian Sea
The Caspian Sea is an inland lake of about 371,000 km². Lake Baikal is the deepest lake.
medium - 5
The Kyoto Protocol is an international agreement on:
Correct answer: D. Reducing greenhouse gas emissions
Adopted in Kyoto, Japan, in 1997, it set emission-cut targets for industrialised countries.
easy - 6
The Berlin Wall came down in:
Correct answer: C. 1989
The wall was opened on 9 November 1989, and Germany reunified in October 1990.
medium - 7
The deepest known point in the world's oceans lies in the:
Correct answer: D. Mariana Trench
The Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench, western Pacific, is nearly 11 km deep.
medium - 8
The nickname "Iron Lady" is associated with:
Correct answer: C. Margaret Thatcher
A Soviet newspaper used the term for Margaret Thatcher, British Prime Minister from 1979 to 1990.
easy - 9
Which city is the present capital of Kazakhstan?
Correct answer: C. Astana
The capital moved from Almaty to Astana in 1997. It was called Nur-Sultan from 2019 to 2022 and then renamed Astana again.
hard - 10
Which country presented the Statue of Liberty to the people of the United States?
Correct answer: B. France
France gave the statue, designed by Frédéric Bartholdi, to mark the friendship of the two nations; it was dedicated in 1886.
easy - 11
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is headquartered in:
Correct answer: C. Washington, D.C.
Both the IMF and the World Bank have their headquarters in Washington, D.C.
medium - 12
Which river is called the "Sorrow of China" because of its floods?
Correct answer: A. Huang He (Yellow River)
The Huang He has changed course and flooded many times, causing huge loss of life.
medium - 13
The ASEAN Secretariat is located in:
Correct answer: B. Jakarta
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations has its secretariat in Jakarta, Indonesia.
hard - 14
The longest continental mountain range in the world is the:
Correct answer: D. Andes
The Andes run about 7,000 km along the western side of South America.
medium - 15
The 1992 UN Conference on Environment and Development (the "Earth Summit") was held in:
Correct answer: C. Rio de Janeiro
The Rio Earth Summit produced Agenda 21 and the UN climate change convention (UNFCCC).
medium
Pakistan Studies
- 16
The Durand Line between British India and Afghanistan was agreed in:
Correct answer: B. 1893
Sir Mortimer Durand and Amir Abdur Rahman Khan agreed the line in 1893.
medium - 17
The Indus Waters Treaty of 1960 between Pakistan and India was brokered by the:
Correct answer: D. World Bank
The World Bank mediated the treaty, which gave the western rivers to Pakistan and the eastern rivers to India.
medium - 18
The Partition of Bengal (1905) was annulled in:
Correct answer: C. 1911
King George V announced the reversal at the Delhi Durbar in December 1911, to the disappointment of Muslims.
medium - 19
The British first granted Muslims separate electorates through the:
Correct answer: B. Minto-Morley Reforms of 1909
The Indian Councils Act 1909 (Minto-Morley Reforms) accepted the demand made by the Simla Deputation of 1906.
medium - 20
The Khilafat Movement in India was led mainly by:
Correct answer: A. Maulana Muhammad Ali Jauhar and Maulana Shaukat Ali
The Ali Brothers led the movement (1919–1924) to protect the Ottoman Caliphate.
easy - 21
The 1940 annual session of the All-India Muslim League in Lahore was presided over by:
Correct answer: D. Quaid-e-Azam
Quaid-e-Azam presided and gave his two-nation speech; Fazlul Haq moved the resolution.
medium - 22
The agreement that ended the 1965 Pakistan–India war was the:
Correct answer: A. Tashkent Declaration
Ayub Khan and Lal Bahadur Shastri signed it in Tashkent in January 1966, with Soviet mediation.
easy - 23
Pakistan's first nationwide martial law was proclaimed in October:
Correct answer: C. 1958
President Iskander Mirza abrogated the 1956 Constitution on 7 October 1958 and appointed Ayub Khan as Chief Martial Law Administrator.
medium - 24
The One Unit scheme, which merged the provinces of West Pakistan into a single province, was introduced in:
Correct answer: B. 1955
One Unit began in October 1955 and was dissolved in 1970, restoring the provinces.
medium - 25
Pakistan Steel Mills at Karachi was built with the help of the:
Correct answer: B. Soviet Union
The Soviet Union provided technical and financial help; the mill started production in the early 1980s.
hard - 26
Pakistan purchased Gwadar in 1958 from:
Correct answer: C. Oman
Gwadar had been under the Sultan of Muscat and Oman; it joined Pakistan on 8 September 1958.
medium - 27
The highest award for bravery in Pakistan's armed forces is the:
Correct answer: D. Nishan-e-Haider
The Nishan-e-Haider is awarded for supreme courage, so far always posthumously.
easy - 28
Which constitutional body advises Parliament on whether laws conform to Islamic injunctions?
Correct answer: D. Council of Islamic Ideology
The Council of Islamic Ideology gives advice; the Federal Shariat Court can strike down laws it finds repugnant to Islam.
medium - 29
Members of the Senate of Pakistan are elected for a term of:
Correct answer: D. 6 years
Senators serve six-year terms, and half of them retire every three years.
medium - 30
Article 25-A of the Constitution of Pakistan deals with:
Correct answer: C. Right to free and compulsory education
Added by the 18th Amendment (2010), it requires the state to give free and compulsory education to children aged 5 to 16.
hard
Islamic Studies
- 31
The Charter of Madinah (Mithaq-e-Madinah) was concluded in:
Correct answer: A. 1 AH
Soon after the Hijrah, the Holy Prophet ﷺ agreed a charter with the people of Madinah, including its Jewish tribes.
medium - 32
Official copies of the Quran were standardised and sent to the provinces during the caliphate of:
Correct answer: D. Hazrat Usman (RA)
Hazrat Usman (RA) had standard copies made so all Muslims read one text; he is called Jami-ul-Quran.
medium - 33
The Battle of Yarmuk (636 CE) was fought between the Muslims and the:
Correct answer: A. Byzantines
During Hazrat Umar's (RA) caliphate, Muslim forces defeated the Byzantine army at Yarmuk, opening Syria.
hard - 34
Imam Bukhari, the compiler of Sahih al-Bukhari, was born in:
Correct answer: A. Bukhara
He was born in Bukhara (in today's Uzbekistan) in 194 AH. Imam Muslim was from Nishapur.
medium - 35
Which of these is NOT one of the Sihah Sittah (six major Hadith collections)?
Correct answer: C. Muwatta Imam Malik
The six are Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Dawood, Tirmidhi, Nasai and Ibn Majah. The Muwatta is an earlier, separate collection.
hard - 36
Ushr is an Islamic levy on:
Correct answer: C. Agricultural produce
Ushr is one-tenth of produce from rain-watered land, or one-twentieth where the land is irrigated.
medium - 37
In Islamic law, Ijma means:
Correct answer: C. Consensus of scholars
Ijma is the agreement of qualified scholars on a ruling; Qiyas means analogy.
medium - 38
The expedition of Tabuk took place in:
Correct answer: C. 9 AH
Tabuk (9 AH) was the last expedition the Holy Prophet ﷺ led personally.
medium - 39
Which companion was given the title "Saifullah" (the Sword of Allah)?
Correct answer: D. Hazrat Khalid bin Walid (RA)
The Holy Prophet ﷺ gave Hazrat Khalid bin Walid (RA) the title after the Battle of Mutah.
easy - 40
The Hijri calendar was officially introduced during the caliphate of:
Correct answer: A. Hazrat Umar (RA)
Hazrat Umar (RA) adopted the Hijrah as year one of the Islamic calendar.
easy - 41
Which Surah is often called the "Heart of the Quran"?
Correct answer: C. Surah Yaseen
A well-known narration describes Surah Yaseen as the heart of the Quran.
easy - 42
The Holy Quran names how many Prophets?
Correct answer: B. 25
Twenty-five Prophets are named in the Quran, from Hazrat Adam (AS) to the Holy Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.
medium
Basic Mathematics
- 43
The compound interest on Rs. 10,000 at 10% a year for 2 years, compounded yearly, is:
Correct answer: B. Rs. 2,100
Amount = 10,000 × 1.1 × 1.1 = 12,100, so interest = Rs. 2,100.
medium - 44
A train 150 m long passes a pole in 10 seconds. Its speed is:
Correct answer: C. 54 km/h
Speed = 150 ÷ 10 = 15 m/s, and 15 × 18/5 = 54 km/h.
medium - 45
A is twice as old as B, and their ages add up to 36. How old is A?
Correct answer: C. 24
B + 2B = 36, so B = 12 and A = 24.
easy - 46
Pipe A fills a tank in 6 hours and pipe B fills it in 3 hours. Working together, they fill it in:
Correct answer: B. 2 hours
In one hour they fill 1/6 + 1/3 = 1/2 of the tank, so together they need 2 hours.
medium - 47
A fair die is thrown once. The probability of getting an even number is:
Correct answer: C. 1/2
There are three even outcomes (2, 4, 6) out of six, so the probability is 3/6 = 1/2.
easy - 48
The solutions of x² − 9 = 0 are:
Correct answer: B. x = ±3
x² = 9, so x = 3 or x = −3.
easy - 49
The average of five numbers is 20. When one number is removed, the average of the rest is 18. The number removed is:
Correct answer: C. 28
Total of five = 100; total of four = 72; so the removed number = 100 − 72 = 28.
medium - 50
Two successive discounts of 20% and 10% are equal to a single discount of:
Correct answer: B. 28%
On 100: after 20% off it is 80; 10% off 80 leaves 72. Total discount = 28%.
medium - 51
The area of a circle with radius 7 cm (taking π = 22/7) is:
Correct answer: C. 154 cm²
Area = πr² = 22/7 × 7 × 7 = 154 cm². (44 cm is the circumference.)
easy - 52
The value of log₁₀ 1000 is:
Correct answer: B. 3
10³ = 1000, so log₁₀ 1000 = 3.
easy - 53
Find the next number: 5, 11, 23, 47, ?
Correct answer: B. 95
Each term is double the previous plus 1: 47 × 2 + 1 = 95.
medium - 54
If the cost price of 12 articles equals the selling price of 10 articles, the profit percentage is:
Correct answer: C. 20%
Let each article cost 1. Then 10 articles sell for 12, so each sells for 1.2: a profit of 20%.
hard
English
- 55
Choose the word closest in meaning to EPHEMERAL:
Correct answer: A. Short-lived
Ephemeral describes something that lasts a very short time, like a mayfly's life.
hard - 56
Choose the word opposite in meaning to FRUGAL:
Correct answer: A. Extravagant
Frugal means spending little; extravagant means spending too much. Thrifty is a synonym.
medium - 57
Choose the word closest in meaning to COGENT:
Correct answer: A. Convincing
A cogent argument is clear, logical and convincing.
hard - 58
Choose the word opposite in meaning to AMIABLE:
Correct answer: C. Hostile
Amiable means friendly and pleasant; hostile means unfriendly or aggressive.
medium - 59
Which of these is the correct spelling?
Correct answer: D. Embarrass
Embarrass has a double r and a double s.
medium - 60
The idiom "to bell the cat" means:
Correct answer: A. To take on a risky task for the good of others
From the fable of mice who wanted a bell on the cat but none dared to tie it.
medium - 61
The idiom "a white elephant" refers to:
Correct answer: C. A costly possession that is more trouble than it is worth
Example: "The huge stadium became a white elephant after the games ended."
medium - 62
One word for "a person who speaks many languages" is:
Correct answer: A. Polyglot
A polyglot speaks several languages. A linguist studies language scientifically.
medium - 63
One word for "government by a small group of powerful people" is:
Correct answer: D. Oligarchy
Oligarchy is rule by a few. Monarchy is rule by one king or queen; anarchy is the absence of government.
medium - 64
Fill in the blank: Scarcely had he left the house ___ it started raining.
Correct answer: A. when
"Scarcely" and "hardly" are followed by "when"; "no sooner" is followed by "than".
hard - 65
Fill in the blank: He insisted ___ paying the bill himself.
Correct answer: B. on
The verb "insist" takes "on": insisted on paying.
easy - 66
Choose the correct passive form of: "Who wrote this letter?"
Correct answer: D. By whom was this letter written?
In the passive, "who" becomes "by whom", followed by question order: was + subject + past participle.
medium - 67
Choose the correct indirect form of: She said, "I have finished my work."
Correct answer: A. She said that she had finished her work.
After a past reporting verb, present perfect (have finished) changes to past perfect (had finished), and pronouns change.
medium - 68
Fill in the blank: Mathematics ___ my favourite subject.
Correct answer: B. is
Mathematics ends in -s but is a singular subject, so it takes "is" (like physics and economics).
medium
Urdu
- 69
"غبارِ خاطر" کس کی تصنیف ہے؟
درست جواب: ج. مولانا ابوالکلام آزاد
غبارِ خاطر مولانا ابوالکلام آزاد کے خطوط کا مجموعہ ہے جو انہوں نے قید کے دوران لکھے۔
medium - 70
اردو شاعروں کا تذکرہ "آبِ حیات" کس نے لکھا؟
درست جواب: الف. محمد حسین آزاد
آبِ حیات محمد حسین آزاد کی مشہور کتاب ہے جس میں اردو شاعروں کے حالات دلکش انداز میں لکھے گئے ہیں۔
medium - 71
ناول "خدا کی بستی" کے مصنف کون ہیں؟
درست جواب: الف. شوکت صدیقی
شوکت صدیقی کا یہ ناول کراچی کے غریب طبقے کی زندگی پیش کرتا ہے۔
medium - 72
ناول "راجہ گدھ" کس کا لکھا ہوا ہے؟
درست جواب: الف. بانو قدسیہ
راجہ گدھ بانو قدسیہ کا مشہور ناول ہے جو حلال و حرام کے فلسفے پر مبنی ہے۔
easy - 73
خود نوشت "شہاب نامہ" کس نے لکھی؟
درست جواب: د. قدرت اللہ شہاب
شہاب نامہ قدرت اللہ شہاب کی آپ بیتی ہے جو ان کی وفات کے بعد ۱۹۸۷ء میں شائع ہوئی۔
easy - 74
لفظ "مکتوب" کی جمع کیا ہے؟
درست جواب: ج. مکاتیب
مکتوب یعنی خط، اس کی جمع مکاتیب ہے۔ مکاتب، مکتب (اسکول) کی جمع ہے۔
hard - 75
"عید کا چاند ہو جانا" کس کے لیے بولا جاتا ہے؟
درست جواب: د. بہت دنوں بعد نظر آنا
جو شخص کبھی کبھار ہی دکھائی دے اس کے لیے کہتے ہیں کہ تم تو عید کا چاند ہو گئے۔
easy - 76
لفظ "شجاع" کا ہم معنی کیا ہے؟
درست جواب: الف. بہادر
شجاع کے معنی بہادر ہیں اور اس سے شجاعت (بہادری) بنا ہے۔
easy - 77
اردو مرثیہ نگاری میں سب سے بڑا نام کسے مانا جاتا ہے؟
درست جواب: الف. میر انیس
میر ببر علی انیس اور مرزا دبیر اردو مرثیے کے سب سے بڑے شاعر ہیں، اور انیس کو اس صنف کا امام کہا جاتا ہے۔
medium - 78
لفظ "زندگی" کا متضاد کیا ہے؟
درست جواب: ب. موت
حیات زندگی کا ہم معنی ہے جبکہ موت اس کا متضاد ہے۔
easy
Everyday Science
- 79
Which chemicals are mainly responsible for damaging the ozone layer?
Correct answer: B. Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)
CFCs, once used in fridges and sprays, release chlorine that breaks down ozone. The Montreal Protocol (1987) phased them out.
easy - 80
For iron to rust, it needs:
Correct answer: C. Both oxygen and water (moisture)
Rust (hydrated iron oxide) forms only when both oxygen and moisture are present.
medium - 81
Which of these diseases is caused by a virus?
Correct answer: B. Polio
Polio is caused by the poliovirus. Tuberculosis, typhoid and cholera are bacterial diseases.
medium - 82
Optical fibres carry light signals by the principle of:
Correct answer: B. Total internal reflection
Light keeps reflecting inside the fibre's glass core, so it travels long distances with little loss.
medium - 83
Which blood group is known as the universal donor?
Correct answer: C. O negative
O negative red cells carry no A, B or Rh antigens, so they can be given to almost anyone. AB positive is the universal recipient.
medium - 84
The kilowatt-hour (kWh) on an electricity bill is a unit of:
Correct answer: C. Energy
One kWh is the energy used by a 1,000-watt appliance running for one hour (one "unit").
medium - 85
Which planet has the most striking rings, easily seen through a small telescope?
Correct answer: B. Saturn
Saturn's rings are made of ice and rock. Jupiter, Uranus and Neptune have faint rings too.
easy - 86
Most of the Earth's ozone is concentrated in the:
Correct answer: B. Stratosphere
Most ozone lies in the stratosphere, about 15–35 km above the Earth, where it absorbs ultraviolet rays.
medium - 87
A magnifying glass uses a:
Correct answer: B. Convex lens
A convex (converging) lens makes nearby objects look larger. Concave lenses correct short sight.
easy - 88
The main component of natural gas, such as Sui gas, is:
Correct answer: D. Methane
Natural gas is mostly methane (CH₄). LPG cylinders contain mainly propane and butane.
medium
Basic Computer Skills
- 89
In Windows, which shortcut locks the computer immediately?
Correct answer: D. Windows + L
Windows + L locks the screen; you must sign in again to continue.
medium - 90
Which of these programs is a database management system?
Correct answer: B. MS Access
MS Access stores data in related tables and runs queries; Paint, Notepad and WinZip do other jobs.
easy - 91
Which Excel function counts only the cells that meet a given condition?
Correct answer: B. COUNTIF
Example: =COUNTIF(B2:B50,"Pass"). SUMIF adds values that meet a condition.
medium - 92
In MS Word, Ctrl + K is used to:
Correct answer: B. Insert a hyperlink
Ctrl + K opens the Insert Hyperlink dialog to link text to a web page or file.
medium - 93
In a database table, a primary key:
Correct answer: B. Uniquely identifies each record
No two records may share a primary key value, and it cannot be left empty, such as a CNIC number.
medium - 94
An IPv4 address is made up of how many bits?
Correct answer: B. 32
IPv4 uses 32 bits, written as four numbers such as 192.168.1.1. IPv6 uses 128 bits.
hard - 95
Which of these is a cloud storage service?
Correct answer: D. Google Drive
Google Drive keeps files on internet servers so you can open them from any device. OneDrive and Dropbox are similar.
easy - 96
What is the full form of PDF?
Correct answer: D. Portable Document Format
Adobe's PDF format keeps a document's layout the same on every device.
easy - 97
Malware that locks your files and demands payment to unlock them is called:
Correct answer: C. Ransomware
Ransomware encrypts data and demands a ransom; regular backups are the best protection.
easy - 98
The hexadecimal number system has base:
Correct answer: D. 16
Hexadecimal uses 0–9 and A–F (16 symbols). Binary is base 2 and octal base 8.
medium - 99
A compiler is a program that:
Correct answer: D. Translates a whole high-level program into machine code before it runs
A compiler translates the entire program at once; an interpreter translates and runs it line by line.
medium - 100
Which MS Word view shows the document exactly as it will look when printed?
Correct answer: C. Print Layout
Print Layout, the default view, shows margins, headers, footers and page breaks as they will print.
easy