BPSC CCE Prelims
General Mental Ability Previous Year Questions (PYQs)
Solved Previous Year Questions (PYQs) for General Mental Ability in BPSC CCE Prelims in English & Hindi Medium.
Chapter Breakdown: Scroll →
At what time between 2 and 3 O'Clock will the hands of a clock be together?
Detailed Explanation:
Concept: Clock hands coincide when the minute hand catches up to the hour hand.
At 2:00, the hour hand is at 60° (2 × 30°/hour). The minute hand moves at 6°/minute, the hour hand at 0.5°/minute.
After t minutes: 6t = 60 + 0.5t → 5.5t = 60 → t = 120/11 = 1010/11 minutes past 2.
If a triangle represents Men, a rectangle represents Businessman and the circle represents Millionaire, then which number represents Men that are both Businessman and Millionaire?
Detailed Explanation:
Venn Diagram Intersection: The region where all three shapes (triangle, rectangle, circle) overlap represents men who are both businessmen and millionaires.
Answer: From the diagram, 10 is the only number present in the common area of all three shapes.
How many triangles are there in the following figure?
Detailed Explanation:
Counting triangles systematically:
Smallest triangles: 6 individual regions formed by intersecting lines inside the main triangle.
Medium triangles (2 small combined): 3 triangles formed by merging two adjacent smallest triangles.
Larger triangles (3 small combined): 2 triangles formed by merging three smallest triangles.
Outermost triangle: 1 complete boundary triangle.
Total count: 6 + 3 + 2 + 1 = 12 triangles.
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SPRING is written in a code as UNUFRC. How will the word MOBILE be mentioned in that code language?
Detailed Explanation:
Pattern: Alternating addition and subtraction of increasing numbers: +2, –2, +3, –3, +4, –4.
SPRING → UNUFRC: S (+2) = U, P (–2) = N, R (+3) = U, I (–3) = F, N (+4) = R, G (–4) = C.
MOBILE: M (+2) = O, O (–2) = M, B (+3) = E, I (–3) = F, L (+4) = P, E (–4) = A → OMEFPA.
Mukesh said to his friend, "Rita is the mother of my son's wife's daughter". How is Mukesh related to Rita?
Detailed Explanation:
My son's wife = Mukesh's daughter-in-law.
My son's wife's daughter = Mukesh's granddaughter.
Rita is the mother of this granddaughter, so Rita is Mukesh's daughter-in-law.
Therefore, Mukesh is Rita's father-in-law.
What should come in place of ? in the following series?
117, 98, 80, 64, ?, 42
Detailed Explanation:
Pattern: The series decreases with differences that increase by +1 each time.
Differences: 117 → 98 is −19, 98 → 80 is −18, 80 → 64 is −16.
Next difference: Pattern shows increments of +1, +2, +3, so next is −16 + 3 = −13.
Missing term: 64 − 13 = 51.
Verification: 51 → 42 is −9 (increase of +4 from −13), confirming the pattern.
Ram goes North, turn right, then goes right again and then goes to left. In which direction Ram is now?
Detailed Explanation:
Initial Direction: Ram starts facing North.
First Right Turn: From North, turning right means facing East.
Second Right Turn: From East, turning right means facing South.
Left Turn: From South, turning left means facing East.
Final Direction: Ram is now facing EAST.
Writing in Alphabetical order, which name of the following will appear in the last?
Detailed Explanation:
Alphabetical order is determined by comparing letters from left to right until a difference is found.
Comparing all four names: Mahendra and Mahinder start with "Ma", while Mohender and Mohinder start with "Mo". Since "o" comes after "a", the "Mo" names appear later.
Between Mohender and Mohinder: after the common prefix "Moh", we compare "e" vs "i". Since "i" comes after "e" in the alphabet, Mohinder appears last.
Nitin is 7 ranks ahead of Joginder in a class of 39. If Joginder's rank is 17th from the last, what is Nitin's rank from the beginning?
Detailed Explanation:
Joginder's rank from beginning = 39 - 17 + 1 = 23rd.
Nitin is 7 ranks ahead means Nitin has a better (lower) rank number: 23 - 7 = 16th.
If + means ×, × means −, ÷ means + and − means ÷, then 175 − 25 ÷ 5 + 20 × 3 + 10 equals to:
Detailed Explanation:
Given substitutions: − means ÷, ÷ means +, + means ×, × means −
Original expression: 175 − 25 ÷ 5 + 20 × 3 + 10
After substitution: 175 ÷ 25 + 5 × 20 − 3 × 10
Apply BODMAS:
Division first: 175 ÷ 25 = 7
Multiplication: 5 × 20 = 100 and 3 × 10 = 30
Addition and subtraction: 7 + 100 − 30 = 77
Rahul is 3 times as old as Seema. Laxmi was twice as old as Rahul four years ago. In four year's time, Rahul will be 31. What are the present ages of Seema and Laxmi?
Detailed Explanation:
Rahul's present age: In 4 years he will be 31, so currently 31 − 4 = 27 years.
Seema's present age: Rahul is 3 times as old as Seema, so Seema = 27 ÷ 3 = 9 years.
Laxmi's present age: Four years ago Rahul was 23 years (27 − 4), and Laxmi was twice that age = 46 years. Currently Laxmi = 46 + 4 = 50 years.
Find the missing number from the given alternatives:
| 28 | 20 | 7 |
| 84 | ? | 12 |
| 45 | 25 | 9 |
Detailed Explanation:
Pattern: Middle number = (First number ÷ Third number) × 5
Row 1: 28 ÷ 7 = 4, then 4 × 5 = 20 ✓
Row 3: 45 ÷ 9 = 5, then 5 × 5 = 25 ✓
Row 2: 84 ÷ 12 = 7, then 7 × 5 = 35
Answer: 35
RAIN is written in a code as 8%6 and MORE is mentioned as 7#8@. How will REMAIN be mentioned in code language?
Detailed Explanation:
Step 1 – Decode the given codes:
RAIN = 8%6 → R=8, A=%, N=6 (only 3 symbols for 4 letters, so I is omitted)
MORE = 7#8@ → M=7, O=#, R=8, E=@
Step 2 – Code REMAIN:
R=8, E=@, M=7, A=%, I=(omitted), N=6
REMAIN → 8@7%6
There are 15 chairs in a row. Position of P is at the middle, and Q is at 12th position counting from the right. How many chairs are there between p and Q ?
Detailed Explanation:
P's position: Middle of 15 chairs = 8th position from left (using formula (15+1)/2 = 8).
Q's position: 12th from right = 4th position from left (using formula 15 - 12 + 1 = 4).
Chairs between P and Q: Positions 5, 6, and 7 lie between position 4 (Q) and position 8 (P), giving 3 chairs.
If C is brother of B, B is son of A, DD is father of C and A is female, then A is
Detailed Explanation:
B is the son of A, and A is female, so A is B's mother.
C is the brother of B, meaning C and B share the same parents; thus A is also C's mother.
D is the father of C, and since C and B have the same parents, D is the father of both C and B.
Therefore, A (mother) and D (father) are married, making A the wife of D.