GSA Practice Set 8 – General Science & Ability (20 Original MCQs Explained)

This is GSA Practice Set 8 — 20 original MCQs for General Science & Ability (CSS Compulsory, 100 marks). 10 Science (Q1–Q10) + 10 Ability (Q11–Q20). Attempt all 20 in 25 minutes without looking at the answers, then check the explained answers. These are original practice questions, not copied from FPSC papers or competitor question banks, and this site is not affiliated with FPSC. Scoring: 18–20 = strong. 15–17 = good. 12–14 = fair, revise the ones you missed. Below 12 = study the weak-section review, then re-attempt in 2 days.

Science (Q1–Q10)

Q1. Which vitamin deficiency causes scurvy? A) Vitamin A B) Vitamin B C) Vitamin C D) Vitamin D

Q2. What is the chemical formula of carbon dioxide? A) CO B) CO2 C) O2 D) C2O

Q3. Which organ helps us to breathe? A) Heart B) Liver C) Lung D) Kidney

Q4. Which is the smallest planet in the solar system? A) Venus B) Mars C) Mercury D) Pluto

Q5. What is the SI unit of temperature? A) Celsius B) Fahrenheit C) Kelvin D) Joule

Q6. Which is the largest bird in the world? A) Eagle B) Ostrich C) Penguin D) Emu

Q7. What is the chemical symbol for silver? A) Si B) Ag C) Sv D) Sl

Q8. What is the process by which water changes to vapour? A) Condensation B) Evaporation C) Freezing D) Melting

Q9. What is the freezing point of water? A) 0°C B) 10°C C) 50°C D) 100°C

Q10. Which is the main gas in the Sun? A) Oxygen B) Nitrogen C) Hydrogen D) Carbon dioxide

Ability (Q11–Q20)

Q11. If 8 pens cost Rs 200, what is the cost of 1 pen (same price)? A) Rs 20 B) Rs 25 C) Rs 30 D) Rs 40

Q12. What is 10% of 600? A) 40 B) 50 C) 60 D) 70

Q13. If 3x + 9 = 30, what is x? A) 5 B) 6 C) 7 D) 8

Q14. Next number in the series: 1, 3, 6, 10, 15, ? A) 18 B) 19 C) 20 D) 21

Q15. What is the perimeter of a square with side 6 cm? A) 12 cm B) 18 cm C) 24 cm D) 36 cm

Q16. Which of these is a composite number? A) 23 B) 27 C) 29 D) 31

Q17. If a : b = 3 : 4 and b = 16, what is a? A) 9 B) 12 C) 15 D) 18

Q18. Which of these is an odd number? A) 50 B) 51 C) 52 D) 54

Q19. What is the average of 5, 15, and 25? A) 12 B) 15 C) 18 D) 20

Q20. If a bus travels 180 km in 3 hours, what is its speed? A) 50 km/h B) 55 km/h C) 60 km/h D) 65 km/h

Answer Key + Explained Answers

Q1 – C) Vitamin C. Scurvy = Vitamin C deficiency. Vitamin A = night blindness; B = beriberi; D = rickets.

Q2 – B) CO2. Carbon dioxide = CO2 (1 carbon + 2 oxygen). CO = carbon monoxide, O2 = oxygen gas, C2O is not a formula.

Q3 – C) Lung. Lungs help us breathe (oxygen in, CO2 out). Heart pumps blood; liver filters toxins; kidney filters blood.

Q4 – C) Mercury. Mercury is the smallest planet in the solar system. Venus and Mars are larger; Pluto is a dwarf planet, not a planet.

Q5 – C) Kelvin. Kelvin (K) is the SI unit of temperature. Celsius and Fahrenheit are scales, not SI units; Joule is energy.

Q6 – B) Ostrich. The ostrich is the largest bird in the world (tallest and heaviest). Eagle, penguin, and emu are smaller.

Q7 – B) Ag. Silver = Ag (from Latin Argentum). Si = silicon, Sv and Sl are not symbols.

Q8 – B) Evaporation. Evaporation is water changing to vapour (liquid → gas). Condensation is vapour → liquid; freezing is liquid → solid; melting is solid → liquid.

Q9 – A) 0°C. Water freezes at 0°C (at standard pressure). 100°C is boiling point; 10°C and 50°C are neither.

Q10 – C) Hydrogen. The Sun is mainly hydrogen (about 73%) + helium (about 25%). Oxygen, nitrogen, and CO2 are trace.

Q11 – B) Rs 25. One pen = 200 ÷ 8 = Rs 25.

Q12 – C) 60. 10% of 600 = 0.10 × 600 = 60.

Q13 – C) 7. 3x + 9 = 30 → 3x = 21 → x = 7.

Q14 – D) 21. Differences increase by 1 each time: 1 + 2 = 3, 3 + 3 = 6, 6 + 4 = 10, 10 + 5 = 15, 15 + 6 = 21. (This is the triangular number pattern.)

Q15 – C) 24 cm. Perimeter of square = 4 × side = 4 × 6 = 24 cm. (36 is area: 6 × 6 = 36 sq cm.)

Q16 – B) 27. Composite = has factors besides 1 and itself. 27 = 3 × 9. 23, 29, 31 are prime.

Q17 – B) 12. a : b = 3 : 4 means a = (3/4) × b = (3/4) × 16 = 12.

Q18 – B) 51. Odd numbers are not divisible by 2. 51 is odd. 50, 52, 54 are even.

Q19 – B) 15. Average = (5 + 15 + 25) ÷ 3 = 45 ÷ 3 = 15.

Q20 – C) 60 km/h. Speed = distance ÷ time = 180 ÷ 3 = 60 km/h.

Weak-Section Review

Which section did you score lowest in? Write the 3 questions you missed, the correct answers, and one line for each explaining why. Science: revise vitamins (C = scurvy), formulas (CO2 carbon dioxide), organs (lung breathes), planets (Mercury smallest), units (Kelvin temperature), animals (ostrich largest bird), symbols (Ag silver), processes (evaporation liquid → vapour), freezing (0°C), Sun (hydrogen). Ability: revise unitary method, percentages, algebra, triangular series, perimeter vs area, prime vs composite, ratios, odd vs even, averages, speed = distance ÷ time. Re-attempt this set in 2 days.

These are original practice questions written for csspastpapers.pk. They are not FPSC official questions, and this site is not affiliated with FPSC.

More practice: GSA past papers, CSS syllabus, GSA Practice Set 1, GSA Practice Set 2, GSA Practice Set 3, GSA Practice Set 4, GSA Practice Set 5, GSA Practice Set 6, GSA Practice Set 7, MPT Practice Set 1.