GSA Practice Set 5 – General Science & Ability (20 Original MCQs Explained)

This is GSA Practice Set 5 — 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. What is the chemical symbol for gold? A) Ag B) Au C) Gd D) Go

Q2. Which gas is commonly used in balloons because it is lighter than air and non-flammable? A) Oxygen B) Carbon dioxide C) Helium D) Nitrogen

Q3. What is the smallest unit of life? A) Atom B) Molecule C) Cell D) Tissue

Q4. What is the unit of force? A) Joule B) Watt C) Newton D) Pascal

Q5. Which organ pumps blood around the body? A) Liver B) Heart C) Lung D) Kidney

Q6. Which gas is needed for burning (combustion)? A) Nitrogen B) Oxygen C) Carbon dioxide D) Hydrogen

Q7. Which vitamin is produced in the skin by sunlight? A) Vitamin A B) Vitamin B C) Vitamin C D) Vitamin D

Q8. Which is the nearest star to Earth? A) Sirius B) Polaris C) Sun D) Alpha Centauri

Q9. What is H2O? A) Salt B) Water C) Oxygen D) Carbon dioxide

Q10. Which blood group is called the universal donor? A) AB positive B) AB negative C) O positive D) O negative

Ability (Q11–Q20)

Q11. If a book costs Rs 120, what is the cost of 5 books (same price)? A) Rs 480 B) Rs 500 C) Rs 600 D) Rs 720

Q12. What is 20% of 300? A) 40 B) 50 C) 60 D) 80

Q13. If 2x + 8 = 20, what is x? A) 4 B) 5 C) 6 D) 8

Q14. Next number in the series: 3, 6, 12, 24, ? A) 36 B) 42 C) 48 D) 96

Q15. What is the perimeter of a rectangle 5 cm long and 3 cm wide? A) 8 cm B) 15 cm C) 16 cm D) 30 cm

Q16. Which of these is an even number? A) 41 B) 42 C) 43 D) 45

Q17. If x : y = 2 : 5 and y = 10, what is x? A) 2 B) 4 C) 5 D) 6

Q18. Which of these is a prime number? A) 27 B) 29 C) 33 D) 39

Q19. What is the average of 10, 20, and 30? A) 15 B) 20 C) 25 D) 30

Q20. If a car travels 150 km in 3 hours, what is its speed? A) 30 km/h B) 40 km/h C) 50 km/h D) 60 km/h

Answer Key + Explained Answers

Q1 – B) Au. Gold = Au (from Latin Aurum). Ag = silver, Gd = gadolinium, Go is not a symbol.

Q2 – C) Helium. Helium is lighter than air and non-flammable, so it is safe for balloons. Hydrogen is lighter but flammable. Oxygen and nitrogen are not used for lift; carbon dioxide is heavier than air.

Q3 – C) Cell. The cell is the smallest unit of life. Atom and molecule are smaller but not alive; tissue is a group of cells.

Q4 – C) Newton. Newton (N) is the unit of force. Joule = energy, Watt = power, Pascal = pressure.

Q5 – B) Heart. The heart pumps blood around the body. Liver filters blood, lung oxygenates blood, kidney filters waste.

Q6 – B) Oxygen. Burning (combustion) needs oxygen. Nitrogen does not support burning; carbon dioxide extinguishes fire; hydrogen itself burns but is not the gas needed for burning.

Q7 – D) Vitamin D. Vitamin D is produced in skin by sunlight. Vitamin A = vision, B = energy, C = immunity/scurvy.

Q8 – C) Sun. The Sun is the nearest star to Earth (about 150 million km). Sirius is nearest bright star (other than Sun); Polaris is North Star; Alpha Centauri is nearest star system beyond the Sun.

Q9 – B) Water. H2O is water (2 hydrogen + 1 oxygen). Salt = NaCl, oxygen = O2, carbon dioxide = CO2.

Q10 – D) O negative. O negative (O–) is the universal donor (can give to all groups, as it has no A/B antigens and no Rh factor). AB positive is universal recipient. O positive can give to Rh-positive groups, but not to Rh-negative.

Q11 – C) Rs 600. 5 × 120 = 600.

Q12 – C) 60. 20% of 300 = 0.20 × 300 = 60.

Q13 – C) 6. 2x + 8 = 20 → 2x = 12 → x = 6.

Q14 – C) 48. Each term doubles: 3 × 2 = 6, 6 × 2 = 12, 12 × 2 = 24, 24 × 2 = 48. (96 is two steps ahead.)

Q15 – C) 16 cm. Perimeter of rectangle = 2 × (length + width) = 2 × (5 + 3) = 2 × 8 = 16 cm. (15 is area: 5 × 3 = 15 sq cm.)

Q16 – B) 42. Even numbers are divisible by 2. 42 is even. 41, 43, 45 are odd.

Q17 – B) 4. x : y = 2 : 5 means x = (2/5) × y = 0.4 × 10 = 4.

Q18 – B) 29. Prime = only factors 1 and itself. 29 is prime. 27 = 3 × 9, 33 = 3 × 11, 39 = 3 × 13.

Q19 – B) 20. Average = (10 + 20 + 30) ÷ 3 = 60 ÷ 3 = 20.

Q20 – C) 50 km/h. Speed = distance ÷ time = 150 ÷ 3 = 50 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 symbols (Au gold, Ag silver, Na sodium), units (Newton force, Joule energy, Watt power), organs (heart pumps), vitamins (D = sunlight), stars (Sun nearest), blood groups (O– universal donor). Ability: revise percentages, ratios, averages, speed = distance ÷ time, perimeter vs area, doubling series, prime vs composite, even vs odd. 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.

Related: GSA past papers · CSS syllabus · GSA Practice Set 1 · GSA Practice Set 2 · GSA Practice Set 3 · GSA Practice Set 4 · MPT Practice Set 1