PPSC General Knowledge Past Paper 2016 Solved MCQs with Answers
Solved General Knowledge MCQs from the PPSC 2016 past paper, each with the correct answer and a clear explanation. Ideal practice for PPSC, FPSC, NTS, CSS and PMS. All questions are extracted from the actual 2016 paper and verified before publication.
When does a solar eclipse occur?
A solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the sun and the earth, blocking the sun's light.
The headquarters of OPEC are at?
OPEC has its headquarters at Vienna, Austria.
What was the name of the Pakistani who became the Secretary General of the OIC in 1985?
Sharifuddin Pirzada of Pakistan became Secretary-General of the OIC in 1985.
What is the motto of the Red Cross?
The motto of the Red Cross is 'Inter Arma Caritas', meaning charity amid war.
Which country is a member of the G-8?
Italy is a member of the G-8, along with the United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Japan, Canada and Russia.
Which is the largest country in Africa by land area?
Algeria is the largest country in Africa by land area, since the division of Sudan in 2011.
What causes the change in seasons?
The seasons change because the earth's axis is tilted at about 23.5 degrees as it revolves around the sun, altering the angle of sunlight through the year.
The last country to become a full member of SAARC was?
Afghanistan was the last country to become a full member of SAARC, joining in 2007.
Tripoli is the capital of which country?
Tripoli is the capital of Libya.
What does MDGs stand for, which were replaced by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by the United Nations in 2015?
MDGs stands for the Millennium Development Goals, which ran to 2015 and were replaced by the Sustainable Development Goals.
Habib Bourguiba declared the independence of Tunisia from France in which year?
Habib Bourguiba declared Tunisia's independence from France in 1956 and became its first President.
The Earth rotates around its axis in which direction?
The earth rotates from west to east, which is why the sun appears to rise in the east.
The world record for scoring the fastest century in One Day International Cricket is held by?
AB de Villiers of South Africa holds the record for the fastest century in One Day Internationals, reached in 31 balls in 2015.
Silicon Valley is situated in which place?
Silicon Valley is in California, in the United States.
The Muslims of Mindanao Island are struggling for political rights in which country?
The Muslims of Mindanao are struggling for political rights in the Philippines.
Pearl Harbour, a US Naval base, was bombed by whom, thus provoking the formal entry of the US in the Second World War?
Japan bombed the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor in December 1941, bringing America formally into the Second World War.
Which river crosses the equator twice?
The Congo is the only major river that crosses the equator twice, which gives it a steady flow all year.
Which is the largest planet of our solar system?
Jupiter is the largest planet in the solar system.
Through which country does the equator pass?
The equator passes through Indonesia, as well as through Ecuador, Brazil, Kenya and several other countries.
Who invented the safety pin?
Walter Hunt invented the safety pin in 1849.
How many member states are there of the ECO?
The Economic Cooperation Organisation has ten member states.
Nouri al-Maliki was the Prime Minister of which country?
Nouri al-Maliki was Prime Minister of Iraq from 2006 to 2014.
What is a place where birds are kept called?
An aviary is an enclosure where birds are kept.
Guantanamo Bay, an American Naval Base, is in which country?
Guantanamo Bay, the American naval base and detention camp, is in Cuba.
Wall Street is located in the financial district of which city?
Wall Street is in the financial district of New York City.
Which country's cricket team is called "Proteas"?
South Africa's cricket team is called the Proteas.
Hu Jintao is the former President of which country?
Hu Jintao was President of China from 2003 to 2013.
In which place is the world's famous "Golden Gate Bridge" located?
The Golden Gate Bridge spans the entrance to San Francisco Bay in California.
Who was not a Head of State during the Second World War (1939-1945)?
Theodore Roosevelt was not a head of state during the Second World War. He died in 1919. The wartime American President was Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Where is the SAARC Secretariat located?
The SAARC Secretariat is at Kathmandu, Nepal.
How many Permanent Members does the UN Security Council have?
The United Nations Security Council has five permanent members, each with a veto.
What is the blanket of air that surrounds the Earth called?
The blanket of air surrounding the earth is called the atmosphere.
California is known as Silicon Valley because of its?
California is called Silicon Valley for its concentration of computer and high technology industry.
Aristotle was a philosopher of which nationality?
Aristotle was a Greek philosopher.
"Man is born free, and everywhere he is in chains" was said by?
Jean-Jacques Rousseau wrote that man is born free and everywhere he is in chains.
Justice was interpreted by which thinker as the allotment of functions in accordance with one's ability and training?
Plato interpreted justice as each class and individual performing the function for which they are best suited.
What is Wall Street, New York, famous for?
Wall Street in New York is famous as a business and financial centre, home of the New York Stock Exchange.
Who was the first elected non-white President of South Africa?
Nelson Mandela became the first elected non-white President of South Africa in 1994.
Helsinki is the capital of which country?
Helsinki is the capital of Finland.
How many judges are there in the International Court of Justice?
The International Court of Justice has fifteen judges.
By whom was "Man is a social animal" said?
Aristotle described man as a social animal, arguing that human beings can only fulfil themselves within a community.
Which of these countries has been under one of the longest continuous periods of military rule in recent history?
Myanmar has endured one of the longest continuous periods of military rule in the modern world.
The essential elements that constitute a state are?
A state is constituted by four essential elements: population, territory, government and sovereignty.
The world's first woman Prime Minister was from which country?
Sirimavo Bandaranaike of Sri Lanka became the world's first woman Prime Minister in 1960.
Who were the first Europeans to come to India by sea route?
The Portuguese were the first Europeans to reach India by sea, under Vasco da Gama in 1498.
Democracy as "Government of the people, by the people, for the people" was defined by?
Abraham Lincoln defined democracy as government of the people, by the people, for the people, in the Gettysburg Address of 1863.
Which of these countries is well-known for having a multi-party system?
France is well known for its multi-party political system.
The capital of Canada is which city?
Ottawa is the capital of Canada.
Which sport is Ryder Cup the biggest tournament of?
The Ryder Cup is the biggest team tournament in golf, contested between Europe and the United States.
Taj Mahal at Agra stands on the bank of which river?
The Taj Mahal at Agra stands on the bank of the Yamuna.
Day and night change due to?
Day and night are caused by the earth's rotation on its axis.
Which country has the highest literacy rate in South Asia?
The Maldives has the highest literacy rate in South Asia.
During the 2nd World War, who was the British Prime Minister?
Winston Churchill was British Prime Minister for most of the Second World War, from 1940 to 1945.
When was the first Indian Council Act passed?
The first Indian Councils Act was passed in 1861, beginning the association of Indians with the legislative process.
According to the Big Bang theory, what is the universe doing?
According to the Big Bang theory the universe is expanding, a finding confirmed by the observed redshift of distant galaxies.
Which country does Lionel Messi, a very famous football player, belong to?
Lionel Messi is from Argentina.
The capital of Australia is which city?
Canberra is the capital of Australia, chosen as a compromise between Sydney and Melbourne.
Who became the Prime Minister of India after the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi?
Rajiv Gandhi became Prime Minister of India after the assassination of his mother Indira Gandhi in 1984.
What game was Qutubuddin Aibak playing when he died?
Qutb-ud-din Aibak died in 1210 after falling from his horse while playing polo, then called chaugan, at Lahore.
What is the Parliament of Bangladesh called?
The parliament of Bangladesh is called the Jatiya Sangsad.
Khalil Gibran was a poet, philosopher and artist from where?
Kahlil Gibran, the poet, philosopher and artist, was from Lebanon.
Élysée Palace is the official residence of?
The Elysee Palace in Paris is the official residence of the President of France.
The first US President to visit Pakistan was?
Dwight D. Eisenhower was the first United States President to visit Pakistan, in 1959.
What was the name of the other South African Leader who received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993 together with Nelson Mandela?
F. W. de Klerk shared the 1993 Nobel Peace Prize with Nelson Mandela, for ending apartheid.
The father of the nation of Singapore is considered to be?
Lee Kuan Yew is regarded as the father of the nation of Singapore.
The second largest planet in our Solar System is which one?
Saturn is the second largest planet in the solar system.
"Grameen Bank," a pioneer in the field of microfinance, was the brainchild of?
Muhammad Yunus conceived the Grameen Bank, pioneering microfinance in Bangladesh.
For which religion is "Golden Temple" in India a sacred place?
The Golden Temple at Amritsar is the holiest shrine of Sikhism.
The Battle of Waterloo saw the defeat of Napoleon Bonaparte. This battlefield is located in which country?
The Battle of Waterloo, where Napoleon was defeated in 1815, took place in present-day Belgium.
Pablo Picasso was one of the most famous painters of the world. From where was he?
Pablo Picasso, co-founder of Cubism, was from Spain.
The "Watergate Scandal" involved which President of the USA?
The Watergate scandal forced the resignation of President Richard Nixon in 1974.
Which city was Constantinople the old name of?
Constantinople is the old name of Istanbul, renamed after the Ottoman conquest and formally changed in 1930.
Comets revolve around?
Comets revolve around the sun, in long elliptical orbits.
Napoleon was exiled to which island in 1815, where he eventually died?
Napoleon was exiled to the remote Atlantic island of Saint Helena in 1815, where he died in 1821.
The world's highest waterfall (Angel Falls) is located in which country?
Angel Falls, the world's highest waterfall, is in Venezuela.
What was the first airline of Pakistan?
Orient Airways was the first airline of Pakistan, later merged into PIA in 1955.
Panama is a country in which region?
Panama is in Central America.
Where is Sharjah located?
Sharjah is one of the seven emirates of the United Arab Emirates.
Persia is now known by what new name?
Persia was renamed Iran in 1935.
There are how many independent states in Africa?
Africa has 54 independent states.
The Land of Midnight Sun is known as which country?
Norway is called the Land of the Midnight Sun, since parts of it lie above the Arctic Circle where the sun does not set in summer.
The OIC came into existence in which year?
The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation came into existence in 1969.
Before Ban Ki-Moon, who was the Secretary-General of the UN?
Kofi Annan was Secretary-General of the United Nations before Ban Ki-moon.
N.A.T.O is the abbreviation of?
NATO stands for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
Where is the ECO Secretariat located?
The Economic Cooperation Organisation Secretariat is at Tehran, Iran.
The World Bank was established in which year?
The World Bank was established in July 1944 at the Bretton Woods Conference.
Population-wise, which is the largest continent?
Asia is the largest continent by population.
The FBI is a government agency belonging to which country?
The FBI, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, is an agency of the United States.
When Nelson Mandela became President of South Africa, which policy ended?
Apartheid, the system of racial segregation in South Africa, ended when Nelson Mandela became President in 1994.
The largest country in the Arabian Peninsula is which country?
Saudi Arabia is the largest country in the Arabian Peninsula.
Sir Syed was extremely impressed by which country's education system?
Sir Syed Ahmad Khan was deeply impressed by the education system of England, which he visited in 1869, and modelled Aligarh on it.
Where is the headquarters of the World Bank?
The World Bank has its headquarters at Washington D.C.
The Evening Star is called which planet?
Venus is called the Evening Star, and also the Morning Star, because it is visible near sunset and sunrise.
Abuja is the capital of which country?
Abuja is the capital of Nigeria, replacing Lagos in 1991.
In which country is the Azlan Shah Hockey Tournament played?
The Sultan Azlan Shah Hockey Tournament is played in Malaysia.
About the PPSC General Knowledge Past Paper 2016
Every MCQ above is taken from the Punjab Public Service Commission (PPSC) General Knowledge papers held in 2016, with the correct answer and a written explanation for each. Past-paper practice is the most dependable way to prepare for PPSC, FPSC, NTS, CSS and PMS, because these papers repeat their themes, and often the questions themselves, from one year to the next.
Questions were checked against reliable sources before publication. Where a circulating source sheet carried a factual or wording error, we corrected it rather than reproducing the mistake. For chapter-wise preparation, work through our General Knowledge MCQs hub, which also lists every other year’s paper. Further reading: Pakistan Movement and the PPSC official website.
How to Use This Paper
Attempt the full quiz before looking at any answer, then read the explanation for every question you got wrong, including those you guessed correctly. A past paper is only useful if you close the gaps it exposes. Pro members can download the complete paper as a PDF with all answers and explanations for offline revision.