PPSC General Knowledge Past Paper 2018 Solved MCQs with Answers
Solved General Knowledge MCQs from the PPSC 2018 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 2018 paper and verified before publication.
What was the famous Urdu poet Mustafa Zaidi by profession?
Mustafa Zaidi, the celebrated Urdu poet, was a civil servant in Pakistan before being dismissed in 1969.
Who was the second man to set foot on the moon?
Buzz Aldrin was the second man to set foot on the moon, minutes after Neil Armstrong in July 1969.
NASA is an organization dealing with the space activities of the USA; what does NASA stand for?
NASA stands for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, founded in 1958.
The first artificial satellite was launched by?
The Soviet Union launched the first artificial satellite, Sputnik 1, in October 1957.
The study of maps is called?
Cartography is the study and practice of making maps.
The study of the Universe is called?
Cosmology is the study of the origin, structure and evolution of the universe.
The first human heart transplant in 1967 by?
Dr Christiaan Barnard performed the first human heart transplant in 1967 at Cape Town, South Africa.
The BRICS New Development Bank is headquartered in?
The BRICS New Development Bank has its headquarters at Shanghai, China.
BBC and Reuters belong to which country?
The BBC and Reuters are both British organisations.
Apple Park is located in?
Apple Park, the headquarters of Apple, is at Cupertino in California.
The first Islamic Conference was held in Rabat, Morocco in?
The first Islamic Conference was held at Rabat, Morocco, in 1969, leading to the creation of the OIC.
Water covers about of the Earth's surface?
Water covers about 71 per cent of the earth's surface.
Who discovered the role of mosquitoes in malaria transmission?
Sir Ronald Ross discovered the role of mosquitoes in transmitting malaria, work done partly at Secunderabad, for which he won the Nobel Prize in 1902.
"A thing of beauty is a joy forever" is a famous line from?
'A thing of beauty is a joy forever' opens John Keats's poem 'Endymion'.
"Great Bear Lake" is a lake in?
Great Bear Lake is in Canada, the largest lake entirely within the country.
The Non-Aligned Movement currently has countries?
The Non-Aligned Movement has 120 member countries.
Pakistan has been elected as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council?
Pakistan has been elected a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council eight times, more than most member states.
Barack Obama is a former President of the U.S. and belongs to the?
Barack Obama, President from 2009 to 2017, belongs to the Democratic Party.
The hottest planet in the Solar System is?
Venus is the hottest planet in the solar system, its thick carbon dioxide atmosphere trapping heat so that surface temperatures exceed those of Mercury.
Napoleon Bonaparte was the Emperor of?
Napoleon Bonaparte was Emperor of France from 1804 to 1814.
Helmand was the largest opium-producing province of?
Helmand is the largest opium-producing province of Afghanistan.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan is the President of?
Recep Tayyip Erdogan is the President of Turkey.
Silicon Valley is mainly in California and famous for?
Silicon Valley in California is famous for its computer and technology industries.
Farakka Barrage is disputed between India and?
The Farakka Barrage on the Ganges is disputed between India and Bangladesh, over the sharing of river water.
Paper was invented in?
Paper was invented in China, traditionally credited to Cai Lun around 105 AD.
The ______ were the first European traders to reach India?
The Portuguese were the first European traders to reach India by sea, with Vasco da Gama landing at Calicut in 1498.
Which international organization among the following has no formal structure?
The G-8 has no formal structure, charter or permanent secretariat, functioning instead as an informal forum of leaders.
Where was the 47th World Economic Forum's annual meeting held?
The 47th annual meeting of the World Economic Forum was held at Davos in Switzerland in 2017.
In the Horn of Africa, which country is not included?
Nigeria is in West Africa and is not part of the Horn of Africa, which comprises Somalia, Ethiopia, Eritrea and Djibouti.
Which country first of all gave women the right to vote?
New Zealand was the first country to grant women the right to vote, in 1893.
The headquarters of the African Union (AU) is where?
The African Union has its headquarters at Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Russia's invasion of Afghanistan was in which year?
The Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan in December 1979.
Which continent is the largest in the world?
Asia is the largest continent, by both area and population.
What is a caucus?
A caucus is a private meeting or grouping of party leaders, used to decide policy or select candidates.
Which movement was first launched (among the following Indian independence movements)?
The Swadeshi Movement, launched in 1905 after the Partition of Bengal, came before the other movements listed.
Sukarno belonged to which country?
Sukarno was the founder and first President of Indonesia.
Which Algerian freedom fighter became president?
Ahmed Ben Bella, a leader of the Algerian war of independence, became the country's first President in 1963.
Where is FAO's headquarters located?
The Food and Agriculture Organization has its headquarters at Rome, Italy.
What was the Eastern Roman Empire known as?
SAARC has its headquarters at Kathmandu, Nepal.
Where is the headquarters of SAARC?
SAARC's secretariat is at Kathmandu, established in 1987.
Which is a country entirely within another country?
Vatican City lies entirely within Rome, making it a country enclosed by another country.
What was the first major international organization for collective security?
The League of Nations, founded in 1920, was the first major international organisation for collective security.
In which historical polity did democracy originate?
Democracy originated in ancient Greece, above all in the city-state of Athens.
Where was the Lighthouse of Alexandria, which is among the Seven Wonders of the World, located?
The Lighthouse of Alexandria, one of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world, stood in Egypt.
The architect of Faisal Mosque was?
The Faisal Mosque in Islamabad was designed by the Turkish architect Vedat Dalokay.
What is Agatha Christie well known as?
Agatha Christie is famous as a writer of mystery and detective stories, creator of Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple.
EBDO stands for?
EBDO stands for the Elective Bodies Disqualification Order, promulgated by Ayub Khan in 1959 to bar politicians from public office.
Among SAARC countries, which has the highest per capita income?
The Maldives has the highest per capita income among the SAARC countries, driven by tourism.
Russia withdrew from Afghanistan under the?
The Soviet Union withdrew from Afghanistan under the Geneva Accords of 1988.
The International Atomic Energy Agency has its headquarters in which city?
The International Atomic Energy Agency has its headquarters at Vienna, Austria.
What is the world's tallest building?
The Burj Khalifa in Dubai, at 828 metres, is the world's tallest building.
Which is a famous city of Australia?
Sydney is the largest and best known city of Australia.
Which country is the world's largest arms exporter?
The United States is the world's largest exporter of arms.
What is the capital of Somalia?
Mogadishu is the capital of Somalia.
Iran launched a monkey into space in which year?
Iran launched a monkey into space and recovered it in 2013.
Where is the headquarters of UNICEF?
UNICEF has its headquarters in New York.
Which company purchased Nokia's Devices and Services division?
Microsoft purchased Nokia's devices and services division in 2014.
Where is "Scheveningen" beach located?
Scheveningen is the seaside resort and beach of The Hague in the Netherlands.
Scotland Yard is?
Scotland Yard is the headquarters of the Metropolitan Police in London.
Which country does not have a land force?
Iceland has no standing army, relying on NATO membership and a coast guard for defence.
'Rehman Baba' is the famous poet of which language?
Rehman Baba is the most celebrated poet of the Pashto language, known as the nightingale of Peshawar.
How many observer states does the United Nations have?
The United Nations has two observer states: the Holy See and the State of Palestine.
The northern and the southern hemispheres are separated by?
The northern and southern hemispheres are separated by the plane of the Equator.
The British returned Hong Kong to China when?
Britain returned Hong Kong to China in 1997, after 156 years of colonial rule.
Where in the UK is Tower Bridge located?
Tower Bridge crosses the Thames in London.
Which one is a famous city of Afghanistan?
Kandahar is a major city of Afghanistan and the birthplace of the Taliban movement.
In the Southern Hemisphere, day and night are nearly equal on which day?
Day and night are nearly equal everywhere on 21 March, the spring equinox in the northern hemisphere and the autumn equinox in the southern.
The flag of Malaysia carries a crescent and a fourteen-pointed star. The 14 points of the star represent?
The fourteen points of the star on Malaysia's flag represent the thirteen states and the federal government.
What was Leo Tolstoy?
Leo Tolstoy was a Russian novelist.
Of which nation was Lee Kuan Yew the founder?
Lee Kuan Yew was the founding Prime Minister of Singapore, leading it from 1959 to 1990.
Where is the statue of Christ the Redeemer present?
The statue of Christ the Redeemer stands above Rio de Janeiro in Brazil.
The slogan of the French Revolution was?
The slogan of the French Revolution was Liberty, Equality, Fraternity.
In Roman language, what is the numerical equivalent of C?
In Roman numerals, C stands for 100.
Marco Polo was an Italian?
Marco Polo was an Italian traveller and merchant from Venice.
What does meteorology, a branch of science, include the study of?
Meteorology is the branch of science that studies the atmosphere and weather.
Where is the Tower of Pisa situated?
The Leaning Tower of Pisa is in Italy.
Which country among the following is below sea level?
Much of the Netherlands lies below sea level, protected by dykes and land reclamation.
Saddam Hussein was the president of which country?
Saddam Hussein was President of Iraq from 1979 until 2003.
The Doctrine of Lapse in British India was introduced by?
Lord Dalhousie introduced the Doctrine of Lapse in British India, annexing princely states whose rulers died without a natural heir.
What is the study of spiders called?
Arachnology is the study of spiders and other arachnids.
Which country's cricket team is called "Proteas"?
South Africa's cricket team is nicknamed the Proteas, after the national flower.
During the Abbasid Caliphate, which was a great centre of education?
Baghdad was the great centre of education during the Abbasid Caliphate, home to the Bayt al-Hikmah or House of Wisdom.
Where is the headquarters of the World Trade Organization (WTO) located?
The World Trade Organisation has its headquarters at Geneva, Switzerland.
The Gestapo was the Secret Police of which country?
The Gestapo was the secret police of Nazi Germany.
Which war was ended by the Treaty of Versailles?
The Treaty of Versailles, signed in 1919, formally ended the First World War.
"Addis Ababa" is the capital city of which country?
Addis Ababa is the capital of Ethiopia.
Beijing is the new name of which city?
Peking is the older English name for Beijing.
Morocco and Spain are separated by?
The Strait of Gibraltar separates Morocco from Spain, linking the Atlantic with the Mediterranean.
In which province/state is the Babri Mosque, which was demolished by Hindu extremists, situated?
The Babri Mosque, demolished in 1992, stood at Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh.
By whom was the book "War and Peace" authored?
Leo Tolstoy wrote 'War and Peace'.
Which religion believes in the doctrine of Trinity?
Christianity holds the doctrine of the Trinity, of God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
What is the major language of Egypt?
Arabic is the major language of Egypt.
The Theory of Evolution by Natural Selection was given by?
Charles Darwin set out the theory of evolution by natural selection in 'On the Origin of Species' in 1859.
By whom was Argentina colonized in the 16th century?
Argentina was colonised by Spain in the sixteenth century.
Asmara is the capital of which country?
Asmara is the capital of Eritrea.
About the PPSC General Knowledge Past Paper 2018
Every MCQ above is taken from the Punjab Public Service Commission (PPSC) General Knowledge papers held in 2018, 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
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