Federal Public Service Commission (FPSC)
Competitive Examination for Recruitment to BPS-17 Posts under the Federal Government
Paper: General Science & Ability
Time Allowed: 3 Hours
PART-1(Objective-MCQs) 20 Mark
Q.1. (i) Select the best option/answer and fill in the appropriate box on the OMR Answer Sheet. (20×1=20)
(ii) Answers given anywhere else, other than OMR Answer Sheet, will not be considered.
1. Rapid short-term weather changes are most strongly influenced by:
(A) Earth’s revolution
(B) Atmospheric pressure system
(C) Ocean salinity
(D) Axial precession
2. The primary structure of a protein is determined by its:
(A) Amino acid sequence
(B) Hydrogen bonding
(C) Ionic interactions
(D) Disulfide bridges
3. In plants, lignin primarily provides:
(A) Water storage
(B) Mechanical support
(C) Photosynthesis
(D) Protein synthesis
4. The Montreal Protocol focuses on the reduction of:
(A) Carbon dioxide
(B) Sulfur emissions
(C) Ozone-depleting substances
(D) Heavy metals
5. A key indicator of drinking water microbiological safety is:
(A) pH
(B) Turbidity
(C) Hardness
(D) E. coli
6. Bioavailability of nutrients in food refers to:
(A) Nutrients absorbed by the body
(B) Portion size
(C) Chemical purity
(D) Packaging type
7. A CPU’s instruction cycle primarily depends on _________ for coordinating all operations:
(A) ALU
(B) Cache Bus
(C) Control Unit
(D) I/O controller
8. The protocol responsible for mapping domain names to IP addresses in global internet architecture is:
(A) DHCP
(B) ARP
(C) DNS
(D) FTP
9. Knowledge graphs enhance AI reasoning capabilities by representing data as:
(A) Unstructured text
(B) Logical rules only
(C) Node-edge relationships
(D) CPU instruction tables
10. Wind turbines convert which form of energy directly into electricity?
(A) Chemical
(B) Nuclear
(C) Thermal
(D) Kinetic
11. LEDs save energy because light is produced by:
(A) Ion fission
(B) Electron-hole recombination
(C) Plasma conduction
(D) Thermal radiation
12. The major storage lipid in animals is:
(A) Steroid
(B) Terpene
(C) Glycogen
(D) Wax
13. The most responsible pollutant for photochemical smog is:
(A) Ozone
(B) Carbon monoxide
(C) Nitrogen oxides
(D) Sulfates
14. Acid Rain primarily results from emissions of:
(A) O2 and N2
(B) SO2 and NOx
(C) CH4 and NH3
(D) CFCs only
15. A major global impact of particulate matter (PM2.5) is:
(A) Respiratory illness
(B) Radioactive decay
(C) Soil alkalinity
(D) Ocean desalination
16. Heavy metal contamination (e.g., mercury) is most harmful because it:
(A) Evaporates quickly
(B) Biomagnifies in food chains
(C) Neutralizes nutrients
(D) Decomposes rapidly
17. Fiber optic cables support high bandwidth communication because data travels as:
(A) Magnetic pulses
(B) Electric currents
(C) Light signals with minimal attenuation
(D) Sound waves
18. Remote sensing is primarily used in environmental studies to:
(A) Collect large-scale Earth surface data
(B) Measure soil pH directly
(C) Increase crop yield
(D) Measure atomic mass
19. A Decision Support System (DSS) differs from routine MIS primarily by providing:
(A) Precision and unstructured problem-solving
(B) Real-time broadcasting
(C) Hardware configuration guidelines
(D) Only transnational storage
20. Satellite communication signals suffer from significant latency mainly due to:
(A) Low transmission frequencies
(B) High atmospheric pressure
(C) Heavy network encryption
(D) Long propagation distance to orbit
PART-2(Subjective) 80 Marks
SECTION-A
Q. 2.
(a) Evaluate the impact of excessive fertilizer use on soil chemistry and groundwater quality. (5)
(b) Describe the structural organization of the solar system, including terrestrial planets, gas giants, dwarf planets. (5)
(c) Discuss the environmental and chemical challenges associated with polymer degradation. Evaluate the effectiveness of biodegradable plastics in addressing global plastic pollution. (5)
(d) Identify the major causes of food deterioration (biological, chemical, physical) and give examples for each. (5) (20)
Q. 3.
(a) Explain the key phases of Disaster Risk Management: mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery. (5)
(b) Describe the physical factors that trigger Avalanches in mountainous regions. Name the modern technologies used in avalanche prediction and monitoring. (5)
(c) Discuss the structural diversity of lipids. Evaluate how variations in fatty acid composition influence membrane fluidity and cell signalling mechanisms. (5)
(d) Describe the process of solar photovoltaic energy conversion. How do factors such as irradiance, panel orientation, and temperature influence solar power output? (5) (20)
Q. 4.
(a) Describe the principle of hydroelectric power generation. What environmental and geographical constraints limit the widespread development of hydropower? (5)
(b) Describe the hydrosphere and the major components of Earth’s water. How does the water cycle maintain the distribution of freshwater? (5)
(c) Explain the causative agent, mode of transmission, and life cycle of the dengue virus. How does the Aedes mosquito contribute to the spread of the disease? (5)
(d) Discuss the role of Decision Support Systems (DSS) in organizational management and strategic planning. (5) (20)
Q. 5.
(a) Describe the working principle of cellular networks. How do mobile devices maintain connectivity while moving between cells? (5)
(b) Using the photoelectric effect, explain the particle nature of electromagnetic radiation. How did experimental observations challenge Classical Wave Theory and lead to the development of quantum mechanics? (5)
(c) List the major social media platforms used for business and communication. How do they contribute to digital marketing? Explain. (5)
(d) Explain how the GPS system determines the position of a receiver using satellites. (5) (20)
SECTION-B
Q. 6.
(a) A population of 120 individuals contains 45 engineers, 30 teachers, and the rest are administrators. A simple random sample of 4 individuals is selected.
(i) What is the probability that exactly 3 engineers are included in the sample? (5)
(ii) What is the probability that the sample contains no teachers? (5)
(b) A surveyor measures the same length five times:
12.478 m, 12.463 m, 12.481 m, 12.469 m, 12.472 m.
Determine the absolute error between the exact average and the rounded average. (5)
(c) An argument claims:
“Artificial Intelligence will reduce employment because automation replaces human labor.”
Identify assumptions, evaluate the strength of the argument, and provide a logically reasoned counter-argument. (5)
(d) A number N leaves remainder 5 when divided by 12 and remainder 4 when divided by 7. Find the smallest positive integer N that satisfies these conditions. Then compute the remainder when N is divided by 9. (5) (20)
Q. 7.
(a) Five researchers (A, B, C, D, E) sit in a circle:
* A sits second to the right of C.
* B is not a neighbour of A.
* D sits opposite C.
Construct a logically valid seating arrangement. Explain each step leading to your conclusion. (5)
(b) A mixture contains water and chemical X in the ratio 5:3. If 20 liters of water are added, the ratio becomes 3:2. Determine the original amount of the mixture and the initial quantities of components. (5)
(c) Four machines (X, Y, Z, W) must run in sequence with constraints:
* Y cannot run before X.
* Z must run immediately after W.
* X cannot be last.
Construct all valid permutations. Explain your reasoning systematically. (5)
(d) A doctor uses a decision tree to diagnose a disease based on symptoms S1, S2, and S3:
* If S1 is present, test for S2.
* If S2 is absent, rule out the disease.
* If S3 is present with S2, confirm diagnosis.
Construct the decision tree and explain the reasoning behind each branching decision. (5) (20)
Q. 8.
(a) Unscramble the following high-level logical reasoning and research methodology terms:
(i) NALYLTCAIA
(ii) EENRECNIF
(iii) OCNDIITNI
(iv) NRBTASACIOT
(v) SHELSYPHOI (5)
(b) Argument:
“Because many successful entrepreneurs dropped out of college, formal education is unnecessary for achieving high professional success.”
Task:
(i) Identify the fallacy (faulty reasoning) in the statement. Explain how it affects the credibility of the argument.
(ii) Narrate how verbal reasoning skills help detect and correct such flawed arguments. (5)
(c) A mechanical reasoning scale measures the ability to understand physical principles. Consider a system where two gears (Gear A and Gear B) are interlocked. Gear A has 12 teeth, and Gear B has 36 teeth.
(i) Determine the rotation direction of Gear B if Gear A rotates clockwise.
(ii) Compute how many complete rotations Gear A must make for Gear B to complete exactly 2 rotations.
(iii) Explain how mechanical reasoning scales evaluate a test-taker’s ability to generalize such mechanical principles to unfamiliar problems. (5)
(d) The average weight of 12 students in a group is 58 kg. When one new student joins the group, the new average becomes 60 kg. Calculate the weight of the new student, showing all steps clearly. (5) (20)
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