XAT 2024 Question Paper with Answer Key PDFs

Question 24:

In which of these pairs of over numbers, the team could have scored 22 runs in total?

1. 6 and 7
2. 7 and 8
3. 8 and 9
4. 9 and 10
5. 10 and 11

Question 25:

In which of the following over numbers, the team MUST have scored the least number of runs?

1. 7
2. 8
3. 9
4. 10
5. 11

Question 26:

Four customers used four different discount coupons for their respective transactions in such a way that they obtained a total discount of Rs. 710. Which discount coupon was not used?

1. Coupon A
2. Coupon B
3. Coupon C
4. Coupon D
5. Coupon E

Question 27:

Four customers used four different discount coupons for their respective transactions in such a way that nobody used any discount coupon sub-optimally. (A discount coupon is used sub-optimally if using another discount coupon could have resulted in a higher discount for the same transaction.) What was the minimum combined spend (before application of any discount)?

1. Rs. 2250
2. Rs. 2500
3. Rs. 2350
4. Rs. 2300
5. Rs. 1550

Question 28:

A family wanted to purchase four products worth Rs. 1000 each, and another product worth Rs. 300. They were told that they could:

• Pay for the five products through one or more transactions in any way they wanted, as long as the purchase amount of any one product would not get split into different transactions, and
• Use the same discount coupon repeatedly for separate transactions, if they opt for more than one transaction.

What was the maximum discount that they could obtain for their purchase?

1. Rs. 600
2. Rs. 645
3. Rs. 650
4. Rs. 700
5. None of the remaining options is correct.

Question 29:

Sharda was contemplating whether she should inform Vimla that she found Mr. Singh’s ring. Which of the following considerations will BEST dissuade Sharda in sharing the information about the ring with Vimla?

1. Mr. Singh will probably terminate Sharda if he gets to know that she has revealed this information.
2. Had Vimla done her job properly, she would have found the ring and avoided this incident.
3. Vimla already knows she has not stolen anything, so telling her will not give her any new information.
4. Sharda is not keeping well, and Mr. Singh warned her that her frequent absences could lead to her termination.
5. Whenever Sharda was absent, Vimla used to help her by taking over her responsibilities.

Question 30:

Sharda is contemplating over possible actions to help Vimla after the ring incident. Which of the following actions, by Sharda, will BEST help Vimla?

1. Confront Mr. Singh about concealing the discovery of the lost ring from the housing society residents.
2. Inform Vimla that the ring has been found and advise her to demand compensation from Mr. Singh for tarnishing her image.
3. Inform as many domestic helps in the housing society as possible that she has found the ring.
4. Quit the job at Mr. Singh’s house and ask him to consider offering that job to Vimla.
5. Divulge to Vimla’s employers in the housing society that she has found the ring.

Question 31:

The news of the discovery of the lost ring eventually became public. The domestic helps in the society were chagrined by the treatment meted out to Vimla. Which of the following policy options will BEST minimize the chance of employers suspecting their domestic workers of theft in the future?

1. The domestic workers will undergo a daily search by the security guards when leaving the society.
2. When a domestic worker is terminated on suspicion of theft without proof, they will have to be paid at least one month’s salary in full.
3. The current address and contact details of all domestic workers should be submitted to the housing society.
4. If there is a suspicion of theft, the security guards will first conduct a thorough search of the affected house.
5. When a domestic worker is terminated on suspicion of theft, the employer will have to publicly apologize if the domestic worker can prove their innocence.

Question 32:

Nalini felt hurt by Shalini's comments and contemplated declining the bonus.

Which of the following, if true, will BEST dissuade Nalini from declining the bonus?

1. Shalini, good at heart, is known for making insensitive comments.
2. Shalini is known for confronting her boss whenever they changed deadlines.
3. In her close group, Nalini is the first person to receive the bonus.
4. Very few people, who are not considered loyal, receive the bonus.
5. Shalini’s irreverent comment about her previous boss pushed her out of that team.

Question 33:

After receiving the performance bonus, Nalini sensed indifference from her teammates, who appeared to believe she had closer ties with the management. She assumed this change was influenced by Shalini and felt isolated. What could Nalini BEST do to normalize her relationship with her teammates?

1. Do nothing in the hope that things will normalize in time.
2. Confront Shalini and ask her to stop spreading rumors.
3. Spend time with her team members, understanding their work-related challenges.
4. Start saying negative things about their bosses to her teammates.
5. Talk to her teammates regarding their indifference towards her.

Question 34:

Nalini was chosen to lead a significant project and was given the authority to build her own team. She wanted strong camaraderie among team members. Shalini, who had prior experience with the client, agreed to join the team on the condition of being appointed as the team leader. Nalini was aware the client was difficult to work with. What should be the BEST course of action for Nalini?

1. Form a team without Shalini and inform her boss about Shalini’s demand.
2. Ask Shalini to reconsider as this project can be important to both of them.
3. Tell her boss that Shalini should lead the team as she has worked with the client before.
4. Complain about Shalini’s attitude to the human resource manager.
5. Request her boss to order Shalini to join the team.

Question 35:

Flying Groceries was planning to implement a much-needed update to enhance the functionality and user experience of their app. According to Suraj, the update was expected to take at least six months to complete. Suraj wanted Raman to lead this project because his leadership was critical for the project’s success. However, Raman knew that he would be there only for three months; he was not sure whether he should accept the project.

Which of the following information, if true, will BEST assist Raman in accepting the role of leading the project?

1. During his time with Flying Groceries, Raman finished some projects ahead of schedule.
2. Raman could requisition more human resources to his team for the next three months.
3. Suraj might advise against the update if he got to know that Raman was leaving soon.
4. The last two projects Raman led were successfully completed by his subordinates during his exams.
5. Raman had previously taken many projects home, and the business school would have no classes during the weekends.

Question 36:

After a couple of months, Raman resigned. Suraj was shocked by Raman’s resignation and asked him to reconsider his decision. When Raman expressed his inability to continue, Suraj felt betrayed. This led to a series of heated arguments between them, and they swore to never work together again. Raman joined the business school; however, he soon realized that summer internship placements were approaching. Consequently, he would require verification of his responsibilities from Flying Groceries.

Which of the following actions is the MOST appropriate for Raman to obtain his verification?

1. Raman should write a sincere and professional apology letter, expressing regret for the argument Raman had with Suraj.
2. Raman should write an email to Suraj, emphasizing Raman’s roles and responsibilities, and request him to approve them.
3. Raman should contact the HR representative to facilitate the verification of Raman’s responsibilities.
4. Raman should reach out to a mutual acquaintance within the company and ask her to intervene.
5. Raman should re-establish communication with Suraj through social media platforms like Facebook and persuade him there.

Question 37:

Which of the following options will BEST help substantiate the additional responsibilities Raman undertook?

1. Raman should create documentation, detailing quantifiable metrics and results about his extra work based on his memory.
2. Raman should collect testimonials on his additional responsibilities from his ex-teammates at Flying Groceries.
3. Raman should write a public post on social media, appealing to Suraj, mentioning the challenges he faced while taking additional responsibilities, and how he overcame them.
4. Raman should call Suraj and explain that he will not be able to get a consulting or an operations job without verification.
5. Raman should reach out to the recently recruited Chief Supply Chain officer at Flying Groceries to highlight the additional work he contributed to facilitate the officer’s tasks.

Question 38:

Prabhu decided to increase the taxi fare for all future trips. He planned to charge Rs. 3000 for a one-way trip to the airport, and Rs. 1000 more for a round trip. Which of the following facts will BEST help Prabhu’s regular customers in accepting the increase in fare?

1. Because the cost of living has gone up in Kasta.
2. Because Prabhu is punctual and reliable.
3. Because Prabhu is facing financial hardships.
4. Because Prabhu offers repair services to residents’ car-related issues.
5. Because Prabhu served many top officials of the steel plant.

Question 39:

After Prabhu increased his charges by 30%, the revenue flow was promising in the beginning, especially from the steel plant’s official trips. After a few months, he noticed a dip in private bookings. On exploring further, Prabhu realized that while women travelling solo still preferred Prabhu’s service, some of his regular customers were choosing his competitors when travelling as a family. However, he knew that his competitors, while charging lower than him, were still tardy and sometimes cancelled at the last minute.

Which of the following options will BEST help Prabhu to retain his revenue flow?

1. Revert the pricing of services to its prior rate.
2. Give 50% discount for personal trips.
3. Stick to his current increased charges.
4. Charge a premium when women travel solo.
5. Charge a premium for the steel plant’s official trips.

Question 40:

Saroj, the new Chief Financial Officer (CFO) at the steel plant, used the services of Manoj when he first travelled from the Michaelganj airport to the plant. Manoj, upon learning that Saroj would be responsible for hiring taxi services for the steel plant, charged Saroj only Rs. 1500 for that trip. Further, he assured Saroj to charge the same for a one-way trip and an additional Rs. 500 for a round trip to the airport. Upon realizing that the plant utilized Prabhu’s services for all official trips to the airport, Saroj contacted Prabhu to discuss the rates offered by Manoj and inquired why the plant should continue using his service when Manoj provided the same at a lower price. Prabhu realized that Manoj charged an extremely low price just to push Prabhu out of his business in the Steel Plant.

Which of the following reasons given by Prabhu will BEST help his cause?

1. Prabhu should warn Saroj that Manoj’s offer is not sustainable.
2. Prabhu should request Saroj to talk to a few of his colleagues before taking any decision.
3. Prabhu should introduce Saroj to Ms. Nidhi Tawde, his regular customer.
4. Prabhu should offer to lower his price to the one offered by Manoj, exclusively for the steel plant.
5. Prabhu should tell Saroj that Manoj is unreliable and tardy, and women are unsafe with him.

Question 41:

Vineeta is considering replacing her old car with a new SUV. She is unsure about the options available and is seeking additional information to make the right decision. Which of the following pieces of additional information will help her the MOST in taking the right decision?

1. She has no idea which SUV to choose, and she feels that all SUVs are the same.
2. Her brother, an SUV enthusiast, staying in a metro city, has advised her to stay away from Diplomatico Cars.
3. In Jampur, SUVs have a 6-month waiting period; however, one red-colored Diplomatico SUV, not her favourite colour, is available at Balaji Motors.
4. Jampur, being an old city with congested roads, has a parking problem in many areas.
5. A new dealership of Panther Motors, the highest selling car brand in the country, is about to come to the town soon.

Question 42:

Shyam’s satisfaction from meeting the month’s quota for selling SUVs turned to dismay when one of his young executives nervously told him that he mistakenly punched an extended warranty for free to Vineeta’s purchase contract earlier that morning. This could not be reversed from the company’s system and meant a loss of Rs. 19,000 for the dealership. The executive was very sorry and was ready to take accountability. However, the amount was too large to be borne by the executive. Shyam was not concerned about placing accountability but rather the recovery of the loss. He was unsure whether he should ask Vineeta for the money.

The following pieces of information are available to Shyam:

• A. Shyam is aware that Vineeta is very happy with the deal he gave her for the car.
• B. Shyam feels that Diplomatico’s software system is complicated for new employees, which might have also played a role in the error.
• C. Vineeta has a wide network and can connect Shyam with many potential customers.
• D. Vineeta’s brother, a car enthusiast, has enough knowledge of how car dealers operate.
• E. Shyam feels that if he maintains the current sales volume, he might be able to persuade Diplomatico to write off the amount (Rs. 19,000).

Which of the following combinations of the above pieces of information will MOST likely stop Shyam from trying to recover the money from Vineeta?

1. A & B
2. A & D
3. C & D
4. C & E
5. B & E

Question 43:

Three months passed. While returning from a friend’s house, Vineeta’s new SUV was hit by another car. Fortunately, she was not injured, but the SUV was badly damaged. Surprisingly, when Vineeta took the car for repairs to Balaji Motors, she was told that the repairs would not cost her anything as the extended warranty on her car covered such accidents. Vineeta could not recall purchasing such a warranty; hence, she contacted Shyam. Shyam informed her that the extended warranty was mistakenly punched into her contract by an executive. As this mistake could not be reversed due to the company’s rigid policies, Shyam bore the cost of Rs. 19,000. He further added that Vineeta should consider it a gift from Balaji Motors for purchasing the highest-priced Diplomatico SUV. As Vineeta rode back home, she wondered if she should pay Rs. 19,000 to Shyam since the extended warranty came to her aid that day.

Which of the following is the MOST compelling rationale for Vineeta to justify not paying Rs. 19,000 to Shyam?

1. She paid more for the Diplomatico SUV, compared to the price of a similar SUV from Panther.
2. She is aware that for expensive SUVs like hers, dealers often offer free extended warranty.
3. The mistake happened three months back and is water under the bridge now.
4. Had the accident not happened, she would not have been aware of the warranty.
5. Shyam would have come back to her if he had needed the money.

Question 44:

ABC Business School was a school with a difference. Regarded as one of the top business schools in western India, but relatively unknown beyond that, the school catered to smaller organizations seeking to hire students for sales and marketing positions, with occasional openings in HR roles. These students were open to secure job opportunities, even if they offered relatively lower salaries. The organizations, that recruited from ABC, did not really care for the talent, but appreciated the students’ ability to follow orders without questioning them.

Recently, some alumni of ABC threatened that their children should be given preference in admissions, or they would withdraw as recruiters. The director was, however, hesitant about allowing alumni to interfere in running the school because the fairness of the admissions process had earned ABC high respect within the corporate world that recruited from the school.

Which of the following reasons, if true, will BEST help the director NOT to worry about pandering to those alumni?

1. The alumni were the reason that ABC was able to attract corporates.
2. Some of the alumni were regularly teaching as guest faculty in the school.
3. The alumni depend upon ABC’s success to enhance their employability.
4. No business school, in the region, has allowed alumni any say in managing the operations.
5. ABC has not entertained any requests from the alumni till date.

Question 45:

Across the country, business schools were ranked by popular magazines. A few business schools in the same region were applying for rankings, hoping that rankings will affect their visibility among corporate houses and recruiters. To achieve a good rank, ABC faculty members, who have primarily focused on teaching thus far, would need to actively engage in research and consulting activities. The director was aware that asking the faculty to switch to research and consulting would not be easy.

Which of the following facts will BEST help the director not to worry about applying for rankings?

1. The alumni do not follow research publications in general.
2. The alumni do not care for the teachers, or classes, in general.
3. The alumni are aware that ABC offers a reliable talent pool.
4. ABC’s placements in the previous year were completed in 4 days.
5. ABC could never break into the top 40 ranks in the country when it applied earlier.

Question 46:

A few faculty members complained to the director regarding the lack of attendance and seriousness among many students during classes and exams. The director knew that this had been the case for decades but became more rampant in the last few years. He was also aware that the classes were mostly rituals, conducted to tell the world that ABC believed in education and had little bearing on placements. However, he believed that students must be told to attend classes and take exams with serious attitude.

Which of the following announcements by the director will BEST ensure that faculty stop complaining about student attendance?

1. Students, who attend every class, should be given “thank you” notes from the director.
2. Students should be asked to pay a monetary penalty for missing classes.
3. Faculty members, who make classes very engaging, should be felicitated during the convocation.
4. Only students, with at least 85 percent attendance, will participate in placements.
5. Students should be rewarded for contributing to class discussions and learning.

Question 47:

GoValve has recently proposed a maintenance package for the valves to DeepSea, which includes a clause that whenever a valve at Level 3 malfunctions, all valves at that level will be replaced. Accepting the clause will cost a significant premium. The management of DeepSea has the following pieces of additional information under consideration:

• A: The valves are known to be prone to malfunction.
• B: Any malfunction in one valve often results in leakage from the neighboring valves.
• C: GoValve is ready to negotiate a discount if the clause is accepted.
• D: Replacing the valves at Level 3 is a very difficult job, which is best done by GoValve.
• E: The chances of pressure buildups are higher near the seabed.

Which of the following combinations, of the above pieces of additional information, will help the management of DeepSea the MOST in accepting the clause?

1. A, B, D
2. A, B, E
3. B, C, D
4. A, C, D
5. C, D, E

Question 48:

A startup, SafeValve, has started importing a technologically superior brand of valves from abroad, which boasts a significant reduction in gas leakage. SafeValve has established a large inventory of these imported valves but is struggling to gain foothold in the local market. An NGO, working for the protection of marine lives, has appealed to DeepSea to replace their existing valves with the product from SafeValve. However, the installation of this new valve will require substantial modification in the pipeline, entailing unknown challenges in installation and maintenance.

Which of the following reasons, if TRUE, can DeepSea BEST cite to publicly reject the appeal?

1. The new valves cost twice as much as the existing valves.
2. GoValve is a reputed brand and had a partnership with DeepSea for a long time.
3. Only some developed countries have mandated the use of the new valves.
4. SafeValve depends exclusively on imports and may be prone to procurement issues.
5. GoValve follows the strictest global industry standards of leakage prevention.

Question 49:

A startup, SafeValve, has started importing a technologically superior brand of valves from abroad, which boasts a significant reduction in gas leakage. An update to industry safety regulations has come out, which allows a lower number of valves in a pipeline network, if technologically superior valves, similar to those imported by SafeValve, are used for the entire network.

DeepSea is aware that the more the number of valves, the better is DeepSea’s ability to contain blowouts. However, a higher number of valves increases the chance of a leakage. Therefore, DeepSea is contemplating a proposal to reduce the number of valves to almost half, by replacing the existing valves (by GoValve) with the valves sold by SafeValve. A team, tasked with evaluating the proposal, has made some observations, listed below. Which of the following observations is the MOST helpful in REJECTING the proposal?

1. There is no clear industry standard for the minimum number of valves required at a certain level.
2. At Level 1, the chance of a pressure rise is much lesser compared to the other two levels.
3. At Level 3, a blowout results in more time-consuming and expensive repairs compared to the other two levels.
4. The superiority of the SafeValve products is only in terms of preventing leakage, not blowouts.
5. If a GoValve valve is opened to prevent a blowout, the chance of leakage from the valves within a certain distance increases.

Question 50:

Read the following statement carefully:

____ like a fake can be a sign of ______ , and clinging too tightly to what feels like one’s authentic self can ______ that growth.

Fill in the blanks meaningfully, in the above statement, from the following options:

1. acting, progress, enhance
2. feeling, growth, hinder
3. behaving, improvement, support
4. performing, stupidity, change
5. operating, smartness, increase

Question 51:

Read the following statement carefully and fill up the blanks from the given options:

As ______ evolved and eventually moved to cities, close proximity ______ how we viewed and assessed each _____ .

1. civilization, enhanced, situation
2. generations, changed, other
3. culture, helped, life
4. lives, destroyed, culture
5. people, helped, nation

Question 52:

Read the following sentences carefully:

• A. I shall be there at about 9: 00 a.m.
• B. Keep off of the grass.
• C. My old car was much faster than the new one.
• D. I was angry at my friend.
• E. Rohit is as capable as Virat.

Which of the following combinations has all the INCORRECT sentences?

1. A & B
2. B & C
3. C & D
4. D & E
5. A & E

Question 53:

Read the following sentences carefully:

• A. Everybody accepts his responsibilities.
• B. Nobody in that group have their reports up to date, as they should have.
• C. Either of the boys is acceptable to do the errands.
• D. Both of the mice is underfed.
• E. It is I who am next.
• F. The teacher told he and I to leave early.

Which of the following combinations has all the sentences grammatically CORRECT?

1. B, D & F
2. B, C & D
3. A, C & E
4. A, E & F
5. C, D & F

Question 54:

Read the following statements and answer the question that follows:

• A. Back then, they were owned by companies and installed on their premises.
• B. Rooms and servers began to replace computer mainframes in the 1990s.
• C. These were supplemented by processors from Intel, which by the mid-2000s translated its dominance of PC semiconductors into a near monopoly of the server market.
• D. They mostly ran on chips made by IBM and HP, the big tech of the day.
• E. Things started to change once again around a decade ago, when Amazon began selling some of its spare server capacity.

Which of the following combinations is the MOST logically ordered?

1. A, B, C, D, E
2. E, A, D, C, B
3. B, A, D, C, E
4. E, C, D, A, B
5. B, E, C, D, A

Question 55:

Go through the statements below and answer the question that follows:

• A. Maybe you have survived major trauma and have a hard time feeling safe.
• B. You’ll probably discover that your fear and struggles make sense on account of what you’ve lived through.
• C. Instead of beating yourself up for reacting in ways you don’t understand, you can develop compassion for yourself and what you’ve been through.
• D. Perhaps you have experienced a sudden death, and you are often anxious about the health of your loved ones.
• E. You may also find out that you have more strength than you knew, the same strength that has sustained you this far.

Which of the following combinations is the MOST logically ordered?

1. B, A, D, C, E
2. E, B, A, D, C
3. E, A, D, C, B
4. D, C, B, A, E
5. D, C, B, A

Question 56:

Read the following paragraph and answer the question that follows:

Fear is the greatest motivator of all time. Conflict born of fear is behind our every action, driving us forward like the cogs of a clock. Fear is desire’s dark dress, its doppelganger. "Love and dread are brothers," says Julian of Norwich. As desire is wanting and fear is not-wanting, they become inexorably linked; just as desire can be destructive (the desire for power), fear can be constructive (fear of hurting another); fear of poverty becomes desire for wealth.

Which of the following statements can be BEST concluded from the paragraph?

1. A positive action generally has a foundation of fear underneath.
2. The interplay of fear and desire helps in guiding one’s action.
3. Fear is a powerful motivator that leads to extraordinary achievements.
4. While fear is perceived as negative, it can be a force for good.
5. Fear paves the way to positive transformation when paired with desire.

Question 57:

Read the following paragraphs and answer the question that follows:

Paragraph 1: Here are some handy rules of thumb. Anyone who calls themselves a thought leader is to be avoided. A man who does not wear socks cannot be trusted. And a company that holds an employee-appreciation day does not appreciate its employees.

Paragraph 2: It is not just that the message sent by acknowledging staff for one out of 260-odd working days is a bit of a giveaway (there isn’t a love-your-spouse day ... for the same reason). It is also that the ideas are usually so tragically unappreciative. You have worked hard all year so you get a slice of cold pizza or a rock stamped with the words “You rock”?

Which of the following BEST describes the relationship of the first paragraph with the second paragraph?

1. The first paragraph is redundant, in the presence of the second paragraph.
2. The first paragraph is humorous, while the second paragraph is sarcastic.
3. The second paragraph gives evidence to the claims made by the first paragraph.
4. Without the second paragraph, the first paragraph is meaningless.
5. The first paragraph evokes interest, the second paragraph elaborates.

Question 58:

Read the following passage and answer the question that follows:

How do we choose one discovery over any other? The physician Lewis Thomas made a choice. He bluntly asserts: "The greatest of all the accomplishments of 20th-century science has been the discovery of human ignorance."

The science writer Timothy Ferris agrees: "Our ignorance, of course, has always been with us, and always will be. What is new is our awareness of it, our awakening to its fathomless dimensions, and it is this, more than anything else, that marks the coming of age of our species."

It is an odd, unsettling thought that the culmination of our greatest century of discovery should be the confirmation of our ignorance. How did such a thing come about?

Which of the following statements can be BEST concluded from the above passage?

1. Humans know more when they know they know very little.
2. Humans became scientists when they realized that they were ignorant.
3. Humans progressed because they knew that they knew very little.
4. The realization that humans are ignorant led them to invent new things.
5. That they do not know enough makes humans seek to know more.

Question 59:

Read the following paragraph and answer the question that follows:

You may accumulate a vast amount of knowledge, but it will be of far less value to you than a much smaller amount if you have not thought it over for yourself; because only through ordering what you know by comparing every truth with every other truth can you take complete possession of your knowledge and get it into your power.

Based on the above information, which of the following statements MUST be true?

1. If she wants to master knowledge, she must reflect on the information.
2. If she reflects on the information, she will master the knowledge.
3. If she has not mastered knowledge, she must not have reflected on information.
4. If she has mastered the knowledge, she might have reflected on the information.
5. If she is a master of knowledge, it is because she is a reflector of information.

Question 60:

Read the following passage and answer the question that follows:

That’s how life plays out for all of us. We lose some. Like sportspersons, we too pack our gear and go to work. But unlike them, the gaze of the world is not upon us. Most of us do our business in anonymity, very few of us are emotionally wired to the outcomes of our day jobs. We don’t come back feeling like winners. Or losers. As sports fans, we can summon empathy for those who stretch their bodies and minds to the limit in the pursuit of athletic excellence and provide such joys in the process.

But we will never experience the highs that are their reward. And we will never know the depth of their lows, which are their burden. Still, no one will know better than Rohit and Dravid that it’s already a new day. There might never be a World Cup win for them. But there are loved ones to go to. Life awaits still.

Which of the following statements BEST summarizes the above passage?

1. Life moves on, and as sports fans, we should do too.
2. The wins and losses in sports do not exist in other professions.
3. We should treat winning and losing as imposters.
4. Just because we enjoy sports does not mean we understand the sportspersons.
5. We should put ourselves in others’ shoes rather than judge them for performance.

Question 61:

Read the following poem and answer the TWO questions that follow:

In the darkened room
a woman
cannot find her reflection in the mirror
waiting as usual
at the edge of sleep
In her hands she holds
the oil lamp
whose drunken yellow flames
know where her lonely body hides

Which of the following statements BEST conveys the theme of the poem?

1. The poem explores the quality of life of a woman.
2. The poem laments the suffering and frustration of a woman.
3. The poem celebrates the woman’s futile and meaningless life.
4. The poem revolves around a woman whose liberty has been throttled.
5. The poem revolves around the woman’s feeling of alienation.

Question 62:

What do the lines "the drunken yellow flames/know where her lonely body hides" BEST represent?

1. The lines represent flames as forces that are aware of her solitude.
2. The lines represent flames as turbulent emotions of a nameless woman.
3. The lines represent flames that highlight the location of her body.
4. The lines represent flames as distorted memories that preserve her identity.
5. The lines represent flames as her desperate pursuit for her lost self.

Question 63:

Which of the following is the BEST interpretation regarding reductive instincts?

1. Reductive instincts tell us to reduce every situation to a heuristic.
2. After the invention of storytelling, humans have overcome their reductive instincts.
3. Reductive instincts can help us in handling uncertainty.
4. Reductive instincts have to be overcome for survival in the real world.
5. Reductive instincts led to compression of complex reality to moral messages.

Question 64:

Why would a realist novel consist of “innumerable conditions made meaningful only in unpredictable moments”?

1. To keep the reader engaged till the end of the novel.
2. To bring in as much content as possible without making it seem forced.
3. To showcase unexpected complexity while making it seem relevant in the given context.
4. To show to the reader that realist novel does not work on expected lines.
5. To engage the reader with realism and fantasy at the same time.

Question 65:

Based on the passage, which of the following CANNOT be inferred about beauty?

1. Beauty is no longer an abstract concept.
2. Beauty has become an aspirational good.
3. Different powers and influences delineate beauty for us.
4. Beauty is defined and appreciated by the perceiver.
5. The beautiful does not define the standards of beauty.

Question 66:

Based on the passage, which of the following BEST explains beauty to be simultaneously a "blessing" and a "site of conversion"?

1. Both are narratives, with one supporting the other.
2. When properly communicated people will believe anything.
3. Because beauty is a blessing everyone wants to possess it by converting to the standards.
4. A blessing, when sought, results in a provider of the blessing, in a capitalistic society.
5. Though beauty is a unique blessing, one can become beautiful by imitating beautiful people.

Question 67:

Which of the following BEST describes the civilization-barbarism axis?

1. The way we are trained to behave affects our peace in life.
2. Some people are barbaric and should be restrained from public life.
3. It is how you behave, not who you are, that makes you acceptable.
4. Government should play a very heavy role in maintaining law and order.
5. Every society has to have a harmonious mix of civilized and the barbaric for it to survive.

Question 68:

Which of the following BEST explains the author’s usage of the term moral frames?

1. The frames give those who believe in them the right to question others’ behaviours.
2. The frames define what the believer believes as right or wrong.
3. A frame is a belief and cannot be rationally explained.
4. What is right to the believer is wrong to those who do not share that belief.
5. It makes it easy for the believer to declare others as wrong.

Question 69:

Which of the following can BEST be concluded from the above passage?

1. Knowing why you think the way you think enables you to understand others’ perspectives.
2. Most controversial issues in the world can be simplified into three axes.
3. The assumptions we hold lead us to our dominant axis.
4. Issues can be solved by looking at them from the right axis and questioning the assumptions.
5. Most problems in the world are because of applying the wrong axis to a particular problem.

Question 70:

Which of the following statements is NOT true about an ignorant mind?

1. An ignorant mind is often filled with unfounded and misguided distractions.
2. An ignorant mind succumbs to illusionary pattern detection.
3. An ignorant mind theorizes without robust evidence.
4. An ignorant mind is unaware of its own limitations.
5. An ignorant mind often fuels scepticism.

Question 71:

Based on the passage, what does the author BEST mean when he says, “we are all engines of misbelief”?

1. Driven by misbelief, we blend our creativity and ignorance.
2. Our brains are wired with certain heuristics that can lead to systematic errors in judgement.
3. We are prone to holding beliefs that are not necessarily true.
4. We are naturally inclined to form, and often share, misleading and inaccurate beliefs.
5. We are always fuelled by our ignorance to spread information.

Question 72:

With which of the following statements will the author agree the MOST?

1. We must try not to see patterns in everything that we observe.
2. We must be aware that the patterns we see may not necessarily reflect the truth.
3. We must be sceptical of the beliefs we have, regardless how true they seem to us.
4. The more we are sure of something, the more we are wrong about it.
5. Our desire to see patterns in everything makes us unable to detect misbeliefs in others.

Question 73:

Based on the passage, which of the following CANNOT be concluded?

1. A vaccine cannot guarantee immunity in an individual.
2. Our survival, as a community, is largely based on herd immunity.
3. A vaccinated person may get infected if her surroundings are largely unvaccinated.
4. Collective immunity protects those with compromised immune systems.
5. Even, relatively, ineffective vaccines can stop the spread of viruses if enough people are vaccinated.

Question 74:

Why does the author think about vaccination as a “banking of immunity”?

1. Because it creates a reserve of immunity within a person’s immune system.
2. Because when somebody is vaccinated, it is a deposit of protection against a particular disease.
3. Because different vaccines contribute to a diverse portfolio of immune defenses.
4. Because it is like providing a safety net for those who are more vulnerable to diseases.
5. Because it is a way to mitigate health risks for those who may not have access to vaccination.

Question 75:

Based on the last paragraph of the passage, which of the following would the author BEST agree with?

1. In times of health crises, communities should come together to support and protect each other.
2. It is important to express gratitude to those who contribute to the herd immunity by getting vaccinated.
3. It is an ethical obligation of individuals to get vaccinated for the greater good.
4. In any community, immunity is transactional.
5. Immunity of a community is interconnected, and everyone plays a role to keep each other vaccinated.

Question 76:

Please type the following sentence:

"The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog."

Question 77:

Which of the following years is NOT a leap year?

1. 1900
2. 2000
3. 1896
4. 1924
5. 2024

Question 78:

Which two teams competed in the final match of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2023, held on March 26, 2023, in Mumbai?

1. Delhi Capitals Mumbai Indians
2. Gujarat Giants Delhi Capitals
3. UP Warriorz Delhi Capitals
4. Royal Challengers Bangalore Mumbai Indians
5. Delhi Capitals Gujarat Giants

Question 79:

Which city hosted the recently concluded Asian Games 2022 (which happened in 2023)?

1. Incheon
2. Hangzhou
3. Jakarta
4. Guangzhou
5. Busan

Question 80:

Which of the following countries has NOT been invited to join the BRICS in the BRICS’ expansion plan for 2024?

1. Egypt
2. Ethiopia
3. Saudi Arabia
4. Iran
5. Pakistan

Question 81:

Why has Dr. Akshata Krishnamurthy been in the news recently?

1. She is the first Indian citizen to command a rover mission on Mars.
2. She is the first Indian citizen to lead the Big Bang Observatory.
3. She is the first Indian citizen appointed to the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory.
4. She is the first Indian citizen to be heading the pharmaceutical giant Pfizer.
5. She is the first Indian citizen to make a major breakthrough in the genome sequencing of Jamun.

Question 82:

Who received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2023?

1. Barack Obama
2. Shirin Ebadi
3. Narges Mohammadi
4. Maria Ressa
5. Center for Civil Liberties

Question 83:

The movie Oppenheimer was directed by:

1. Christopher Nolan
2. Greta Gerwig
3. Quentin Tarantino
4. Zack Snyder
5. Steven Spielberg

Question 84:

Matthew Perry, who died in 2023, was famously known for playing which character in the sitcom called *Friends*?

1. Ross Geller
2. Chandler Bing
3. Joey Tribbiani
4. Raymond Holt
5. Monica Geller

Question 85:

Claudia Dale Goldin was awarded the Nobel Prize in Economics in 2023 in recognition of her groundbreaking research in the field of:

1. Women in the Workforce
2. Behavioural Economics
3. Human Trafficking
4. Unemployment in Global South
5. Poverty in Africa