General Knowledge questions are asked in most competitive exams. These questions test your awareness of current affairs, history, geography, science, literature, and other broad topics. This article focuses on GK questions that might appear in upcoming government exams. Some common areas of general knowledge topics include History, Current Affairs, Art & Culture, Geography, Science & Technology, Sports, and Economy. Don’t worry, we’ll first understand the fundamentals of these general knowledge questions, explore examples from previous year’s questions, and provide ways to tackle them effectively. So, get ready to widen your knowledge base and get those GK questions correct in exams like UPSC, Banking, IBPS, SSC, Railway, BPSC, and other competition exams.
Table of Contents
Geography: General Knowledge Questions and Answers
Practicing geography enhances understanding of Earth’s features, cultures, and environments which helps in global awareness and informed decision-making. Let us practice some Geography related general knowledge questions and answers:
Which is the largest continent by land area?
a) Africa
b) North America
c) Asia
d) Europe
Answer: c) Asia
Which ocean is the largest by area?
a) Atlantic Ocean
b) Indian Ocean
c) Southern Ocean
d) Pacific Ocean
Answer: d) Pacific Ocean
Which river is the longest in the world?
a) Amazon River
b) Nile River
c) Yangtze River
d) Mississippi River
Answer: b) Nile River
What is the capital city of Canada?
a) Vancouver
b) Toronto
c) Ottawa
d) Montreal
Answer: c) Ottawa
Which mountain range is the highest in the world?
a) Andes
b) Alps
c) Himalayas
d) Rockies
Answer: c) Himalayas
Which desert is the largest in the world?
a) Sahara Desert
b) Gobi Desert
c) Kalahari Desert
d) Arabian Desert
Answer: a) Sahara Desert
Which country is known as the “Land of a Thousand Lakes”?
a) Norway
b) Finland
c) Sweden
d) Canada
Answer: b) Finland
What is the capital city of Brazil?
a) Rio de Janeiro
b) Brasília
c) Sao Paulo
d) Salvador
Answer: b) Brasília
Which country is the smallest by land area?
a) Monaco
b) Vatican City
c) Nauru
d) San Marino
Answer: b) Vatican City
Which strait separates Asia from North America?
a) Bering Strait
b) Strait of Gibraltar
c) Strait of Hormuz
d) Strait of Malacca
Answer: a) Bering Strait
Mount Fuji, a famous volcanic peak, is located in which country?
a) China
b) Japan
c) Indonesia
d) South Korea
Answer: b) Japan
Which river flows through the Grand Canyon?
a) Colorado River
b) Mississippi River
c) Amazon River
d) Nile River
Answer: a) Colorado River
Which African country is known as the “Pearl of Africa”?
a) Kenya
b) Nigeria
c) Uganda
d) South Africa
Answer: c) Uganda
What is the highest mountain peak in Africa?
a) Mount Kilimanjaro
b) Mount Kenya
c) Mount Elgon
d) Mount Stanley
Answer: a) Mount Kilimanjaro
Which city is known as the “City of Canals”?
a) Venice
b) Amsterdam
c) Bruges
d) Bangkok
Answer: a) Venice
The Great Barrier Reef is located off the coast of which country?
a) Australia
b) Brazil
c) Mexico
d) South Africa
Answer: a) Australia
The Danube River flows through which European capital city?
a) Berlin
b) Vienna
c) Paris
d) Rome
Answer: b) Vienna
Which country is known as the “Land of the Midnight Sun”?
a) Norway
b) Sweden
c) Iceland
d) Finland
Answer: a) Norway
What is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea?
a) Sicily
b) Sardinia
c) Corsica
d) Crete
Answer: a) Sicily
Which country has the world’s largest rainforest?
a) Brazil
b) Democratic Republic of Congo
c) Indonesia
d) Peru
Answer: a) Brazil
Which desert is located in the southwestern United States?
a) Mojave Desert
b) Sonoran Desert
c) Chihuahuan Desert
d) Great Basin Desert
Answer: a) Mojave Desert
What is the capital city of New Zealand?
a) Sydney
b) Auckland
c) Wellington
d) Christchurch
Answer: c) Wellington
The city of Istanbul is located on two continents. Which continents are they?
a) Europe and Africa
b) Europe and Asia
c) Asia and Africa
d) Asia and Australia
Answer: b) Europe and Asia
Which is the largest lake by surface area in Africa?
a) Lake Victoria
b) Lake Tanganyika
c) Lake Malawi
d) Lake Victoria
Answer: a) Lake Victoria
What is the capital city of Argentina?
a) Buenos Aires
b) Santiago
c) Montevideo
d) Lima
Answer: a) Buenos Aires
The Strait of Magellan connects which two bodies of water?
a) Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea
b) Pacific Ocean and Indian Ocean
c) Atlantic Ocean and Pacific Ocean
d) Arctic Ocean and Pacific Ocean
Answer: c) Atlantic Ocean and Pacific Ocean
Which is the largest island in the world?
a) Greenland
b) Madagascar
c) Borneo
d) Honshu
Answer: a) Greenland
Which country is known as the “Land of Fire and Ice”?
a) Iceland
b) Norway
c) Greenland
d) Canada
Answer: a) Iceland
The Panama Canal connects which two bodies of water?
a) Atlantic Ocean and Pacific Ocean
b) Pacific Ocean and Indian Ocean
c) Mediterranean Sea and Red Sea
d) Arctic Ocean and Atlantic Ocean
Answer: a) Atlantic Ocean and Pacific Ocean
What is the highest mountain peak in North America?
a) Denali (Mount McKinley)
b) Mount Logan
c) Mount Elbert
d) Mount Whitney
Answer: a) Denali (Mount McKinley)
Must Read: 50 Sports GK Questions 🏏 For AFCAT, CDS, and NDA
History: General Knowledge Questions and Answers
Practicing history questions increases understanding of human experiences, cultural heritage, and societal development, enabling informed decision-making and lessons for the future.Let us practice some history-related general knowledge questions and answers
Who was the first President of the United States?
a) Thomas Jefferson
b) George Washington
c) Abraham Lincoln
d) John Adams
Answer: b) George Washington
Who wrote “The Communist Manifesto”?
a) Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels
b) Vladimir Lenin
c) Joseph Stalin
d) Leon Trotsky
Answer: a) Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels
The French Revolution began in which year?
a) 1776
b) 1789
c) 1804
d) 1815
Answer: b) 1789
Who was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize?
a) Marie Curie
b) Rosa Parks
c) Emmeline Pankhurst
d) Florence Nightingale
Answer: a) Marie Curie
The Magna Carta was signed in which year?
a) 1066
b) 1215
c) 1492
d) 1776
Answer: b) 1215
Who was the first Emperor of Rome?
a) Julius Caesar
b) Augustus
c) Nero
d) Constantine
Answer: b) Augustus
The Industrial Revolution began in which country?
a) France
b) United States
c) Germany
d) United Kingdom
Answer: d) United Kingdom
Who was the leader of the Soviet Union during World War II?
a) Vladimir Lenin
b) Leon Trotsky
c) Joseph Stalin
d) Mikhail Gorbachev
Answer: c) Joseph Stalin
The Berlin Wall fell in which year, marking the end of the Cold War?
a) 1985
b) 1989
c) 1991
d) 1993
Answer: b) 1989
The Declaration of Independence of the United States was adopted in which year?
a) 1776
b) 1787
c) 1791
d) 1801
Answer: a) 1776
Who was the first female Prime Minister of the United Kingdom?
a) Margaret Thatcher
b) Theresa May
c) Indira Gandhi
d) Queen Elizabeth II
Answer: a) Margaret Thatcher
Who was the leader of the Soviet Union during the Cuban Missile Crisis?
a) Vladimir Lenin
b) Nikita Khrushchev
c) Mikhail Gorbachev
d) Leonid Brezhnev
Answer: b) Nikita Khrushchev
The Treaty of Versailles was signed after which war?
a) World War I
b) World War II
c) Napoleonic Wars
d) American Civil War
Answer: a) World War I
Who was the longest-reigning monarch in British history?
a) Queen Victoria
b) King George III
c) Queen Elizabeth I
d) Queen Elizabeth II
Answer: a) Queen Victoria
The Battle of Waterloo was fought in which year?
a) 1776
b) 1815
c) 1832
d) 1865
Answer: b) 1815
Who was the first European explorer to reach India by sea?
a) Christopher Columbus
b) Vasco da Gama
c) Ferdinand Magellan
d) Marco Polo
Answer: b) Vasco da Gama
The American Civil War was fought between which two sides?
a) North and South America
b) Union and Confederacy
c) England and France
d) Colonists and the British Empire
Answer: b) Union and Confederacy
The Renaissance began in which country?
a) Italy
b) France
c) England
d) Spain
Answer: a) Italy
Who was the last Emperor of Russia?
a) Nicholas II
b) Vladimir Lenin
c) Joseph Stalin
d) Mikhail Gorbachev
Answer: a) Nicholas II
Who was the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean?
a) Amelia Earhart
b) Bessie Coleman
c) Harriet Quimby
d) Jacqueline Cochran
Answer: a) Amelia Earhart
The Treaty of Tordesillas divided the New World between which two countries?
a) Spain and Portugal
b) France and England
c) Netherlands and Italy
d) Germany and Austria
Answer: a) Spain and Portugal
The Battle of Gettysburg was a significant turning point in which war?
a) American Revolutionary War
b) American Civil War
c) War of 1812
d) World War I
Answer: b) American Civil War
Who was the first female Pharaoh of ancient Egypt?
a) Cleopatra
b) Hatshepsut
c) Nefertiti
d) Ankhesenamun
Answer: b) Hatshepsut
The Treaty of Ghent ended which war?
a) War of 1812
b) Franco-Prussian War
c) Hundred Years’ War
d) Seven Years’ War
Answer: a) War of 1812
The Marshall Plan was aimed at rebuilding which continent after World War II?
a) North America
b) Europe
c) Asia
d) Africa
Answer: b) Europe
Who was the first Emperor of China?
a) Qin Shi Huang
b) Han Wudi
c) Kublai Khan
d) Sun Yat-sen
Answer: a) Qin Shi Huang
The Battle of Stalingrad was a major turning point in which war?
a) World War I
b) World War II
c) Korean War
d) Vietnam War
Answer: b) World War II
The Boxer Rebellion took place in which country?
a) China
b) Japan
c) India
d) Korea
Answer: a) China
Who was the first President of the Soviet Union?
a) Vladimir Lenin
b) Joseph Stalin
c) Leon Trotsky
d) Mikhail Gorbachev
Answer: a) Vladimir Lenin
The French and Indian War was a part of which larger conflict?
a) Seven Years’ War
b) Thirty Years’ War
c) Napoleonic Wars
d) Franco
Science and Tech: General Knowledge Questions and Answers
Practicing science and technology questions enhances innovation, problem-solving skills, and advancements which are very important for addressing global challenges and improving quality of life.Let us solve some Science and Tech related general knowledge questions and answers :
What is the chemical symbol for the element Oxygen?
a) O2
b) Oc
c) Oh
d) O
Answer: d) O
Who is credited with the invention of the telephone?
a) Alexander Graham Bell
b) Thomas Edison
c) Nikola Tesla
d) Guglielmo Marconi
Answer: a) Alexander Graham Bell
What does DNA stand for?
a) Deoxyribonucleic Acid
b) Dual Nucleotide Assembly
c) Dihydrogen Nitrogen Atom
d) Deoxyribonucleotide Arrangement
Answer: a) Deoxyribonucleic Acid
What is the unit of electrical resistance?
a) Ampere
b) Ohm
c) Watt
d) Volt
Answer: b) Ohm
Who developed the theory of relativity?
a) Isaac Newton
b) Albert Einstein
c) Stephen Hawking
d) Galileo Galilei
Answer: b) Albert Einstein
What is the chemical formula for water?
a) H2O2
b) CO2
c) H2O
d) HO2
Answer: c) H2O
Which planet is known as the “Red Planet”?
a) Mars
b) Venus
c) Jupiter
d) Saturn
Answer: a) Mars
What is the process by which plants make their own food?
a) Respiration
b) Photosynthesis
c) Fermentation
d) Digestion
Answer: b) Photosynthesis
Who discovered penicillin?
a) Alexander Fleming
b) Louis Pasteur
c) Jonas Salk
d) Robert Koch
Answer: a) Alexander Fleming
What is the speed of light in a vacuum?
a) 299,792,458 meters per second
b) 3,000,000 meters per second
c) 300,000 meters per second
d) 30,000 meters per second
Answer: a) 299,792,458 meters per second
What does MRI stand for?
a) Magnetic Resonance Imaging
b) Medical Radiography Inspection
c) Molecular Research Instrument
d) Magnetic Radiation Inspection
Answer: a) Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Which scientist is known for his theory of evolution by natural selection?
a) Charles Darwin
b) Gregor Mendel
c) Louis Pasteur
d) Francis Crick
Answer: a) Charles Darwin
What is the chemical symbol for gold?
a) Au
b) Ag
c) Fe
d) Hg
Answer: a) Au
What does the CPU stand for in a computer?
a) Central Processing Unit
b) Central Power Unit
c) Computer Programming Unit
d) Core Processing Unit
Answer: a) Central Processing Unit
Who invented the World Wide Web?
a) Tim Berners-Lee
b) Bill Gates
c) Steve Jobs
d) Mark Zuckerberg
Answer: a) Tim Berners-Lee
What is the chemical symbol for sodium?
a) So
b) Na
c) Sn
d) S
Answer: b) Na
Which planet is known as the “Blue Planet”?
a) Earth
b) Neptune
c) Uranus
d) Venus
Answer: a) Earth
What does LASER stand for?
a) Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation
b) Light Absorption through Stimulated Emission of Radiant energy
c) Light Applied by Stimulated Electric Rays
d) Light Activated by Stimulated Emission of Radiation
Answer: a) Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation
Who is known as the “Father of Modern Physics”?
a) Isaac Newton
b) Galileo Galilei
c) Albert Einstein
d) Niels Bohr
Answer: c) Albert Einstein
What is the chemical symbol for hydrogen?
a) Hy
b) He
c) Hg
d) H
Answer: d) H
Which of the following is NOT a renewable source of energy?
a) Solar
b) Wind
c) Coal
d) Hydroelectric
Answer: c) Coal
Who developed the first successful polio vaccine?
a) Albert Sabin
b) Jonas Salk
c) Edward Jenner
d) Louis Pasteur
Answer: b) Jonas Salk
What is the chemical symbol for carbon dioxide?
a) Co2
b) Cd
c) C
d) CO2
Answer: d) CO2
What is the largest organ in the human body?
a) Liver
b) Brain
c) Skin
d) Heart
Answer: c) Skin
What is the SI unit of force?
a) Newton
b) Joule
c) Watt
d) Kilogram
Answer: a) Newton
Who is known as the “Father of Electricity”?
a) Benjamin Franklin
b) Thomas Edison
c) Nikola Tesla
d) Michael Faraday
Answer: d) Michael Faraday
What is the chemical symbol for iron?
a) Ir
b) Fe
c) In
d) Io
Answer: b) Fe
What is the study of the Earth’s atmosphere called?
a) Biology
b) Geology
c) Meteorology
d) Ecology
Answer: c) Meteorology
Who proposed the theory of general relativity?
a) Isaac Newton
b) Albert Einstein
c) Stephen Hawking
d) Max Planck
Answer: b) Albert Einstein
What does CPU stand for in computer science?
a) Central Processing Unit
b) Central Programming Unit
c) Computer Processing Unit
d) Core Processing Unit
Answer: a) Central Processing Unit
Polity: General Knowledge Questions and Answers
Practicing polity helps in civic engagement, critical thinking about governance, and understanding of rights and responsibilities, which is very important for active citizenship and democracy. Let us practice some polity-related general knowledge questions and answers
The Indian Parliament consists of how many houses?
a) One
b) Two
c) Three
d) Four
Answer: b) Two
What is the minimum age required to become the Prime Minister of India?
a) 30 years
b) 35 years
c) 40 years
d) 25 years
Answer: b) 35 years
Who is known as the “Father of the Indian Constitution”?
a) Mahatma Gandhi
b) Jawaharlal Nehru
c) B.R. Ambedkar
d) Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel
Answer: c) B.R. Ambedkar
Which article of the Indian Constitution deals with the Right to Equality?
a) Article 14-18
b) Article 19-22
c) Article 23-24
d) Article 25-28
Answer: a) Article 14-18
The term of office of the President of India is:
a) 4 years
b) 5 years
c) 6 years
d) 7 years
Answer: b) 5 years
Who has the power to remove the President of India from office?
a) Prime Minister
b) Chief Justice of India
c) Parliament
d) Supreme Court
Answer: c) Parliament
The Indian National Congress was founded in which year?
a) 1885
b) 1905
c) 1920
d) 1947
Answer: a) 1885
Who appoints the Chief Justice of India?
a) President
b) Prime Minister
c) Chief Justice of India
d) Supreme Court collegium
Answer: a) President
The Governor of a state is appointed by:
a) President
b) Prime Minister
c) Chief Minister
d) Chief Justice of India
Answer: a) President
Which schedule of the Indian Constitution contains provisions regarding the administration and control of scheduled areas and scheduled tribes?
a) Ninth Schedule
b) Tenth Schedule
c) Fifth Schedule
d) Twelfth Schedule
Answer: c) Fifth Schedule
Who is the head of the state government in India?
a) Governor
b) Chief Minister
c) President
d) Prime Minister
Answer: b) Chief Minister
The Finance Commission is appointed every:
a) 2 years
b) 3 years
c) 5 years
d) 10 years
Answer: c) 5 years
Which article of the Indian Constitution deals with the Right to Education?
a) Article 21A
b) Article 15
c) Article 21
d) Article 19
Answer: a) Article 21A
Who is the head of the Union Council of Ministers?
a) President
b) Prime Minister
c) Chief Justice of India
d) Speaker of Lok Sabha
Answer: b) Prime Minister
The Rajya Sabha represents:
a) States
b) Union Territories
c) Both States and Union Territories
d) Only Union Territories
Answer: c) Both States and Union Territories
Who appoints the members of the State Public Service Commission?
a) President
b) Governor
c) Chief Minister
d) Prime Minister
Answer: b) Governor
What is the term of office of a member of the Rajya Sabha?
a) 2 years
b) 4 years
c) 5 years
d) 6 years
Answer: d) 6 years
The term of office of a member of the Lok Sabha is:
a) 2 years
b) 4 years
c) 5 years
d) 6 years
Answer: c) 5 years
Who has the power to dissolve the Lok Sabha?
a) President
b) Prime Minister
c) Speaker of Lok Sabha
d) Chief Justice of India
Answer: a) President
The Supreme Court of India consists of:
a) 15 Judges
b) 20 Judges
c) 25 Judges
d) 31 Judges
Answer: d) 31 Judges
Which article of the Indian Constitution deals with the Right to Freedom of Religion?
a) Article 25-28
b) Article 29-30
c) Article 31-32
d) Article 33-34
Answer: a) Article 25-28
The Election Commission of India is appointed by:
a) Prime Minister
b) President
c) Chief Justice of India
d) Parliament
Answer: b) President
Which is the highest civilian award in India?
a) Bharat Ratna
b) Padma Bhushan
c) Padma Vibhushan
d) Padma Shri
Answer: a) Bharat Ratna
The Preamble of the Indian Constitution declares India as a:
a) Socialist Republic
b) Federal Republic
c) Sovereign Socialist Secular Democratic Republic
d) Federal Socialist Secular Republic
Answer: c) Sovereign Socialist Secular Democratic Republic
Who is known as the “Father of the Indian Constitution”?
a) Mahatma Gandhi
b) Jawaharlal Nehru
c) B.R. Ambedkar
d) Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel
Answer: c) B.R. Ambedkar
The term “Lok Sabha” is derived from which language?
a) Hindi
b) Sanskrit
c) Tamil
d) Telugu
Answer: b) Sanskrit
Who is the Chief Justice of India (as of 2024)?
a) Sharad Arvind Bobde
b) N.V. Ramana
c) Ranjan Gogoi
d) S.A. Bobde
Answer: b) N.V. Ramana
What is the minimum age required to become a member of the Rajya Sabha?
a) 21 years
b) 25 years
c) 30 years
d) 35 years
Answer: d) 30 years
What is the maximum strength of the Lok Sabha as per the Constitution?
a) 500
b) 550
c) 600
d) 700
Answer: b) 550
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FAQs
Q1: What is the capital of India?
A1: The capital of India is New Delhi.
Q2: Who wrote “Harry Potter” series?
A2: The “Harry Potter” series was written by J.K. Rowling.
Q3: What is the largest mammal in the world?
A3: The largest mammal in the world is the blue whale.
Q4: Who painted the famous painting “Starry Night”?
A4: “Starry Night” was painted by Vincent van Gogh.
Q5: What is the chemical symbol for gold?
A5: The chemical symbol for gold is Au.
Q6: Which planet is known as the “Red Planet”?
A6: Mars is known as the “Red Planet.”
Q7: What is the longest river in the world?
A7: The longest river in the world is the Nile River.
Q8: Who discovered gravity?
A8: Sir Isaac Newton is credited with discovering gravity.
Q9: What is the largest organ in the human body?
A9: The largest organ in the human body is the skin.
Q10: Who was the first man to walk on the moon?
A10: Neil Armstrong was the first man to walk on the moon.
Q1: What is the capital of India?
A1: The capital of India is New Delhi.
Q2: How many continents are there in the world?
A2: There are seven continents in the world.
Q3: What is the tallest mammal on Earth?
A3: The tallest mammal on Earth is the giraffe.
Q4: What is the color of the Sun?
A4: The color of the Sun appears yellow.
Q5: Who was the first President of the United States?
A5: George Washington was the first President of the United States.
Q6: How many legs does a spider have?
A6: A spider has eight legs.
Q7: What is the largest planet in our solar system?
A7: Jupiter is the largest planet in our solar system.
Q8: Who wrote “The Cat in the Hat”?
A8: “The Cat in the Hat” was written by Dr. Seuss.
Q9: What is the capital of France?
A9: The capital of France is Paris.
Q10: How many colors are there in a rainbow?
A10: There are seven colors in a rainbow: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet.
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