Practice 100+ General Knowledge Questions and Answers for Competitive Exams

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.

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)

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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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