50 Must-Know General Knowledge Questions for Competitive Exams – Ace Your GK Prep
Preparing for competitive exams demands a solid grasp of general knowledge across history, geography, science, politics, and current affairs. From capitals and currencies to landmark discoveries and international organizations, these foundational facts can make all the difference on test day. This quiz offers 50 must-know questions designed to sharpen your recall, deepen your understanding, and boost your confidence. Whether you’re aiming for civil services, banking, railways, or other government exams, mastering these essentials will give you the edge you need. Ready to test yourself? Let’s dive in!
50 Must-Know General Knowledge Questions for Competitive Exams
1. What is the capital city of Australia?
- A. Sydney
- B. Canberra
- C. Melbourne
- D. Brisbane
2. In which city is the headquarters of the United Nations located?
- A. Geneva
- B. New York
- C. Vienna
- D. Nairobi
3. What is the chemical symbol for gold?
- A. Ag
- B. Au
- C. Gd
- D. Go
4. Which planet is the largest in our solar system?
- A. Earth
- B. Jupiter
- C. Saturn
- D. Neptune
5. Who founded the Nobel Prize?
- A. Alfred Nobel
- B. Marie Curie
- C. Albert Einstein
- D. Isaac Newton
6. Who was the first female Prime Minister of the United Kingdom?
- A. Theresa May
- B. Margaret Thatcher
- C. Indira Gandhi
- D. Golda Meir
7. Which is the highest mountain peak in the world?
- A. K2
- B. Kangchenjunga
- C. Mount Everest
- D. Lhotse
8. Which river is the longest in the world?
- A. Amazon
- B. Nile
- C. Yangtze
- D. Mississippi
9. A solution with pH 7 is considered:
- A. Acidic
- B. Basic
- C. Neutral
- D. Alkaline
10. What is the SI unit of force?
- A. Joule
- B. Newton
- C. Pascal
- D. Watt
11. Who is known as the “Father of Computers”?
- A. Charles Babbage
- B. Alan Turing
- C. John von Neumann
- D. Steve Jobs
12. In which year was the Internet invented (ARPANET)?
- A. 1969
- B. 1975
- C. 1983
- D. 1990
13. Which publication holds world records?
- A. Guinness Book
- B. Limca Book
- C. Ripley’s Believe It or Not
- D. World Almanac
14. What is the currency of Japan?
- A. Yen
- B. Won
- C. Yuan
- D. Ringgit
15. Who wrote the play “Hamlet”?
- A. William Shakespeare
- B. Charles Dickens
- C. Jane Austen
- D. Mark Twain
16. Who painted the “Mona Lisa”?
- A. Vincent van Gogh
- B. Pablo Picasso
- C. Leonardo da Vinci
- D. Michelangelo
17. Which ocean is the largest by surface area?
- A. Atlantic
- B. Indian
- C. Pacific
- D. Arctic
18. In which year was the Human Genome Project completed?
- A. 1990
- B. 2003
- C. 2010
- D. 2015
19. √144 equals:
- A. 10
- B. 11
- C. 12
- D. 14
20. Which element has atomic number 6?
- A. Carbon
- B. Nitrogen
- C. Oxygen
- D. Helium
21. Who is the Greek god of war?
- A. Zeus
- B. Apollo
- C. Ares
- D. Poseidon
22. What is the capital of Canada?
- A. Toronto
- B. Vancouver
- C. Ottawa
- D. Montreal
23. What is the currency of the United Kingdom?
- A. Euro
- B. Pound Sterling
- C. Dollar
- D. Franc
24. What is at the center of our solar system?
- A. Earth
- B. Jupiter
- C. Sun
- D. Milky Way
25. The speed of light is approximately:
- A. 3×10⁵ km/s
- B. 3×10⁸ m/s
- C. 300 km/s
- D. 30×10⁶ m/s
26. Which gas makes up about 78% of Earth’s atmosphere?
- A. Oxygen
- B. Nitrogen
- C. Carbon Dioxide
- D. Argon
27. Which is the largest mammal?
- A. African Elephant
- B. Blue Whale
- C. Giraffe
- D. Whale Shark
28. What is the fastest land animal?
- A. Lion
- B. Cheetah
- C. Pronghorn
- D. Gazelle
29. Who invented the telephone?
- A. Nikola Tesla
- B. Alexander Graham Bell
- C. Thomas Edison
- D. Guglielmo Marconi
30. Who invented the practical electric light bulb?
- A. Nikola Tesla
- B. Thomas Edison
- C. Michael Faraday
- D. James Watt
31. Who proposed the theory of relativity?
- A. Isaac Newton
- B. Galileo Galilei
- C. Albert Einstein
- D. Niels Bohr
32. Who discovered penicillin?
- A. Marie Curie
- B. Louis Pasteur
- C. Alexander Fleming
- D. Robert Koch
33. Which country is the largest democracy by population?
- A. USA
- B. India
- C. Indonesia
- D. Brazil
34. In which year was the United Nations founded?
- A. 1919
- B. 1945
- C. 1950
- D. 1960
35. What is the national bird of India?
- A. Sparrow
- B. Indian Peafowl
- C. Eagle
- D. Parrot
36. Which is the highest civilian award in India?
- A. Padma Shri
- B. Bharat Ratna
- C. Padma Bhushan
- D. Dronacharya Award
37. Which organization publishes the World Economic Outlook?
- A. World Bank
- B. International Monetary Fund
- C. United Nations
- D. World Trade Organization
38. Who was the first man to walk on the moon?
- A. Yuri Gagarin
- B. Buzz Aldrin
- C. Neil Armstrong
- D. Michael Collins
39. Which desert is the largest hot desert in the world?
- A. Arabian
- B. Sahara
- C. Gobi
- D. Kalahari
40. Which programming language was created by Guido van Rossum?
- A. Java
- B. Python
- C. C++
- D. Ruby
41. Which open-source operating system is based on Linux?
- A. Windows
- B. macOS
- C. Ubuntu
- D. iOS
42. In which year was Bitcoin introduced?
- A. 2005
- B. 2008
- C. 2010
- D. 2012
43. Which website is known as the free online encyclopedia?
- A. Britannica.com
- B. Wikipedia.org
- C. Encyclopedia.com
- D. Worldbook.com
44. What is the unit for measuring angles?
- A. Radian
- B. Degree
- C. Steradian
- D. Both A and B
45. Which is the smallest prime number?
- A. 0
- B. 1
- C. 2
- D. 3
46. Which element is a noble gas?
- A. Oxygen
- B. Nitrogen
- C. Argon
- D. Hydrogen
47. Which country hosted the 2016 Summer Olympics?
- A. China
- B. UK
- C. Brazil
- D. Russia
48. Which treaty ended World War I?
- A. Treaty of Paris
- B. Treaty of Versailles
- C. Treaty of Tordesillas
- D. Treaty of Ghent
49. Which is the largest landlocked country by area?
- A. Kazakhstan
- B. Mongolia
- C. Chad
- D. Niger
50. Which vitamin is produced when skin is exposed to sunlight?
- A. Vitamin A
- B. Vitamin B12
- C. Vitamin C
- D. Vitamin D
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