WBCS Preliminary Practice Paper: 100 Questions with Solutions

This is a 100-question practice paper built on the WBPSC/WBCS Prelims pattern and recurring topics, with an explanation for each answer. It is not a verbatim copy of any official paper. For the real past papers, download them from wbpsc.gov.in.

Marking tip: WBCS Prelims has negative marking, so attempt only questions where you can eliminate at least two options.

(Q2 in my earlier short paper had garbled options. The corrected version is Q2 below.)

---

Section A: History (Q1-15)

1. Who founded the Brahmo Samaj in 1828?
(a) Debendranath Tagore (b) Raja Ram Mohan Roy (c) Keshab Chandra Sen (d) Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar
Ans: (b). Raja Ram Mohan Roy founded it in Calcutta. Debendranath and Keshab Chandra led it later.

2. The Battle of Plassey was fought in:
(a) 1757 (b) 1764 (c) 1761 (d) 1773
Ans: (a). Clive defeated Siraj-ud-Daulah, aided by Mir Jafar’s betrayal.

3. The Permanent Settlement of Bengal was introduced by:
(a) Warren Hastings (b) Lord Cornwallis (c) Lord Wellesley (d) Lord Dalhousie
Ans: (b). Introduced in 1793, it fixed land revenue permanently with zamindars.

4. The Partition of Bengal (1905) was carried out by:
(a) Lord Curzon (b) Lord Minto (c) Lord Ripon (d) Lord Hardinge
Ans: (a). It was annulled in 1911.

5. Who wrote Anandamath?
(a) Rabindranath Tagore (b) Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay (c) Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay (d) Michael Madhusudan Dutt
Ans: (c). The novel contains “Vande Mataram”.

6. The Battle of Buxar was fought in:
(a) 1757 (b) 1761 (c) 1764 (d) 1857
Ans: (c). The British defeated Mir Qasim, Shuja-ud-Daulah and Shah Alam II. It confirmed British power in Bengal.

7. The Swadeshi Movement began as a response to:
(a) Rowlatt Act (b) Partition of Bengal (c) Simon Commission (d) Cripps Mission
Ans: (b). Boycott of foreign goods started in 1905.

8. Who was the first President of the Indian National Congress (1885)?
(a) A.O. Hume (b) Dadabhai Naoroji (c) W.C. Bonnerjee (d) Surendranath Banerjee
Ans: (c). Womesh Chunder Bonnerjee presided over the Bombay session. A.O. Hume was the founder.

9. The founder of the Pala dynasty of Bengal was:
(a) Sasanka (b) Dharmapala (c) Gopala (d) Lakshmana Sena
Ans: (c). Gopala was elected ruler around 750 CE. Sasanka was an earlier Gauda king.

10. The Jallianwala Bagh massacre took place in:
(a) 1915 (b) 1917 (c) 1919 (d) 1922
Ans: (c). It was on 13 April 1919 in Amritsar.

11. Who gave the slogan “Delhi Chalo”?
(a) Mahatma Gandhi (b) Subhas Chandra Bose (c) Jawaharlal Nehru (d) Bhagat Singh
Ans: (b). It was the call of the Azad Hind Fauj (INA).

12. The Revolt of 1857 began at:
(a) Delhi (b) Kanpur (c) Meerut (d) Jhansi
Ans: (c). It began on 10 May 1857.

13. The Dandi March (Salt Satyagraha) took place in:
(a) 1919 (b) 1930 (c) 1942 (d) 1920
Ans: (b). Gandhi began the march on 12 March 1930.

14. Emperor Ashoka embraced Buddhism after the war with:
(a) Kalinga (b) Magadha (c) Avanti (d) Kosala
Ans: (a). The Kalinga war was around 261 BCE.

15. The Hindu Widows’ Remarriage Act (1856) was mainly the result of the efforts of:
(a) Raja Ram Mohan Roy (b) Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar (c) Dayananda Saraswati (d) M.G. Ranade
Ans: (b). Vidyasagar campaigned for it. Raja Ram Mohan Roy is associated with the abolition of Sati (1829).

---

Section B: Geography (Q16-30)

16. The Farakka Barrage is on the river:
(a) Damodar (b) Ganga (c) Teesta (d) Kangsabati
Ans: (b). It diverts water into the Bhagirathi-Hooghly to keep Kolkata port navigable.

17. The highest peak in West Bengal is:
(a) Kanchenjunga (b) Sandakphu (c) Tiger Hill (d) Phalut
Ans: (b). Sandakphu is about 3,636 m. Kanchenjunga lies on the Sikkim-Nepal border.

18. The Sundarbans became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in:
(a) 1985 (b) 1987 (c) 1992 (d) 2000
Ans: (b).

19. Which river is called the “Sorrow of Bengal”?
(a) Hooghly (b) Damodar (c) Ajay (d) Mayurakshi
Ans: (b). Its frequent floods earned the name. The Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) was set up to control them.

20. The largest district of West Bengal by area is:
(a) North 24 Parganas (b) South 24 Parganas (c) Paschim Medinipur (d) Jalpaiguri
Ans: (b).

21. The Teesta river is a tributary of:
(a) Ganga (b) Brahmaputra (c) Mahananda (d) Damodar
Ans: (b). It flows through Sikkim and North Bengal and joins the Brahmaputra (Jamuna) in Bangladesh.

22. The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway was declared a World Heritage Site in:
(a) 1985 (b) 1999 (c) 2004 (d) 2008
Ans: (b).

23. The Terai-Duars region lies in:
(a) South Bengal (b) North Bengal (c) Rarh region (d) Sundarbans
Ans: (b).

24. Jaldapara National Park is famous for:
(a) Tiger (b) One-horned rhinoceros (c) Asiatic lion (d) Snow leopard
Ans: (b).

25. The longest river flowing within India is:
(a) Ganga (b) Godavari (c) Yamuna (d) Narmada
Ans: (a). About 2,525 km.

26. The largest freshwater lake in India is:
(a) Chilika (b) Wular (c) Dal (d) Sambhar
Ans: (b). Chilika is a brackish lagoon. Sambhar is a salt lake.

27. Haldia port is located in which district?
(a) Purba Medinipur (b) Howrah (c) Hooghly (d) Nadia
Ans: (a).

28. India’s Standard Meridian is:
(a) 82°30′E (b) 77°E (c) 90°E (d) 88°E
Ans: (a). It passes near Mirzapur, Uttar Pradesh.

29. Which crop is best suited to black (regur) soil?
(a) Rice (b) Cotton (c) Tea (d) Jute
Ans: (b). Black soil is also called the “cotton soil”.

30. West Bengal is the leading producer of which “golden fibre”?
(a) Tea (b) Jute (c) Cotton (d) Coffee
Ans: (b).

---

Section C: Indian Polity (Q31-45)

31. Right to Life and Personal Liberty is under Article:
(a) 14 (b) 19 (c) 21 (d) 32
Ans: (c).

32. The Governor of a State is appointed by:
(a) Chief Minister (b) Prime Minister (c) President (d) Chief Justice of the High Court
Ans: (c).

33. Fundamental Duties were added by which Amendment?
(a) 42nd (b) 44th (c) 73rd (d) 86th
Ans: (a). It was in 1976, Article 51A, Part IV-A.

34. The 73rd Constitutional Amendment relates to:
(a) Municipalities (b) Panchayati Raj (c) Anti-defection (d) GST
Ans: (b). The 74th is about municipalities.

35. The Constitution of India came into force on:
(a) 15 Aug 1947 (b) 26 Nov 1949 (c) 26 Jan 1950 (d) 30 Jan 1948
Ans: (c). It was adopted on 26 Nov 1949.

36. Who was Chairman of the Drafting Committee?
(a) Nehru (b) Rajendra Prasad (c) B.R. Ambedkar (d) Sardar Patel
Ans: (c).

37. Which Article did Ambedkar call the “heart and soul” of the Constitution?
(a) 19 (b) 25 (c) 32 (d) 226
Ans: (c). It is the Right to Constitutional Remedies.

38. The minimum age to contest Lok Sabha elections is:
(a) 21 (b) 25 (c) 30 (d) 35
Ans: (b).

39. The maximum strength of the Rajya Sabha is:
(a) 238 (b) 245 (c) 250 (d) 260
Ans: (c). That is 238 elected plus 12 nominated.

40. A Money Bill can be introduced only in:
(a) Rajya Sabha (b) Lok Sabha (c) Either House (d) Only with the President’s order in Rajya Sabha
Ans: (b).

41. Impeachment of the President is described in Article:
(a) 52 (b) 61 (c) 72 (d) 356
Ans: (b).

42. The Speaker of the Lok Sabha is elected by:
(a) President (b) Prime Minister (c) Members of Lok Sabha (d) Members of Rajya Sabha
Ans: (c).

43. How many Lok Sabha seats does West Bengal have?
(a) 34 (b) 40 (c) 42 (d) 48
Ans: (c).

44. How many Fundamental Rights are currently recognised?
(a) 5 (b) 6 (c) 7 (d) 8
Ans: (b). The Right to Property was removed by the 44th Amendment (1978).

45. The strength of the West Bengal Legislative Assembly is:
(a) 250 (b) 294 (c) 295 (d) 300
Ans: (b). West Bengal has a unicameral legislature.

---

Section D: Indian Economy (Q46-55)

46. The Reserve Bank of India began operations in:
(a) 1935 (b) 1947 (c) 1949 (d) 1969
Ans: (a).

47. The RBI was nationalised in:
(a) 1935 (b) 1947 (c) 1949 (d) 1969
Ans: (c). The 14 major banks were nationalised in 1969.

48. NITI Aayog replaced the Planning Commission in:
(a) 2010 (b) 2014 (c) 2015 (d) 2017
Ans: (c).

49. GST was launched in India on:
(a) 1 Apr 2016 (b) 1 Jul 2017 (c) 1 Jan 2018 (d) 1 Apr 2017
Ans: (b).

50. The “repo rate” is the rate at which:
(a) Banks lend to RBI (b) RBI lends to commercial banks (c) Banks lend to the public (d) Government borrows abroad
Ans: (b). The rate at which banks lend to RBI is the reverse repo rate.

51. The “Father of the Green Revolution in India” is:
(a) Verghese Kurien (b) M.S. Swaminathan (c) Norman Borlaug (d) Homi Bhabha
Ans: (b). Borlaug is the global father. Kurien led the White Revolution.

52. A one-rupee note is issued by:
(a) RBI (b) Ministry of Finance, Government of India (c) SBI (d) NABARD
Ans: (b). All other notes are issued by RBI.

53. India’s financial year runs from:
(a) Jan-Dec (b) Apr-Mar (c) Jul-Jun (d) Oct-Sep
Ans: (b).

54. NABARD was established in:
(a) 1969 (b) 1975 (c) 1982 (d) 1991
Ans: (c). It focuses on agriculture and rural development.

55. Who was Prime Minister during the 1991 economic reforms?
(a) Rajiv Gandhi (b) P.V. Narasimha Rao (c) V.P. Singh (d) Chandra Shekhar
Ans: (b). Manmohan Singh was Finance Minister.

---

Section E: General Science (Q56-70)

56. Deficiency of which vitamin causes scurvy?
(a) A (b) B12 (c) C (d) D
Ans: (c).

57. The SI unit of force is:
(a) Joule (b) Pascal (c) Newton (d) Watt
Ans: (c).

58. The most abundant gas in the atmosphere is:
(a) Oxygen (b) Nitrogen (c) Carbon dioxide (d) Argon
Ans: (b). It makes up about 78%.

59. The powerhouse of the cell is:
(a) Nucleus (b) Ribosome (c) Mitochondria (d) Golgi body
Ans: (c). It produces ATP.

60. The chemical formula of common salt is:
(a) KCl (b) NaCl (c) CaCl₂ (d) NaOH
Ans: (b).

61. The pH of pure water at 25°C is:
(a) 0 (b) 5 (c) 7 (d) 14
Ans: (c).

62. The speed of light in vacuum is about:
(a) 3×10⁶ m/s (b) 3×10⁸ m/s (c) 3×10¹⁰ m/s (d) 3×10⁵ m/s
Ans: (b).

63. Night blindness is caused by deficiency of vitamin:
(a) A (b) B (c) C (d) K
Ans: (a).

64. The hardest natural substance is:
(a) Graphite (b) Diamond (c) Quartz (d) Steel
Ans: (b).

65. The universal blood donor group is:
(a) AB+ (b) A (c) O negative (d) B
Ans: (c).

66. Which gas is commonly used in fire extinguishers?
(a) Oxygen (b) Hydrogen (c) Carbon dioxide (d) Methane
Ans: (c).

67. Haemoglobin contains which metal?
(a) Calcium (b) Iron (c) Magnesium (d) Copper
Ans: (b).

68. Which metal is liquid at room temperature?
(a) Mercury (b) Iron (c) Lead (d) Zinc
Ans: (a).

69. The SI unit of frequency is:
(a) Pascal (b) Hertz (c) Tesla (d) Ohm
Ans: (b).

70. Rusting of iron is an example of:
(a) Reduction (b) Oxidation (c) Sublimation (d) Evaporation
Ans: (b). Iron reacts with oxygen and moisture.

---

Section F: Quantitative Aptitude (Q71-82)

71. Next number: 2, 6, 12, 20, 30, ?
(a) 40 (b) 42 (c) 44 (d) 36
Ans: (b). The differences are 4, 6, 8, 10, so the next is 12. 30 + 12 = 42.

72. A 150 m train at 54 km/h crosses a pole in:
(a) 8 s (b) 10 s (c) 12 s (d) 15 s
Ans: (b). 54 × 5/18 = 15 m/s. Time = 150/15 = 10 s.

73. Simple interest on ₹5,000 at 8% p.a. for 3 years:
(a) ₹1,000 (b) ₹1,200 (c) ₹1,500 (d) ₹1,600
Ans: (b). SI = (5000 × 8 × 3)/100 = ₹1,200.

74. 20% of 450 is:
(a) 80 (b) 100 (c) 90 (d) 120
Ans: (c). 450 × 0.2 = 90.

75. Compound interest on ₹10,000 at 10% p.a. for 2 years:
(a) ₹2,000 (b) ₹2,100 (c) ₹2,200 (d) ₹2,500
Ans: (b). Amount = 10,000 × 1.1² = 12,100. CI = ₹2,100.

76. Average of the first 10 natural numbers:
(a) 5 (b) 6 (c) 5.5 (d) 10
Ans: (c). Sum = 55, and 55/10 = 5.5.

77. A can finish a job in 10 days and B in 15 days. Together they take:
(a) 5 days (b) 6 days (c) 8 days (d) 12.5 days
Ans: (b). 1/10 + 1/15 = 1/6.

78. An article bought for ₹800 is sold for ₹920. Profit % is:
(a) 12% (b) 14% (c) 15% (d) 20%
Ans: (c). 120/800 × 100 = 15%.

79. Divide ₹120 in the ratio 2:3. The smaller part is:
(a) ₹40 (b) ₹48 (c) ₹72 (d) ₹60
Ans: (b). 120 × 2/5 = 48.

80. A car covers 60 km in 1.5 hours. Its speed is:
(a) 30 km/h (b) 35 km/h (c) 40 km/h (d) 45 km/h
Ans: (c). 60/1.5 = 40.

81. √1764 = ?
(a) 38 (b) 42 (c) 44 (d) 48
Ans: (b). 42 × 42 = 1764.

82. The LCM of 12 and 18 is:
(a) 6 (b) 24 (c) 36 (d) 72
Ans: (c). 12 = 2²×3 and 18 = 2×3², so LCM = 2²×3² = 36.

---

Section G: Reasoning (Q83-92)

83. Series: 3, 6, 12, 24, ?
(a) 36 (b) 42 (c) 48 (d) 54
Ans: (c). Each term is doubled.

84. Odd one out: Apple, Mango, Potato, Banana
(a) Apple (b) Mango (c) Potato (d) Banana
Ans: (c). The others are fruits.

85. If CAT is coded as DBU, then DOG is coded as:
(a) EPH (b) EOH (c) FPH (d) DNF
Ans: (a). Each letter moves forward by 1.

86. Pointing to a man, a woman says, “His mother is the only daughter of my mother.” How is the woman related to the man?
(a) Sister (b) Mother (c) Aunt (d) Grandmother
Ans: (b). The “only daughter of my mother” is the woman herself.

87. Ravi walks 5 km north, turns right and walks 5 km, then turns right again and walks 5 km. In which direction is he from the start?
(a) North (b) East (c) West (d) South
Ans: (b). He goes N, then E, then S, ending 5 km east of the start.

88. The angle between the clock hands at 3:00 is:
(a) 60° (b) 75° (c) 90° (d) 180°
Ans: (c).

89. Pen : Writing :: Knife : ?
(a) Sharpening (b) Cutting (c) Drawing (d) Eating
Ans: (b).

90. Series: 1, 4, 9, 16, ?
(a) 20 (b) 24 (c) 25 (d) 36
Ans: (c). These are perfect squares.

91. If today is Monday, what day will it be after 100 days?
(a) Tuesday (b) Wednesday (c) Thursday (d) Friday
Ans: (b). 100 = 14 × 7 + 2, so Monday + 2 = Wednesday.

92. The position of the letter M from the end of the English alphabet is:
(a) 12th (b) 13th (c) 14th (d) 15th
Ans: (c). 26 − 13 + 1 = 14.

---

Section H: English (Q93-97)

93. Synonym of “Abundant”:
(a) Scarce (b) Plentiful (c) Rare (d) Tiny
Ans: (b).

94. Antonym of “Ancient”:
(a) Old (b) Modern (c) Historic (d) Antique
Ans: (b).

95. Choose the correct spelling:
(a) Acommodation (b) Accomodation (c) Accommodation (d) Acomodation
Ans: (c). It has double “c” and double “m”.

96. She has been living here ___ 2015.
(a) for (b) since (c) from (d) at
Ans: (b). “Since” is used with a point in time. “For” is used with a duration.

97. The idiom “a piece of cake” means:
(a) A dessert (b) Something very easy (c) A small gift (d) A difficult task
Ans: (b).

---

Section I: West Bengal GK (Q98-100)

98. Rabindranath Tagore received the Nobel Prize in Literature in:
(a) 1905 (b) 1913 (c) 1921 (d) 1930
Ans: (b). It was for Gitanjali. He was the first non-European Nobel laureate.

99. The Howrah Bridge (Rabindra Setu) is built over the river:
(a) Damodar (b) Hooghly (c) Rupnarayan (d) Teesta
Ans: (b). It is a cantilever bridge.

100. The Kanyashree Prakalpa scheme of West Bengal aims to:
(a) Give farmers pensions (b) Support girls’ education and prevent child marriage (c) Provide health insurance (d) Provide housing
Ans: (b).

---

Answer Key

Q	Ans	Q	Ans	Q	Ans	Q	Ans	Q	Ans
1	b	21	b	41	b	61	c	81	b
2	a	22	b	42	c	62	b	82	c
3	b	23	b	43	c	63	a	83	c
4	a	24	b	44	b	64	b	84	c
5	c	25	a	45	b	65	c	85	a
6	c	26	b	46	a	66	c	86	b
7	b	27	a	47	c	67	b	87	b
8	c	28	a	48	c	68	a	88	c
9	c	29	b	49	b	69	b	89	b
10	c	30	b	50	b	70	b	90	c
11	b	31	c	51	b	71	b	91	b
12	c	32	c	52	b	72	b	92	c
13	b	33	a	53	b	73	b	93	b
14	a	34	b	54	c	74	c	94	b
15	b	35	c	55	b	75	b	95	c
16	b	36	c	56	c	76	c	96	b
17	b	37	c	57	c	77	b	97	b
18	b	38	b	58	b	78	c	98	b
19	b	39	c	59	c	79	b	99	b
20	b	40	b	60	b	80	c	100	b

---

How to Use This Paper

Set a timer for 60 minutes (the real exam gives about 36 seconds per question), mark your answers, then check them against the key. Note every wrong answer and the concept behind it, and revise those topics before your next mock test.

Scoring guide: 85+ is exam-ready, 65-84 means strengthen weak sections, and below 65 means revise the basics and re-attempt in a week.

Good luck with your WBCS preparation!