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Navy Officer Cadet practice questions

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Question 1Verbal Reasoning

Choose the word that is closest in meaning to 'tenacious'.

  1. Timid
  2. Generous
  3. Careless
  4. Persistent Correct answer.

Explanation

Tenacious describes someone who holds firmly to a purpose and refuses to give up, so 'persistent' captures that meaning closely. The other words describe unrelated qualities such as shyness, negligence, or liberality.

Question 2Verbal Reasoning

Choose the word that is most nearly opposite in meaning to 'scarce'.

  1. Fragile
  2. Costly
  3. Abundant Correct answer.
  4. Rare

Explanation

Scarce means available only in small supply, so its opposite must describe something plentiful, which is what 'abundant' means. 'Rare' is actually a synonym rather than an antonym.

Question 3Verbal Reasoning

Complete the sentence with the best word: The cadets moved ___ through the darkened corridor so as not to wake the duty officer.

  1. angrily
  2. quietly Correct answer.
  3. swiftly
  4. noisily

Explanation

The purpose stated in the sentence is to avoid waking someone, so the adverb must describe moving without sound. 'Quietly' is the only option that matches that purpose logically.

Question 4Verbal Reasoning

A 'fleet' is to 'ships' as a 'flock' is to what?

  1. Wolves
  2. Birds Correct answer.
  3. Cattle
  4. Fish

Explanation

The relationship is a collective noun for a group of animals: a fleet is a group of ships and a flock is a group of birds. Each of the other options takes a different collective term.

Question 5Verbal Reasoning

Which sentence is written correctly?

  1. Neither of the cadets were finished the report.
  2. Neither of the cadets has finished the report. Correct answer.
  3. Neither of the cadets have finished the report.
  4. Neither of the cadets are finishing the report.

Explanation

'Neither' is a singular pronoun, so it takes a singular verb, which is 'has'. The other versions use plural verbs or an impossible passive construction that does not fit the meaning.

Question 6Verbal Reasoning

Read the short passage and answer the question. Passage: The harbour patrol logs every vessel that enters the bay. Last month the log recorded 240 entries, but only 60 of those vessels remained overnight. Question: What fraction of the logged vessels stayed overnight?

  1. One fifth
  2. One quarter Correct answer.
  3. One half
  4. One third

Explanation

The passage gives 60 overnight vessels out of 240 total entries, and 60 divided by 240 simplifies to one quarter. The remaining three quarters departed before nightfall.

Question 7Verbal Reasoning

Which word is spelled correctly?

  1. Occurrence Correct answer.
  2. Neccessary
  3. Seperate
  4. Recieve

Explanation

'Occurrence' is the correct spelling, with double c, double r, and the ending -ence. The other three options each contain a common misspelling of a familiar word.

Question 8Verbal Reasoning

Choose the word that best completes the sentence: The officer's orders were ___, leaving no room for interpretation.

  1. explicit Correct answer.
  2. vague
  3. optional
  4. tentative

Explanation

The clause 'leaving no room for interpretation' signals that the orders were clear and fully stated, which is the meaning of 'explicit'. The other options all suggest uncertainty or choice.

Question 9Verbal Reasoning

Choose the word most nearly opposite to 'candid'.

  1. Frank
  2. Blunt
  3. Honest
  4. Evasive Correct answer.

Explanation

Candid means open and straightforward in speech, so its opposite is a word describing avoidance or concealment, which is 'evasive'. The other options are near-synonyms of candid.

Question 10Verbal Reasoning

Which word does not belong with the others?

  1. Compass
  2. Sextant
  3. Barometer Correct answer.
  4. Chronometer

Explanation

A compass, sextant, and chronometer are all instruments used for navigation and position finding. A barometer measures atmospheric pressure, which serves weather observation rather than navigation.

Question 11Verbal Reasoning

Complete the analogy: 'Miserly' is to 'money' as 'gluttonous' is to what?

  1. Food Correct answer.
  2. Speed
  3. Praise
  4. Sleep

Explanation

A miserly person hoards money excessively, and a gluttonous person consumes food excessively, so the relationship is an excessive appetite for the stated thing. The other options correspond to different traits such as sloth, vanity, or haste.

Question 12Verbal Reasoning

Read the passage and answer the question. Passage: The training ship sails only when the forecast is favourable, because cadets must practise seamanship in moderate conditions before facing heavy weather. Last week the forecast promised calm seas, yet the ship stayed in port. Question: Which statement best explains the ship's decision?

  1. The cadets refused to sail in calm conditions.
  2. Heavy weather had been forecast for the whole week.
  3. The ship never sails when the forecast is favourable.
  4. The forecast was favourable, so some other factor must have kept the ship in port. Correct answer.

Explanation

The passage states a sufficient condition: favourable forecasts lead to sailing. Since the ship did not sail despite a favourable forecast, an unstated factor must have intervened. The other options contradict information given in the passage.

Question 13Verbal Reasoning

Which sentence uses the semicolon correctly?

  1. The tide; was rising and the crew secured the boats.
  2. The tide was rising; because the crew secured the boats.
  3. The tide was rising; and the crew secured the boats.
  4. The tide was rising; the crew secured the boats. Correct answer.

Explanation

A semicolon may join two independent clauses that are closely related without a conjunction. Placing it before a coordinating or subordinating conjunction, or in the middle of a single clause, is incorrect.

Question 14Verbal Reasoning

Choose the word that best fits: Despite the storm, the coxswain's report was remarkably ___, covering every stage of the rescue.

  1. abrupt
  2. reluctant
  3. sketchy
  4. comprehensive Correct answer.

Explanation

The phrase 'covering every stage' shows the report was thorough, and 'comprehensive' means complete in scope. The contrast word 'despite' signals that the report was good in spite of difficult conditions.

Question 15Verbal Reasoning

Choose the pair of words that best completes the sentence: The plan was ___ in theory but ___ in practice, so it was abandoned after the first trial.

  1. sound ... unworkable Correct answer.
  2. vague ... clear
  3. simple ... easy
  4. flawed ... workable

Explanation

The word 'but' signals a contrast between theory and practice, and abandonment after a trial confirms failure in practice. 'Sound ... unworkable' supplies that contrast, whereas the other pairs are either consistent or reversed.

Question 16Verbal Reasoning

Read the passage and answer the question. Passage: 'The cadets' success owed less to individual brilliance than to the habit of checking one another's work before any report left the room.' Question: What does the author emphasise as the main source of success?

  1. Careful mutual review of work Correct answer.
  2. Exceptional talent among a few cadets
  3. The strictness of the instructors
  4. The speed of producing reports

Explanation

The comparison 'less to ... than to' places the emphasis on the second element, which is the practice of checking each other's work. That practice is a form of mutual review rather than individual brilliance.

Question 17Verbal Reasoning

Which sentence contains a dangling modifier?

  1. The cadets, having finished the drill, returned to the mess.
  2. After the drill, the cadets returned to the mess.
  3. Having finished the drill, the cadets returned to the mess.
  4. Having finished the drill, the mess was where the cadets went. Correct answer.

Explanation

A participial phrase must attach to the subject that performs the action. In the faulty sentence, the phrase 'having finished the drill' appears to describe 'the mess', which cannot finish a drill, so the modifier dangles.

Question 18Verbal Reasoning

Select the word that is nearest in meaning to 'prudent' in the sentence: 'It was prudent to reef the sails before the squall arrived.'

  1. Cautious Correct answer.
  2. Reckless
  3. Fortunate
  4. Hasty

Explanation

Prudent describes acting with foresight and care about risk, so 'cautious' is the closest match in this context. Reefing sails early is a sensible precaution rather than a reckless or lucky act.

Question 19Verbal Reasoning

Read the passage and answer the question. Passage: 'No one disputes that the new watch system reduced fatigue. What remains contested is whether it improved readiness, since readiness depends on training hours as well as rest.' Question: What is the author's point about readiness?

  1. It improved because fatigue fell.
  2. It fell because training hours increased.
  3. It cannot be measured at all.
  4. It depends on more than rest alone. Correct answer.

Explanation

The author concedes that fatigue fell but argues readiness depends on training hours as well as rest, so reduced fatigue alone does not settle the question. The passage therefore treats readiness as multi-factorial.

Question 20Verbal Reasoning

Choose the sentence that is free of redundancy.

  1. The ship returned again back to port.
  2. The ship returned to port. Correct answer.
  3. The ship returned back to port again.
  4. The ship returned back to its original port.

Explanation

'Return' already contains the idea of going back, so adding 'back' or 'again' repeats information. The concise version states the action once without redundant adverbs.

Question 21Verbal Reasoning

Read the passage and answer the question. Passage: 'The quartermaster's ledger is our only record of stores issued last winter. Its entries are legible, but several pages were water-damaged, and the totals on those pages cannot be read.' Question: Which conclusion is best supported?

  1. The ledger proves no stores were issued in winter.
  2. Every entry in the ledger is legible and complete.
  3. Some issued stores cannot be confirmed from the ledger. Correct answer.
  4. The quartermaster kept no records at all.

Explanation

Since the ledger is the only record and some totals are unreadable, the quantities on those pages cannot be verified. The passage supports uncertainty about part of the record, not a claim that nothing was issued.

Question 22Verbal Reasoning

Read the passage and answer the question. Passage: 'The committee rejected the proposal not because it was costly but because its timetable assumed that tugs would always be available at short notice.' Question: What was the decisive objection?

  1. The committee's dislike of the author
  2. The cost of the proposal
  3. An unrealistic assumption about tug availability Correct answer.
  4. The length of the timetable

Explanation

The construction 'not because ... but because' identifies the real reason as the timetable's assumption that tugs would always be available at short notice. That assumption is the decisive objection, not expense.

Question 23Verbal Reasoning

Three claims are made: (1) All cadets who pass the navigation test receive a certificate. (2) Cadet Rao received a certificate. (3) Therefore Cadet Rao passed the navigation test. Which statement is accurate?

  1. The conclusion does not follow, because other routes to a certificate may exist. Correct answer.
  2. The conclusion follows necessarily from the premises.
  3. The premises are contradictory.
  4. The conclusion follows only if Rao is a cadet.

Explanation

The premise states that passing leads to a certificate, which does not exclude other ways of earning one. Affirming the result therefore cannot establish the cause, so the conclusion is not logically guaranteed.

Question 24Verbal Reasoning

Read the passage and answer the question. Passage: 'Critics of the drill schedule argue that repetition breeds complacency. Its defenders reply that under stress, only actions practised to the point of automaticity survive. Neither side disputes that the drills consume training hours that might otherwise be spent on seamanship.' Question: What do both sides accept?

  1. That repetition causes complacency
  2. That drills take time from other training Correct answer.
  3. That the schedule should be abolished
  4. That automaticity is undesirable

Explanation

The final sentence states that neither side disputes the drills consume hours that could be spent on seamanship, making this the shared premise. The other statements are positions held by only one side or by neither.

Question 25Verbal Reasoning

Identify the logical flaw: 'Every senior officer we consulted endorsed the new watch rotation. Therefore the rotation must be the best available.'

  1. It assumes what it sets out to prove.
  2. It uses a term in two different senses.
  3. It relies on an unrepresentative sample and ignores alternatives. Correct answer.
  4. It confuses a cause with its effect.

Explanation

The evidence covers only senior officers who were consulted, a narrow and possibly biased group, and no comparison is made with other rotations. Generalising from that sample to 'the best available' is therefore unsupported.

Question 26Verbal Reasoning

Choose the word that best completes the sentence: The cadet's argument was so ___ that even the sceptical instructor was persuaded on the first hearing.

  1. verbose
  2. cogent Correct answer.
  3. tentative
  4. ornate

Explanation

The sentence requires a word meaning convincing or logically compelling, since the effect described is that a sceptical listener was persuaded immediately. 'Cogent' precisely carries that sense of clear, forceful reasoning. The other options describe style or hesitation rather than persuasive force.

Question 27Verbal Reasoning

Choose the word most nearly opposite in meaning to 'meticulous'.

  1. careless Correct answer.
  2. methodical
  3. cautious
  4. thorough

Explanation

'Meticulous' describes someone who shows great attention to detail and precision. Its opposite must describe a lack of care or precision, which 'careless' supplies. The remaining options are near-synonyms or unrelated traits rather than antonyms.

Question 28Verbal Reasoning

Read the passage and answer the question. Passage: 'The bridge crew praised the new radar display for its clarity. Yet the same display, by smoothing small echoes into a single bright return, can hide a slow-moving trawler in heavy rain. The manufacturer's manual mentions this limitation only in a footnote.' Which statement is best supported by the passage?

  1. Slow-moving trawlers are the greatest danger in heavy rain.
  2. The manufacturer deliberately misled the bridge crew about the display.
  3. The bridge crew preferred the previous radar display overall.
  4. The display's clarity comes at the cost of concealing some weak contacts. Correct answer.

Explanation

The passage sets the praised clarity against the display's tendency to merge small echoes, which can conceal a slow trawler. The supported inference is therefore a trade-off between clarity and the loss of weak contacts. Nothing in the text establishes deliberate deception, comparative danger rankings, or a preference for the old equipment.

Question 29Verbal Reasoning

Choose the pair of words that best completes the sentence: Although the captain's manner was ___, her decisions were ___ and carefully reasoned.

  1. abrupt ... deliberate Correct answer.
  2. gentle ... hasty
  3. cheerful ... reckless
  4. formal ... impulsive

Explanation

The conjunction 'although' signals a contrast between manner and decisions, so the two words must pull in opposite directions while the second fits 'carefully reasoned'. 'Abrupt' (curt in manner) contrasted with 'deliberate' (carefully considered) satisfies both requirements. The other pairs either fail the contrast or contradict the closing phrase.

Question 30Verbal Reasoning

Read the passage and answer the question. Passage: 'The training log records that every cadet who completed the night navigation exercise was later rated competent at sea. Cadet Fenwick was rated competent at sea. The log's author concludes that Fenwick therefore completed the night navigation exercise.' Which criticism of the reasoning is most accurate?

  1. It assumes the log's author is an unreliable witness.
  2. It relies on a sample that is too small to support any conclusion.
  3. It treats a sufficient condition as though it were also necessary. Correct answer.
  4. It confuses a correlation with a deliberate cause.

Explanation

The log establishes that completing the exercise is sufficient for a competent rating, not that it is required. Concluding that a competent cadet must have completed the exercise reverses that conditional relationship, the classic error of treating a sufficient condition as necessary. Sample size, causation, and witness reliability are not the flaw described.

Question 31Numerical Reasoning and Quantitative Aptitude

A cadet runs 3.2 km on Monday, 2.75 km on Tuesday, and 4.05 km on Wednesday. What is the total distance run over the three days?

  1. 10.5 km
  2. 10.0 km Correct answer.
  3. 9.5 km
  4. 9.0 km

Explanation

Add the three distances: 3.20 + 2.75 = 5.95, and 5.95 + 4.05 = 10.00 km. Aligning decimal places prevents carrying errors between the tenths and units columns.

Question 32Numerical Reasoning and Quantitative Aptitude

A supply crate weighs 48 kg. If 5 identical crates are loaded onto a truck, what is their combined mass?

  1. 250 kg
  2. 230 kg
  3. 240 kg Correct answer.
  4. 220 kg

Explanation

Multiply the mass of one crate by the number of crates: 48 × 5 = 240 kg. Breaking it down, 50 × 5 = 250 and subtracting 2 × 5 = 10 gives the same result.

Question 33Numerical Reasoning and Quantitative Aptitude

What is 3/4 expressed as a percentage?

  1. 34%
  2. 80%
  3. 75% Correct answer.
  4. 43%

Explanation

Convert a fraction to a percentage by dividing the numerator by the denominator and multiplying by 100: 3 ÷ 4 = 0.75, and 0.75 × 100 = 75%.

Question 34Numerical Reasoning and Quantitative Aptitude

A watch shows 14:45 on a 24-hour clock. What is the equivalent time on a 12-hour clock?

  1. 4:45 PM
  2. 2:45 PM Correct answer.
  3. 12:45 PM
  4. 4:45 AM

Explanation

For hours from 13 to 23, subtract 12 to get the 12-hour value and label it PM: 14 − 12 = 2, so the time is 2:45 PM.

Question 35Numerical Reasoning and Quantitative Aptitude

A cadet's scores on four drills are 72, 85, 68, and 91. What is the mean score?

  1. 78
  2. 80
  3. 79 Correct answer.
  4. 81

Explanation

Sum the scores: 72 + 85 + 68 + 91 = 316. Divide by the number of drills, 4, giving 316 ÷ 4 = 79.

Question 36Numerical Reasoning and Quantitative Aptitude

A rope 2.4 m long is cut into pieces each 0.3 m long. How many pieces are produced?

  1. 7
  2. 6
  3. 8 Correct answer.
  4. 9

Explanation

Divide the total length by the length of one piece: 2.4 ÷ 0.3 = 24 ÷ 3 = 8. Scaling both numbers by ten keeps the quotient unchanged.

Question 37Numerical Reasoning and Quantitative Aptitude

A tank holds 500 litres and is currently 40% full. How many litres does it contain?

  1. 300 litres
  2. 200 litres Correct answer.
  3. 150 litres
  4. 250 litres

Explanation

Forty percent means 40 parts per hundred, so multiply 500 by 0.40 to obtain 200 litres. Equivalently, 10% of 500 is 50, and four lots of 50 give 200.

Question 38Numerical Reasoning and Quantitative Aptitude

Which number comes next in the sequence 2, 6, 12, 20, 30, ...?

  1. 44
  2. 42 Correct answer.
  3. 40
  4. 36

Explanation

The differences between successive terms are 4, 6, 8, and 10, increasing by two each time. The next difference is therefore 12, and 30 + 12 = 42.

Question 39Numerical Reasoning and Quantitative Aptitude

A cadet marches 12 km in 2.5 hours. What is the average speed in kilometres per hour?

  1. 4.8 km/h Correct answer.
  2. 5.2 km/h
  3. 4.4 km/h
  4. 5.0 km/h

Explanation

Average speed equals distance divided by time: 12 ÷ 2.5 = 120 ÷ 25 = 4.8 km/h. Doubling both numbers removes the decimal without changing the quotient.

Question 40Numerical Reasoning and Quantitative Aptitude

A jacket originally costs 80 dollars and is reduced by 15%. What is the sale price?

  1. 68 dollars Correct answer.
  2. 65 dollars
  3. 60 dollars
  4. 72 dollars

Explanation

The discount is 15% of 80, which is 0.15 × 80 = 12 dollars. Subtracting the discount from the original price gives 80 − 12 = 68 dollars.

Question 41Numerical Reasoning and Quantitative Aptitude

If 7x − 4 = 31, what is the value of x?

  1. 4
  2. 6
  3. 7
  4. 5 Correct answer.

Explanation

Add 4 to both sides to obtain 7x = 35, then divide both sides by 7 to get x = 5. Each step must be applied to both sides to preserve the equality.

Question 42Numerical Reasoning and Quantitative Aptitude

A rectangular parade ground measures 45 m by 30 m. What is its area?

  1. 1200 m²
  2. 750 m²
  3. 1350 m² Correct answer.
  4. 1500 m²

Explanation

The area of a rectangle is length multiplied by width: 45 × 30 = 1350 square metres. The units are squared because two lengths are multiplied together.

Question 43Numerical Reasoning and Quantitative Aptitude

A sum of 2500 dollars is invested at 4% simple interest per year. How much interest accrues in 3 years?

  1. 100 dollars
  2. 200 dollars
  3. 300 dollars Correct answer.
  4. 400 dollars

Explanation

Simple interest is principal × rate × time, so 2500 × 0.04 × 3 = 100 × 3 = 300 dollars. The annual interest of 100 dollars is earned unchanged each year.

Question 44Numerical Reasoning and Quantitative Aptitude

The ratio of officers to ratings on a ship is 3:8. If there are 96 ratings, how many officers are there?

  1. 24
  2. 32
  3. 40
  4. 36 Correct answer.

Explanation

Each ratio part equals 96 ÷ 8 = 12 people. The officers correspond to 3 parts, so 3 × 12 = 36 officers.

Question 45Numerical Reasoning and Quantitative Aptitude

A cadet's pay rises from 1200 dollars to 1350 dollars per month. What is the percentage increase?

  1. 15.0%
  2. 11.5%
  3. 12.5% Correct answer.
  4. 10.5%

Explanation

The increase is 1350 − 1200 = 150 dollars. Divide the increase by the original value and multiply by 100: 150 ÷ 1200 × 100 = 12.5%.

Question 46Numerical Reasoning and Quantitative Aptitude

A cube has a volume of 216 cubic centimetres. What is the length of one edge?

  1. 6 cm Correct answer.
  2. 4 cm
  3. 7 cm
  4. 5 cm

Explanation

The volume of a cube is the edge length cubed, so the edge equals the cube root of 216. Since 6 × 6 × 6 = 216, the edge is 6 cm.

Question 47Numerical Reasoning and Quantitative Aptitude

Two dice are rolled. What is the probability that the sum of the faces is 7?

  1. 1/9
  2. 1/6 Correct answer.
  3. 1/8
  4. 1/12

Explanation

There are 36 equally likely outcomes. Six of them sum to seven: (1,6), (2,5), (3,4), (4,3), (5,2), and (6,1). Thus the probability is 6/36, which simplifies to 1/6.

Question 48Numerical Reasoning and Quantitative Aptitude

A train travels 180 km at 60 km/h and then a further 120 km at 80 km/h. What is the average speed for the whole journey?

  1. 66.7 km/h Correct answer.
  2. 72.0 km/h
  3. 68.0 km/h
  4. 70.0 km/h

Explanation

The first leg takes 180 ÷ 60 = 3 hours and the second takes 120 ÷ 80 = 1.5 hours, a total of 4.5 hours for 300 km. Average speed is 300 ÷ 4.5 ≈ 66.7 km/h; averaging the two speeds would be wrong because the times differ.

Question 49Numerical Reasoning and Quantitative Aptitude

Simplify the expression 4(2x − 3) + 5x.

  1. 13x − 12 Correct answer.
  2. 13x + 12
  3. 13x − 3
  4. 8x − 7

Explanation

Expand the bracket first: 4 × 2x = 8x and 4 × (−3) = −12. Adding 5x gives 13x − 12, since only like terms can be combined.

Question 50Numerical Reasoning and Quantitative Aptitude

A map has a scale of 1:50000. A distance of 6 cm on the map represents what real distance?

  1. 300 km
  2. 3 km Correct answer.
  3. 1.5 km
  4. 30 km

Explanation

One centimetre on the map represents 50000 cm in reality, which is 500 m or 0.5 km. Multiplying by 6 gives 3 km.