General Aptitude
Core concepts
General aptitude tests quantitative reasoning, logical reasoning, verbal ability, and data interpretation. Quantitative topics include percentages, ratios, averages, profit and loss, simple and compound interest, time-speed-distance, time and work, permutations and combinations, probability, and basic mensuration. Logical reasoning covers series, analogies, syllogisms, blood relations, direction sense, coding-decoding, and seating arrangement.
Verbal ability includes synonyms, antonyms, error spotting, sentence completion, and reading comprehension. Data interpretation asks you to read tables, bar charts, and pie charts and compute comparisons quickly.
Traps to watch
- Misreading whether a question asks for a percentage increase or the final value.
- Forgetting that compound interest compounds on the new principal each period.
- In syllogisms, avoiding assumptions beyond the stated premises.
- In time and work, forgetting that rates add when people work together.
Worked example
If A finishes a job in 12 days and B in 6 days, together their rate is 1/12 + 1/6 = 3/12 = 1/4, so the job takes 4 days. Rule of thumb: convert work to rates per day, add rates, then invert to find combined time.
Bhutanese Polity and Current Affairs
Core concepts
Understand Bhutan's constitutional monarchy established in 2008, with the King as head of state and the Prime Minister as head of government. Know the structure of government: the executive, the bicameral Parliament (National Council with 20 elected members plus 5 appointed by the King, and National Assembly with 47 elected members), the judiciary, and the role of the Election Commission, Royal Audit Authority, and Anti-Corruption Commission as constitutional bodies.
Know the principles of Gross National Happiness and its four pillars, the concept of Driglam Namzha, and the Gewog, Dzongkhag, and National administrative tiers under decentralization. Current affairs awareness should cover national development plans, foreign policy, regional cooperation, and major national initiatives. Candidates should track official announcements from the Royal Government and reputable national media.
Traps to watch
- Confusing the National Council (25 members) with the National Assembly (47 members).
- Assuming the King exercises day-to-day executive power; the elected government does.
- Mixing the four pillars of GNH with its nine domains.
- Relying on unverified social media for current affairs.
Worked example
A question asks how many members sit in Parliament. National Council 25 plus National Assembly 47 equals 72 members. Rule of thumb: memorize the composition of each chamber and the constitutional bodies, since factual recall questions are common.