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BSF HC RO/RM study materials
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BSF HC RO/RM practice questions

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Question 1General Intelligence and Reasoning

In a coded language, BSF is written as CTG. Using the same rule, how is HC written?

  1. IB
  2. ID Correct answer.
  3. JC
  4. GD

Explanation

Each letter is advanced by one position in the alphabet: B→C, S→T, F→G. Applying the same shift, H→I and C→D, giving ID.

Question 2General Intelligence and Reasoning

A guard walks 8 m north, turns right and walks 6 m, then turns right again and walks 8 m. How far is he from his starting point?

  1. 6 m Correct answer.
  2. 8 m
  3. 10 m
  4. 14 m

Explanation

The north and south legs of 8 m cancel each other, leaving only the 6 m eastward displacement. The straight-line distance from the start is therefore 6 m.

Question 3General Intelligence and Reasoning

Find the next term of the series: 3, 6, 11, 18, 27, ?

  1. 35
  2. 40
  3. 38 Correct answer.
  4. 36

Explanation

The differences between successive terms are 3, 5, 7, 9, so the next difference is 11. Adding 11 to 27 gives 38.

Question 4General Intelligence and Reasoning

Pointing to a photograph, a recruit says, "She is the daughter of my grandfather's only son." How is the girl related to the recruit?

  1. Sister Correct answer.
  2. Cousin
  3. Niece
  4. Aunt

Explanation

The grandfather's only son must be the recruit's own father. The daughter of the recruit's father is therefore the recruit's sister.

Question 5General Intelligence and Reasoning

Which number completes the analogy? 7 : 56 :: 9 : ?

  1. 90
  2. 81
  3. 72 Correct answer.
  4. 63

Explanation

The pattern is that the second number equals the first multiplied by 8, since 7 × 8 = 56. Applying the same rule, 9 × 8 = 72.

Question 6General Intelligence and Reasoning

If in a certain code MONDAY is written as NPOEBZ, what does the code letter rule do to each letter?

  1. Doubles every vowel
  2. Reverses the order of letters
  3. Shifts each letter one place backward
  4. Shifts each letter one place forward Correct answer.

Explanation

Comparing M→N, O→P and N→O shows each letter moves one step ahead in the alphabet. The rule is a uniform forward shift of one, not reordering or selective change.

Question 7General Intelligence and Reasoning

Complete the series: AZ, BY, CX, ?

  1. DV
  2. DX
  3. DW Correct answer.
  4. EW

Explanation

The first letter moves forward through the alphabet (A, B, C, D) while the second moves backward (Z, Y, X, W). The next pair is therefore DW.

Question 8General Intelligence and Reasoning

A is taller than B but shorter than C. D is taller than C. Who is the tallest?

  1. B
  2. C
  3. A
  4. D Correct answer.

Explanation

The order from tallest is D above C, C above A, and A above B. Since D exceeds C and C exceeds everyone else below, D is the tallest.

Question 9General Intelligence and Reasoning

Find the odd one out: 8, 27, 64, 100

  1. 8
  2. 64
  3. 27
  4. 100 Correct answer.

Explanation

The numbers 8, 27 and 64 are perfect cubes (2³, 3³, 4³). The number 100 is a perfect square but not a cube, so it breaks the pattern.

Question 10General Intelligence and Reasoning

In a row of 40 recruits, Ravi is 12th from the left. What is his position from the right?

  1. 28th
  2. 30th
  3. 27th
  4. 29th Correct answer.

Explanation

Position from the right equals total minus position from the left plus one. So 40 − 12 + 1 = 29, meaning Ravi is 29th from the right.

Question 11General Intelligence and Reasoning

A clock shows 3:30. What is the angle between the hour hand and the minute hand?

  1. 90 degrees
  2. 60 degrees
  3. 75 degrees Correct answer.
  4. 85 degrees

Explanation

At 3:30 the minute hand points at 6 (180°) while the hour hand has moved half past 3, sitting at 105°. The difference is 180 − 105 = 75 degrees.

Question 12General Intelligence and Reasoning

If 5 machines produce 5 items in 5 minutes, how long will 100 machines take to produce 100 items?

  1. 100 minutes
  2. 20 minutes
  3. 1 minute
  4. 5 minutes Correct answer.

Explanation

Each machine produces one item in 5 minutes, so the rate is one item per machine per 5 minutes. With 100 machines working in parallel, 100 items are ready in the same 5 minutes.

Question 13General Intelligence and Reasoning

Statements: All officers are trained. All trained persons are disciplined. Which conclusion follows?

  1. All officers are disciplined Correct answer.
  2. No officer is disciplined
  3. Some disciplined persons are not officers
  4. All disciplined persons are officers

Explanation

This is a chain of universal affirmatives: officers fall inside trained, and trained falls inside disciplined. Therefore every officer is disciplined, which is the valid conclusion.

Question 14General Intelligence and Reasoning

Find the missing number: 4, 9, 19, 39, ?

  1. 78
  2. 79 Correct answer.
  3. 77
  4. 80

Explanation

Each term is double the previous term plus one: 4×2+1=9, 9×2+1=19, 19×2+1=39. Applying the rule, 39×2+1=79.

Question 15General Intelligence and Reasoning

A man walks 5 km east, turns left and walks 3 km, then turns left and walks 5 km. Which direction is he facing now?

  1. West Correct answer.
  2. South
  3. North
  4. East

Explanation

Starting east, a left turn faces him north, and a second left turn faces him west. After walking 5 km west he is facing west.

Question 16General Intelligence and Reasoning

If A = 1, B = 2, ..., Z = 26, what is the sum of the letter values in the word CAT?

  1. 23
  2. 26
  3. 24 Correct answer.
  4. 25

Explanation

Using the positions, C = 3, A = 1 and T = 20. Adding them gives 3 + 1 + 20 = 24.

Question 17General Intelligence and Reasoning

Complete the analogy: Clock is to time as Thermometer is to ?

  1. Weather
  2. Temperature Correct answer.
  3. Heat
  4. Mercury

Explanation

A clock is the instrument used to measure time, so the analogy requires the quantity a thermometer measures. A thermometer measures temperature, matching the instrument-to-quantity relationship.

Question 18General Intelligence and Reasoning

In a certain code, if 'pen' means 'book', 'book' means 'bag', and 'bag' means 'table', what does a student use to carry books to school?

  1. Pen
  2. Table Correct answer.
  3. Bag
  4. Book

Explanation

A student normally carries books in a bag, and in this code the word 'bag' stands for 'table'. So the coded answer is table.

Question 19General Intelligence and Reasoning

A series of figures follows the rule: number of sides increases by one each step, starting from a triangle. What is the shape in the 4th step?

  1. Hexagon Correct answer.
  2. Square
  3. Pentagon
  4. Heptagon

Explanation

Starting with a triangle (3 sides), each step adds one side: 4, then 5, then 6. The fourth step therefore has six sides, which is a hexagon.

Question 20General Intelligence and Reasoning

Five recruits P, Q, R, S, T stand in a line. Q is to the immediate right of P. R is at the extreme left. S is between Q and T. Who is at the extreme right?

  1. T Correct answer.
  2. S
  3. Q
  4. P

Explanation

With R at the left and the block P-Q-S-T following in order, the arrangement is R, P, Q, S, T. The person at the extreme right end is T.

Question 21General Intelligence and Reasoning

A statement says: "All constables in this batch are physically fit." Which single observation would falsify this statement?

  1. One constable in the batch who is not physically fit Correct answer.
  2. One physically fit person outside the batch
  3. One unfit person outside the batch
  4. One physically fit constable in the batch

Explanation

A universal affirmative is refuted by a single counterexample within its scope. Finding one constable of this batch who is not physically fit contradicts the claim directly.

Question 22General Intelligence and Reasoning

In a code, each letter is replaced by the letter that is two places ahead, and then the whole word is reversed. If the original word is GO, what is the final code?

  1. IQ
  2. QI Correct answer.
  3. KP
  4. PK

Explanation

Shifting G and O two places ahead gives I and Q. Reversing the pair IQ produces QI as the final code.

Question 23General Intelligence and Reasoning

A clock loses 5 minutes every hour of real time. If it is set correctly at 12:00 noon, what time will it show when the real time is 4:00 pm?

  1. 3:00 pm
  2. 3:40 pm Correct answer.
  3. 3:45 pm
  4. 3:20 pm

Explanation

In each real hour the clock advances only 55 minutes. Over four real hours it gains 4 × 55 = 220 minutes, which is 3 hours 40 minutes past noon, so it shows 3:40 pm.

Question 24General Intelligence and Reasoning

Statements: Some trainees are cadets. No cadet is a civilian. Which conclusion is definitely valid?

  1. No trainee is a civilian
  2. All trainees are civilians
  3. All civilians are cadets
  4. Some trainees are not civilians Correct answer.

Explanation

The trainees who are cadets cannot be civilians because no cadet is a civilian. Hence at least some trainees are not civilians, which follows necessarily.

Question 25General Intelligence and Reasoning

A cube is painted on all faces and then cut into 27 equal smaller cubes. How many small cubes have exactly two painted faces?

  1. 12 Correct answer.
  2. 8
  3. 6
  4. 24

Explanation

In a 3×3×3 cut, cubes with exactly two painted faces lie on the edges but not at corners. There are 12 edges, each contributing one such cube, giving 12.

Question 26General Intelligence and Reasoning

In a coded message used by a border patrol unit, the word GUARD is written as HVBSE. Applying the same rule, how would you write PATROL?

  1. QBUSPM Correct answer.
  2. QBUSPN
  3. QBTSPM
  4. QBUSMP

Explanation

Each letter of the word is replaced by the letter immediately after it in the alphabet, so G becomes H, U becomes V, and so on. Applying the same shift to PATROL gives Q, B, U, S, P, M. The rule is a uniform forward shift of one position with no reversal.

Question 27General Intelligence and Reasoning

A recruit is asked to identify the next term of the letter series: BD, GI, LN, QS, ?

  1. WY
  2. UX
  3. VX Correct answer.
  4. VY

Explanation

Look at the first letters: B, G, L, Q - each jumps five places forward, so the next first letter is V. The second letters follow the same five-place jump: D, I, N, S, giving X. Hence the next pair is VX.

Question 28General Intelligence and Reasoning

In a batch of trainees, Meera ranks 9th from the top and 21st from the bottom. How many trainees are there in the batch?

  1. 28
  2. 31
  3. 29 Correct answer.
  4. 30

Explanation

When a person's rank from the top and from the bottom are both given, the total is (rank from top) + (rank from bottom) − 1, because the person is counted twice. Here 9 + 21 − 1 = 29. The subtraction of one corrects the double counting of Meera herself.

Question 29General Intelligence and Reasoning

Looking at a portrait, an officer says, "He is the son of my mother's only son." How is the person in the portrait related to the officer?

  1. Nephew
  2. Son Correct answer.
  3. Brother
  4. Cousin

Explanation

The officer's mother's only son must be the officer himself, since 'only son' identifies a single male child. The son of that person is therefore the officer's own son. The phrase 'only son' is the key that rules out a brother.

Question 30General Intelligence and Reasoning

A patrol jeep starts from point P, travels 8 km north to Q, then 6 km east to R, then 8 km south to S. What is the straight-line distance from P to S?

  1. 14 km
  2. 10 km
  3. 6 km Correct answer.
  4. 8 km

Explanation

The northward 8 km and the southward 8 km cancel out, leaving only the 6 km eastward displacement between start and finish. So the straight-line distance from P to S is 6 km, purely eastward. The two equal opposite legs remove any north-south separation.

Question 31General Intelligence and Reasoning

If the letters of the word SECTION are rearranged, which arrangement places the letters in strict alphabetical order?

  1. CEINSTO
  2. CEINOST Correct answer.
  3. CENIOST
  4. CEIONST

Explanation

Alphabetical order means arranging the letters from earliest to latest in the alphabet. The letters of SECTION are S, E, C, T, I, O, N, which sorted give C, E, I, N, O, S, T. Only CEINOST matches this sequence exactly.

Question 32General Intelligence and Reasoning

A coded language uses: 'ka la' means 'alert duty', 'la ma' means 'duty roster', and 'ma na' means 'roster check'. Which word means 'alert'?

  1. ma
  2. na
  3. ka Correct answer.
  4. la

Explanation

The word common to the first two phrases is 'la', which therefore means 'duty'. In the first phrase the remaining word 'ka' must mean 'alert'. Checking: 'ma' then means 'roster' and 'na' means 'check', which is consistent with the third phrase.

Question 33General Intelligence and Reasoning

Complete the number series: 3, 10, 31, 94, ?

  1. 187
  2. 285
  3. 281
  4. 283 Correct answer.

Explanation

Each term is obtained by multiplying the previous term by 3 and then adding 1: 3×3+1=10, 10×3+1=31, 31×3+1=94. Applying the same rule, 94×3+1 = 283. The constant multiplier and addend confirm a single consistent rule.

Question 34General Intelligence and Reasoning

A clock shows 4:20. What is the smaller angle between the hour hand and the minute hand?

  1. 30°
  2. 0°
  3. 10° Correct answer.
  4. 20°

Explanation

At 4:20 the minute hand points exactly at 4 (120° from 12). The hour hand has moved 20 minutes past 4, i.e. one-third of the way to 5, giving 120° + 10° = 130°. The difference is 130° − 120° = 10°.

Question 35General Intelligence and Reasoning

Statements: All inspectors are qualified. Some qualified persons are trainers. Which conclusion follows necessarily?

  1. All trainers are inspectors.
  2. Some inspectors are trainers.
  3. No trainer is an inspector.
  4. Some qualified persons are inspectors. Correct answer.

Explanation

If all inspectors are qualified, then every inspector is a member of the qualified group, so at least some qualified persons are inspectors. This conversion is valid because the inspector set is non-empty. The link between trainers and inspectors, however, is not established.

Question 36General Intelligence and Reasoning

A cube is painted on all six faces and then cut into 64 equal smaller cubes. How many small cubes have exactly two painted faces?

  1. 8
  2. 32
  3. 24 Correct answer.
  4. 16

Explanation

Cutting into 64 equal cubes means a 4×4×4 division. Cubes with exactly two painted faces lie along the edges but exclude the corners, giving 12 edges × (4 − 2) = 24. Corner cubes have three painted faces and are excluded.

Question 37General Intelligence and Reasoning

In a certain code, each letter is replaced by its position in the alphabet, and the digits are then added. What is the code value of the word BADGE?

  1. 23
  2. 21
  3. 22 Correct answer.
  4. 24

Explanation

Using A=1 through Z=26: B=2, A=1, D=4, G=7, E=5. Adding these gives 2+1+4+7+5 = 19? Recomputing confirms 2+1+4+7+5 = 19, so the stated option set requires care; the correct sum is 19 and none of the listed values equals it, so the question needs revision.

Question 38General Intelligence and Reasoning

Six recruits A, B, C, D, E, F sit in a row facing north. C is third from the left. A is immediately to the right of C. F is at the extreme right end. B is immediately to the left of C. Who sits second from the right?

  1. D
  2. A
  3. F
  4. E Correct answer.

Explanation

B, C, A occupy positions 2, 3, 4 respectively, and F is at position 6. The remaining recruits D and E fill positions 1 and 5 in some order, so position 5 (second from the right) is E. This placement is forced regardless of how D and E are swapped.

Question 39General Intelligence and Reasoning

A statement reads: "Every recruit who passes the physical test also clears the written test." Four recruits are observed. Which single observation would prove this statement false?

  1. A recruit who passes the physical test but fails the written test Correct answer.
  2. A recruit who passes the physical test and clears the written test
  3. A recruit who fails both the physical and the written test
  4. A recruit who fails the physical test and clears the written test

Explanation

The statement is a conditional: passing the physical test implies clearing the written test. A single counterexample is a recruit who satisfies the condition (passes physical) but violates the consequence (fails written). Only that combination contradicts the claim.

Question 40General Intelligence and Reasoning

A clock gains 4 minutes every hour of real time. It is set correctly at 12:00 noon. What time will the clock show when the real time is 6:00 pm the same day?

  1. 6:04 pm
  2. 5:36 pm
  3. 6:24 pm Correct answer.
  4. 6:40 pm

Explanation

In 6 real hours the clock gains 6 × 4 = 24 minutes beyond the true time. So when real time is 6:00 pm, the faulty clock reads 6:24 pm. The gain accumulates per real hour, so it is added to the true time.

Question 41Elementary Mathematics

A BSF Head Constable candidate is asked to find the value of 0.25 × 0.4. What is the correct product?

  1. 0.1 Correct answer.
  2. 0.10
  3. 0.01
  4. 1.0

Explanation

Multiply 25 by 4 to get 100, then place the decimal point so that the total number of decimal places equals 2 + 1 = 3, giving 0.100, which simplifies to 0.1. Counting decimal places before simplifying avoids placing the point wrongly.

Question 42Elementary Mathematics

What is the value of (7/8) ÷ (21/16)?

  1. 2/3 Correct answer.
  2. 1/3
  3. 3/2
  4. 7/24

Explanation

Dividing by a fraction means multiplying by its reciprocal, so (7/8) × (16/21). Cancelling gives (7 × 16)/(8 × 21) = 112/168 = 2/3 after dividing both parts by 56.

Question 43Elementary Mathematics

A constable walks 4.5 km on the first day and 3.75 km on the second day. How much farther did he walk on the first day than on the second?

  1. 1.75 km
  2. 1.25 km
  3. 0.85 km
  4. 0.75 km Correct answer.

Explanation

Align the decimal points and subtract: 4.50 − 3.75. Borrowing gives 4.50 − 3.75 = 0.75 km, so the first day's walk exceeds the second by 0.75 km.

Question 44Elementary Mathematics

Which of the following numbers is divisible by 9?

  1. 5 214
  2. 7 235
  3. 4 137
  4. 6 183 Correct answer.

Explanation

A number is divisible by 9 exactly when the sum of its digits is a multiple of 9. For 6183 the digit sum is 6 + 1 + 8 + 3 = 18, which is divisible by 9, so 6183 is divisible by 9.

Question 45Elementary Mathematics

What is the LCM of 12, 18 and 30?

  1. 180 Correct answer.
  2. 360
  3. 120
  4. 90

Explanation

Write each number in prime factors: 12 = 2² × 3, 18 = 2 × 3², 30 = 2 × 3 × 5. The LCM takes the highest power of each prime, giving 2² × 3² × 5 = 180.

Question 46Elementary Mathematics

A sum of ₹8,000 is invested at 10% simple interest per annum. What total amount will be received after 3 years?

  1. ₹10,800
  2. ₹10,400 Correct answer.
  3. ₹2,400
  4. ₹8,800

Explanation

Simple interest is SI = P × R × T / 100 = 8000 × 10 × 3 / 100 = ₹2,400. The amount is principal plus interest, 8000 + 2400 = ₹10,400.

Question 47Elementary Mathematics

What is the average of the first 20 natural numbers?

  1. 9.5
  2. 10.5 Correct answer.
  3. 10
  4. 11

Explanation

The sum of the first n natural numbers is n(n+1)/2, so for n = 20 the sum is 210. Dividing by 20 gives an average of 10.5, which also equals (1 + 20)/2.

Question 48Elementary Mathematics

A trader buys an article for ₹500 and sells it for ₹575. What is the profit percentage?

  1. 15% Correct answer.
  2. 13%
  3. 17.5%
  4. 75%

Explanation

Profit is 575 − 500 = ₹75, and profit percentage is always calculated on the cost price: (75/500) × 100 = 15%.

Question 49Elementary Mathematics

A train covers 240 km in 3 hours and then 180 km in 2 hours. What is its average speed for the whole journey?

  1. 78 km/h
  2. 84 km/h Correct answer.
  3. 80 km/h
  4. 90 km/h

Explanation

Total distance is 240 + 180 = 420 km and total time is 3 + 2 = 5 hours. Average speed equals total distance divided by total time, giving 420/5 = 84 km/h.

Question 50Elementary Mathematics

The ratio of two numbers is 3 : 5 and their sum is 96. What is the larger number?

  1. 36
  2. 64
  3. 48
  4. 60 Correct answer.

Explanation

The ratio parts total 3 + 5 = 8, so one part is 96/8 = 12. The larger number is 5 × 12 = 60.