I85PREP
⌘ K
CSIR-CRRI JSA study materials
CSIR-CRRI JSA study resources

CSIR-CRRI JSA practice questions

One question at a time. Build your CSIR-CRRI JSA understanding.

First 50 of 200 questions. Each one lists the choices, the correct answer, and an explanation. The checker at the top of this page saves progress in this browser when it is available.

Continue in the practice tool above to load more questions, 50 at a time.

Question 1General Intelligence and Reasoning

In a reasoning test for the JSA post, a candidate is asked to classify the word 'Triangle' as belonging to a group containing 'Square', 'Circle' and 'Rectangle'. Which property is being tested?

  1. Alphabetical ordering of words
  2. Semantic antonym pairing
  3. Geometric shape classification Correct answer.
  4. Syllable counting of words

Explanation

Classification items require the candidate to identify the shared defining property of a group. Square, circle and rectangle are all closed plane figures, so triangle belongs to the same geometric category. The other properties do not explain why these four words form a natural set.

Question 2General Intelligence and Reasoning

A number series in a reasoning paper reads: 3, 6, 12, 24, 48, ?. Which number continues the series?

  1. 96 Correct answer.
  2. 60
  3. 84
  4. 72

Explanation

Each term is obtained by multiplying the previous term by 2: 3×2=6, 6×2=12, and so on. Applying the same rule to 48 gives 48×2=96. Checking the ratio between consecutive terms confirms the constant multiplier.

Question 3General Intelligence and Reasoning

If 'PAPER' is coded as 'QBQFS' in a certain code, how would 'PEN' be coded using the same rule?

  1. PFN
  2. QFO Correct answer.
  3. QFN
  4. ODM

Explanation

Each letter of PAPER is replaced by the next letter of the alphabet: P→Q, A→B, P→Q, E→F, R→S. Applying the same shift to PEN gives P→Q, E→F, N→O, that is QFO. The rule is a uniform forward shift of one position.

Question 4General Intelligence and Reasoning

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

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

Explanation

The grandfather's only son is the speaker's father, since the speaker's father is the sole male child of that grandfather. The daughter of the speaker's father is therefore the speaker's sister. The word 'only' rules out any uncle who might otherwise change the relationship.

Question 5General Intelligence and Reasoning

In a row of candidates facing north, Ramesh is 7th from the left end and 12th from the right end. How many candidates are in the row?

  1. 18 Correct answer.
  2. 20
  3. 17
  4. 19

Explanation

When one person's rank from both ends is known, the total is left rank plus right rank minus one. Here 7 + 12 − 1 = 18. The subtraction of one avoids counting Ramesh twice.

Question 6General Intelligence and Reasoning

Which pair of words shows the same relationship as 'Thermometer : Temperature'?

  1. Barometer : Pressure Correct answer.
  2. Compass : Direction
  3. Odometer : Speed
  4. Calendar : Month

Explanation

A thermometer is an instrument that measures temperature, so the link is instrument to the quantity it measures. A barometer is an instrument that measures atmospheric pressure, matching that link exactly. The other pairs either measure a different quantity or show a different kind of relationship.

Question 7General Intelligence and Reasoning

Find the odd one out among the following words used in technical reports: Metre, Kilogram, Second, Litre.

  1. Litre Correct answer.
  2. Metre
  3. Second
  4. Kilogram

Explanation

Metre, kilogram and second are base SI units, while litre is a non-SI unit accepted for use with SI. The litre is defined as a cubic decimetre and is not a base unit. Hence litre is the odd one out.

Question 8General Intelligence and Reasoning

A technician walks 5 km north, turns right and walks 3 km, then turns right again and walks 5 km. In which direction is the technician from the starting point?

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

Explanation

Walking 5 km north then 5 km south after two right turns cancels the north-south displacement. The remaining displacement is the 3 km walked east after the first right turn, so the technician ends 3 km east of the start. Only the eastward leg contributes to the final position.

Question 9General Intelligence and Reasoning

Study the series: 2, 5, 11, 23, 47, ?. Which number comes next?

  1. 96
  2. 93
  3. 94
  4. 95 Correct answer.

Explanation

Each term equals the previous term multiplied by 2 and then increased by 1: 2×2+1=5, 5×2+1=11, and so on. Applying the rule to 47 gives 47×2+1=95. Checking one earlier step confirms the pattern holds throughout.

Question 10General Intelligence and Reasoning

Six engineers A, B, C, D, E and F sit in a row facing north. A is at the extreme left and F at the extreme right. C sits immediately to the right of B. D sits between A and B. If E sits second from the right, who sits immediately to the left of F?

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

Explanation

F is at the extreme right and E is second from the right, so E occupies the position immediately to the left of F. The other constraints place A, D, B and C in the remaining left-hand seats. Hence E is the neighbour of F.

Question 11General Intelligence and Reasoning

If 'CONCRETE' is written as 'ETERC NOC' style reversal is not allowed, which transformation describes writing the word in reverse order?

  1. CONCRETE
  2. E T E R C N O C
  3. ETERCNOC Correct answer.
  4. C O N C R E T E

Explanation

Reversing a word means writing its letters from last to first. The reverse of CONCRETE is E, T, E, R, C, N, O, C, giving ETERCNOC. The other options either keep the original order or merely space out the letters.

Question 12General Intelligence and Reasoning

A statement in a reasoning set says: 'All bridges are structures. Some structures are unsafe.' Which conclusion follows necessarily?

  1. All structures are bridges
  2. All unsafe things are bridges
  3. No bridge is unsafe
  4. Some bridges may be unsafe Correct answer.

Explanation

From 'all bridges are structures' and 'some structures are unsafe', we cannot conclude that any specific bridge is unsafe, but it remains possible that some bridges fall among the unsafe structures. Only a possibility follows, not a certainty. The other options reverse the given relations.

Question 13General Intelligence and Reasoning

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

  1. 75 degrees Correct answer.
  2. 60 degrees
  3. 105 degrees
  4. 90 degrees

Explanation

At 3:30 the minute hand points at 6, that is 180 degrees from 12. The hour hand has moved half an hour past 3, so it is at 3.5 hours, which is 3.5×30 = 105 degrees from 12. The difference is 180 − 105 = 75 degrees.

Question 14General Intelligence and Reasoning

Complete the letter series: AZ, BY, CX, DW, ?

  1. EU
  2. FV
  3. DV
  4. EV Correct answer.

Explanation

In each pair the first letter moves forward through the alphabet (A, B, C, D, E) while the second moves backward (Z, Y, X, W, V). The next pair is therefore EV. Both sequences advance one step at a time.

Question 15General Intelligence and Reasoning

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

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

Explanation

A 3×3×3 cut gives 27 small cubes. Cubes with exactly two painted faces lie on the edges but not at the corners, and each of the 12 edges contributes one such cube, giving 12. Corner cubes have three painted faces and face-centre cubes have one.

Question 16General Intelligence and Reasoning

In a group of 60 candidates, 35 know drafting software and 30 know spreadsheet software, while 10 know neither. How many know both?

  1. 25
  2. 10
  3. 15 Correct answer.
  4. 20

Explanation

Of the 60 candidates, 10 know neither, so 50 know at least one. Using inclusion-exclusion, both = 35 + 30 − 50 = 15. The overlap is counted twice when the two totals are added, so subtracting the union corrects it.

Question 17General Intelligence and Reasoning

A mirror is placed vertically to the right of a printed word 'CRRI'. Which sequence appears in the mirror image?

  1. CRIR
  2. IRCR
  3. CRRI
  4. IRRC Correct answer.

Explanation

A vertical mirror reverses the left-to-right order of the letters. The mirror image of CRRI is therefore IRRC. The individual letters are also laterally inverted, but the sequence order is the key feature here.

Question 18General Intelligence and Reasoning

A statement reads: 'Every candidate who clears the written test is called for the interview.' A candidate named Meera was not called for the interview. Which conclusion is valid?

  1. Meera did not clear the written test Correct answer.
  2. Meera did not appear for the written test
  3. Meera was called for the interview
  4. Meera cleared the written test

Explanation

The statement is a conditional: clearing the written test implies being called for interview. By contraposition, not being called implies not clearing the test. Hence Meera did not clear the written test.

Question 19General Intelligence and Reasoning

Which number replaces the question mark in the pattern: (4, 16), (5, 25), (6, 36), (7, ?)?

  1. 56
  2. 49 Correct answer.
  3. 48
  4. 42

Explanation

In each pair the second number is the square of the first: 4²=16, 5²=25, 6²=36. Applying the same rule to 7 gives 7²=49. The relationship is consistent across all given pairs.

Question 20General Intelligence and Reasoning

Five files are stacked one above another. File P is above Q, R is above P, and S is below Q. File T is between P and Q. Which file is at the bottom of the stack?

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

Explanation

The ordering from top to bottom is R, P, T, Q, S, since R is above P, T lies between P and Q, and S is below Q. The lowest position is therefore occupied by S. Each constraint is satisfied by this single arrangement.

Question 21General Intelligence and Reasoning

If 'A + B' means A is the father of B, and 'A − B' means A is the sister of B, which expression shows that X is the paternal aunt of Y?

  1. X + Z − Y
  2. Z − X + Y
  3. X − Z + Y Correct answer.
  4. X − Y + Z

Explanation

For X to be the paternal aunt, X must be the sister of Y's father. In 'X − Z + Y', X is the sister of Z and Z is the father of Y, so X is Y's father's sister. The other expressions place X in the father role or reverse the relationships.

Question 22General Intelligence and Reasoning

A series of figures follows the rule that the number of sides increases by one each step and the shading alternates. If the fourth figure is a shaded hexagon, which was the first figure?

  1. Shaded triangle
  2. Shaded square
  3. Unshaded square
  4. Unshaded triangle Correct answer.

Explanation

Working backward, the fourth figure is a hexagon (6 sides) and shaded, so the third is an unshaded pentagon, the second a shaded square and the first an unshaded triangle. The side count decreases by one and the shading flips at each backward step. Hence the first figure is an unshaded triangle.

Question 23General Intelligence and Reasoning

A statement and conclusions are given. Statement: 'Some surveyors are drafters. All drafters are engineers.' Conclusions: I. Some surveyors are engineers. II. All engineers are drafters. Which conclusion is valid?

  1. Neither I nor II follows
  2. Both I and II follow
  3. Only I follows Correct answer.
  4. Only II follows

Explanation

The surveyors who are drafters are also engineers, so some surveyors are engineers and conclusion I follows. Conclusion II reverses 'all drafters are engineers' into 'all engineers are drafters', which is not a valid conversion. Hence only I follows.

Question 24General Intelligence and Reasoning

A cube is painted green on all faces and cut into 64 equal smaller cubes. How many smaller cubes have no painted face?

  1. 8 Correct answer.
  2. 16
  3. 24
  4. 27

Explanation

Cutting into 64 cubes gives a 4×4×4 arrangement. The unpainted inner cubes form a 2×2×2 block after removing the outer layer, giving 8 cubes. Equivalently, (4−2)³ = 8.

Question 25General Intelligence and Reasoning

A drawing sheet is folded once along a vertical line so that the right half falls on the left half. A punch is then made through both layers at a point 3 cm from the left edge and 4 cm from the bottom. When the sheet is unfolded, the two holes are separated by what distance along the horizontal direction?

  1. 4 cm
  2. 8 cm
  3. 3 cm
  4. 6 cm Correct answer.

Explanation

Folding along a vertical line mirrors each point to the opposite side at an equal distance from the fold. A hole punched at 3 cm from the left edge lies 3 cm from the fold line, so its mirror image lies 3 cm on the other side, giving a horizontal separation of 3 + 3 = 6 cm. The vertical position of 4 cm stays the same for both holes and does not affect the horizontal gap.

Question 26General Intelligence and Reasoning

In a coded language used in a laboratory register, 'SAMPLE' is written as 'TB NQMF'. Which rule produces this code?

  1. The first and last letters are interchanged
  2. Each letter is replaced by the letter two places ahead
  3. Each letter is replaced by the previous letter of the alphabet
  4. Each letter is replaced by the next letter of the alphabet Correct answer.

Explanation

Comparing S→T, A→B, M→N, P→Q, L→M and E→F shows every letter moving exactly one step forward in the alphabet. This is a uniform +1 shift applied to each position independently. Any other rule would break the pattern at one or more letters.

Question 27General Intelligence and Reasoning

A survey team starts at a benchmark, walks 8 m towards the east, turns left and walks 6 m, then turns left again and walks 8 m. How far is the team from the benchmark, and in which direction?

  1. 6 m towards the north Correct answer.
  2. 14 m towards the north
  3. 10 m towards the north-east
  4. 8 m towards the east

Explanation

The eastward 8 m and the second 8 m walk westwards cancel each other, since two left turns from east give west. The only remaining displacement is the 6 m walked north after the first left turn. Hence the team stands 6 m due north of the starting benchmark.

Question 28General Intelligence and Reasoning

A project register lists files numbered 3, 8, 15, 24, 35, ?. Which file number continues the series?

  1. 48 Correct answer.
  2. 46
  3. 47
  4. 49

Explanation

The differences between successive terms are 5, 7, 9, 11, which increase by 2 each time. The next difference must therefore be 13, giving 35 + 13 = 48. Equivalently each term equals n² − 1 for n = 2, 3, 4, …, and the next value is 7² − 1 = 48.

Question 29General Intelligence and Reasoning

In a materials testing unit, 12 engineers can complete a set of concrete cube tests in 15 days. After 5 days of work, 4 engineers are transferred elsewhere. In how many more days will the remaining engineers finish the same work?

  1. 18 days
  2. 10 days
  3. 12 days
  4. 15 days Correct answer.

Explanation

Total work equals 12 × 15 = 180 engineer-days. In the first 5 days the team completes 12 × 5 = 60 engineer-days, leaving 120 engineer-days. With 8 engineers remaining, the time needed is 120 ÷ 8 = 15 days.

Question 30General Intelligence and Reasoning

A candidate in a written test faces north. The invigilator asks her to turn 90° clockwise, then 180° anticlockwise, then 90° clockwise again. Which direction is she facing finally?

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

Explanation

Net rotation is +90 − 180 + 90 = 0 degrees measured clockwise, so the candidate returns to her original orientation. A clockwise quarter turn followed by a half turn anticlockwise and another clockwise quarter turn cancel exactly. Hence she faces north again.

Question 31General Intelligence and Reasoning

In a soil mechanics group, Ravi is heavier than Suresh but lighter than Tarun. Umesh is heavier than Tarun. Who is the heaviest?

  1. Tarun
  2. Ravi
  3. Suresh
  4. Umesh Correct answer.

Explanation

The comparisons give Suresh < Ravi < Tarun, and Tarun < Umesh. Chaining these inequalities places Umesh above Tarun, who is above Ravi and Suresh. Therefore Umesh is the heaviest of the four.

Question 32General Intelligence and Reasoning

A statement in a safety circular reads: 'All helmets in the store are inspected.' A second statement reads: 'Some inspected items are defective.' Which conclusion definitely follows?

  1. Some items in the store are inspected Correct answer.
  2. All defective items are helmets
  3. No helmet is defective
  4. All inspected items are helmets

Explanation

If every helmet in the store is inspected, then at least the helmets present in the store belong to the inspected set, so some store items are inspected. The second statement only tells us that the inspected set overlaps the defective set; it does not locate that overlap inside the helmet subset. Hence conclusions about helmets being defective or not cannot be drawn.

Question 33General Intelligence and Reasoning

A wall clock in the site office shows 4:40. What is the smaller angle between the hour hand and the minute hand?

  1. 120°
  2. 110°
  3. 90°
  4. 100° Correct answer.

Explanation

At 4:40 the minute hand points at 8, i.e. 240° from 12. The hour hand has moved 4 hours plus 40 minutes, giving 4 × 30 + 40 × 0.5 = 140°. The difference is 240 − 140 = 100°, which is the smaller angle.

Question 34General Intelligence and Reasoning

Complete the letter series used in a filing code: BD, EG, HJ, KM, ?

  1. NO
  2. NP Correct answer.
  3. NQ
  4. MP

Explanation

The first letters B, E, H, K advance by 3 each time, so the next first letter is N. The second letters D, G, J, M also advance by 3, giving P. The next pair is therefore NP.

Question 35General Intelligence and Reasoning

A cube of side 4 cm is painted on all faces and then cut into smaller cubes of side 1 cm. How many of the smaller cubes have exactly one painted face?

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

Explanation

Cubes with exactly one painted face lie at the centre of each face, excluding edges. On a 4×4 face the interior is 2×2 = 4 cubes, and there are 6 faces, giving 24. The formula 6(n−2)² with n = 4 confirms 6 × 4 = 24.

Question 36General Intelligence and Reasoning

In a batch of 80 trainee draftsmen, 45 can use CAD software, 50 can use GIS software, and 25 can use both. How many trainees can use neither?

  1. 10 Correct answer.
  2. 20
  3. 5
  4. 15

Explanation

By inclusion–exclusion, the number using at least one skill is 45 + 50 − 25 = 70. Subtracting from the total gives 80 − 70 = 10 trainees who use neither.

Question 37General Intelligence and Reasoning

A word used in a pavement report is written in a code where each letter is replaced by the letter that comes two places before it in the alphabet. If the coded form is 'GTPCN', what is the original word?

  1. ERNAM Correct answer.
  2. IRQEP
  3. ERM AN
  4. ERNAO

Explanation

To decode, each coded letter must be moved two places forward, since encoding moved two places back. G→E, T→R, P→N, C→A and N→M give ERNAM. Checking the reverse shift on ERNAM returns GTPCN, confirming the rule.

Question 38General Intelligence and Reasoning

Five test reports P, Q, R, S and T are kept in a pile. P is above Q. R is above P. S is below Q. T is above R. Which report is at the bottom of the pile?

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

Explanation

The relations give T above R, R above P, P above Q, and Q above S. Chaining them yields the single order T, R, P, Q, S from top to bottom. The lowest position is therefore occupied by S.

Question 39General Intelligence and Reasoning

A mirror is placed vertically along the right side of the digital display '2 5 0 8'. Which reading appears in the mirror?

  1. 5 2 8 0 with each digit laterally inverted
  2. 8 0 5 2 with digits upright
  3. 2 5 0 8 unchanged
  4. 8 0 5 2 with each digit laterally inverted Correct answer.

Explanation

A vertical mirror reverses left and right, so the order of the digits is reversed and each digit is flipped laterally. The mirror therefore shows the digits in the order 8, 0, 5, 2, each appearing as its lateral image. Simple reversal without lateral inversion would be a rotation, not a mirror image.

Question 40General Intelligence and Reasoning

In a family of engineers, 'A × B' means A is the mother of B, and 'A ÷ B' means A is the father of B. Which expression shows that M is the maternal grandfather of N?

  1. M ÷ P × N Correct answer.
  2. M × P ÷ N
  3. M ÷ P ÷ N
  4. M × P × N

Explanation

Maternal grandfather means M is the father of N's mother. In M ÷ P × N, M is the father of P and P is the mother of N, so M is the father of N's mother. This exactly matches the required relationship.

Question 41General Intelligence and Reasoning

A statement reads: 'No defective sample is approved.' A second statement reads: 'All approved samples are labelled.' Which conclusion follows necessarily?

  1. Some defective samples are labelled
  2. All approved samples are defective
  3. No defective sample is labelled Correct answer.
  4. All labelled samples are approved

Explanation

Defective and approved sets are disjoint, and labelled samples include all approved ones. Since no defective sample is approved, no defective sample can belong to the approved subset of labelled items. Therefore no defective sample is labelled.

Question 42General Intelligence and Reasoning

A number series from a load table reads 7, 14, 28, 56, ?. If the pattern continues, which value fills the blank?

  1. 120
  2. 112 Correct answer.
  3. 84
  4. 98

Explanation

Each term is double the previous term: 7 × 2 = 14, 14 × 2 = 28, and so on. Continuing the doubling gives 56 × 2 = 112. The series is geometric with common ratio 2.

Question 43General Intelligence and Reasoning

A rectangular plot 40 m by 30 m has a path of uniform width 2 m running all around it inside the boundary. What is the area of the path?

  1. 240 m²
  2. 280 m²
  3. 256 m²
  4. 264 m² Correct answer.

Explanation

The outer area is 40 × 30 = 1200 m². The inner rectangle measures 36 m by 26 m, giving 936 m². The path area is 1200 − 936 = 264 m².

Question 44General Intelligence and Reasoning

In a sequence of figures, the number of sides increases by one at each step starting from a triangle, and shading alternates between shaded and unshaded. If the first figure is a shaded triangle, what is the fourth figure?

  1. An unshaded pentagon
  2. A shaded hexagon
  3. An unshaded hexagon Correct answer.
  4. A shaded pentagon

Explanation

Starting with a triangle of 3 sides, the fourth figure has 3 + 3 = 6 sides, i.e. a hexagon. Shading alternates shaded, unshaded, shaded, unshaded, so the fourth figure is unshaded. Hence it is an unshaded hexagon.

Question 45General Intelligence and Reasoning

A cube is painted on all faces and cut into 125 equal smaller cubes. How many smaller cubes have exactly two painted faces?

  1. 54
  2. 48
  3. 24
  4. 36 Correct answer.

Explanation

Cubes with exactly two painted faces lie along the edges but exclude corners. A 5×5×5 cube has 12 edges, each contributing 5 − 2 = 3 such cubes, giving 12 × 3 = 36.

Question 46General Intelligence and Reasoning

In a test, the average score of 20 candidates is 45. If the score of one candidate is corrected from 30 to 50, what is the new average?

  1. 46 Correct answer.
  2. 47
  3. 48
  4. 45

Explanation

The original total is 20 × 45 = 900. Correcting the score adds 20 marks, giving a new total of 920. Dividing by 20 gives the new average of 46.

Question 47General Intelligence and Reasoning

A statement reads: 'Some tests are destructive. All destructive tests are costly.' Which conclusion follows?

  1. No test is costly
  2. All tests are destructive
  3. Some tests are costly Correct answer.
  4. All costly tests are destructive

Explanation

The tests that are destructive also fall in the costly category, because all destructive tests are costly. Since at least one test is destructive, at least one test is costly. Thus some tests are costly necessarily follows.

Question 48General Intelligence and Reasoning

A candidate facing south turns 135° in the clockwise direction. Which direction does she now face?

  1. North-east Correct answer.
  2. South-west
  3. South-east
  4. North-west

Explanation

Facing south corresponds to 180° from north. A clockwise turn of 135° gives 180 + 135 = 315°, which is the north-east direction. Equivalently, a 135° clockwise turn from south passes through south-west and west to reach north-east.

Question 49General Intelligence and Reasoning

A word in a technical glossary is coded so that the first letter moves to the end and the remaining letters stay in order. If the coded form is 'ONCRETEC', what is the original word?

  1. CONCRETE Correct answer.
  2. CONCERET
  3. CONCRETC
  4. CCONRETE

Explanation

The rule moves the first letter of the original word to the end. To decode, take the last letter of the coded form and place it first, keeping the rest in order. Moving the final C of ONCRETEC to the front gives CONCRETE.

Question 50General Intelligence and Reasoning

A drawing sheet for a bridge detail is prepared at a scale of 1:50. On the sheet, a dimension is measured as 84 mm. What is the corresponding actual length in metres?

  1. 0.42 m
  2. 42 m
  3. 8.4 m
  4. 4.2 m Correct answer.

Explanation

At a scale of 1:50, each 1 mm on the sheet represents 50 mm in reality, so 84 mm corresponds to 84 × 50 = 4200 mm. Converting to metres by dividing by 1000 gives 4.2 m. The key rule is to multiply the drawing measurement by the scale denominator and then convert units consistently.