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NICL AO practice questions

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Question 1Reasoning Ability

Pointing to a photograph, a man said, 'She is the daughter of my mother's only son.' How is the woman in the photograph related to the man?

  1. Daughter Correct answer.
  2. Mother's sister
  3. Sister
  4. Cousin

Explanation

The man's mother has only one son, and that son is the man himself. The photograph therefore shows the daughter of the man, so the woman is his daughter. The word 'only' rules out the possibility that the son is a brother.

Question 2Reasoning Ability

Study the series 3, 6, 11, 18, 27, ?. What number should replace the question mark?

  1. 38 Correct answer.
  2. 42
  3. 40
  4. 36

Explanation

The differences between consecutive terms are 3, 5, 7 and 9, which increase by 2 each time. The next difference must therefore be 11, giving 27 + 11 = 38.

Question 3Reasoning Ability

In a certain code language, MOBILE is written as NPCJMF. Using the same rule, how is TABLET written?

  1. UBCMFU Correct answer.
  2. UBCMFT
  3. TBCMFU
  4. UCBMFU

Explanation

Each letter of MOBILE is shifted one place forward in the English alphabet: M becomes N, O becomes P, and so on. Applying the same rule to TABLET gives UBCMFU, with every letter moved one step forward.

Question 4Reasoning Ability

Statements: All caps are hats. Some hats are gloves. Which conclusion definitely follows? I. Some caps are gloves. II. Some gloves are hats.

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

Explanation

The statement 'Some hats are gloves' converts validly to 'Some gloves are hats', so conclusion II follows. The caps are entirely within hats, but the gloves mentioned may be hats that are not caps, so conclusion I is not guaranteed.

Question 5Reasoning Ability

Five friends A, B, C, D and E sit in a row facing north. C sits at the extreme left. E sits second to the right of C. A sits adjacent to E. B does not sit at either extreme end. Who sits in the middle?

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

Explanation

C occupies the first seat, so E occupies the third seat. A must be in seat 2 or seat 4, and B must take the other non-extreme seat, leaving D in seat 5. The middle seat is therefore occupied by E.

Question 6Reasoning Ability

In a class of 40 students, Riya ranks 12th from the top. What is her rank from the bottom?

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

Explanation

The rank from the bottom is calculated as total students minus rank from the top plus one. Here it is 40 - 12 + 1 = 29, so Riya is 29th from the bottom.

Question 7Reasoning Ability

Statements: A > B ≥ C; D ≤ C; E = D. Which conclusion is definitely true?

  1. E > C
  2. B < D
  3. A ≤ C
  4. A > E Correct answer.

Explanation

Combining the inequalities gives A > B ≥ C ≥ D = E. Therefore A is strictly greater than E, so A > E is definitely true.

Question 8Reasoning Ability

A person starts at point P, walks 8 km south to Q, turns left and walks 6 km to R, then turns left and walks 8 km to S. What is the straight-line distance between P and S?

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

Explanation

After walking 8 km south, the person turns left and moves 6 km east, then turns left and moves 8 km north. The final point S is therefore 6 km due east of P, so the straight-line distance is 6 km.

Question 9Reasoning Ability

Six persons P, Q, R, S, T and U live on six different floors of a building, numbered 1 to 6 from bottom to top. Q lives on an even-numbered floor but not on floor 2. R lives immediately above Q. T lives on floor 5. S lives below P but above U. Who lives on floor 3?

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

Explanation

Q cannot be on floor 4 because then R would be on floor 5, which is occupied by T; Q cannot be on floor 6 because R must live above Q. Thus Q is on floor 2 and R is on floor 3. The condition S below P but above U then places U on floor 1, S on floor 4 and P on floor 6.

Question 10Reasoning Ability

How many such pairs of letters are there in the word ADVERSITY, each of which has as many letters between them in the word as in the English alphabet, counting both forward and backward directions?

  1. Three Correct answer.
  2. Five
  3. Four
  4. Two

Explanation

Checking the letters in order gives three qualifying pairs: D and I, V and S, and R and S. In each pair, the number of letters between them in the word matches the number between them in the alphabet, whether counted forward or backward. No other pair in ADVERSITY satisfies this condition.

Question 11Reasoning Ability

Select the option that completes the analogy: Surgeon : Scalpel :: Carpenter : ?

  1. Saw Correct answer.
  2. Furniture
  3. Wood
  4. Nail

Explanation

A surgeon uses a scalpel as the characteristic tool of the profession, so the matching relationship is that a carpenter uses a saw. The other options are either a material used by a carpenter or a product made by a carpenter, not the primary tool.

Question 12Reasoning Ability

Find the odd one out among the following numbers: 121, 180, 144, 169.

  1. 180 Correct answer.
  2. 169
  3. 121
  4. 144

Explanation

The numbers 121, 144 and 169 are perfect squares: 11², 12² and 13² respectively. The number 180 does not have an integer square root, so it is the odd one out.

Question 13Reasoning Ability

A is the son of B. C is the brother of B. How is C related to A?

  1. Father
  2. Brother
  3. Uncle Correct answer.
  4. Grandfather

Explanation

C is the brother of A's parent B, so C is A's uncle. The relationship is one generation above A but not A's parent or grandparent.

Question 14Reasoning Ability

Statements: Some pens are books. No book is a pencil. Conclusions: I. Some pens are not pencils. II. No pen is a pencil. Which conclusion(s) definitely follow(s)?

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

Explanation

The pens that are books cannot be pencils, so at least some pens are definitely not pencils; conclusion I follows. Conclusion II is too broad because pens that are not books could still be pencils, so it does not definitely follow.

Question 15Reasoning Ability

Five people A, B, C, D and E sit around a circular table facing the centre. A sits second to the left of B. C sits immediate right of A. D sits second to the right of C. Who sits immediate left of B?

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

Explanation

Fix B at a position. A is two seats to B's left, and C is immediately to A's right. D is then two seats to C's right, leaving E, so C sits immediately to the left of B.

Question 16Reasoning Ability

In a certain code, every vowel is replaced by the next vowel in the sequence A, E, I, O, U, A, and every consonant is replaced by the previous consonant in the English alphabet. How is RAIN written in that code?

  1. QEOM Correct answer.
  2. QZHM
  3. REOM
  4. QEON

Explanation

R and N are consonants, so they move to the previous consonant: R→Q and N→M. A and I are vowels, so they move to the next vowel: A→E and I→O; therefore RAIN becomes QEOM.

Question 17Reasoning Ability

A man starts from point P, walks 5 km north, turns right and walks 3 km, turns right and walks 5 km, and then turns left and walks 2 km. How far is he from P?

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

Explanation

After walking 5 km north, 3 km east and 5 km south, he is 3 km east of P. Turning left while facing south means turning east, so he walks 2 km more east; total displacement from P is 5 km east.

Question 18Reasoning Ability

In a row of 25 students, Anil is 9th from the left end and Sunil is 11th from the right end. How many students sit between Anil and Sunil?

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

Explanation

Sunil's position from the left is 25 − 11 + 1 = 15. Anil is 9th from the left, so the number of students between them is 15 − 9 − 1 = 5.

Question 19Reasoning Ability

Six books A, B, C, D, E and F are arranged in a row on a shelf. C is at the extreme left. A is second to the right of C. B is immediately adjacent to A. D is not adjacent to C. E is immediately to the left of F. F is not at the extreme right. Which book is fourth from the left end?

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

Explanation

With C at position 1, A is at position 3. B must be at position 2 because placing B at position 4 would leave no valid adjacent E-F pair under the other conditions. Then E and F occupy positions 4 and 5, D takes position 6, and the fourth book from the left is E.

Question 20Reasoning Ability

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

  1. 36 Correct answer.
  2. 27
  3. 24
  4. 54

Explanation

For an n × n × n cube, smaller cubes with exactly two painted faces lie along the edges but not at the corners, giving 12(n − 2). Here n = 5, so the count is 12 × 3 = 36.

Question 21Reasoning Ability

What number should come next in the series 7, 14, 28, 56, 112, ?

  1. 236
  2. 216
  3. 228
  4. 224 Correct answer.

Explanation

Each term in the series is obtained by doubling the previous term. Since 112 × 2 = 224, the next number is 224.

Question 22Reasoning Ability

Kavita is married to Rajesh. Rajesh is the only son of Mohan, and Preeti is Mohan's daughter. How is Kavita related to Preeti?

  1. Sister
  2. Sister-in-law Correct answer.
  3. Mother
  4. Aunt

Explanation

Rajesh and Preeti are siblings because both are children of Mohan. Kavita, being Rajesh's wife, is the wife of Preeti's brother and therefore Preeti's sister-in-law.

Question 23Reasoning Ability

A person facing north turns 90° clockwise, then 180° anticlockwise, and finally 90° clockwise. Which direction is the person facing now?

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

Explanation

Starting from north, a 90° clockwise turn makes the person face east. A 180° anticlockwise turn from east gives west, and a final 90° clockwise turn from west gives north.

Question 24Reasoning Ability

In a certain code, letters in odd positions of a word are moved one place forward in the English alphabet, while letters in even positions are moved one place backward. What is the code for GOLD?

  1. HOMC
  2. GNMC
  3. HNMC Correct answer.
  4. HNMD

Explanation

G is in the first position, so it moves forward to H; O is second and moves backward to N; L is third and moves forward to M; D is fourth and moves backward to C. Hence GOLD is coded as HNMC.

Question 25Reasoning Ability

Statements: All roses are flowers. Some flowers are lilies. No lily is a thorn. Conclusions: I. Some roses are lilies. II. Some flowers are not thorns. Which conclusion follows?

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

Explanation

Since some flowers are lilies and no lily is a thorn, those flowers that are lilies are definitely not thorns, so conclusion II follows. Conclusion I is not definite because the roses need not overlap with the lilies.

Question 26Reasoning Ability

Five persons A, B, C, D and E sit around a circular table facing the centre. A sits second to the left of B. C sits to the immediate right of A. D sits second to the right of C. Who sits to the immediate left of E?

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

Explanation

Placing B and applying the left-right clues gives A two places clockwise from B, C immediately to A's right, and D two places to C's right. The remaining seat for E has D on its immediate left.

Question 27Reasoning Ability

Five friends A, B, C, D and E live on floors 1 to 5 of a building, one on each floor. A lives on floor 3. D lives on floor 1. B lives immediately above C. Who lives on floor 5?

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

Explanation

Floors 1 and 3 are occupied by D and A, so B and C must occupy consecutive available floors. The only valid consecutive pair is C on floor 4 and B on floor 5, leaving E on floor 2.

Question 28Reasoning Ability

Among five friends P, Q, R, S and T, P is taller than Q. R is shorter than S. T is taller than P. Q is taller than R. Who is the shortest?

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

Explanation

The comparisons form T > P > Q > R, and S is also taller than R. Since Q is taller than R and S is taller than R, R is shorter than every other friend.

Question 29Reasoning Ability

Six persons A, B, C, D, E and F sit in a row facing north. A sits second to the left of B. C sits fourth to the right of A. D sits immediately left of E. F sits at one of the ends. Who sits at the other end?

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

Explanation

A must occupy the first seat so that B can be second to its right and C fourth to its right. Then F occupies the sixth seat, and D and E fill seats 2 and 4, leaving A at the other end.

Question 30Reasoning Ability

A team of three players is to be selected from A, B, C, D and E. A and B cannot be together; C must be accompanied by D; E cannot be with A; B and C cannot be together; E and D cannot be together. Which team is valid?

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

Explanation

The team A, C, D satisfies every condition: A is not with B or E, C is with D, and neither forbidden pair is present. The other teams each contain at least one forbidden combination.

Question 31Reasoning Ability

What should come in place of the question mark in the series 3, 8, 15, 24, 35, ?

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

Explanation

The differences are 5, 7, 9 and 11, so the next difference is 13. Adding 13 to 35 gives 48. Equivalently, the terms are n² − 1 for n = 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, so the next term is 7² − 1 = 48.

Question 32Reasoning Ability

In a certain code, each letter of the word is replaced by the next letter in the English alphabet. How is the word COACH written in that code?

  1. DPDBI Correct answer.
  2. DPBDI
  3. DPDBH
  4. CPDBI

Explanation

The rule shifts every letter one place forward in the alphabet. C becomes D, O becomes P, A becomes B, C becomes D, and H becomes I. Therefore COACH is written as DPDBI.

Question 33Reasoning Ability

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

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

Explanation

Ravi's grandfather's only son must be Ravi's father. The daughter of Ravi's father is Ravi's sister. The word "only" rules out the possibility that the girl is a cousin through another son.

Question 34Reasoning Ability

Statements: All chairs are tables. Some tables are wooden. No wooden item is metal. Conclusions: I. Some chairs are wooden. II. Some tables are not metal. Which conclusion(s) follow(s)?

  1. Neither
  2. Only II Correct answer.
  3. Both I and II
  4. Only I

Explanation

Some tables are wooden, and no wooden item is metal, so those wooden tables are definitely not metal; hence conclusion II follows. Conclusion I is not forced because the chairs could all lie in the non-wooden part of the table set.

Question 35Reasoning Ability

Five friends P, Q, R, S and T sit in a row facing north. P sits at the extreme left end. Q sits second to the right of P. R sits immediate right of Q. S is not adjacent to P. Who sits at the extreme right end?

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

Explanation

P is at position 1 and Q is at position 3, so R must be at position 4. The remaining positions are 2 and 5; since S is not adjacent to P, S must be at position 5 and T at position 2. Thus S is at the extreme right end.

Question 36Reasoning Ability

A man starts from point X, walks 8 m north, turns left and walks 6 m, turns left and walks 8 m, and then turns right and walks 5 m. How far and in which direction is he now from X?

  1. 11 m north-west
  2. 5 m west
  3. 11 m east
  4. 11 m west Correct answer.

Explanation

The northward and southward movements cancel: 8 m north and 8 m south. The westward movements are 6 m plus 5 m, because the final right turn while facing south points west. The net displacement is therefore 11 m west.

Question 37Reasoning Ability

In a class of 40 students, Meera ranks 12th from the top. Kavya ranks 8 places below Meera. What is Kavya's rank from the bottom?

  1. 21st Correct answer.
  2. 19th
  3. 22nd
  4. 20th

Explanation

Kavya is 8 places below Meera, so her rank from the top is 12 + 8 = 20. In a class of 40, rank from the bottom is 40 − 20 + 1 = 21.

Question 38Reasoning Ability

Find the odd one out: 27, 64, 125, 169.

  1. 27
  2. 125
  3. 64
  4. 169 Correct answer.

Explanation

27, 64 and 125 are 3³, 4³ and 5³ respectively, so they are perfect cubes. 169 is 13², a perfect square but not a perfect cube, so it is the odd one out.

Question 39Reasoning Ability

A committee of three is to be formed from six persons P, Q, R, S, T and U. The conditions are: P and Q cannot be selected together; R must be selected with S; T cannot be selected with U; and if P is selected, U must also be selected. Which of the following committees satisfies all the conditions?

  1. P, U, T
  2. Q, T, U
  3. P, S, T
  4. Q, R, S Correct answer.

Explanation

In Q, R, S, R is paired with S as required, P and Q are not together, and neither T nor U is selected, so the T-U restriction does not apply. The other options either select P without U, or select T and U together.

Question 40Reasoning Ability

Five persons A, B, C, D and E live on floors 1 to 5, one on each floor. A lives on an even-numbered floor above floor 2. B lives immediately above C. D lives on floor 1. Who lives on floor 4?

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

Explanation

A must be on floor 4, because it is the only even-numbered floor above floor 2. With D on floor 1, the remaining floors 2, 3 and 5 must place B immediately above C, so C is on 2, B on 3 and E on 5. Therefore floor 4 is occupied by A.

Question 41English Language

In the sentence "The insurer's liability is contingent on proof of loss", the word "contingent" most nearly means:

  1. simultaneous
  2. dependent Correct answer.
  3. absolute
  4. negligible

Explanation

"Contingent on" means depending on something else that may or may not happen, so the liability here depends on proof of loss being produced. In policy wording the phrase always signals a condition that must be satisfied before the obligation arises, never an unconditional promise.

Question 42English Language

Choose the option that best expresses the meaning of the idiom in this sentence: "The underwriter threw cold water on the proposal to expand into marine cover."

  1. approved it without discussion
  2. postponed it to a later date
  3. examined it in great detail
  4. dampened enthusiasm for it Correct answer.

Explanation

To "throw cold water on" a plan is to discourage it or cool other people's enthusiasm for it. The idiom describes a discouraging reaction, not a formal postponement, approval or detailed scrutiny.

Question 43English Language

In a formal insurance circular, which of the following sentences is free of grammatical error?

  1. Neither of the two reports are ready for submission.
  2. One of the policyholders have submitted a complaint regarding the delay.
  3. Each of the claims were verified by the surveyor before payment.
  4. The number of lapsed policies has risen sharply this quarter. Correct answer.

Explanation

In "the number of lapsed policies", the head of the subject is "the number", which is singular, so it takes the singular verb "has". Phrases beginning "one of", "each of" and "neither of" all take singular verbs in formal written English, so the other three options are faulty.

Question 44English Language

Choose the option that correctly converts this into indirect speech: The branch manager said to the claimant, "Your documents will be verified tomorrow."

  1. The branch manager asked the claimant whether his documents would be verified the following day.
  2. The branch manager told the claimant that his documents will be verified tomorrow.
  3. The branch manager told the claimant that his documents would be verified the following day. Correct answer.
  4. The branch manager said to the claimant that his documents would be verified the next day.

Explanation

With a past reporting verb, "will" shifts to "would" and "tomorrow" shifts to "the following day" or "the next day"; "said to" becomes "told" followed directly by the person addressed. The sentence being reported is a statement, so a question frame such as "asked whether" is wrong.

Question 45English Language

Select the word most nearly opposite in meaning to "lucrative" as used in "a lucrative insurance portfolio".

  1. profitable
  2. competitive
  3. unprofitable Correct answer.
  4. statutory

Explanation

"Lucrative" describes something that yields good profit, so its antonym must describe something that yields none, namely "unprofitable". "Profitable" is a synonym rather than an opposite, and the remaining options describe market conditions or legal status instead of profit.

Question 46English Language

Fill in the blank with the most appropriate word: The regulator asked insurers to ______ their exposure to catastrophe risk before the monsoon.

  1. quantify Correct answer.
  2. qualify
  3. quibble
  4. quarantine

Explanation

"Quantify" means to measure or express something as an amount, which fits the need to size up exposure to risk. Its near-lookalike "qualify" means to limit or to make eligible, so it cannot take "exposure" as its object in this sense.

Question 47English Language

In "It would be prudent for the insurer to reinsure a portion of this risk", which word best replaces "prudent" without changing the meaning?

  1. reckless
  2. expedient
  3. lucrative
  4. circumspect Correct answer.

Explanation

"Prudent" means showing careful judgement about future risk, and "circumspect" carries the same sense of cautious, risk-aware decision-making. "Expedient" means merely convenient or self-serving, which lacks the element of careful foresight.

Question 48English Language

Read the statement and answer the question. "A high claim settlement ratio alone does not prove that an insurer treats policyholders fairly; a company may settle a large share of small claims promptly while disputing most of the larger ones." Which of the following can be inferred from the statement?

  1. Insurers dispute large claims mainly because such claims are unprofitable.
  2. A high claim settlement ratio can coexist with unfair treatment of large claimants. Correct answer.
  3. Small claims are always settled faster than large claims by every insurer.
  4. A high claim settlement ratio is a guarantee that policyholders are treated fairly at all times.

Explanation

The statement warns that the ratio counts numbers of claims, not their value, so an insurer can look good on it while resisting big payouts. The inference is therefore that a high ratio and unfair treatment of large claimants can occur together, not that the ratio certifies fairness.

Question 49English Language

Identify the part that must be changed to make the sentence correct: "The board insisted that the auditor submits the final report before the annual general meeting."

  1. submits Correct answer.
  2. before
  3. insisted
  4. meeting

Explanation

Verbs of demand and recommendation such as "insist", "demand" and "recommend" take the mandative subjunctive in the that-clause, which uses the base form of the verb whatever the subject. The clause should therefore read "that the auditor submit the final report", making "submits" the faulty part.

Question 50English Language

Select the option that fills the three blanks correctly in order: "An underwriter must ___ (i) that the risk has been assessed; the policy will ___ (ii) the nominee against loss; the agent ___ (iii) the customer of quick settlement."

  1. ensure, insure, assure Correct answer.
  2. assure, insure, ensure
  3. insure, ensure, assure
  4. ensure, assure, insure

Explanation

"Ensure" means to make certain, "insure" means to cover against loss under a policy, and "assure" means to reassure a person. The blanks require certainty first, cover second and reassurance third, giving "ensure, insure, assure".