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JCF Entrance Exam practice questions

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Question 1General Knowledge and Current Affairs

Which body of the United Nations has the primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security?

  1. The Security Council Correct answer.
  2. The Economic and Social Council
  3. The Trusteeship Council
  4. The Secretariat

Explanation

The UN Charter assigns primary responsibility for international peace and security to the Security Council, which may impose sanctions or authorize the use of force. The other principal organs have different mandates such as administration, economic and social coordination, and the now-suspended trusteeship system.

Question 2General Knowledge and Current Affairs

The headquarters of the International Monetary Fund is located in which city?

  1. Washington, D.C. Correct answer.
  2. Geneva
  3. New York
  4. Paris

Explanation

The IMF was established at the 1944 Bretton Woods conference and operates from Washington, D.C., alongside the World Bank. Geneva and Paris host many UN and multilateral agencies, but not the IMF's headquarters.

Question 3General Knowledge and Current Affairs

Which country is the world's most populous as of the mid-2020s?

  1. United States
  2. India Correct answer.
  3. Indonesia
  4. China

Explanation

UN estimates indicated that India surpassed China as the world's most populous country in 2023. China had held the position for decades before that demographic shift.

Question 4General Knowledge and Current Affairs

Which organization publishes the annual World Economic Outlook report?

  1. World Bank
  2. World Trade Organization
  3. International Monetary Fund Correct answer.
  4. Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development

Explanation

The IMF publishes the World Economic Outlook, which presents its analysis and projections for the global economy. The World Bank and OECD issue separate flagship reports on development and member-country policy.

Question 5General Knowledge and Current Affairs

The Kyoto Protocol, adopted in 1997, primarily addressed which issue?

  1. Maritime boundary disputes
  2. International trade in services
  3. Reduction of greenhouse gas emissions Correct answer.
  4. Nuclear non-proliferation

Explanation

The Kyoto Protocol set binding greenhouse gas reduction targets for developed countries under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. It was succeeded in practice by the 2015 Paris Agreement.

Question 6General Knowledge and Current Affairs

Which currency is used by the majority of member states of the eurozone?

  1. The euro Correct answer.
  2. The franc
  3. The mark
  4. The ECU

Explanation

Eurozone members adopted the euro as their common currency, replacing national currencies such as the Deutsche Mark and French franc. The ECU was the euro's predecessor accounting unit and no longer circulates.

Question 7General Knowledge and Current Affairs

Which of the following is a permanent member of the UN Security Council?

  1. France Correct answer.
  2. Brazil
  3. Germany
  4. Japan

Explanation

The five permanent members are China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States, each holding veto power. Germany, Japan, and Brazil are among states that have campaigned for reform and permanent seats but do not currently hold them.

Question 8General Knowledge and Current Affairs

The term 'stagflation' describes an economy experiencing which combination?

  1. High inflation with stagnant growth and high unemployment Correct answer.
  2. Deflation with rapid growth
  3. High growth with low inflation
  4. Balanced budget with falling prices

Explanation

Stagflation combines rising prices with weak output and elevated unemployment, a pattern seen in the 1970s oil shocks. It challenges conventional policy because stimulus can worsen inflation while tightening can deepen stagnation.

Question 9General Knowledge and Current Affairs

A country's balance of payments current account records which of the following?

  1. Trade in goods and services, plus primary and secondary income Correct answer.
  2. Government budget deficits
  3. Changes in official reserves only
  4. Only foreign direct investment flows

Explanation

The current account covers goods and services trade plus primary income such as investment earnings and secondary income such as remittances. The capital and financial accounts record asset and liability flows, including investment.

Question 10General Knowledge and Current Affairs

Which principle holds that a state may not invoke its internal law to justify failure to perform a treaty obligation?

  1. Comity
  2. Jus cogens
  3. Pacta sunt servanda Correct answer.
  4. Rebus sic stantibus

Explanation

Pacta sunt servanda, codified in the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties, requires that treaties be performed in good faith and cannot be excused by domestic law. Rebus sic stantibus permits withdrawal only in narrow changed-circumstances cases.

Question 11General Knowledge and Current Affairs

The Human Development Index combines which three dimensions?

  1. Trade openness, inflation, and employment
  2. Population, urbanization, and energy use
  3. Health, education, and standard of living Correct answer.
  4. Income, military spending, and literacy

Explanation

The HDI, published by UNDP, averages indicators for life expectancy, education (mean and expected years of schooling), and gross national income per capita. It is a composite measure rather than a single economic indicator.

Question 12General Knowledge and Current Affairs

Which agreement established the World Trade Organization in 1995?

  1. The Bretton Woods Agreement
  2. The Marrakesh Agreement Correct answer.
  3. The Havana Charter
  4. The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade itself

Explanation

The Uruguay Round concluded with the Marrakesh Agreement in 1994, which created the WTO effective 1 January 1995. GATT continued as a WTO-covered agreement rather than the organization itself.

Question 13General Knowledge and Current Affairs

If a country fixes its exchange rate while allowing free capital movement, what constraint does the Mundell-Fleming trilemma identify?

  1. It must adopt a common currency
  2. It must eliminate its central bank
  3. It must abandon independent monetary policy Correct answer.
  4. It must run persistent trade surpluses

Explanation

The trilemma holds that a state cannot simultaneously maintain a fixed exchange rate, free capital mobility, and independent monetary policy. Choosing the first two means interest rates must follow the anchor country's policy.

Question 14General Knowledge and Current Affairs

Which body issues advisory opinions on legal questions referred by authorized UN organs?

  1. The Permanent Court of Arbitration
  2. The International Criminal Court
  3. The Human Rights Council
  4. The International Court of Justice Correct answer.

Explanation

The ICJ may give advisory opinions on legal questions posed by the General Assembly, Security Council, and other authorized bodies. Its contentious jurisdiction over states is separate from this advisory function.

Question 15General Knowledge and Current Affairs

A developing country receives concessional loans and grants from an institution that provides low-interest financing for poverty reduction. Which institution is most likely the lender?

  1. The International Finance Corporation
  2. The Financial Action Task Force
  3. The Bank for International Settlements
  4. The International Development Association Correct answer.

Explanation

The IDA is the World Bank's concessional window, offering grants and low-interest credits to the poorest countries. The IFC lends on commercial terms to private firms, while the BIS and FATF are not development lenders.

Question 16General Knowledge and Current Affairs

Which effect describes the diversion of trade from an efficient non-member supplier to a less efficient partner after a customs union forms?

  1. Trade diversion Correct answer.
  2. Economies of scale
  3. Trade creation
  4. Comparative advantage

Explanation

Trade diversion occurs when preferential tariffs cause imports to shift from a lower-cost external producer to a higher-cost partner inside the union. Trade creation, by contrast, replaces domestic production with cheaper partner imports.

Question 17General Knowledge and Current Affairs

Which treaty established the International Criminal Court and entered into force in 2002?

  1. The Geneva Conventions
  2. The Vienna Convention
  3. The Genocide Convention
  4. The Rome Statute Correct answer.

Explanation

The Rome Statute, adopted in 1998 and in force from 2002, created the ICC as a permanent court for genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and aggression. The Geneva Conventions and Genocide Convention predate it and serve different functions.

Question 18General Knowledge and Current Affairs

The Paris Agreement differs from the Kyoto Protocol chiefly because it relies on which approach?

  1. Sectoral caps limited to heavy industry
  2. Nationally determined contributions applicable to all parties Correct answer.
  3. A global carbon tax administered by the UN
  4. Binding emissions targets for all parties

Explanation

The Paris Agreement uses nationally determined contributions that every party submits and updates, rather than Kyoto's binding targets limited to developed countries. Transparency and review mechanisms, not centralized enforcement, drive ambition.

Question 19General Knowledge and Current Affairs

Which measure best captures income inequality within a country on a scale from 0 to 1?

  1. The Gini coefficient Correct answer.
  2. The consumer price index
  3. The current account balance
  4. Purchasing power parity

Explanation

The Gini coefficient summarizes the distribution of income or consumption, with 0 indicating perfect equality and 1 indicating perfect inequality. PPP, CPI, and the current account measure price levels, inflation, and external balances respectively.

Question 20General Knowledge and Current Affairs

Which voting rule applies to most decisions in the UN General Assembly?

  1. Simple majority Correct answer.
  2. Unanimity
  3. Weighted voting by contribution
  4. Consensus of the permanent five

Explanation

Each UN member has one vote in the General Assembly, and most resolutions pass by simple majority, with a two-thirds majority reserved for important questions. Weighted voting and vetoes apply elsewhere or not at all.

Question 21General Knowledge and Current Affairs

Under the WTO dispute settlement system as originally designed, what happened if a losing party failed to comply within the reasonable period?

  1. The Secretariat expelled the member
  2. The panel automatically imposed tariffs
  3. The dispute was referred to the ICJ
  4. The complainant could request authorization to suspend concessions Correct answer.

Explanation

If a member failed to bring measures into compliance, the complainant could seek authorization from the Dispute Settlement Body to suspend concessions, effectively retaliating. The system did not automatically impose penalties or expel members.

Question 22General Knowledge and Current Affairs

A state's central bank raises interest rates sharply while the government maintains a fixed exchange rate and open capital account. What is the most likely immediate consequence?

  1. Capital inflows that pressure the currency to appreciate Correct answer.
  2. A reduction in the central bank's foreign reserves to zero
  3. Immediate adoption of a floating rate
  4. An automatic devaluation of the currency

Explanation

Higher rates attract foreign capital, which pressures the fixed rate upward and forces the central bank to intervene by buying foreign currency. This expands reserves and can fuel domestic money growth, illustrating the trilemma's constraint.

Question 23General Knowledge and Current Affairs

Which reasoning explains why a customs union may reduce welfare even as it expands trade among members?

  1. Customs unions eliminate all tariffs on external goods
  2. Member imports always replace cheaper domestic production
  3. Rules of origin increase trade with non-members
  4. Preferential treatment can displace lower-cost external imports Correct answer.

Explanation

Trade diversion arises when a union's common external tariff and internal preferences cause sourcing to shift from a more efficient non-member to a less efficient member. Welfare falls if the diversion cost exceeds the gains from trade creation.

Question 24General Knowledge and Current Affairs

Why does the ICJ's jurisdiction differ fundamentally from that of the ICC?

  1. The ICJ lacks any treaty basis
  2. The ICJ hears disputes between states, while the ICC prosecutes individuals Correct answer.
  3. The ICC issues advisory opinions for the Security Council
  4. The ICJ hears only criminal cases against individuals

Explanation

The ICJ settles contentious cases between states consenting to jurisdiction and gives advisory opinions to authorized organs. The ICC, rooted in the Rome Statute, exercises criminal jurisdiction over individuals for core international crimes.

Question 25General Knowledge and Current Affairs

A country's currency depreciates sharply while it holds large foreign-currency debt. Which transmission channel most directly amplifies the economic shock?

  1. Automatic reduction in import prices
  2. Higher domestic-currency cost of servicing foreign debt Correct answer.
  3. Lower nominal value of debt in domestic terms
  4. Immediate fall in the policy interest rate

Explanation

Depreciation raises the domestic-currency value of foreign-currency liabilities, worsening corporate and sovereign balance sheets and potentially triggering defaults. This balance-sheet channel can turn a currency move into a financial crisis.

Question 26General Knowledge and Current Affairs

Which organization publishes the World Economic Outlook and the Global Financial Stability Report, the two flagship surveillance publications followed by finance ministries and central banks?

  1. The Bank for International Settlements
  2. The International Monetary Fund Correct answer.
  3. The World Bank
  4. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development

Explanation

The IMF produces both the World Economic Outlook, which presents its multilateral growth and inflation projections, and the Global Financial Stability Report, which assesses systemic financial risks. These are core outputs of its bilateral and multilateral surveillance mandate under its Articles of Agreement.

Question 27General Knowledge and Current Affairs

A candidate preparing for a diplomatic career reads that a state has lodged a reservation to a multilateral treaty. In the law of treaties, what does a reservation do?

  1. It excludes or modifies the legal effect of certain treaty provisions as applied to that state Correct answer.
  2. It suspends the entire treaty for all parties until the reservation is withdrawn
  3. It converts the treaty into a non-binding political declaration
  4. It automatically amends the treaty text for every party that has ratified it

Explanation

A reservation is a unilateral statement made when consenting to be bound by a treaty that purports to exclude or modify the legal effect of specified provisions in their application to that state. It does not alter the text for other parties, though other parties may object to it.

Question 28General Knowledge and Current Affairs

In development finance, the term 'official development assistance' (ODA) is defined by which criterion?

  1. Any private capital flow to a developing country exceeding a fixed threshold
  2. Portfolio investment in emerging-market sovereign bonds
  3. Military assistance provided under a bilateral security agreement
  4. Concessional financing provided by official agencies with the promotion of development as its main objective Correct answer.

Explanation

ODA is defined by the OECD Development Assistance Committee as flows to developing countries from official agencies that are concessional in character and administered with the promotion of economic development and welfare as their main objective. Military aid and purely commercial flows are excluded from the definition.

Question 29General Knowledge and Current Affairs

A government wishes to signal that its central bank will not finance the budget deficit by purchasing government bonds directly. Which arrangement is most consistent with that commitment?

  1. Prohibiting direct central bank credit to the government while permitting secondary-market purchases Correct answer.
  2. Appointing the finance minister as chair of the monetary policy committee
  3. Granting the finance ministry an overdraft facility at the central bank
  4. Requiring the central bank to roll over maturing treasury bills automatically

Explanation

A prohibition on direct monetary financing, combined with the ability to buy government securities in the secondary market, is the standard institutional design for central bank independence. It prevents automatic deficit financing while preserving open market operations for liquidity management.

Question 30General Knowledge and Current Affairs

Which index is most commonly used to measure the price competitiveness of a country's exports against a basket of trading partners' currencies?

  1. The purchasing managers' index
  2. The real effective exchange rate Correct answer.
  3. The Gini coefficient
  4. The consumer price index

Explanation

The real effective exchange rate weights a currency against those of trading partners and adjusts for relative price or cost levels, so it captures competitiveness rather than nominal value alone. A rise indicates appreciation and a loss of competitiveness.

Question 31General Knowledge and Current Affairs

A treaty requires ratification by 60 states to enter into force. By a given date, 58 states have ratified. What is the legal status of the treaty?

  1. It is in force for all signatories because signature creates binding obligations
  2. It is in force only for the 58 states that have ratified
  3. It is not yet in force, and ratifying states owe no treaty obligations until the threshold is met Correct answer.
  4. It has become customary international law and binds all states

Explanation

Where a treaty specifies a threshold for entry into force, the treaty does not become binding until that condition is satisfied. Ratification expresses consent to be bound, but the obligations arise only when the treaty enters into force.

Question 32General Knowledge and Current Affairs

Which statement best describes the difference between the World Bank's International Development Association and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development?

  1. Both lend exclusively to private firms and never to governments
  2. The IDA lends on commercial terms, while the IBRD provides grants only
  3. The IDA provides concessional financing to the poorest countries, while the IBRD lends on near-market terms to creditworthy members Correct answer.
  4. The IBRD is a United Nations fund, while the IDA is an agency of the European Union

Explanation

The IDA is the World Bank's concessional window, offering long maturities and very low or no interest to low-income countries. The IBRD raises funds on capital markets and lends to creditworthy members at rates close to market levels.

Question 33General Knowledge and Current Affairs

A country abolishes an import quota and replaces it with an equivalent tariff. According to standard trade theory, what is the main welfare consequence?

  1. The price of the imported good falls to the world price for consumers
  2. The quota rent previously captured by licence holders becomes government tariff revenue, while the deadweight loss may persist Correct answer.
  3. Welfare necessarily falls because tariffs are always more restrictive than quotas
  4. The volume of imports becomes unlimited regardless of the tariff level

Explanation

A quota and an equivalent tariff restrict imports by the same amount, but under a quota the scarcity rent accrues to whoever holds the licences, whereas a tariff transfers it to the government. The consumption and production distortion losses remain, but the rent is redirected to the public budget.

Question 34General Knowledge and Current Affairs

Which body is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations and settles disputes between states?

  1. The International Court of Justice Correct answer.
  2. The Permanent Court of Arbitration
  3. The International Criminal Court
  4. The Human Rights Council

Explanation

The International Court of Justice is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations, seated in The Hague, and hears contentious cases between states as well as issuing advisory opinions. The other bodies listed have different mandates or are not UN organs.

Question 35General Knowledge and Current Affairs

A central bank raises its policy rate while inflation expectations remain firmly anchored. In the short run, which sequence is most consistent with standard monetary transmission?

  1. Higher rates directly increase bank lending and investment
  2. Higher rates raise the exchange rate, reduce net exports, and lower aggregate demand Correct answer.
  3. Higher rates have no effect on demand when expectations are anchored
  4. Higher rates depreciate the currency and raise import prices, increasing inflation

Explanation

A policy rate increase tends to attract capital, appreciate the currency, and make exports less competitive, reducing net exports. Alongside the direct effect on borrowing costs and investment, this lowers aggregate demand and inflationary pressure.

Question 36General Knowledge and Current Affairs

Which concept describes a situation in which a country's public debt grows faster than its nominal GDP indefinitely, absent corrective action?

  1. A debt-deflation spiral
  2. A liquidity trap
  3. An unsustainable fiscal trajectory Correct answer.
  4. Crowding out

Explanation

When the interest rate on debt exceeds nominal growth, the debt-to-GDP ratio rises mechanically unless the primary balance offsets it. Such a path is described as an unsustainable fiscal trajectory and typically requires consolidation or restructuring.

Question 37General Knowledge and Current Affairs

A state wishes to become a party to the Rome Statute but is not yet a signatory. What is the standard route?

  1. It must be invited by the Assembly of States Parties to sign within one year
  2. It must amend the Statute to add itself as a party
  3. It must first obtain a Security Council recommendation before signing
  4. It may accede to the treaty, which has the same legal effect as ratification for a non-signatory Correct answer.

Explanation

For multilateral treaties that so provide, a state that did not sign may accede at any time, and accession has the same binding effect as ratification. The Rome Statute permits accession by any state.

Question 38General Knowledge and Current Affairs

Which measure is designed to capture the share of a population living below a defined consumption threshold, expressed as a headcount ratio?

  1. The poverty gap index
  2. The poverty headcount ratio at a given poverty line Correct answer.
  3. The Human Development Index
  4. The Gini coefficient

Explanation

The headcount ratio counts the proportion of the population whose consumption or income falls below a specified poverty line. It is simple to communicate but ignores the depth of deprivation, which is captured by the poverty gap index.

Question 39General Knowledge and Current Affairs

Two states agree to submit a boundary dispute to arbitration rather than to the International Court of Justice. What is the principal legal difference in how the outcome binds them?

  1. An arbitral award is binding only if both parties later accept it in a new treaty
  2. The arbitral award is binding on the parties for that dispute, whereas ICJ judgments bind only the states that are parties to the case Correct answer.
  3. Arbitration produces advisory opinions, while ICJ judgments are binding
  4. Neither procedure produces a binding result without Security Council endorsement

Explanation

Both arbitral awards and ICJ judgments are binding on the parties to the specific dispute, but arbitration is tailored to the case and the parties choose the tribunal. ICJ judgments bind only the states party to the case and have no formal stare decisis effect.

Question 40General Knowledge and Current Affairs

Which institution sets the Basel capital adequacy standards that national banking regulators are expected to implement?

  1. The World Trade Organization
  2. The Financial Action Task Force
  3. The Basel Committee on Banking Supervision Correct answer.
  4. The International Monetary Fund

Explanation

The Basel Committee on Banking Supervision, hosted at the Bank for International Settlements, issues the Basel framework on capital, liquidity, and leverage. National authorities transpose these standards into domestic law, so implementation varies in timing and detail.

Question 41English Language and Comprehension

In the sentence 'The committee reviewed the proposal carefully before the deadline', which word functions as an adverb modifying the verb 'reviewed'?

  1. committee
  2. proposal
  3. carefully Correct answer.
  4. deadline

Explanation

An adverb modifies a verb, adjective, or other adverb. Here 'carefully' describes how the committee reviewed, so it is an adverb of manner. The other words are nouns functioning as subject, object, or object of a preposition.

Question 42English Language and Comprehension

A candidate writes: 'Each of the applicants have submitted the required documents.' Which revision corrects the subject-verb agreement error while keeping the meaning?

  1. Each of the applicant has submitted the required documents.
  2. Each of the applicants has submitted the required documents. Correct answer.
  3. Each of the applicants has submit the required documents.
  4. Each of the applicants have submitted the required document.

Explanation

The indefinite pronoun 'each' is singular, so it takes the singular verb 'has'. The plural noun in the prepositional phrase 'of the applicants' does not change the number of the subject. Only the first option keeps both agreement and the original meaning intact.

Question 43English Language and Comprehension

Which sentence uses the apostrophe correctly according to standard written English conventions?

  1. The teachers's lounge was renovated over the summer.
  2. The teachers lounge was renovated over the summer.
  3. The teachers' lounge was renovated over the summer. Correct answer.
  4. The teacher's lounge was renovated over the summer for all of them.

Explanation

A plural noun ending in -s forms the possessive by adding only an apostrophe after the s, giving 'teachers''. This signals a lounge shared by multiple teachers. The other options either omit the apostrophe, misplace it, or create a nonexistent form.

Question 44English Language and Comprehension

In the word 'unbelievable', how many morphemes are present?

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

Explanation

The word divides into the prefix 'un-', the root 'believe', and the suffix '-able', giving three morphemes. Each unit carries meaning and cannot be split further without losing sense. Counting letters or syllables would give misleading answers.

Question 45English Language and Comprehension

Which word is the closest synonym for 'meticulous' as used in 'She kept meticulous records of every transaction'?

  1. Ambiguous
  2. Scrupulous Correct answer.
  3. Hasty
  4. Reluctant

Explanation

'Meticulous' describes extreme care and attention to detail, which matches 'scrupulous'. The context of record-keeping reinforces precision and thoroughness. The other adjectives describe speed, vagueness, or unwillingness, none of which fits.

Question 46English Language and Comprehension

Identify the type of sentence: 'Although the weather was poor, the ceremony continued as planned.'

  1. Compound-complex
  2. Simple
  3. Complex Correct answer.
  4. Compound

Explanation

The sentence contains one dependent clause introduced by 'although' and one independent clause. A single independent clause plus at least one subordinate clause defines a complex sentence. There are not two independent clauses, so it is not compound.

Question 47English Language and Comprehension

In the sentence 'The manager gave the new intern a detailed briefing', what is the grammatical function of 'the new intern'?

  1. Indirect object Correct answer.
  2. Object of a preposition
  3. Subject complement
  4. Direct object

Explanation

The verb 'gave' takes two objects: 'the new intern' receives the briefing, and 'a detailed briefing' is what is given. The recipient is the indirect object, while the thing given is the direct object. No preposition introduces 'the new intern'.

Question 48English Language and Comprehension

Which sentence contains a dangling modifier?

  1. Walking through the gallery, the paintings impressed the visitors. Correct answer.
  2. The visitors, walking through the gallery, admired the paintings.
  3. While the visitors walked through the gallery, they admired the paintings.
  4. Walking through the gallery, the visitors admired the paintings.

Explanation

A dangling modifier occurs when the implied subject of the introductory phrase does not match the subject of the main clause. In the first option, 'walking through the gallery' seems to describe 'the paintings', which cannot walk. The other options place the visitors as the logical agent of the walking.

Question 49English Language and Comprehension

A recruitment notice reads: 'Applicants must submit their forms by Friday; otherwise they will not be considered.' Which punctuation rule justifies the semicolon?

  1. It introduces a list of items that follows a complete clause.
  2. It separates a dependent clause from its main clause.
  3. It joins two independent clauses without a coordinating conjunction. Correct answer.
  4. It replaces a comma before a nonessential relative clause.

Explanation

A semicolon may link two closely related independent clauses when no coordinating conjunction such as 'and' or 'but' is present. Both 'Applicants must submit their forms by Friday' and 'otherwise they will not be considered' can stand alone. The other uses describe colons or commas, not semicolons.

Question 50English Language and Comprehension

Choose the option that correctly completes the sentence: 'If the panel ______ the proposal tomorrow, work ______ next week.'

  1. approves / began
  2. approves / will begin Correct answer.
  3. approved / will begin
  4. will approve / begins

Explanation

In a first conditional, the if-clause uses the present simple ('approves') and the main clause uses 'will' plus the base verb ('will begin'). The time marker 'tomorrow' confirms a real future condition. Mixing 'will' into the if-clause or shifting tenses breaks this pattern.