General Knowledge and Current Affairs
What is tested
This paper samples Pakistan's geography, national symbols, constitution and government, world geography, international organisations, and recent events. Current-affairs items change constantly, so a dated news source is more reliable than an old guidebook.
Core content
- Pakistan has four provinces plus Islamabad Capital Territory, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and Gilgit-Baltistan. The capital is Islamabad; K2 is the highest peak; the Indus is the longest river; the Thar Desert lies in the southeast.
- Pakistan borders India, China, Afghanistan, and Iran, and has a coastline on the Arabian Sea.
- National symbols include the markhor (animal), chukar (bird), deodar (tree), and jasmine (flower).
- The UN was founded in 1945 with headquarters in New York; the OIC is headquartered in Jeddah; SAARC in Kathmandu.
- The Constitution of 1973 established a parliamentary system with a President as head of state and a Prime Minister as head of government.
Worked example
A question asks for Australia's capital. Sydney is the largest city, but the capital is Canberra. The reasoning is to separate “largest city” from “seat of government”, a distinction that also catches Istanbul/Ankara and Karachi/Islamabad items.
Traps
Stale facts, similar country names (Niger/Nigeria, Austria/Australia), and “first/largest/longest” claims. For anything date-sensitive, verify against a current source rather than guessing.