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Nigerian Army DSSC/SSC Test study materials
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Nigerian Army DSSC/SSC Test practice questions

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Question 1English Language and Verbal Reasoning

Choose the option that best completes the sentence: The commanding officer insisted that every recruit ______ present at the parade ground by 0500 hours.

  1. is
  2. will be
  3. was
  4. be Correct answer.

Explanation

Verbs such as 'insist', 'demand' and 'order' take a that-clause in the subjunctive mood, where the base form of the verb is used regardless of the subject. 'Be' is therefore the only correct form after 'insisted that every recruit'.

Question 2English Language and Verbal Reasoning

Select the word nearest in meaning to the underlined expression: The battalion's supply line was described as precarious after the bridge was damaged.

  1. secure
  2. insecure Correct answer.
  3. abundant
  4. permanent

Explanation

'Precarious' means uncertain, unstable or likely to fail, so 'insecure' is the closest synonym. The context of a damaged bridge supports the sense of instability rather than safety or plenty.

Question 3English Language and Verbal Reasoning

Identify the option that correctly completes the sentence: Neither the sergeant nor the corporals ______ aware of the change in patrol schedule.

  1. was
  2. were Correct answer.
  3. is
  4. has been

Explanation

With the correlative 'neither...nor', the verb agrees with the nearer subject. The nearer subject here is 'corporals', which is plural, so the plural past form 'were' is required.

Question 4English Language and Verbal Reasoning

Choose the option that best explains the meaning of the idiom in the sentence: The new adjutant was told to keep an eye on the ammunition store.

  1. to ignore completely
  2. to close one eye briefly
  3. to monitor carefully Correct answer.
  4. to photograph secretly

Explanation

The idiom 'keep an eye on' means to watch or monitor something attentively. In a military context it means maintaining careful supervision of the ammunition store.

Question 5English Language and Verbal Reasoning

Which option correctly reports the officer's words? The officer said, "The troops will deploy at dawn."

  1. The officer said the troops will deploy at dawn.
  2. The officer says the troops would deploy at dawn.
  3. The officer said that the troops deploy at dawn.
  4. The officer said that the troops would deploy at dawn. Correct answer.

Explanation

In reported speech after a past reporting verb, 'will' shifts back to 'would', and the conjunction 'that' is normally introduced. Option 1 correctly applies both changes.

Question 6English Language and Verbal Reasoning

Choose the option that best supplies the missing word: The general praised the soldier for his ______ conduct during the rescue operation.

  1. cowardly
  2. exemplary Correct answer.
  3. doubtful
  4. reluctant

Explanation

The sentence signals praise, so a positive adjective is needed. 'Exemplary' means serving as a worthy model and fits the commendation.

Question 7English Language and Verbal Reasoning

Identify the option that contains a correctly used semicolon in a military report.

  1. The convoy halted at the checkpoint; and the road was flooded.
  2. The convoy halted at the checkpoint; the road ahead was flooded. Correct answer.
  3. The convoy halted at the checkpoint; flooding, the road ahead.
  4. The convoy halted at the checkpoint; because the road was flooded.

Explanation

A semicolon joins two independent clauses that are closely related and not already joined by a conjunction. Option 2 has two complete clauses on either side of the semicolon.

Question 8English Language and Verbal Reasoning

Choose the option that correctly completes the sentence: The recruits have been training in the bush ______ three weeks.

  1. during
  2. from
  3. since
  4. for Correct answer.

Explanation

'For' is used with a length of time such as 'three weeks'. 'Since' would require a specific starting point in time.

Question 9English Language and Verbal Reasoning

Select the option that best replaces the underlined word: The commander's orders were ambiguous, leaving the platoon unsure of the route.

  1. clear
  2. lengthy
  3. unclear Correct answer.
  4. urgent

Explanation

'Ambiguous' means open to more than one interpretation, that is, unclear. The clause about the platoon being unsure confirms this meaning.

Question 10English Language and Verbal Reasoning

Choose the option that correctly completes the sentence: Hardly ______ the signal been given when the soldiers moved out.

  1. have
  2. had Correct answer.
  3. has
  4. having

Explanation

In the inverted construction 'hardly...when', the past perfect is used, giving 'hardly had...been given'. The auxiliary precedes the subject after the negative adverb 'hardly'.

Question 11English Language and Verbal Reasoning

Choose the option that best completes the analogy: Rifle is to soldier as ______ is to navigator.

  1. barracks
  2. salute
  3. uniform
  4. compass Correct answer.

Explanation

The relationship is between a worker and the key tool of the trade: a soldier uses a rifle, and a navigator uses a compass. Only 'compass' preserves that tool relationship.

Question 12English Language and Verbal Reasoning

Identify the option that correctly completes the sentence: The sergeant, together with two corporals, ______ scheduled to inspect the armoury.

  1. have been
  2. are
  3. is Correct answer.
  4. were

Explanation

When a singular subject is followed by 'together with', the phrase is parenthetical and does not change the number of the subject. The singular 'sergeant' therefore takes the singular verb 'is'.

Question 13English Language and Verbal Reasoning

Choose the option that best expresses the sentence in the passive voice: The quartermaster issued new boots to the recruits.

  1. The recruits issued new boots to the quartermaster.
  2. New boots are issued to the recruits by the quartermaster.
  3. New boots had issued to the recruits by the quartermaster.
  4. New boots were issued to the recruits by the quartermaster. Correct answer.

Explanation

To convert a simple past active sentence to the passive, use 'was/were' plus the past participle: 'were issued'. The original object 'new boots' becomes the subject.

Question 14English Language and Verbal Reasoning

Choose the option that correctly completes the sentence: If the sentry ______ the password, he would have challenged the stranger.

  1. has known
  2. knew
  3. had known Correct answer.
  4. knows

Explanation

This is a third conditional sentence, which uses 'if' plus the past perfect in the condition and 'would have' plus past participle in the result. 'Had known' is the required past perfect form.

Question 15English Language and Verbal Reasoning

Select the option that best explains the meaning of the underlined word: The troops were ordered to evacuate the village before the artillery barrage began.

  1. leave Correct answer.
  2. occupy
  3. reinforce
  4. defend

Explanation

'Evacuate' means to remove people from a place of danger, that is, to leave it. The order to do so before a barrage confirms the sense of withdrawal.

Question 16English Language and Verbal Reasoning

Identify the option that correctly completes the sentence: The officer spoke so ______ that every soldier understood the order immediately.

  1. clear
  2. clearness
  3. clearly Correct answer.
  4. clearer

Explanation

An adverb is needed to modify the verb 'spoke'. 'Clearly' is the adverb form, while 'clear' is an adjective.

Question 17English Language and Verbal Reasoning

Choose the option that correctly completes the sentence: No sooner ______ the parade begun than the rain started.

  1. have
  2. has
  3. had Correct answer.
  4. did

Explanation

'No sooner...than' requires the past perfect with inversion: 'no sooner had the parade begun'. The auxiliary 'had' precedes the subject.

Question 18English Language and Verbal Reasoning

Choose the option that best completes the sentence: The captain is the person ______ the report must be submitted.

  1. who
  2. which
  3. whom
  4. to whom Correct answer.

Explanation

The verb 'submit' takes the preposition 'to' before its indirect object, so 'to whom' is required. 'Whom' is the objective form used for people.

Question 19English Language and Verbal Reasoning

Choose the option that best completes the sentence: The drill instructor made the recruits ______ the obstacle course twice.

  1. to run
  2. ran
  3. running
  4. run Correct answer.

Explanation

Verbs of causation such as 'make', 'let' and 'have' take a bare infinitive after the object. The correct form is 'made the recruits run'.

Question 20English Language and Verbal Reasoning

Select the option that contains the correct spelling for a formal military document.

  1. accomodattion
  2. acommodation
  3. accommodation Correct answer.
  4. accomodation

Explanation

The correct spelling is 'accommodation', with double 'c' and double 'm'. This is a commonly misspelt word in formal writing.

Question 21English Language and Verbal Reasoning

Choose the option that best completes the sentence: The platoon was divided ______ four sections for the exercise.

  1. between
  2. into Correct answer.
  3. among
  4. in

Explanation

'Divide into' is the standard collocation when something is separated into parts. 'Between' and 'among' describe distribution of items, not division into parts.

Question 22English Language and Verbal Reasoning

Choose the option that best explains the meaning of the proverb in a military context: Too many cooks spoil the broth.

  1. Broth is an essential part of a soldier's diet.
  2. Cooking should be left to trained personnel.
  3. Excessive involvement by many people ruins a task. Correct answer.
  4. Many hands always make light work.

Explanation

The proverb warns that when too many people take part in a task, the result is spoilt. In a military setting it cautions against divided or excessive command.

Question 23English Language and Verbal Reasoning

Identify the option that best completes the sentence: Scarcely had the bugle sounded ______ the soldiers assembled.

  1. that
  2. when Correct answer.
  3. than
  4. then

Explanation

The correlative pair 'scarcely...when' is standard, just as 'hardly...when' is. 'Than' pairs with 'no sooner', not with 'scarcely'.

Question 24English Language and Verbal Reasoning

Choose the option that correctly completes the sentence: The general, ______ had served for thirty years, addressed the recruits.

  1. who Correct answer.
  2. which
  3. whose
  4. whom

Explanation

The relative pronoun is the subject of the verb 'had served', so the subjective form 'who' is required. 'Whom' would be used only as an object.

Question 25English Language and Verbal Reasoning

Choose the option that best completes the sentence: The soldiers were exhausted; ______, they completed the march.

  1. therefore
  2. moreover
  3. nevertheless Correct answer.
  4. consequently

Explanation

'Nevertheless' signals contrast, which fits the tension between exhaustion and completing the march. The other connectives signal result or addition.

Question 26English Language and Verbal Reasoning

In a Nigerian Army situation report, choose the option that correctly completes the sentence: The battalion ______ its position at dawn before the enemy could regroup.

  1. had already secured Correct answer.
  2. has already secured
  3. is already securing
  4. already secures

Explanation

The past perfect 'had already secured' is required because the securing happened before another past event, the enemy's regrouping. Both actions lie in the past, so the earlier one takes 'had' plus the past participle.

Question 27English Language and Verbal Reasoning

Select the option that best replaces the underlined word in this order: The platoon leader was told to curtail the patrol because of worsening weather.

  1. shorten Correct answer.
  2. extend
  3. abandon
  4. postpone

Explanation

To 'curtail' means to cut short or reduce the duration of something, so 'shorten' is the closest synonym for a patrol being reduced in length. The other options describe different actions that the original word does not convey.

Question 28English Language and Verbal Reasoning

Choose the option that best completes the analogy in a military context: Barracks is to soldiers as ______ is to aircraft.

  1. radar
  2. runway
  3. hangar Correct answer.
  4. cockpit

Explanation

A barracks is the sheltered accommodation where soldiers are housed, so the matching term for aircraft is the hangar where they are housed. The relationship is place of accommodation for the group, not a place of operation or a device.

Question 29English Language and Verbal Reasoning

Identify the option that correctly completes the sentence: Neither the commander nor the soldiers ______ aware of the change in orders.

  1. was
  2. has been
  3. were Correct answer.
  4. is

Explanation

With 'neither...nor', the verb agrees with the nearer subject, which here is the plural 'soldiers', so the plural 'were' is required. The past tense also matches the reported situation.

Question 30English Language and Verbal Reasoning

Choose the option that best expresses the sentence in reported speech: The adjutant said, "The parade will begin at 0700 hours."

  1. The adjutant said that the parade would begin at 0700 hours. Correct answer.
  2. The adjutant said that the parade begins at 0700 hours.
  3. The adjutant says the parade would begin at 0700 hours.
  4. The adjutant said the parade will begin at 0700 hours.

Explanation

When the reporting verb is in the past ('said'), 'will' in the original statement shifts back to 'would'. The reporting conjunction 'that' is optional but the tense backshift is obligatory.

Question 31English Language and Verbal Reasoning

Select the option that best explains the meaning of the underlined idiom in a military context: The new lieutenant was told to keep his ear to the ground before the operation.

  1. stay alert to current information and rumours Correct answer.
  2. listen for enemy aircraft overhead
  3. obey every instruction without question
  4. lie flat on the ground during contact

Explanation

'Keep your ear to the ground' means to stay attentive to news, rumours and developments so as to be well informed. In a military setting it means monitoring intelligence and what people are saying, not a physical posture.

Question 32English Language and Verbal Reasoning

Identify the option that correctly completes the sentence: The wounded soldier was carried ______ a stretcher ______ the medical tent.

  1. by / at
  2. in / into
  3. with / towards
  4. on / to Correct answer.

Explanation

A patient is carried 'on' a stretcher, and movement towards a destination is expressed with 'to'. The preposition 'on' describes the supporting surface, while 'to' marks the endpoint of the movement.

Question 33English Language and Verbal Reasoning

Choose the option that best completes the sentence: The general insisted that every officer ______ present at the briefing.

  1. was
  2. will be
  3. be Correct answer.
  4. is

Explanation

Verbs of insistence such as 'insist that' trigger the subjunctive mood, which uses the base form 'be' regardless of the subject. This expresses a demand rather than a statement of fact.

Question 34English Language and Verbal Reasoning

Select the option that best replaces the underlined word in this report: The enemy's resistance was so tenacious that the advance stalled for hours.

  1. feeble
  2. confused
  3. stubborn Correct answer.
  4. brief

Explanation

'Tenacious' describes something that holds on firmly and refuses to yield, so 'stubborn' captures the same idea of persistent resistance. The other options describe weakness or confusion, which contradict the context of a stalled advance.

Question 35English Language and Verbal Reasoning

Identify the option that contains a correctly formed conditional sentence suitable for a standing order.

  1. If the alarm will sound, all personnel report to the muster point.
  2. If the alarm sounds, all personnel will report to the muster point. Correct answer.
  3. If the alarm sounded, all personnel will report to the muster point.
  4. If the alarm sounds, all personnel would have reported to the muster point.

Explanation

A first conditional uses the present simple in the 'if' clause and 'will' in the main clause, which suits a standing instruction about a real future possibility. The tenses in the other options do not match their clause types.

Question 36English Language and Verbal Reasoning

Choose the option that best completes the sentence: The recruits were commended for their conduct, ______ impressed the visiting officer.

  1. which Correct answer.
  2. whom
  3. who
  4. that

Explanation

A non-defining relative clause that comments on the whole preceding idea takes 'which', preceded by a comma. 'That' cannot introduce a non-defining clause, and 'who'/'whom' refer to people.

Question 37English Language and Verbal Reasoning

Select the option that best explains the meaning of the proverb in a military context: A chain is only as strong as its weakest link.

  1. Chains of command should be kept as short as possible.
  2. Soldiers should be chained together during night marches.
  3. Long supply chains are always the first to fail.
  4. A unit's effectiveness depends on its least capable member. Correct answer.

Explanation

The proverb means that the reliability of a whole system is limited by its weakest part. Applied to a unit, overall performance is limited by the least capable soldier, so that member must be strengthened.

Question 38English Language and Verbal Reasoning

Identify the option that correctly completes the sentence: ______ the heavy gunfire, the medical team continued to evacuate the wounded.

  1. However
  2. Although
  3. Nevertheless
  4. Despite Correct answer.

Explanation

'Despite' is a preposition and can be followed directly by a noun phrase such as 'the heavy gunfire'. 'Although' is a conjunction and needs a full clause with a subject and verb.

Question 39English Language and Verbal Reasoning

Choose the option that best completes the sentence: The commanding officer would rather his men ______ the river before first light.

  1. will cross
  2. crossed
  3. have crossing
  4. cross Correct answer.

Explanation

After 'would rather' followed by a subject, English uses the past subjunctive form, but with 'would rather' plus a bare infinitive construction the base form 'cross' is standard in this pattern. The structure expresses a preference about what someone else should do.

Question 40English Language and Verbal Reasoning

Select the option that contains the sentence with the most appropriate formal register for an official military signal.

  1. The boys should quickly get the ammo over to the front line, sharpish.
  2. Get that ammo moving to the front, and make it snappy.
  3. The ammo needs to be shifted to the front line fast, please.
  4. Ammunition is to be moved to the forward line without delay. Correct answer.

Explanation

Formal military writing uses precise nouns, the passive or impersonal construction, and avoids slang and conversational tags. 'Ammunition is to be moved to the forward line without delay' is impersonal, precise and free of colloquialisms.

Question 41Mathematics and Quantitative Reasoning

A Nigerian Army supply truck travels 240 km in 3 hours. What is its average speed in km/h?

  1. 72 km/h
  2. 60 km/h
  3. 90 km/h
  4. 80 km/h Correct answer.

Explanation

Average speed equals total distance divided by total time. Here 240 km divided by 3 hours gives 80 km/h. This is the standard rate relationship used in movement and logistics calculations.

Question 42Mathematics and Quantitative Reasoning

A recruit saves ₦1,200 from a monthly allowance of ₦8,000. What percentage of the allowance is saved?

  1. 15% Correct answer.
  2. 18%
  3. 20%
  4. 12%

Explanation

Percentage saved is the saving divided by the total allowance, multiplied by 100. So (1200 ÷ 8000) × 100 = 15%. Always express the part over the whole before converting to a percentage.

Question 43Mathematics and Quantitative Reasoning

Simplify the expression 3(2x − 4) + 5x.

  1. 11x + 12
  2. 6x − 12
  3. 11x − 12 Correct answer.
  4. 6x − 7

Explanation

Expand the bracket first: 3(2x − 4) = 6x − 12. Then add 5x to get 6x + 5x − 12 = 11x − 12. Collecting like terms is the key step.

Question 44Mathematics and Quantitative Reasoning

What is the next term in the sequence 3, 7, 15, 31, ...?

  1. 47
  2. 55
  3. 67
  4. 63 Correct answer.

Explanation

Each term is double the previous term plus one: 3×2+1=7, 7×2+1=15, 15×2+1=31. Applying the rule again gives 31×2+1=63. Checking the pattern against several terms confirms it.

Question 45Mathematics and Quantitative Reasoning

Convert the binary number 1011₂ to base ten.

  1. 10
  2. 9
  3. 13
  4. 11 Correct answer.

Explanation

Binary place values from right are 1, 2, 4, 8. So 1011 = 8 + 0 + 2 + 1 = 11. Summing the place values where a 1 appears gives the decimal equivalent.

Question 46Mathematics and Quantitative Reasoning

A rectangular parade ground measures 45 m by 30 m. What is its perimeter?

  1. 120 m
  2. 150 m Correct answer.
  3. 135 m
  4. 90 m

Explanation

Perimeter of a rectangle is 2(length + width). Here 2(45 + 30) = 2 × 75 = 150 m. Adding all four sides gives the same result.

Question 47Mathematics and Quantitative Reasoning

What is the mean of the numbers 4, 8, 10, 14, and 19?

  1. 12
  2. 13
  3. 10
  4. 11 Correct answer.

Explanation

The mean is the sum divided by the count. The sum is 4+8+10+14+19 = 55, and 55 ÷ 5 = 11. Always divide by the number of values, not by the largest value.

Question 48Mathematics and Quantitative Reasoning

If 2/5 of a battalion of 350 soldiers are on guard duty, how many soldiers are on guard duty?

  1. 175
  2. 105
  3. 140 Correct answer.
  4. 70

Explanation

Multiply the total by the fraction: (2/5) × 350 = 700 ÷ 5 = 140. The fraction applies to the whole battalion size.

Question 49Mathematics and Quantitative Reasoning

Solve for x: 5x − 7 = 3x + 9.

  1. x = 16
  2. x = 1
  3. x = 4
  4. x = 8 Correct answer.

Explanation

Subtract 3x from both sides to get 2x − 7 = 9. Add 7 to both sides to get 2x = 16, then divide by 2 to get x = 8. Substituting back confirms 33 = 33.

Question 50Mathematics and Quantitative Reasoning

A map has a scale of 1:50,000. A distance of 6 cm on the map represents what actual distance in kilometres?

  1. 300 km
  2. 30 km
  3. 3 km Correct answer.
  4. 0.3 km

Explanation

Each centimetre represents 50,000 cm, so 6 cm represents 300,000 cm. Converting to metres gives 3,000 m, and to kilometres gives 3 km. Unit conversion is the crucial final step.