General Knowledge and Current Affairs
The GK paper mixes static Pakistan studies and geography with world affairs and recent events. Static facts can be mastered from an atlas and the constitution basics; current affairs must be revised from a dated source close to your test date, because the paper tests recent months rather than last year's news.
Static core
- Constitution 1973: parliamentary system, bicameral legislature (National Assembly and Senate), fundamental rights, Islam as the state religion.
- Geography of Pakistan: provinces and capitals, the Indus and its tributaries (Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Sutlej, Kabul), passes (Khyber, Bolan, Khunjerab), deserts (Thar, Cholistan), highest peaks including K2.
- Borders: Durand Line with Afghanistan, Line of Control with India, the Pakistan–Iran border, and the China border at Khunjerab.
- World: capitals versus largest cities, currencies, canals and straits (Suez, Panama, Bosphorus, Hormuz), longest rivers, largest deserts.
- Organizations: UN and its principal organs, OIC, SAARC, SCO, IMF, World Bank, WHO.
Worked example
Question: What is the capital of Australia?
Many candidates answer Sydney. Reasoning: Sydney is the largest and oldest city, but the capital is Canberra, a planned city chosen as a compromise between Sydney and Melbourne. The general rule: before answering any capital question, separate the capital from the largest city in your mind, because that is exactly the distractor the examiner has planted.
Traps
- A country changed its name, currency or flag after your source was printed.
- Confusing largest city with capital: Turkey is Ankara, not Istanbul; Brazil is Brasília, not Rio.
- Mixing Pakistan's constitutions of 1956, 1962 and 1973.
- Answering from a headline without knowing which institution or country was involved.
- Ambiguous items such as 'longest river' where sources disagree - read all options and pick the one the examiner clearly intends.