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GAT General practice questions

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Question 1Verbal Reasoning

Choose the word that is closest in meaning to "candid".

  1. wealthy
  2. careful
  3. brief
  4. frank Correct answer.

Explanation

Candid describes someone who speaks openly and honestly, so "frank" is the closest match. The other choices refer to caution, money, or length, none of which carries the idea of honesty.

Question 2Verbal Reasoning

Choose the word most nearly opposite in meaning to "scarce".

  1. hidden
  2. costly
  3. ample Correct answer.
  4. rare

Explanation

Scarce means available only in small amounts, so its opposite is a word meaning plentiful, which is "ample". "Rare" means almost the same as scarce, and the remaining options say nothing about quantity.

Question 3Verbal Reasoning

Complete the sentence: The committee's report was so ______ that even readers with no technical background could follow its main points.

  1. obscure
  2. tentative
  3. lucid Correct answer.
  4. lengthy

Explanation

The clause about readers with no technical background being able to follow the report signals clear writing, which is what "lucid" means. "Obscure" would mean the opposite, while the other two options describe length or uncertainty rather than clarity.

Question 4Verbal Reasoning

Doctor is to hospital as teacher is to ______.

  1. student
  2. school Correct answer.
  3. lesson
  4. degree

Explanation

The pair links a professional to the institution where that professional works, so the missing word must name a workplace. A school is where a teacher works, just as a hospital is where a doctor works.

Question 5Verbal Reasoning

In the sentence "The manager's remarks were terse, lasting less than a minute," the word "terse" most nearly means:

  1. brief Correct answer.
  2. confusing
  3. loud
  4. rude

Explanation

The phrase "lasting less than a minute" directly supplies the meaning short, which is what "terse" means here. Terseness can sometimes sound abrupt, but the sentence itself defines the word in terms of length.

Question 6Verbal Reasoning

Choose the sentence that uses the correct verb form: Each of the students ______ required to submit a form.

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

Explanation

The subject is "each", a singular indefinite pronoun, so it takes a singular verb, "is". The phrase "of the students" is only a modifier and does not make the subject plural.

Question 7Verbal Reasoning

Many cities plant trees along busy roads mainly for appearance. Yet street trees also cool the air, absorb rainwater that would otherwise flood drains, and filter dust from traffic. Some planners now treat them as basic infrastructure rather than decoration. What is the main point?

  1. Street trees cost far more than most cities can afford.
  2. Street trees do practical work, not decoration. Correct answer.
  3. Traffic dust damages street trees.
  4. Trees belong in parks, not streets.

Explanation

The passage contrasts the common view that trees are decorative with a list of practical services they provide, and the final sentence states that point directly. The other options contradict the passage or introduce claims it never makes.

Question 8Verbal Reasoning

Complete the sentence: The scientist's findings were ______ by three independent laboratories, strengthening confidence in the result.

  1. doubted
  2. delayed
  3. replicated Correct answer.
  4. ignored

Explanation

The phrase "strengthening confidence" shows that the laboratories supported the findings by repeating the study, which is what "replicated" means. Ignoring, doubting, or delaying the work would weaken rather than strengthen confidence.

Question 9Verbal Reasoning

When a museum moved its opening time from noon to 9 a.m., attendance in the first hour nearly doubled, although total daily visitors stayed the same. Which conclusion is best supported?

  1. The museum became more popular overall.
  2. Some visitors merely arrived earlier. Correct answer.
  3. Evening attendance rose sharply.
  4. Ticket prices were cut.

Explanation

If the first hour gained visitors while the daily total did not change, some people must have shifted the time of an existing visit. The passage provides no evidence about overall popularity, ticket prices, or evening trends.

Question 10Verbal Reasoning

Argument: The city should widen the road to reduce congestion, since traffic jams cost commuters many hours each week. Which assumption does the argument depend on?

  1. The city has no other problems to solve.
  2. Widening the road would ease the jams. Correct answer.
  3. Public transport is not available.
  4. Commuters enjoy driving to work.

Explanation

The argument moves from the harm of congestion to a specific remedy, so it must assume the remedy actually reduces congestion. Without that link, spending on the road would not follow from the hours lost in traffic.

Question 11Verbal Reasoning

Complete the sentence: Although her lectures were ______, her essays were ______, offering bold and original claims.

  1. cautious ... daring Correct answer.
  2. excited ... bored
  3. brief ... long-winded
  4. clear ... vague

Explanation

The word "Although" signals a contrast, and the phrase "bold and original claims" tells us the second blank must mean bold. Only "cautious ... daring" supplies that opposing pair.

Question 12Verbal Reasoning

Which sentence is grammatically correct?

  1. She is one of the students who has finished the project.
  2. The box of old letters was found in the attic. Correct answer.
  3. The number of applicants are increasing every year.
  4. Neither of the two candidates have submitted their forms.

Explanation

The subject of the correct sentence is "box", which is singular, so the singular verb "was" agrees with it. The phrase "of old letters" is only a modifier and cannot change the number of the subject.

Question 13Verbal Reasoning

"Sanction" can mean either "formally approve" or "penalize". In the sentence "The committee voted to sanction the new policy," the word most likely means:

  1. ignore
  2. delay
  3. approve Correct answer.
  4. punish

Explanation

A committee voting on a policy is normally deciding whether to adopt it, and the approving sense of "sanction" fits that context. The punitive sense would require a context in which a penalty is imposed on someone.

Question 14Verbal Reasoning

A study found that students who eat breakfast score higher on tests, and a writer concludes that eating breakfast improves test scores. Which finding would most weaken that conclusion?

  1. Some students skip breakfast entirely.
  2. Test scores are rising in most schools.
  3. Breakfast foods vary widely by region.
  4. Breakfast eaters also sleep more. Correct answer.

Explanation

The conclusion is causal, so it is weakened by evidence that breakfast eaters differ in another way that could explain their higher scores, such as getting more sleep. The other findings do not offer an alternative explanation for the score gap.

Question 15Verbal Reasoning

Sentences: (1) For this reason, many schools now start later. (2) Teenagers' body clocks naturally shift later during adolescence. (3) As a result, early morning classes find many students half asleep. Which order makes the most coherent paragraph?

  1. 3-1-2
  2. 1-2-3
  3. 2-3-1 Correct answer.
  4. 2-1-3

Explanation

Sentence 2 gives the cause, sentence 3 states the effect in classrooms, and sentence 1 describes the later response by schools. Only the order 2-3-1 respects that cause-and-effect chain, with "For this reason" pointing back to the problem described.

Question 16Verbal Reasoning

A lighthouse keeper's log for 1887 records only two ships during the entire winter, both coasting vessels low on coal. The keeper adds that he spent most of his watch repairing the lantern mechanism, which had rusted in the salt air. What does the log suggest about that winter?

  1. The lighthouse had been recently rebuilt.
  2. The lighthouse handled heavy shipping traffic.
  3. The lighthouse was abandoned by its keeper.
  4. The lighthouse saw little maritime activity. Correct answer.

Explanation

Two ships in a whole winter is evidence that very few vessels passed, so maritime activity was slight. The keeper's repair work also shows he was present, and nothing in the log suggests the structure was new.

Question 17Verbal Reasoning

Choose the word most nearly opposite in meaning to "frugal".

  1. modest
  2. careful
  3. lavish Correct answer.
  4. thrifty

Explanation

Frugal means sparing and economical with money, so its opposite is "lavish", meaning extravagant in spending. "Thrifty" is a direct synonym, and the other two words are closer to the frugal end of the scale.

Question 18Verbal Reasoning

Novel is to chapter as building is to ______.

  1. brick Correct answer.
  2. architect
  3. blueprint
  4. city

Explanation

A chapter is a constituent part of a novel, so the answer must be a constituent part of a building. A brick is one of the units that make up a building; the other options name a designer, a larger settlement, or a plan.

Question 19Verbal Reasoning

A region's unemployment rate fell from 9% to 6% in a year, yet the number of people receiving unemployment benefits did not drop. One explanation is that many jobless residents used up their benefits and stopped receiving them while remaining unemployed. Which conclusion is best supported?

  1. Wages rose sharply during the year.
  2. The rate may understate joblessness. Correct answer.
  3. The benefits office closed several branches.
  4. Unemployment ended for most residents.

Explanation

If people exhausted their benefits while still out of work, the shrinking benefit rolls do not reflect falling unemployment, so the official rate can hide continuing joblessness. The passage offers no evidence about office closures, wages, or job placement.

Question 20Verbal Reasoning

Every member of the club who owns a car voted for the proposal. Therefore, everyone who voted for the proposal owns a car. What is the flaw?

  1. It reverses a conditional claim. Correct answer.
  2. It assumes no one outside the club voted.
  3. It confuses cars with votes.
  4. It relies on a false premise about the club.

Explanation

The premise says car ownership implies voting for the proposal, but the conclusion asserts that voting implies car ownership. Treating the converse of a conditional statement as if it were equivalent is the error.

Question 21Verbal Reasoning

Complete the sentence: Her criticism was ______ rather than destructive; it pointed out specific flaws while suggesting ways to fix them.

  1. constructive Correct answer.
  2. grudging
  3. haphazard
  4. unsympathetic

Explanation

The clause after the semicolon defines criticism that improves rather than destroys, which is exactly what "constructive" means. The contrast word "rather than" confirms that the blank must oppose "destructive".

Question 22Verbal Reasoning

A reviewer concedes that a novel is expertly plotted and that its sentences are polished. She then spends twenty pages cataloguing its "impeccable emptiness," arguing that a book can be flawless in technique and still have nothing to say. Which description best fits the reviewer's attitude?

  1. complete indifference
  2. open hostility
  3. warm admiration
  4. qualified admiration Correct answer.

Explanation

The reviewer praises the craft but attacks the substance, producing a mixture of approval and fault-finding. "Qualified admiration" captures that combination, whereas the other options are either wholly positive or wholly negative.

Question 23Verbal Reasoning

In the 1890s, bicycle makers perfected lightweight tubing, ball bearings and pneumatic tyres. Within a decade, the same firms and techniques were producing car and aircraft parts. Historians therefore argue that the bicycle was the true training ground for twentieth-century manufacturing. Which finding would most directly challenge that argument?

  1. Car makers ignored bicycle methods. Correct answer.
  2. Bicycle racing was a popular sport.
  3. Bicycles were expensive for most families.
  4. Steam engines were invented before bicycles.

Explanation

The historians' claim rests on the transfer of bicycle technology and methods into other industries. Evidence that car makers used unrelated methods removes that link and undercuts the argument.

Question 24Verbal Reasoning

The sentence "Visiting relatives can be boring" is ambiguous because:

  1. it contains a confusing spelling mistake
  2. two readings are equally grammatical Correct answer.
  3. it relies on the passive voice throughout
  4. it lacks a clearly stated main verb

Explanation

"Visiting relatives" can be read as relatives who are visiting, or as the activity of visiting one's relatives, and both readings are grammatically well formed. The ambiguity therefore comes from structure, not from spelling, a missing verb, or passive voice.

Question 25Verbal Reasoning

All the paintings in the hall are either oil or watercolour. Every oil painting in the hall is framed. No watercolour in the hall is framed. Which statement must be true?

  1. Some watercolours in the hall are framed.
  2. Every unframed painting there is a watercolour. Correct answer.
  3. All oil paintings are in the hall.
  4. Some oil paintings in the hall are unframed.

Explanation

Because every oil painting is framed, a painting that is unframed cannot be oil, so it must be a watercolour. This follows directly by combining the two premises about oil paintings and the oil-or-watercolour division.

Question 26Verbal Reasoning

In the sentence 'The auditor was meticulous, checking every figure twice,' the word 'meticulous' most nearly means:

  1. suspicious of others
  2. hurried in manner
  3. careful about detail Correct answer.
  4. generous with time

Explanation

'Meticulous' describes someone who shows great attention to small details, which fits an auditor checking every figure twice. The other options describe suspicion, speed, or generosity, none of which matches the context.

Question 27Verbal Reasoning

Choose the word most nearly opposite in meaning to 'candid'.

  1. cheerful
  2. guarded Correct answer.
  3. frank
  4. curious

Explanation

'Candid' means open and direct, so its opposite is 'guarded', meaning cautious about revealing one's thoughts. 'Frank' is a synonym, while 'cheerful' and 'curious' describe mood or interest.

Question 28Verbal Reasoning

Choose the pair that best expresses a relationship similar to 'scalpel is to surgeon'.

  1. chisel is to sculptor Correct answer.
  2. stage is to the actor who performs
  3. brush is to the canvas it covers
  4. recipe is to the chef who follows it

Explanation

A scalpel is the tool a surgeon uses, just as a chisel is the tool a sculptor uses. The other pairs relate a tool to a surface, a set of instructions to a worker, or a workplace to a performer.

Question 29Verbal Reasoning

Select the sentence in which the verb agrees with its subject.

  1. Neither the manager nor the clerks were informed of the change. Correct answer.
  2. Neither the manager nor the clerks has been informed of the change.
  3. Neither the manager nor the clerks was informed of the change.
  4. Neither the manager nor the clerks is informed of the change.

Explanation

With 'neither ... nor', the verb agrees with the subject nearer to it; here 'clerks' is plural, so 'were' is correct. The other options use singular verbs that do not agree with the nearer plural subject.

Question 30Verbal Reasoning

Complete the sentence: The lecture was so ______ that several listeners nodded off before the first hour ended.

  1. tedious Correct answer.
  2. controversial
  3. lively
  4. brief

Explanation

The clause 'several listeners nodded off' signals that the lecture was boring, so 'tedious' fits the cause-and-effect meaning. The other words either contradict the effect or fail to explain it.

Question 31Verbal Reasoning

Choose the word that correctly completes the sentence: The new policy will ______ every employee in the department.

  1. affect Correct answer.
  2. inspect
  3. effect
  4. infect

Explanation

The verb meaning to influence is 'affect'; 'effect' as a verb means to bring about. The sentence needs the influence meaning, so 'affect' is correct.

Question 32Verbal Reasoning

In the sentence 'The committee's report was qualified by a note of caution,' the word 'qualified' means:

  1. written in haste
  2. removed from consideration
  3. certified as accurate
  4. limited or moderated Correct answer.

Explanation

Here 'qualified' means restricted or moderated by a condition, since the note of caution limits the report. It does not mean certified, removed, or hasty in this context.

Question 33Verbal Reasoning

Choose the sentence that expresses the idea most clearly and concisely.

  1. The supervisor told the intern that she herself would need to revise the report.
  2. The supervisor told the intern to revise the report. Correct answer.
  3. The supervisor told the intern that she would need to revise the report.
  4. The supervisor told the intern that the report would need to be revised by her.

Explanation

The fourth option states who must revise the report without an ambiguous pronoun. The other options leave it unclear whether the pronoun refers to the supervisor or the intern.

Question 34Verbal Reasoning

Some penguins return to the same nesting site year after year, even when sea ice forces them to travel farther for food. Researchers note that the birds' routes to the sea shift with the ice, yet the nests stay in place. The pattern suggests that site familiarity, not convenience, guides the choice. Which statement best expresses the main idea of the passage?

  1. Researchers continue to disagree about the way penguins locate their food.
  2. Sea ice conditions have little influence on the feeding habits of penguins.
  3. Familiar nesting sites matter more to penguins than easy food access. Correct answer.
  4. Penguins choose nesting sites only in places where sea ice never forms at any time.

Explanation

The passage contrasts shifting travel routes with fixed nests and concludes that familiarity with the site drives the choice. It does not claim that food is unimportant or that researchers disagree.

Question 35Verbal Reasoning

The factory installed brighter lights and reported that output rose by 8 percent over the next quarter. During the same period, however, the factory also replaced two aging machines and hired a new shift supervisor. Which conclusion is best supported by the information given?

  1. The new supervisor was responsible for most of the increase in output.
  2. Brighter lights were clearly the main cause of the rise in output.
  3. Output would certainly have fallen without the new lights.
  4. The lights alone cannot be credited with the rise in output. Correct answer.

Explanation

Because the lights, new machines, and new supervisor all changed at once, the passage cannot isolate the cause of the higher output. The data support only the cautious conclusion that the lights alone cannot be credited.

Question 36Verbal Reasoning

Argument: The library should extend its weekend hours because students have repeatedly requested more study space on Saturdays. The argument assumes that:

  1. Weekend staff would be unwilling to work the extra hours required.
  2. Students would also use the library on Sundays if it opened.
  3. The library is the only place where students can study effectively.
  4. Longer weekend hours would supply the space students asked for. Correct answer.

Explanation

The argument moves from students requesting study space to extending hours, so it must assume that longer hours would actually supply that space. It does not need to assume that the library is the only study place or that Sunday use would rise.

Question 37Verbal Reasoning

Argument: The city's new bike lanes have reduced car traffic downtown, since car counts on Main Street fell by 15 percent after the lanes opened. Which finding would most weaken the argument?

  1. Main Street was closed for repairs during the same period. Correct answer.
  2. Use of the bike lanes increased steadily after they opened.
  3. The bike lanes cost much less than the city expected.
  4. Several other cities have installed similar bike lanes.

Explanation

If Main Street was closed for repairs at the same time, the drop in car counts may reflect the closure rather than the bike lanes. This alternative explanation undermines the causal claim.

Question 38Verbal Reasoning

Argument: A diet high in fibre lowers the risk of heart disease. Which finding would most strengthen this claim?

  1. Fibre supplements are sold in most pharmacies around the country.
  2. Long-term studies link high fibre intake to lower heart disease. Correct answer.
  3. Heart disease rates have fallen in several countries in recent years.
  4. Many people who eat fibre also exercise regularly and avoid smoking.

Explanation

Long-term studies comparing fibre intake with heart disease rates provide direct support for the causal claim. The other findings are irrelevant or introduce a confounding factor.

Question 39Verbal Reasoning

Argument: Our sales rose sharply after we redesigned the website, so the redesign caused the increase. The reasoning is flawed because it:

  1. confuses the idea of sales with the idea of profit
  2. relies on a sample of customers that is too small
  3. assumes that sales can never fall again in the future
  4. ignores other factors that might have raised sales Correct answer.

Explanation

The argument assumes that the redesign was the only cause of the sales increase, overlooking other possible factors such as season, price, or advertising. That is a post hoc error.

Question 40Verbal Reasoning

The sentence 'She promised to finish the report on Friday' is ambiguous because:

  1. the report may never be finished at any point in the future
  2. the sentence contains no clear subject and no verb
  3. promises of this kind are not legally binding on anyone
  4. Friday may be the deadline or the day of the promise Correct answer.

Explanation

The date 'Friday' could mark either the deadline for finishing the report or the day on which the promise was made. Reordering the sentence or adding a preposition would remove the ambiguity.

Question 41Verbal Reasoning

Complete the sentence: Although the proposal was ______ on paper, its supporters admitted that implementing it would be ______.

  1. elegant ... difficult Correct answer.
  2. flawed ... impossible
  3. expensive ... cheap
  4. vague ... simple

Explanation

The contrast signaled by 'although' requires the two blanks to oppose each other: appealing in theory but hard in practice. 'Elegant ... difficult' supplies that contrast.

Question 42Verbal Reasoning

Sentences: (1) The seed germinates and sends down a root. (2) A mature tree produces seeds that fall to the ground. (3) Over years, the sapling grows a trunk and branches. (4) The root anchors the young plant while a shoot reaches for light. Which order makes the most coherent paragraph?

  1. 2, 4, 1, 3
  2. 2, 1, 4, 3 Correct answer.
  3. 1, 2, 3, 4
  4. 3, 4, 1, 2

Explanation

The logical sequence begins with a mature tree producing seeds, then germination, then root and shoot growth, and finally the sapling's growth over years. Only the first order follows that development.

Question 43Verbal Reasoning

Statement: 'To win the scholarship, a student must have a grade average above 90.' Which conclusion follows from the statement?

  1. A student whose average is 85 cannot win the scholarship. Correct answer.
  2. Grade average is the only criterion for the scholarship.
  3. Every student with an average above 90 will win the scholarship.
  4. Some students with averages above 90 will not win.

Explanation

The statement makes an average above 90 a necessary condition for winning, so anyone below 90 cannot win. It does not say the condition is sufficient, nor that it is the only criterion.

Question 44Verbal Reasoning

A survey of 500 commuters found that 60 percent preferred trains to buses, but only 25 percent actually used trains. Which explanation is most consistent with these results?

  1. Most commuters in the survey have no access to either trains or buses.
  2. The survey sample of 500 commuters was too small to be meaningful.
  3. Commuters who prefer buses simply refuse to use trains.
  4. Many train preferrers use buses because train service is limited. Correct answer.

Explanation

A preference for trains combined with low train use suggests that many commuters cannot act on their preference, for example because service is limited. The other options either lack support or fail to explain the gap.

Question 45Verbal Reasoning

Choose the pair that best expresses a relationship similar to 'archipelago is to island'.

  1. coast is to wave
  2. river is to lake
  3. range is to mountain Correct answer.
  4. valley is to hill

Explanation

An archipelago is a chain or group of islands, just as a range is a chain or group of mountains. The other pairs do not express a group-to-member relationship.

Question 46Verbal Reasoning

A hospital introduced a new hand-washing rule and, in the following year, reported both higher compliance with hand-washing and a rise in infections acquired in the hospital. Which explanation best resolves the apparent contradiction?

  1. Most staff disliked the new rule and quietly continued to ignore it.
  2. Hand-washing has been shown to have no effect on infection rates in hospitals.
  3. The hospital admitted substantially fewer patients during the following year.
  4. Compliance was self-reported, while infection tests grew more sensitive. Correct answer.

Explanation

The paradox disappears if the two measures changed in different ways: compliance was self-reported and may be inflated, while infection testing became more sensitive and detected more cases. That explains higher compliance and higher recorded infections at once.

Question 47Verbal Reasoning

The mayor claims that residents support the new park because a survey found 70 percent in favour. However, the survey covered only one neighbourhood. A citywide vote would be a fairer test of public opinion. In the argument, the statement 'the survey covered only one neighbourhood' functions as:

  1. an assumption accepted by both sides in the debate
  2. a recommendation for the city's future policy
  3. evidence that weakens the mayor's claim Correct answer.
  4. the main conclusion that the argument defends

Explanation

The survey is offered as support for the mayor's claim, and the statement about its narrow coverage undermines that support. It is therefore a weakness in the evidence, not the conclusion or a policy recommendation.

Question 48Verbal Reasoning

In the 1950s, most households in the region owned one radio and no television. By 1970, nearly every household had a television, and radio ownership had risen to two sets per household. Yet the total hours spent listening to radio fell sharply over the same period. Which statement is best supported by the passage?

  1. Owning more radios did not translate into more time spent listening. Correct answer.
  2. Households in 1970 preferred radio to television.
  3. Radio broadcasts stopped in the region after 1970.
  4. Television ownership caused families to stop listening to radio entirely.

Explanation

The passage shows radio ownership rising while listening hours fell, so more sets did not mean more listening. It does not claim radio ended or that television caused a total stop.

Question 49Verbal Reasoning

Complete the sentence: Far from being ______, the historian's account is ______: it acknowledges evidence on both sides and refuses to force a tidy conclusion.

  1. detailed ... sketchy
  2. biased ... prejudiced
  3. balanced ... partisan
  4. partial ... judicious Correct answer.

Explanation

The phrase 'far from being' sets up a contrast with the description after the colon: the account is not one-sided but judicious, weighing evidence on both sides. 'Partial ... judicious' captures that contrast.

Question 50Verbal Reasoning

All members of the editorial board have read the manuscript. Some members of the editorial board are novelists. Which conclusion must be true?

  1. All novelists have read the manuscript.
  2. Some novelists have read the manuscript. Correct answer.
  3. Some novelists are not on the editorial board.
  4. Everyone who read the manuscript is a novelist.

Explanation

Since all board members read the manuscript and some board members are novelists, those novelist members must have read it. The other conclusions go beyond what the premises guarantee.