GMA Assessment — Questions and Answers

Question 1: Author : Book :: Composer : ?

Music
Symphony (Correct answer)
Piano
Song

Correct answer: Symphony

An author's primary creative output is a book; a composer's primary creative output is a symphony.

Question 2: Although the initial results of the experiment were ______, the lead scientist urged her team to remain objective and avoid premature conclusions.

mundane
promising (Correct answer)
irrelevant
inconclusive

Correct answer: promising

The word 'Although' indicates a contrast. If the team needed to be urged to remain objective, the initial results must have been strongly positive or negative. 'Promising' provides this contrast, suggesting exciting results that could lead to biased thinking.

Question 3: The lawyer's questioning was designed to the witness and force an admission of guilt.

gentle, reassure
incisive, unnerve (Correct answer)
rambling, placate
confusing, clarify

Correct answer: incisive, unnerve

'Incisive' means intelligently analytical and clear-thinking, a quality that describes effective legal questioning. To 'unnerve' someone is to make them lose courage or confidence, which is a common tactic to get a witness to admit something. The words form a logical cause-and-effect pair.

Question 4: A pattern shows shapes doubling in size: Small, Medium, Large, Large, Extra-Large. Which position contains the odd one out?

Position 1 (Small)
Position 2 (Medium)
Position 4 (Large) (Correct answer)
Position 3 (Large)

Correct answer: Position 4 (Large)

The doubling pattern should progress: Small → Medium → Large → Extra-Large → ??. Position 4 should be 'Extra-Large' (the next step), not 'Large' again. Position 4 repeats a size instead of advancing.

Question 5: How many errors are in the 'Copied' text compared to the 'Original'? Original: 'Transaction #4820-B; Amount: $1,095.50; Auth: J.P. Richardson; Date: 05/12/2023' Copied: 'Transaction #4820-B; Amount: $1,059.50; Auth: J.P. Richrdson; Date: 05/12/2023'

4
2 (Correct answer)
1
3

Correct answer: 2

There are two errors. The first error is in the Amount, where '$1,095.50' was copied as '$1,059.50' (95 and 59 are transposed). The second error is in the Auth name, where 'Richardson' was misspelled as 'Richrdson' (a and r are transposed).

Question 6: What comes next in the series: 1, 4, 9, 16, 25, ?

34
40
30
36 (Correct answer)

Correct answer: 36

These are perfect squares: 1²=1, 2²=4, 3²=9, 4²=16, 5²=25, 6²=36.

Question 7: A table shows monthly sales: Jan=$12,000, Feb=$15,000, Mar=$9,000, Apr=$18,000. What is the average monthly sales for this period?

$11,000
$12,500
$13,500 (Correct answer)
$15,000

Correct answer: $13,500

The average is (12,000 + 15,000 + 9,000 + 18,000) ÷ 4 = 54,000 ÷ 4 = $13,500.

Question 8: A detective reasons: 'The culprit was at the scene OR had an accomplice. The culprit was NOT at the scene. Therefore, the culprit had an accomplice.' What logical rule is used?

Modus tollens
Hypothetical syllogism
Disjunctive syllogism (Correct answer)
Modus ponens

Correct answer: Disjunctive syllogism

The argument uses disjunctive syllogism: P OR Q; NOT P; therefore Q. Eliminating one option from an 'or' statement forces the other to be true.

Question 9: Which of the following shapes contains hidden rhombus (diamond) figures within its internal structure?

Right-angled triangle
Regular hexagon (Correct answer)
Circle
Equilateral triangle

Correct answer: Regular hexagon

A regular hexagon can be divided into three congruent rhombuses by drawing lines between alternate vertices through the center, making diamond shapes clearly embedded within it.

Question 10: A table shows exam scores for five students: 72, 85, 90, 68, 95. What is the median score?

90
85 (Correct answer)
82
72

Correct answer: 85

Arranged in order: 68, 72, 85, 90, 95 — the middle (3rd) value is 85.

Question 11: Identify the logical flaw: 'This bridge was built 100 years ago and is still standing. Therefore it will stand for another 100 years.'

Hasty generalisation (Correct answer)
Appeal to tradition
False analogy
Ad hominem

Correct answer: Hasty generalisation

This commits hasty generalisation — drawing a sweeping conclusion (another 100 years of safety) from limited evidence (past performance alone), without considering material fatigue, maintenance, or structural changes.

Question 12: All roses are flowers. All flowers need water. Which conclusion is valid? (A) Only roses need water. (B) Some water-needing things are not flowers. (C) All roses need water. (D) All water-needing things are roses.

Some water-needing things are not flowers.
Only roses need water.
All roses need water. (Correct answer)
All water-needing things are roses.

Correct answer: All roses need water.

Since all roses are flowers, and all flowers need water, it logically follows that all roses need water (transitive relationship).

Question 13: In an abstract pattern, shapes alternate between filled (black) and outline (white) in a checkerboard fashion across a 3×3 grid. The top-left is filled. What is the centre cell?

No shape
Filled (black) (Correct answer)
Outline (white)
Half-filled

Correct answer: Filled (black)

In a checkerboard pattern, same-coloured cells are on the same diagonal. The centre is at position (2,2). Since (1,1) is filled, and the sum 2+2=4 is even (same parity as 1+1=2), the centre is also filled.

Question 14: A flag has a star on the left side and stripes on the right. In a vertical mirror, the star appears on which side?

Both sides
Left
Neither side
Right (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Right

A vertical mirror swaps left and right, so the star moves from the left side to the right side in the reflection.

Question 15: A car travels to a destination at 40 km/h and returns on the same route at 60 km/h. What is the average speed for the entire trip?

50 km/h
45 km/h
48 km/h (Correct answer)
52 km/h

Correct answer: 48 km/h

Average speed is the total distance divided by the total time. It is not the simple average of the speeds because more time is spent traveling at the slower speed. The formula for two equal distances at different speeds is (2 * Speed1 * Speed2) / (Speed1 + Speed2), which is (2 * 40 * 60) / (40 + 60) = 48 km/h.

Question 16: Which figure is the odd one out? Each option shows a large arrow with a small circle inside it.

A: Arrow pointing up, circle in the head
D: Arrow pointing left, circle in the head
B: Arrow pointing right, circle in the head
C: Arrow pointing down, circle in the tail (Correct answer)

Correct answer: C: Arrow pointing down, circle in the tail

The rule is based on the relative position of the circle within the arrow. In figures A, B, and D, the circle is located in the arrowhead. In figure C, the circle is located in the shaft (tail) of the arrow.

Question 17: Two identical equilateral triangles are placed together along one edge. What quadrilateral is formed?

Square
Rhombus (Correct answer)
Rectangle
Parallelogram

Correct answer: Rhombus

Two equilateral triangles joined along one edge form a rhombus — a quadrilateral with all four sides equal but without right angles.

Question 18: Which of the following sequences completes the pattern? 3, 6, 12, 24, __?

30
48 (Correct answer)
60
36

Correct answer: 48

This is a geometric sequence where each number is obtained by multiplying the previous number by 2. Starting with 3, the pattern is 3 * 2 = 6, 6 * 2 = 12, 12 * 2 = 24. Therefore, to continue the sequence, the next number is 24 * 2 = 48.

Question 19: A code states: 'Only employees with Level 3 clearance may enter Room X.' A person enters Room X. What can you conclude? (A) They definitely have Level 3 clearance. (B) They might not have Level 3 clearance. (C) All Level 3 employees are in Room X. (D) Room X is secure.

All Level 3 employees are in Room X.
They definitely have Level 3 clearance. (Correct answer)
They might not have Level 3 clearance.
Room X is secure.

Correct answer: They definitely have Level 3 clearance.

If only Level 3 employees may enter, and someone has entered, they must have Level 3 clearance. This is modus tollens in reverse (contrapositive applied positively).

Question 20: Which of the following address pairs is an exact match?

'Attn: Accounts Payable Dept.' vs 'Attn: Account Payable Dept.'
'123 N. Oak Avenue, Ste 101' vs '123 N. Oak Avenue, Ste. 101'
'PO Box 8819, New York, NY' vs 'PO Box 8819, New York, NY' (Correct answer)
'Springfield, IL 62704' vs 'Springfeild, IL 62704'

Correct answer: 'PO Box 8819, New York, NY' vs 'PO Box 8819, New York, NY'

The correct pair is identical in every way. The other pairs have small errors: 'Ste 101' vs 'Ste. 101' has an extra period, 'Springfield' is misspelled as 'Springfeild', and 'Accounts' is missing the 's' in 'Account'.

Question 21: A boat's speed in still water is 13 km/h and the speed of the stream is 4 km/h. Find the time taken by the boat to go 68 km downstream.

5 hours
4.5 hours
4 hours (Correct answer)
3 hours

Correct answer: 4 hours

When traveling downstream, the speed of the stream adds to the boat's speed. The effective downstream speed is 13 km/h + 4 km/h = 17 km/h. Time is calculated as Distance / Speed, so the time taken is 68 km / 17 km/h = 4 hours.

Question 22: What is the missing number: 2, 6, 18, ?, 162

62
48
72
54 (Correct answer)

Correct answer: 54

Each term is multiplied by 3: 2×3=6, 6×3=18, 18×3=54, 54×3=162.

Question 23: In an embedded figures test, you are shown a simple diamond shape and asked to find it inside a complex figure. The most effective strategy is to:

Search only along the edges of the complex figure
Count all triangles in the figure first
Look for the exact proportions and orientation of the diamond (Correct answer)
Look for the largest shapes first

Correct answer: Look for the exact proportions and orientation of the diamond

Matching exact proportions and orientation of the target shape helps identify it even when obscured by surrounding lines.

Question 24: Argument: 'The new drug reduced symptoms in 80% of trial participants, so it will be effective for the general population.' Which is the strongest objection to this conclusion?

The drug was tested on humans
Some participants improved without the drug
80% is a high success rate
The trial may not have been a representative sample of the population (Correct answer)

Correct answer: The trial may not have been a representative sample of the population

If the trial sample is not representative, the 80% result cannot be reliably generalized to the wider population.

Question 25: Statement: 'We should hire only candidates with 5+ years of experience because experience ensures performance.' The hidden assumption is:

Experience is the sole determinant of job performance
Inexperienced candidates never perform well
Years of experience always translate into effective performance (Correct answer)
New graduates lack skill

Correct answer: Years of experience always translate into effective performance

The argument assumes that years of experience reliably translate into effective on-the-job performance, which may not always be true.

Question 26: Five shapes are shaded: all are solid black EXCEPT one. Square (solid), Triangle (solid), Circle (solid), Rectangle (outline only), Pentagon (solid). Which is the odd one out?

Rectangle (Correct answer)
Square
Circle
Triangle

Correct answer: Rectangle

The rectangle is the only shape that is an outline (not solid/filled), making it the odd one out.

Question 27: Two partners invest in a business in the ratio 5:3. Total profit is $6,400. How much does the smaller partner receive?

$2,400 (Correct answer)
$2,000
$4,000
$3,200

Correct answer: $2,400

Total parts = 5+3=8. Smaller partner's share = (3/8)×$6,400=$2,400.

Question 28: Which argument has a valid logical structure? (A) All politicians lie. John lies. Therefore John is a politician. (B) All birds can fly. Penguins are birds. Therefore penguins can fly. (C) No reptiles are warm-blooded. Snakes are reptiles. Therefore snakes are not warm-blooded. (D) Some dogs bark. Rex is a dog. Therefore Rex barks.

Argument B
Argument D
Argument C (Correct answer)
Argument A

Correct answer: Argument C

Argument C has valid logical structure: No reptiles are warm-blooded (P1), Snakes are reptiles (P2), therefore snakes are not warm-blooded (valid). Even though Argument B is structurally valid, its first premise is empirically false, making it sound-invalid but structurally valid too. Argument C is both structurally valid AND uses true premises.

Question 29: Evidence: 'Ice cream sales and drowning incidents both increase in summer.' What is the most logical interpretation?

The data is coincidental and meaningless
Ice cream causes drowning
Both are caused by hot weather increasing outdoor activity (Correct answer)
Drowning causes ice cream sales to rise

Correct answer: Both are caused by hot weather increasing outdoor activity

Both trends share a common cause — summer heat — which increases both swimming and ice cream consumption; this is correlation, not causation.

Question 30: Passage: 'Students who read more score higher on literacy tests.' A principal concludes that forcing all students to read 30 minutes daily will improve scores. What is the key assumption?

Mandatory reading will produce the same benefits as voluntary reading (Correct answer)
Literacy tests are unfair
Reading 30 minutes per day is sufficient to improve literacy
Students currently read too little

Correct answer: Mandatory reading will produce the same benefits as voluntary reading

The correlation was found with voluntary readers; the assumption that mandated reading will produce the same outcome may not hold.

Question 31: Choose the word that best completes the sentence: 'The scientist's discovery was so ______ that it completely changed our understanding of the universe.'

predictable
revolutionary (Correct answer)
mundane
trivial

Correct answer: revolutionary

'Revolutionary' means causing a complete or major change, which fits the context of completely changing our understanding. 'Trivial' and 'mundane' mean unimportant, and 'predictable' means expected — all contradicting 'completely changed'.

Question 32: Four friends finish a race: Alex, Ben, Chris, Dana. Alex finished before Ben. Chris finished after Dana. Ben finished before Dana. What is the finishing order?

Dana, Alex, Ben, Chris
Alex, Ben, Dana, Chris (Correct answer)
Chris, Alex, Ben, Dana
Alex, Ben, Chris, Dana

Correct answer: Alex, Ben, Dana, Chris

Alex before Ben (A<B), Ben before Dana (B<D), Chris after Dana (D<C). Combined order: Alex, Ben, Dana, Chris.

Question 33: A pipe fills a tank in 4 hours, another pipe fills it in 6 hours, and a drain empties it in 12 hours. With all three operating simultaneously, how long to fill the tank?

8 hours
4 hours (Correct answer)
3 hours
6 hours

Correct answer: 4 hours

Net rate = 1/4 + 1/6 - 1/12 = 3/12 + 2/12 - 1/12 = 4/12 = 1/3 tank/hour. Time = 3 hours.

Question 34: A bar chart shows units produced per shift: Morning=240, Afternoon=200, Night=180. If the factory adds a 4th shift that produces 220 units, what is the new average production per shift?

205
210 (Correct answer)
215
200

Correct answer: 210

New total = 240+200+180+220 = 840; average = 840 ÷ 4 = 210.

Question 35: A pattern shows: ★★○, ★○○, ○○○. What rule describes this pattern across rows?

Stars decrease by 1 each row (Correct answer)
Circles increase by 1 each row
The pattern alternates
Stars increase by 1 each row

Correct answer: Stars decrease by 1 each row

Row 1: 2 stars, 1 circle. Row 2: 1 star, 2 circles. Row 3: 0 stars, 3 circles. Stars decrease by 1 each row (equivalently, circles increase by 1).

Question 36: A data table shows: Product X sold 150 units in Jan at $10 each, and 120 units in Feb at $12 each. In which month was total revenue higher?

Both months were equal
Cannot be determined
January (Correct answer)
February

Correct answer: January

January revenue = 150 × $10 = $1,500; February revenue = 120 × $12 = $1,440; January was higher.

Question 37: A pie chart shows budget allocation: Operations 40%, Marketing 25%, R&D 20%, Admin 15%. If the total budget is $800,000, how much is allocated to Marketing?

$200,000 (Correct answer)
$160,000
$120,000
$320,000

Correct answer: $200,000

Marketing allocation = 25% × $800,000 = $200,000.

Question 38: Which of the following figures is the odd one out? 1. Triangle 2. Square 3. Circle 4. Pentagon

Square
Pentagon
Circle (Correct answer)
Triangle

Correct answer: Circle

Triangle, Square, and Pentagon are all polygons, which are two-dimensional shapes defined by straight lines and angles. A Triangle has 3 sides, a Square has 4, and a Pentagon has 5. A Circle, however, is a curved shape with no straight sides or angles, making it fundamentally different from the other three polygons.

Question 39: A typist checks a document and finds the following sequence of codes: A3B2, A3B2, A3B3, A3B2, A3B2. Which code is different from the rest?

A3B2 (2nd)
A3B2 (5th)
A3B3 (3rd) (Correct answer)
A3B2 (1st)

Correct answer: A3B3 (3rd)

The third code is A3B3, while all others are A3B2. The digit '2' at the end has been changed to '3'.

Question 40: Choose the best antonym for 'VERBOSE'.

Eloquent
Persuasive
Wordy
Concise (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Concise

'Verbose' means using more words than necessary; its antonym is 'concise' (using few words but covering the essentials).

Question 41: A quality inspector checks serial numbers on five products: XR-4421, XR-4421, XR-4421, XR-4412, XR-4421. Which serial number is defective (incorrect)?

XR-4412 (4th) (Correct answer)
XR-4421 (5th)
XR-4421 (3rd)
XR-4421 (1st)

Correct answer: XR-4412 (4th)

XR-4412 (4th product) has the last two digits transposed (12 instead of 21), making it the defective item.

Question 42: A sequence of symbols rotates 45° clockwise each step. If the first symbol is a vertical up arrow (↑), what does the fifth symbol look like?

↓ (downward) (Correct answer)
↗ (upper-right diagonal)
↙ (lower-left diagonal)
→ (right)

Correct answer: ↓ (downward)

Each step adds 45° clockwise: ↑(step1) → ↗(step2) → →(step3) → ↘(step4) → ↓(step5). After 4 rotations of 45°, the total is 180°, so the arrow now points downward.

Question 43: Which figure is the odd one out? Each option shows the letter 'F' in a different orientation.

D: 'F' rotated 270 degrees clockwise
B: 'F' reflected horizontally (Correct answer)
A: 'F' rotated 90 degrees clockwise
C: 'F' rotated 180 degrees

Correct answer: B: 'F' reflected horizontally

Figures A, C, and D are all rotations of the original letter 'F'. Figure B is a mirror image (a reflection) of the letter 'F' and cannot be achieved by simple rotation.

Question 44: Which of the following figures is most likely to be an 'embedded figure' task in a GMA test?

Counting the number of squares in a grid
Rotating a 3D cube mentally
Finding a simple triangle hidden inside a complex geometric pattern (Correct answer)
Identifying which shape completes a sequence

Correct answer: Finding a simple triangle hidden inside a complex geometric pattern

Embedded figures tasks specifically require locating a simple shape concealed within a larger, complex design.

Question 45: Select the best word: 'After the earthquake, resources were ______, with food, water, and medical supplies running dangerously low.'

adequate
distributed
plentiful
scarce (Correct answer)

Correct answer: scarce

'Scarce' means insufficient for demand, matching 'running dangerously low'. The sentence describes a shortage situation.

Question 46: Statement: 'No evidence has been found that this chemical is harmful; therefore, it is safe.' The logical flaw here is:

Straw man
Argument from ignorance — absence of evidence is not evidence of absence (Correct answer)
Appeal to authority
Slippery slope

Correct answer: Argument from ignorance — absence of evidence is not evidence of absence

Lack of evidence for harm does not prove safety; the chemical may simply not have been studied sufficiently.

Question 47: Select the correct word: 'The athlete showed incredible ______, training every day for five years to achieve her goal.'

complacency
arrogance
indifference
perseverance (Correct answer)

Correct answer: perseverance

'Perseverance' means continued effort despite difficulty or delay, perfectly describing training every day for five years to achieve a goal.

GMA Assessment

The General Mental Ability test measures cognitive aptitude across verbal, numerical, and abstract reasoning used in employment screening and competitive exams.

Questions

25 min

Time Limit

60%

To Pass

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