OPSC ASO 2019 Question Paper with Answers

25 solved questions from the OPSC ASO 2019 paper (Advt. No. 10 of 2018-19), from every section: General Awareness, Reasoning, Mathematics, English, Odia. Each has the answer and an explanation of the options.

Answers are worked out by StudyTab, not taken from an answer key. Where a question is open to doubt, the explanation says why.

Practise all 400 OPSC ASO 2019 questions free on StudyTab →

General Awareness

Question 1

Which is not correct about the Right to Privacy as per the judgement delivered by the Supreme Court of India ?

(a) It is a fundamental right of the citizens.
(b) It is an intrinsic part of Article 21 of the Constitution of India.
(c) It is absolute unlike the Right to Life and Personal Liberty.
(d) It is a unanimous decision by a nine judge bench of the Supreme Court headed by Hon’ble Chief Justice J. S. Khehar.

Answer: (C) It is absolute unlike the Right to Life and Personal Liberty.

(C) ✓ (the wrong statement) The Court held privacy is not absolute. A law may limit it if it passes three tests: legality, a legitimate aim and proportionality. The right to life and liberty is not absolute either, so the "unlike" is wrong too.
(A) ✗ True: Justice K. S. Puttaswamy v. Union of India (24 August 2017) declared privacy a fundamental right.
(B) ✗ True: privacy is an intrinsic part of Article 21 and of the freedoms in Part III.
(D) ✗ True: a nine-judge bench headed by CJI J. S. Khehar decided it unanimously.

The trap: (C) sounds like it protects you more, so it feels right. But every fundamental right carries limits, and "absolute" is the word that gives it away.

Question 2

Which places shall be the terminals for the first Bullet Train of India ?

(a) Ahmedabad and Delhi
(b) Ghoga and Dahej
(c) Mumbai and Ahmedabad
(d) Mumbai and Karnali

Answer: (C) Mumbai and Ahmedabad

(C) ✓ India's first high-speed line is the Mumbai–Ahmedabad High Speed Rail corridor, about 508 km long. It runs from Bandra-Kurla Complex in Mumbai to Sabarmati in Ahmedabad. PM Narendra Modi and Japan's PM Shinzo Abe laid its foundation stone at Ahmedabad on 14 September 2017.
(A) ✗ Delhi–Ahmedabad is not the first corridor; the first one starts in Mumbai.
(B) ✗ Ghogha–Dahej is a Ro-Ro ferry across the Gulf of Khambhat, opened in October 2017. It is a sea route, not a rail line.
(D) ✗ Karnali is a river (and a province) in Nepal.

The trap: (B) was also Gujarat transport news in late 2017. It was a ferry, not a train. The paper spells it "Ghoga".

Question 3

Which team did win the Ranji Trophy 2017-18 ?

(a) Delhi
(b) Gujarat
(c) Mumbai
(d) Vidarbha

Answer: (D) Vidarbha

(D) ✓ Vidarbha won its first Ranji Trophy in 2017-18. It beat Delhi by 9 wickets in the final at Indore, which ended on 1 January 2018. Faiz Fazal was captain, and pacer Rajneesh Gurbani took a hat-trick in the final.
(A) ✗ Delhi was the losing finalist.
(B) ✗ Gujarat was the previous champion (2016-17, its first title).
(C) ✗ Mumbai holds the most titles but did not win this season.

The trap: Delhi is the familiar name from the final. Remember the winner, not the runner-up.

Question 4

Who is the recipient of Dada Saheb Phalke Award 2017 ?

(a) Satrughna Sinha
(b) Vinod Khanna
(c) Reema Lagoo
(d) Sri Devi

Answer: (B) Vinod Khanna

(B) ✓ The Dadasaheb Phalke Award for 2017 went to Vinod Khanna, after his death. He died in April 2017. The award was announced in April 2018 and presented at the 65th National Film Awards in May 2018.
(D) ✗ Sridevi (died February 2018) won Best Actress for Mom at the same ceremony. That is a National Film Award, not the Phalke Award.
(A) ✗ Shatrughan Sinha (spelt "Satrughna" on the paper) did not receive it.
(C) ✗ Reema Lagoo died in 2017 but did not receive it.

The trap: two late stars were honoured at the same 2018 ceremony. Sridevi's was an acting award; the lifetime honour went to Khanna.

Question 5

Which month shall be celebrated every year as the National Nutrition Month under POSHAN Abhiyan ?

(a) March
(b) May
(c) August
(d) September

Answer: (D) September

(D) ✓ Under POSHAN Abhiyaan, September is celebrated every year as Rashtriya Poshan Maah (National Nutrition Month). The first one was held in September 2018.
(A) ✗ March is when the Abhiyaan was launched, on 8 March 2018 at Jhunjhunu, Rajasthan. Since 2019 March also has the Poshan Pakhwada, but that is a fortnight, not a month.
(B), (C) ✗ May and August are not linked to the nutrition month.

The trap: March is linked to the scheme twice, by its launch and by the fortnight. The month-long campaign is September.

Reasoning

Question 1

Arrange the words given below in a meaningful sequence :
(i) Presentation
(ii) Recommendation
(iii) Arrival
(iv) Discussion
(v) Introduction

(a) (v), (iii), (iv), (i), (ii)
(b) (iii), (v), (iv), (ii), (i)
(c) (iii), (v), (i), (iv), (ii)
(d) (v), (iii), (i), (ii), (iv)

Answer: (C) (iii), (v), (i), (iv), (ii)

Picture a visitor or a team coming to a meeting:

Arrival (iii): nothing can happen until people are there.
Introduction (v): the guests are introduced.
Presentation (i): the idea or proposal is put forward.
Discussion (iv): the members talk over what was presented.
Recommendation (ii): the discussion ends in a recommendation.

(A), (D) ✗ open with Introduction, before anyone has arrived.
(B) ✗ puts Presentation last, after the Recommendation it should lead to.

The trap: meetings feel as if they "open" with introductions, so (A) and (D) look tidy. Fix the first step (Arrival) and the last (Recommendation) and only (B) and (C) survive. Presentation must come before Discussion, so it is (C).

Question 2

How many such pairs of digits are there in the number 421579368 each of which has as many digits between them in the number as when they are arranged in ascending order ?

(a) None
(b) One
(c) Two
(d) Three

Answer: (D) Three

The digits are 1 to 9, each once, so in ascending order (123456789) each digit's place equals its value. A pair counts when the gap in places = gap in values.

Digit (place): 4(1) 2(2) 1(3) 5(4) 7(5) 9(6) 3(7) 6(8) 8(9)

4 and 9: places 1 and 6, so 4 digits between; in 123456789 also 4 (5, 6, 7, 8). ✓
1 and 6: places 3 and 8, so 4 between; in ascending order 2, 3, 4, 5, also 4. ✓
2 and 1: side by side in "21", so 0 between; 1 and 2 are side by side in ascending order too, 0. ✓
Every other pair fails. (A), (B) ✗ miss pairs; (C) ✗ drops the reversed pair 21.

The trap: 21 appears in reverse order. Some books count only "forward" pairs and get two (C). The question asks only how many digits lie between, not the direction, so 21 counts and the answer is three. A student following the forward-only habit could defend (C), so we mark the key as disputed.

Question 3

How many 4's are there proceeded by 7 but not followed by 3 ?
5 9 3 2 1 7 4 2 6 9 7 4 6 1 3 2 8 7 4 1
3 8 3 2 5 6 7 4 3 9 5 8 2 0 1 8 7 4 6 3

(a) Four
(b) Three
(c) Six
(d) Five

Answer: (A) Four

"Proceeded" is a misprint for preceded: we want a 4 with a 7 just before it and no 3 just after it.

Line 1: 5 9 3 2 1 7 4 2 6 9 7 4 6 1 3 2 8 7 4 1. Three 7-4 pairs, followed by 2, 6 and 1: all count (3).
Line 2: 3 8 3 2 5 6 7 4 3 9 5 8 2 0 1 8 7 4 6 3. The first 7-4 is followed by 3, so it is out; the second, followed by 6, counts (1).
Total = 3 + 1 = 4; no pair is split where the lines join (…4 1 | 3 8…).
Check: 7 comes just before a 4 in 5 places; 1 of them is followed by 3; 5 − 1 = 4.
(D) ✗ forgets the "not followed by 3" filter. (B) ✗ stops after line 1. (C) ✗ exceeds the 4s printed.

The trap: (D) Five counts every 4 preceded by 7; the 7 4 3 in line 2 is planted to be dropped.

Question 4

If South-East becomes North, North-East becomes West and so on, what will West become ?

(a) North-East
(b) North-West
(c) South-East
(d) South-West

Answer: (C) South-East

Find the turn: South-East to North is 135° anticlockwise (SE → E → NE → N, three 45° steps).
Check it: North-East turned 135° anticlockwise: NE → N → NW → W. It matches the question.
Apply it: West turned 135° anticlockwise: W → SW → S → SE.
(A) North-East ✗ comes from turning West clockwise (W → NW → N → NE).
(B), (D) ✗ are only a 45° turn from West.

The trap: turning the wrong way. Always confirm the direction of the turn with the second clue (NE → W) before using it.

Fastest: count 45° steps on a compass: SE to N is 3 steps anticlockwise, so move West 3 steps anticlockwise.

Question 5

Seismography : Earthquake :: Tachometer : ?

(a) Landslides
(b) Strains
(c) Resistances
(d) Volcanoes

Answer: (B) Strains, the closest fit (no option is strictly right)

Seismography records earth tremors, so the pair is "instrument : what it records".
A tachometer measures the speed of rotation of a shaft or engine, in revolutions per minute. The matching word is speed, and it is not among the options.
(A), (D) ✗ Landslides and Volcanoes only copy the category of the first pair (natural hazards); no tachometer measures them.
(C) ✗ Resistance is measured with an ohmmeter.
(B) Strain is the only option that, like rotation speed, is a mechanical quantity read off a gauge on a machine. That is a weak link, not a rule: we mark it only as the least-wrong option.

The trap: "disaster with disaster" pulls students to (A) or (D). An analogy pair is about the relation (instrument → quantity), not the topic. Because no option fits exactly, a student could argue for another choice, so this key is marked disputed.

Mathematics

Question 51

1/1.4+1/4.7+1/7.10+1/10.13+1/13.16 = ?

(a) 1/3
(b) 5/16
(c) 3/8
(d) 41/7280

Answer: (B) 5/16

The dot means multiplication: 1/(1×4)+1/(4×7)+1/(7×10)+1/(10×13)+1/(13×16).

Split each term: the factors differ by 3, so 1/n(n+3)=1/3(1/n-1/(n+3)).
Add: 1/3(1-1/4+1/4-1/7+…+1/13-1/16). The middle terms cancel.
Result: 1/3(1-1/16)=1/3×15/16= 5/16.
Check: 0.25 + 0.0357 + 0.0143 + 0.0077 + 0.0048 = 0.3125, which is 5/16.
(A) 1/3 ✗ is the limit of the endless series, not of five terms. (C) 3/8 ✗ is too big and (D) ✗ far too small.

The trap: reading "1.4" as one-point-four. That reading gives about 1.24, which matches no option.

Fastest: (1/first − 1/last) ÷ gap = (1 − 1/16) ÷ 3 = 5/16.

Question 52

What least number of five digits is exactly divisible by 41 ?

(a) 10045
(b) 10004
(c) 10041
(d) 10025

Answer: (B) 10004

Start at 10000, the smallest five-digit number: 41 × 243 = 9963, so 10000 ÷ 41 leaves remainder 37.
Go up to the next multiple: 10000 + (41 - 37) = 10004.
Check: 41 × 244 = 9840 + 164 = 10004 ✓.
(A) 10045 ✗ is 41 × 245, a multiple, but it comes after 10004, so it is not the least.
(C) 10041, (D) 10025 ✗ leave remainders 37 and 21, so they are not multiples at all.

The trap: (A) passes the divisibility test. Check "least" too: take 41 away from 10045 and you still have a five-digit multiple, 10004.

Question 53

HCF of 9/10, 12/25, 18/35 and 21/30 is ;

(a) 3/5
(b) 252/5
(c) 3/1400
(d) 63/700

Answer: (C) 3/1400, the intended answer; as printed, no option is right

Rule: HCF of fractions = HCF of numerators ÷ LCM of denominators.
As printed: HCF(9, 12, 18, 21) = 3 and LCM(10, 25, 35, 30) = 1050, so the HCF is 3/1050 = 1/350. No option says that.
The misprint: the options fit only if the last fraction is 21/40. Then LCM(10, 25, 35, 40) = 1400 and the HCF is 3/1400.
As printed, even (C) fails: 21/30 ÷ 3/1400 = 3262/3, not a whole number.
(B) 252/5 ✗ is the LCM: LCM(9, 12, 18, 21) ÷ HCF of the denominators (5).
(A) 3/5, (D) 63/700 ✗ don't divide every fraction a whole number of times.

The trap: swapping the HCF and LCM rules. OPSC published no key, so we can't tell how this question was scored. If you meet it, pick (C), the only option built with the HCF rule.

Question 54

0.04 × 0.0162 is equal to :

(a) 6.48 × 10⁻³
(b) 6.48 × 10⁻⁵
(c) 6.48 × 10⁻⁴
(d) 6.48 × 10⁻⁶

Answer: (C) 6.48 × 10⁻⁴

Ignore the points: 4 × 162 = 648.
Count decimal places: 0.04 has 2, 0.0162 has 4, so the product has 6: 0.000648.
Scientific form: move the point 4 places right to get 6.48, so 0.000648 = 6.48 × 10⁻⁴.
(A) ✗ 10⁻³ gives 0.00648, 10 times too big.
(B) ✗ 10⁻⁵ and (D) ✗ 10⁻⁶ are 10 and 100 times too small.

The trap: miscounting decimal places. Check by size: 0.04 is 1/25, and 0.0162 ÷ 25 is about 0.00065, which only (C) matches.

Question 55

((489+375)²-(489-375)²)/(489×375) = ?

(a) 144
(b) 864
(c) 2
(d) 4

Answer: (D) 4

Let a = 489 and b = 375. The numerator is (a+b)²-(a-b)².
Expand: (a²+2ab+b²)-(a²-2ab+b²)= 4ab.
Divide: 4ab/ab= 4, whatever a and b are.
Check: 864² - 114² = 746496 - 12996 = 733500, and 733500 ÷ 183375 = 4 ✓.
(B) 864 ✗ is a + b, the first bracket before squaring.
(C) 2 ✗ keeps one 2ab; the two 2ab terms add, they don't cancel. (A) 144 ✗ doesn't come from the expression.

The trap: squaring 864 and 114 by hand. The numbers are there to waste time; the identity gives the answer in one line.

English

Question 1

What distinguishes the largest room in the first sentence from its use in the second ?

The largest room in this building can take ten dining tables and some forty-odd chairs, Of course the largest room in the world is the room for improvement.

(a) The first refers to physical space while the second refers to the metaphorical
(b) Neither room is tangible or real in a specific sense.
(c) Both rooms are large, the second larger than the first.
(d) The first refers to metaphorical space while the second refers to the physical.

Answer: (A) The first refers to physical space while the second refers to the metaphorical

(A) ✓ The first room holds ten tables and forty-odd chairs: a real, measurable space. In the second, room for improvement means scope to do better, so room is used figuratively.
(D) ✗ It swaps the two. The furniture sentence is the physical one.
(B) ✗ The first room is plainly tangible: you can put chairs in it.
(C) ✗ The second is not a bigger hall. It is a play on the word room: there is always scope to improve, so that "room" is the largest of all.

The trap: the same phrase appears twice, so students assume one meaning. Here room shifts from space to scope; the second sentence is wordplay.

Question 2

Let's go for a walk, ________. (Add the right question tag)

(a) Shall we ?
(b) Can we ?
(c) May we?
(d) Will we ?

Answer: (A) Shall we ?

(A) ✓ Let's (let us) makes a suggestion that includes the speaker. Its fixed tag is shall we?: "Let's go for a walk, shall we?"
(B) ✗ Can we is about ability or permission, not a joint plan.
(C) ✗ May we asks someone's permission. You don't ask a friend's permission for your own idea.
(D) ✗ Will we asks about the future ("Will we be late?"); it is not the tag for Let's.

The trap: most tags copy the helping verb of the sentence, but Let's has none to copy. Learn it as a pair: Let's ... shall we?

Question 3

John and Jane were two neighbours who know each other very well. They live in the same town. (Put this in the past tense)

(a) John and Jane were two neighbours who have known each other very well. They lived in the same town.
(b) John and Jane were two neighbours who had known each other very well. They were living in the same town.
(c) John and Jane were two neighbours who knew each other very well. They lived in the same town.
(d) John and Jane have been two neighbours who knew each other very well. They were living in the same town.

Answer: (C) John and Jane were two neighbours who knew each other very well. They lived in the same town.

(C) ✓ Each present verb moves back to the simple past: know → knew, live → lived. Were is already past, so it stays.
(A) ✗ Have known is present perfect. It is not past, and it clashes with "were".
(B) ✗ Had known (past perfect) and were living (past continuous) are other tenses. The task asks for the plain past, not a change of aspect.
(D) ✗ Have been turns the past "were" into the present perfect.

The trap: B sounds "more past", so it tempts. But the past perfect is for the earlier of two past events, and nothing here is earlier. The printed sentence already mixes were with know; the task is to bring know and live into line.

Question 4

It's raining heavily. I wish I ________ an umbrella with me. (Fill in the blank)

(a) take away
(b) took
(c) had taken
(d) have taken

Answer: (C) had taken

(C) ✓ A regret about the past takes wish + past perfect: "I wish I had taken an umbrella" = I did not take one when I left, and now I am sorry.
(B) ✗ Wish + simple past is for an unreal present ("I wish I had an umbrella now"). "I wish I took" would suggest a habit, such as every day.
(D) ✗ Wish is never followed by the present perfect.
(A) ✗ Take away means remove, and the plain present form does not follow wish.

The trap: "It's raining" is present, so students pick a present-looking form. But the action you regret, taking the umbrella, belonged to the moment you left home, which is past.

Question 5

"Is it too early to call up someone on the phone ? It's already eight O'clock in the morning," said my brother. (In indirect speech, what would be the most appropriate reporting verb ?)

(a) Called
(b) Said
(c) Asked
(d) Wondered

Answer: (C) Asked

(C) ✓ The speech opens with a yes/no question. In indirect speech, said becomes asked and the question turns into an if/whether clause: My brother asked whether it was too early to call someone, as it was already eight in the morning.
(B) ✗ Said reports statements. Kept here, it hides that a question was asked.
(A) ✗ Called is not a verb for reporting speech.
(D) ✗ Wondered suits a question a person asks himself. No listener is named here, so a student could defend it. The textbook rule for a question, though, is said → asked, which is why we keep (C).

The trap: the second sentence is a statement, so said looks safe. The first sentence, a question, decides the reporting verb.