100 General Knowledge Questions with Answers for Competitive Exams 2026

General knowledge questions appear in almost every competitive exam in Pakistan — from CSS and PMS to NTS, FPSC, PPSC, MDCAT, and university entry tests. Having a strong GK base gives you easy marks that other candidates often lose. This article presents 100 essential general knowledge questions with answers, organized by category.

Pakistan: Geography and Basic Facts

1. What is the capital of Pakistan? — Islamabad
2. Which is the largest province of Pakistan by area? — Balochistan
3. Which is the most populated province of Pakistan? — Punjab
4. What is the national language of Pakistan? — Urdu
5. Which river is the longest in Pakistan? — River Indus (approximately 3,180 km total length)
6. What is the highest mountain in Pakistan? — K2 (8,611 meters), the second-highest mountain in the world
7. Which is the largest city of Pakistan by population? — Karachi
8. What is the total area of Pakistan? — 881,913 square kilometers
9. Which desert is the largest in Pakistan? — Thar Desert (in Sindh)
10. What is the national flower of Pakistan? — Jasmine (Chameli)

Pakistan: History and Politics

11. When did Pakistan gain independence? — 14 August 1947
12. Who is known as the founder of Pakistan? — Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah
13. Who was the first Prime Minister of Pakistan? — Liaquat Ali Khan
14. When was the first constitution of Pakistan adopted? — 1956
15. When was the current constitution of Pakistan enforced? — 14 August 1973
16. What is the Pakistan Resolution also known as? — Lahore Resolution (passed on 23 March 1940)
17. Who was the first President of Pakistan? — Iskander Mirza
18. Which city hosted the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) summit in 1974? — Lahore
19. When did East Pakistan become Bangladesh? — 16 December 1971
20. Who was the first female Prime Minister of Pakistan? — Benazir Bhutto (1988)

World Geography

21. Which is the largest continent by area? — Asia
22. Which is the smallest continent? — Australia
23. Which is the longest river in the world? — River Nile (approximately 6,650 km)
24. Which is the largest ocean? — Pacific Ocean
25. Which is the highest mountain in the world? — Mount Everest (8,849 meters)
26. Which is the largest desert in the world? — Sahara Desert (hot desert) / Antarctic Desert (overall largest)
27. Which country has the largest population in the world? — India (surpassed China in 2023)
28. Which is the largest country by area? — Russia
29. Which sea is the saltiest in the world? — Dead Sea
30. Which strait separates Asia from North America? — Bering Strait

Science and Technology

31. What is the chemical symbol for water? — H₂O
32. What is the speed of light? — Approximately 300,000 km/s (3 × 10⁸ m/s)
33. Which planet is known as the Red Planet? — Mars
34. What is the largest organ in the human body? — Skin
35. Who invented the telephone? — Alexander Graham Bell
36. What is the chemical formula for table salt? — NaCl (Sodium Chloride)
37. Which gas do plants absorb during photosynthesis? — Carbon dioxide (CO₂)
38. What is the boiling point of water at sea level? — 100°C (212°F)
39. Which blood type is the universal donor? — O negative
40. How many bones does an adult human body have? — 206

International Organizations

41. When was the United Nations established? — 24 October 1945
42. Where is the headquarters of the United Nations? — New York City, USA
43. How many member states does the UN have? — 193
44. When was Pakistan admitted to the UN? — 30 September 1947
45. What does WHO stand for? — World Health Organization
46. Where is the International Court of Justice located? — The Hague, Netherlands
47. What is the full form of SAARC? — South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation
48. When was SAARC established? — 8 December 1985
49. What does NATO stand for? — North Atlantic Treaty Organization
50. Where is the headquarters of the World Bank? — Washington, D.C., USA

Islamic Studies and General Religious Knowledge

51. How many Surahs are in the Holy Quran? — 114
52. Which is the longest Surah of the Quran? — Surah Al-Baqarah
53. How many pillars of Islam are there? — 5
54. What is the first pillar of Islam? — Shahada (declaration of faith)
55. In which month is fasting (Roza) obligatory? — Ramadan
56. What is the direction Muslims face during prayer? — Qibla (towards the Kaaba in Makkah)
57. Who was the first Caliph of Islam? — Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddique (R.A.)
58. In which year did the Hijrah (migration to Madinah) occur? — 622 CE
59. How many times is the name "Muhammad" mentioned in the Quran? — 4 times
60. What is Zakat? — Obligatory charity — 2.5% of wealth given to the needy annually

Current Affairs and Economics

61. What is the currency of Pakistan? — Pakistani Rupee (PKR)
62. Which organization regulates monetary policy in Pakistan? — State Bank of Pakistan (SBP)
63. What does GDP stand for? — Gross Domestic Product
64. What is CPEC? — China-Pakistan Economic Corridor — a major infrastructure and economic development project
65. Which port is developed under CPEC in Balochistan? — Gwadar Port
66. What does IMF stand for? — International Monetary Fund
67. Which Pakistani city is known as the "City of Lights"? — Karachi
68. What is the main cash crop of Pakistan? — Cotton
69. Which dam is the largest in Pakistan? — Tarbela Dam (by reservoir capacity)
70. What does NFC Award stand for? — National Finance Commission Award

Sports

71. What is the national sport of Pakistan? — Field Hockey
72. In which year did Pakistan win its first Cricket World Cup? — 1992
73. Who captained Pakistan in the 1992 World Cup victory? — Imran Khan
74. Which Pakistani cricketer holds the record for most Test wickets? — Wasim Akram (414 wickets in ODIs — all-time record for a fast bowler)
75. In which city is Gaddafi Stadium located? — Lahore

Famous Personalities

76. Who wrote the national anthem of Pakistan? — Hafeez Jalandhari (lyrics)
77. Who is known as Allama Iqbal? — The national poet of Pakistan (Muhammad Iqbal), who envisioned a separate Muslim state
78. Who was the first Pakistani to win a Nobel Prize? — Dr. Abdus Salam (Physics, 1979)
79. Who is Malala Yousafzai? — Pakistani education activist and youngest Nobel Peace Prize laureate (2014)
80. Who designed the national flag of Pakistan? — Amiruddin Kidwai

Everyday Science

81. What causes a rainbow? — Refraction and dispersion of sunlight through water droplets
82. What is the nearest star to Earth? — The Sun
83. What is the hardest natural substance? — Diamond
84. How many chromosomes does a human cell have? — 46 (23 pairs)
85. What vitamin does sunlight help produce in the human body? — Vitamin D
86. What is the main component of natural gas? — Methane (CH₄)
87. What causes tides? — Gravitational pull of the Moon and the Sun
88. What is the pH of pure water? — 7 (neutral)
89. What element does the symbol 'Fe' represent? — Iron
90. Which organ produces insulin? — Pancreas

Literature, Culture, and Miscellaneous

91. Which language is most spoken in Pakistan? — Punjabi (by native speakers); Urdu is the national language
92. What is the Khyber Pass? — A historic mountain pass connecting Pakistan and Afghanistan
93. Which is the national animal of Pakistan? — Markhor
94. Which is the national bird of Pakistan? — Chukar Partridge
95. What does the green color on Pakistan's flag represent? — Muslim majority
96. What does the white color on Pakistan's flag represent? — Religious minorities
97. Which UNESCO World Heritage Site is located in Taxila? — Taxila archaeological ruins (ancient Buddhist learning center)
98. What is the Karakoram Highway? — One of the highest paved international roads, connecting Pakistan to China
99. Which festival marks the end of Ramadan? — Eid ul-Fitr
100. What is the meaning of "Pakistan"? — "Land of the Pure" (from Urdu/Persian: Pak = pure, Stan = land)

How to Use These Questions for Exam Preparation

• Flashcard method: Write each question on one side and the answer on the other. Review daily.
• Quiz yourself: Cover the answers and test yourself section by section.
• Share with study partners: Quiz each other — competition improves recall.
• Focus on weak areas: If you struggle with science questions, spend extra time on that category.
• Practice on HighYield: Use our free MCQ practice platform to test your general knowledge under exam conditions.

General knowledge is one of the easiest areas to improve your competitive exam score. These 100 questions cover the most frequently asked GK topics across all major Pakistani exams. Bookmark this page and revise regularly.