Introduction
NIACL AO 2018-19 - Preliminary Examination, conducted in online Mode, has: a duration of 1 hour, a maximum score of 100 marks and consists of 3 sections, namely - English Language, Reasoning Ability and Quantitative Aptitude. The 3 sections are separately timed and the questions can be attempted in any order. There is a Negative marking in NIACL AO Preliminary exam and 0.25 marks are deducted for each wrong answer. Candidates must clear the cut-off in all 3 sections to qualify for the NIACL AO Main exam. The below sections gives the detailed information about NIACL AO English Language.
Pattern
| S.No. | Name of Test/ Section (not in sequence) | Type of test | Max. Marks | Duration for each test/ section (Separately timed) | Version |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English Language | Objective | 30 | 20 min | English |
| 2 | Reasoning Ability | Objective | 35 | 20 min | English/ Hindi |
| 3 | Quantitative Aptitude | Objective | 35 | 20 min | English/Hindi |
| Total | 100 |
Syllabus
[Click Here] for NIACL AO Prelims Syllabus
Note:
Penalty for Wrong Answers (Applicable to both – Preliminary and Main examination)
There will be a penalty for wrong answers marked in the Objective Tests. Each question for which a wrong answer has been given by the candidate, one-fourth of the marks assigned to that question will be deducted as penalty to arrive at corrected score. If a question is left blank, i.e. no answer is marked by the candidate, there will be no penalty for that question.
Samples
Directions(1-5): In the following Questions, A sentence has been given in Active/ Passive Voice. Out of Four Alternatives Suggested, select one, which best Expresses the same sentence in Active/ Passive voice.
1. Suresh was writing a letter to his boss.
- A. A letter was written to his boss my Suresh.
B. A letter was wrote by Suresh to his boss.
C. A letter was being written by Suresh to his boss.
D. A letter was written by Suresh to his boss.
- A. Ice-cream was eaten by whom?
B. Ice-cream was eaten by who?
C. Ice-cream had been eaten by who?
D. Ice-cream has been eaten by whom?
- A. This job is impossible to be done.
B. This job cannot be done with.
C. No one can do this job.
D. This job cannot be done by anyone.
- A. The whole town was destroyed by the flood.
B. The whole town had been destroyed by the flood.
C. The whole town has been destroyed by the flood.
D. The whole town has had been destroyed by the flood.
- A. What I mean is that understood by you?
B. Was what I mean understood by you?
C. Is what I mean understood by you?
D. What I mean is understood by you?
1. Choose the word meaning OPPOSITE to the word: ACCOLADE
- A) Kudos
B) Criticism
C) Award
D) Approval
- A) Sense
B) Absurdity
C) Folly
D) Dementia
- A) steely
B) austere
C) lenient
D) ascetic
- A) Remits
B) Overlook
C) Regard
D) Allow
- A) Convolution
B) Line
C) Intricacy
D) Entanglement
Directions (1-5): In each of the following sentences, a word is missing and a phrase is given in bold in the sentence. From the options given below each question, choose the most appropriate pair that makes the sentence grammatically and contextually correct and meaningful.
1. Because of his tennis elbow ..............., Mohan has not been able to and possibly never will be able to picking up the bat again.
- A. hit, been able to pick
B. hurt, be able to picked
C. injury, be able to pick
D. breaking, have been able to pick
E. scratch, be abled to pick
- A. gambling, accompany only by his social secretary
B. sit, accompany with his only social secretary
C. sitting, accompanied only by his social secretary
D. went, accompanied only by his social secretary
E. strolling, had accompanied only by his social secretary
- A. interesting, you have excess to
B. qualified, you has access to
C. required, you have been access to
D. interested, he has access to
E. hired, he have access to
- A. demanded, he has sworn in as the
B. desired, he was sworn like a
C. made, he is sworn in as the
D. admired, his was sworn in as a
E. confirmed, he was sworn in as the
- A. destruction, having displaced over a million people
B. devastating, displaced over a million people
C. dangerous, displace over a million people
D. severe, displacing upon a million people
E. terrible, have been displaced over a million people
Directions (1-5): In each of the following questions, a paragraph with a blank is given. From the five choices given below, select the sentence which can go into the blank to make the paragraph logically coherent.
1. For the market place to work effectively, the government has to lay down uniform rules for everyone and enforce them impartially. [__________] The interest of foreign businesses should not be given undue importance.
- A. Foreign trade contributes very effectively to the nation’s exchequer.
B. Foreign trade results in slump in the sales of indigenous products.
C. The rules should be framed with the interest of the ordinary investor and the average citizen in mind.
D. The government’s main business is ensuring fair play.
E. Multinational companies can deter the progress of indigenous industries.
- A. They may seem unapproachable or intimidating.
B. They are obsessed about keeping themselves updated.
C. In their zeal to move ahead, they may leave others behind.
D. Most educators of today did not take courses in computer application in college.
E. It is good to have around people who are enthusiastic about computers.
- A. Computers can do everything a teacher can do but they can never replace the teacher.
B. Teachers are likely to be replaced by computers.
C. Teachers working with young children play a crucial role in the child’s development.
D. It is generally believed that teaching is a career mainly suited for women.
E. The teacher will continue to be the backbone of such a system.
- A. Globalisation was the watch word of the last decade of the Twentieth century.
B. The exploits of the Multi National Companies may lead to an early exhaustion of non-renewable resources.
C. MNCs can take undue advantage by using their power of monopoly.
D. Globalisation is popular among developed countries.
E. Globalisation has its own share of dangers.
- A. In Germany, doctors began to use German.
B. Greek was the language in which medical treatises appeared.
C. In the last few decades, there has been a further change.
D. In the field of medicine, though German still occupies a place of importance, the general trend is towards English.
E. In the modern ages, English is the language of learning in most parts of the world.
Direction (1-10): Read the following passage and answer the questions as directed.
The system of “local welfare” schemes set up less than five years ago to provide emergency help to England’s poorest families, often to help them cope with delays and sanctions to their benefits, is on the (A) of collapse, say poverty campaigners. (B) A survey of more than 150 council-run schemes by Church Action on Poverty found that nearly a quarter had been shutted down since 2013, while a further quarter have reduced spending by 85% or more. More are expected to close in the next few months. (C)The destitution (1) of local welfare would put tens of thousands of vulnerable(2) people at increased risk(3) of hunger, debt and demise (4), the charity said. The system was designed to help people on low incomes deal with unexpected hardship, (D)----------, or domestic crises such as broken boilers, house fires and flooding. Huge cuts to council budgets have left the system, which replaced the old social fund, struggling to survive. Provision is so uneven that thousands of people cannot access emergency help from the state, Church Action on Poverty said. “Local authority welfare schemes are increasingly (E), leaving families in many areas with nowhere to turn for help,” said the bishop of Manchester, David Walker. “It cannot be right for central and local government to (F) abdicate responsibility for people in crisis when they need our help most.” In many areas, the most common reason for an application for crisis support is delays or sanctions to benefits, with some councils noting that the five-week minimum wait for a first universal credit payment is an emerging factor in rising demand. Universal credit claimants facing hardship who contact Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) helplines for help are routinely directed to local welfare schemes in their areas if they do not qualify for official advance loans or hardship funds. Church leaders and anti-poverty charities called on ministers to make local welfare provision a legal duty for top-tier councils, and to provide ringfenced funding to protect crisis services. The 153 councils that responded to the survey collectively reduced spending on local welfare by an average of 72% between 2013-14 and 2017-18. (G) Local welfare provision replaced the discretionary social fund, which in its final year spent £240m in crisis loans and community care grants. (H) It was going (1) to councils with DWP funding(2) in 2013 but that cash was stopped(3) in 2015, with councils left to decide whether to keep the schemes devolved (4). Huge budget pressures faced by councils mean even authorities that have protected local welfare in the past are proposing drastic cuts. West Sussex county council recently unveiled plans for an 80% reduction in its £800,000 crisis fund from next April. (I) Local welfare has been controversially as most councils refuse to give cash payments to clients in crisis, choosing instead to offer supermarket food vouchers or refer them to food banks. In one case, Isle of Wight council offered a 62-year-old homeless woman a voucher to buy a tent. Only two English councils – Islington in north London and North Tyneside in the north-east – had higher local welfare budget cash totals year compared with 2013, by 12% and 4% respectively. Niall Cooper, the director of Church Action on Poverty, said: “The (J)------- of the social fund was that people could stay afloat and hopefully ride out a crisis, rather than sinking deeper into poverty. A lifeline in times of emergency is a vital part of a compassionate society, but it has been withdrawn in many places and neglected almost everywhere.”
1. Which of the following word given in the options should come at the place marked as (A) in the above paragraph to make it grammatically correct and meaningful. Also, the word should fill in the two sentences given below to make them contextually correct and meaningful.
(i) She stood out of his way, barely able to care for a child and at a loss as to what to do with a boy on the …………………. of becoming a teenager.
(ii) He found the country on the …………………. of revolution; but the wisdom of the new monarch saved the situation and won back the Magyars.
- A. middle
B. edging
C. verge
D. resemble
E. terminate
- A. A survey of more than 150 council-run schemes by
B. Church Action on Poverty found that nearly a quarter
C. had been shutted down since 2013, while a further
D. quarter have reduced spending by 85% or more.
E. No Error
- A. 1-4
B. 1-3
C. 2-3
D. 2-4
E. 1-2
- A. facing the severe impacts caused by the crisis
B. including job programmes and childcare, but also transfers to other state programmes,
C. which are a cause of severe balance of payments
D. so some avoid them by limiting how many people are eligible for welfare in the first place.
E. such as a lack of money caused by benefit payment problems
- A. flawless
B. threadbare
C. pristine
D. unsullied
E. Both (B) and (C)
- A. renounce
B. abjure
C. surrendering
D. vacating
E. No Change
- A. The dynamic nature of our preferred model allows to estimate the long‐term effect of a 1 per cent increase in social spending, which is found to be in the order of a 0.057 points increase in the IHDI.
B. Continuing investments in the social sectors have been recognized by the international community.
C. Local authorities are responsible for using their funds to best meet the needs of their residents, and over the next two years we are providing them with £90.7bn to do so.
D. Together they spent £46m on local welfare last year, compared with a national budget of £172m in 2013-14.
E. One million people have been lifted out of absolute poverty since 2010 and household incomes have never been higher.
- A. 1-4
B. 1-3
C. 2-3
D. 2-4
E. 1-2
- A. Local welfare has been controversially
B. as most councils refuse to give cash payments to clients
C. in crisis, choosing instead to offer supermarket
D. food vouchers or refer them to food banks.
E. No Error
- A. caused
B. occasion
C. desires
D. purpose
E. reasons
Direction (1-5): Read the sentences to find out whether there is any error based on prepositions in it. The error, if any, will be in one part of the sentence. The number of that part is the answer. If there is no error, then select option (D) as your answer. Ignore errors of punctuation, if any.
1. There have been doubts in weeks/(A) about the credibility of Presidential elections after/(B) it emerged that Yameen would be the only major candidate./(C) No Error/ (D)
Answer: Option (A)
Explanation: Option (A) is the right alternative as ‘in’ should be replaced with ‘for’ as ‘for’ is used to show time duration.
So, the correct sentence is ‘There have been doubts for weeks about the credibility of Presidential elections after it emerged that Yameen would be the only major candidate.’
2. The mixture carried by the storm was unhealthy because it had accumulated toxic/(A) substances of combustion sources/(B) in the wind’s route./(C) No Error/ (D)
Answer: Option (B)
Explanation: Option (B) is the right alternative as ‘from’ should replace ‘of’ as ‘from’ shows source of toxic substances.
So, the correct sentence is ‘The mixture carried by the storm was unhealthy because it had accumulated toxic substances from combustion sources in the wind’s route.’
3. All the Pollution control agencies will have to/(A) scale up their coordination/(B) along the India Meteorological Department./(C) No Error/ (D)
Answer: Option (C)
Explanation: Option (C) is the right alternative as ‘along’ is irrelevant. ‘With’ is used for ‘scale up’.
So, the correct sentence is ‘All the Pollution control agencies will have to scale up their coordination with the India Meteorological Department.’
4. When oil reserves ran/(A) in, it took a while for the Dutch/(B) economy to normalise./(C) No Error/ (D)
Answer: Option (B)
Explanation: Option (B) is the right alternative as ‘out’ must replace ‘in’ in the second part of the sentence. ‘Ran out’ is a phrasal verb. Thus if a supply of something runs out, all of it has been used or it is completely finished.
So, the correct sentence is ‘When oil reserves ran out, it took a while for the Dutch economy to normalise.’
5. For all but three years of the last three/(A) decades, India has consumed more goods and/(B) services than it produced./(C) No Error/ (D)
Answer: Option (A)
Explanation: Option (A) is the right alternative as ‘in’ should be used for last three decades instead of ‘of’.
So, the correct sentence is ‘For all but three years in the last three decades, India has consumed more goods and services than it produced.’
Directions (1-5): The following question consists of a sentence which is divided into three parts which contain grammatical errors in one or more than one part of the sentence. If there is an error in any part of the sentence, find the correct alternatives to replace those parts from the three options given below each question to make the sentence grammatically correct. If there is an error in any part of the sentence and none of the alternatives is correct to replace that part, then choose (d) i.e. None of the (I), (II) and (III) as your answer. If the given sentence is grammatically correct or does not require any correction, choose (e) i.e. No correction required as your answer.
1. A) To understand the /B) significance for bank recapitalization, /C) we need a little primer on bank capital.
A) To understand the
B) significance of bank recapitalization
C) we need a little primer on bank capital
- A. Only (B)
B. Both (A) and (C)
C. All (A), (B) and (C)
D. None of the (A), (B) and (C)
E. No correction required
- A. Only (B)
B. Both (A) and (C)
C. All (A), (B) and (C)
D. None of the (A), (B) and (C)
E. No correction required
- A. Only (B)
B. Both (A) and (C)
C. All (A), (B) and (C)
D. None of the (A), (B) and (C)
E. No correction required
- A. Only (B)
B. Both (A) and (C)
C. All (A), (B) and (C)
D. None of the (A), (B) and (C)
E. No correction required
- A. Only (B)
B. Both (A) and (C)
C. All (A), (B) and (C)
D. None of the (A), (B) and (C)
E. No correction required
Direction (1-5): In each of the questions given below, a sentence is given with a phrase/ part of the sentence put in BOLD. Five options follow each sentence, suggesting an improvement for the BOLD part to make a meaningful and correct sentence. Choose the best improvement from these and if the sentence is correct as it is, mark “No Improvement Required” as your answer.
1. You two can always count at me in the times of need.
- A. Of me
B. On me
C. In me
D. As me
E. No Improvement Required
- A. For
B. At
C. Over
D. On
E. No Improvement Required
- A. Would be looked
B. Would have look
C. Would look
D. Would has looked
E. No Improvement Required
- A. Would has been happy
B. Would been happy
C. Would have been happier
D. Will be happy
E. No Improvement Required
- A. Stronger to
B. Stronger than those of
C. Strong than
D. Stronger than that of
E. No Improvement Required
Direction (1-5): In each of the question below two statements are given. You have to find which statement(s) contains error and choose the answer from the provided options accordingly.
1. (i) When moon comes between the earth and the sun, her shadow causes solar eclipse
(ii) He does not cut paper with blade, but with scissors.
- A) Only statement (i) contains error
B) Only statement (ii) contains error
C) Both (i) and (ii) contains error
D) Both (i) and (ii) are error free
- A) Only statement (i) contains error
B) Only statement (ii) contains error
C) Both (i) and (ii) contains error
D) Both (i) and (ii) are error free
- A) Only statement (i) contains error
B) Only statement (ii) contains error
C) Both (i) and (ii) contains error
D) Both (i) and (ii) are error free
- A) Only statement (i) contains error
B) Only statement (ii) contains error
C) Both (i) and (ii) contains error
D) Both (i) and (ii) are error free
- A) Only statement (i) contains error
B) Only statement (ii) contains error
C) Both (i) and (ii) contains error
D) Both (i) and (ii) are error free
Directions (1-5): Rearrange the parts of the sentence in correct order.
1. Facebook said on Monday
(a) It was publishing its privacy principles
(b) To help users control who has access to their information,
(c) For the first time and rolling out educational videos
(d) As it prepares for the start of a tough new EU data protection law.
- A. bdca
B. abdc
C. acbd
D. cdba
- A. acbd
B. bdca
C. cdba
D. bacd
- A. bcad
B. bdac
C. abcd
D. bdac
- A. dbac
B. cadb
C. bdca
D. bacd
- A. bcad
B. dbac
C. adbc
D. bcda
Directions (1 to 5): In each of the following questions a short passage is given with one of the lines in the passage missing and represented by a blank. Select the best out of the four answer choices given, to make the passage complete and coherent (coherent means logically complete and sound).If no option is suitable then select option (e) as your answer.
1. The law that everyone is innocent until declared guilty has been trampled upon with impunity. The handcuffing of a husband, his parents and brothers/sisters on the basis of a mere allegation exposes them to not just mental agony but also media trial and social disgrace. A subsequent acquittal does not restore them their lost self-respect and pride. ____________ The court has said the impounding of passports of non-resident Indians involved in marital disputes should be avoided.
- A. The Supreme Court has acknowledged that women involved in marital disputes often abuse Section 498A of the IPC to target in-laws.
B. Where they have parents to support, the maintenance amount awarded to a wife has to be reasonable.
C. Relying on a conviction rate of just 15.6 per cent in dowry cases, the Supreme Court has reached the conclusion that the blatant misuse of Section 498A has to stop.
D. Though the appointment of such committees will add to the cost of administering justice in the country, the move would save innocents from unwarranted police harassment.
E. None of these
- A. Tamil Nadu may not take kindly to this order and how often would the court use the power of the contempt law to seek obedience of its irrational order.
B. This assertion of what has been called “popcorn nationalism” comes at a time when society is polarized and violence is perpetrated in the name of patriotism and nationalism.
C. After granting the required relief the Judge held forth on the citizen’s duty to respect the national symbols.
D. Judges have enough of backlog to clear; they need not waste time on courting controversies or doing what is not required of them.
E. None of these
- A. The fly in the ointment is that China may have tried to strengthen its infrastructure in a disputed area but it was doing so on its territory.
B. But the interaction at the top political level may have ebbed the threat of a clash that could spiral into something worse.
C. Many compromise formulas have been aired such as a simultaneous withdrawal by Indian troops and the Chinese road building crew.
D. But from all indications, both sides are in for a long haul since trust and mutual understanding are at a discount.
E. None of these
- A. Yet there has been no suo motu judicial or political intervention.
B. Regardless of the proven damage to human and soil health, the use of fertilizers and pesticides has not declined in the two Green Revolution beneficiary states.
C. Priorities need to change from having five-star hospitals to preventive health.
D. The question is not just about the quality of water; it is also about the quality of political leadership.
E. None of these
- A. This is not the first time that superannuated officers, with no ostensible axe to grind, have cautioned the Modi government about the social discord unleashed in towns and villages of the country.
B. Like their retired civilian colleagues, these officers have also done some plain speaking on the browbeating of the media and the targeting of Dalits and Muslims.
C. Now it is that very section which says it can no longer look away in silence while diversity, the glue of cohesion for the nation and the armed forces, is under attack.
D. Success is a major disincentive for changing course, especially in a hard-fought profession like politics.
E. None of these
1. What is the Synonym of the Word – Recalcitrant?
- A. Obedient
B. Disobedient
C. Recall
D. Suppress
- A. Animated Character
B. Shoes
C. Hotel
D. Container
- A. Steal
B. Gather
C. Save
D. Undervalue
- A. Private – Public
B. Renowned – Popular
C. Distort – Similar
D. None of the above
- A. Barrier
B. Escalation
C. Tornado
D. Wonderful
Directions (1-5): Some proverbs/ idioms are given below together with their meanings. Choose the correct meaning of proverb/ idiom, If there is no correct meaning given, E (i.e.) 'None of these' will be the answer.
1. To play fast and loose
- A. to deceive someone
B. to be agile
C. say one thing and do another
D. to be efficient
E. None of these
- A. to work under someone
B. to be under someone’s protection
C. to be alert
D. to be in the army
E. None of these
- A. to imagine
B. to supply
C. to survey
D. to attract
E. None of these
- A. to make a fortune
B. to make a mess
C. to be absent minded
D. to be corrupt
E. None of these
- A. a man of no substance
B. a man without means
C. a man of character
D. a generous man
E. None of these
1. One who hates women
- A. Philanthropist
B. Ascetic
C. Misogamist
D. Misogynist
- A. Magnate
B. Creator
C. Pacifist
D. Optimist
- A. Walkway
B. Walkout
C. Walkabout
D. Walkover
- A. Ambrosia
B. Amnesia
C. Insomnia
D. Forgetting
- A. Glower
B. Gnaw
C. Gnash
D. Grind