MCSCCE • 2024 • Paper-II
You’re asked to recommend one of two projects: one benefits a majority but harms the environment; the other is slower but sustainable. What would guide your decision?
A)
Immediate results that benefit majority at the initial stage.
B)
Political gain.
C)
Long-term social and environmental impact.
D)
Ease of implementation.
This is a Situational Judgement Test (SJT) question designed to evaluate the candidate's ethical framework, administrative foresight, and commitment to sustainable development.
1. **Analysis of the Dilemma**: The candidate must choose between 'Immediate Utility' (majority benefit but environmental harm) and 'Sustainable Development' (slower progress but environmental preservation).
2. **Evaluating Option (c)**: In modern public administration and governance, the principle of 'Sustainable Development' is paramount. Decisions must not only serve the current generation but ensure that future generations are not deprived of their resources. Prioritizing long-term social and environmental impact demonstrates ethical leadership and strategic thinking.
3. **Evaluating Option (a)**: While benefiting the majority is important, doing so at the cost of the environment creates a 'negative externality' that often leads to higher costs and disasters in the future, making it an unsustainable choice.
4. **Evaluating Option (b)**: Political gain is an unethical criterion for administrative decision-making and violates the principle of neutrality and public service.
5. **Evaluating Option (d)**: Ease of implementation is a matter of convenience, not a matter of value or ethics. A project should be chosen based on its impact and viability, not simply because it is 'easy' to do.
Therefore, the most professional and ethical guiding principle is the long-term impact on society and the environment.
MCSCCE • 2024 • Paper-II
Lala and Dova can do a piece of work in 45 days and 40 days respectively. They began the work together, but Lala leaves after 9 days. In how many days will Dova finish the remaining work?
A)
23 days
B)
21 days
C)
18 days
D)
16 days
Let total work = LCM(45, 40) = 360 units. Lala's daily rate = 360 / 45 = 8 units/day; Dova's daily rate = 360 / 40 = 9 units/day. In 9 days together, they complete (8 + 9) × 9 = 153 units. Remaining work = 360 - 153 = 207 units. Dova finishes the remaining work alone in 207 / 9 = 23 days.
MCSCCE • 2024 • Paper-II
You find that a person whom you call your friend has been cheating you. What would you do?
A)
Break relations with him/her
B)
Give him/her tit for tat.
C)
Make him / her realise his/her mistake
D)
Tell other friends about him / her.
In situational judgement and interpersonal ethics, the most constructive and mature response is to communicate directly and make the friend realize their mistake.
MCSCCE • 2024 • Paper-II
If 5^(2x+1) / 25 = 125, find the value of x :
A)
6
B)
2
C)
10
D)
4
Expressing in powers of 5: $\frac{5^{2x+1}}{5^2} = 5^3 \implies 5^{2x-1} = 5^3 \implies 2x - 1 = 3 \implies 2x = 4 \implies x = 2$.
MCSCCE • 2024 • Paper-II
You have been made responsible to hire boats at a short notice to be used for an area under flood. On seeing the price mentioned by the boat owners, you found that the lowest price was approximately three times more than the approved rate of the Government. You would:
A)
reject the proposal and immediately escalate the matter to higher authorities, requesting urgent intervention and official instructions.
B)
accept the lowest price as it is urgent.
C)
make temporary verbal commitments with boat owners, hoping to resolve the pricing issue later.
D)
threaten the boat owners about a possible cancellation of the license.
In administrative protocol during emergency relief operations, an official cannot arbitrarily sanction procurement at exorbitant rates exceeding official ceilings. The proper action is to reject the inflated bids and urgently report to higher authorities to obtain special financial sanction or invoke emergency requisition powers under the Disaster Management Act.
MCSCCE • 2024 • Paper-II
Fill in the blank with the appropriate word: Smoking _________ health.
A)
Effects
B)
Kills
C)
Rejects
D)
Affects
'Affects' is the correct third-person singular present verb meaning 'has an adverse effect on'. 'Effects' is primarily a noun and grammatically incorrect in this sentence position.
MCSCCE • 2024 • Paper-II
In a certain code ‘POTASSIUM’ is written as ‘PoTassium’. How is ‘GRAPHITE’ written in that code?
A)
GrAphItE
B)
GrApHiTe
C)
gRaPHiTe
D)
GRAphiTE
The casing follows an alternating pattern of uppercase and lowercase letters starting with uppercase (P-o-T-a-s-s-i-u-m). Applying this alternating capitalization to GRAPHITE gives G-r-A-p-H-i-T-e ('GrApHiTe').
MCSCCE • 2024 • Paper-II
Which of the followings are/is non-verbal communication examples? (i) Blushing (ii) Crying (iii) Kinesics (iv) Laughter
A)
(iii) only
B)
(i), (ii) and (iv) only
C)
(ii) and (iv) only
D)
(i), (ii), (iii) and (iv)
All listed examples (Blushing, Crying, Kinesics, Laughter) are forms of non-verbal communication.
MCSCCE • 2024 • Paper-II
Statement I: Many employees of the company proceeded on a day’s leave on Friday. Statement II: Both Thursday and Saturday were declared holiday by the company. Decide the relationship between these two statements.
A)
If statement I is the cause and statement II is its effect.
B)
If statement II is the cause and statement I is its effect.
C)
If both the statements I and II are independent causes.
D)
If both the statements I and II are effects of independent causes.
Declaring Thursday and Saturday as holidays (Statement II) created an opportunity for a 4-day continuous weekend, causing employees to take leave on Friday (Statement I).
MCSCCE • 2024 • Paper-II
Evaluate : cube root of 4096
A)
4
B)
2
C)
6
D)
3
Evaluating the nested radical from the examination paper: sqrt(cbrt(4096)) = (4096^(1/3))^(1/2) = (16)^(1/2) = 4.
MCSCCE • 2024 • Paper-II
The sector where you are working for is to be included for a major restructure. Some posts will vanish; some roles will change and there will be some new opportunities created. The announcement has created some concern within the office, especially as it has been performing well up to this point. Your Head has arranged for a one-on-one meeting with everyone to discuss the restructure. You need to decide how best to prepare for the meeting. Which of the given statements must definitely be followed with reference to the information?
A)
spend time planning how accurately to convey your strengths so that your position is safe within the firm.
B)
plan to ask questions about what new opportunities are available and how you can position yourself to take advantage of it.
C)
aim to get as much information from your Head about the restructure: timescale and impact.
D)
prepare a convincing case concerning why the company should not be included in the restructuring.
When preparing for an individual consultation regarding an organizational restructuring, the most constructive and professional approach is to gather factual details regarding the timeline, scope, and specific impact of the changes.
MCSCCE • 2024 • Paper-II
An area is affected by severe flooding. You, as a District Magistrate, have limited resources. Which of the following should be your immediate priority?
A)
Repairing roads
B)
Distributing food and water
C)
Rebuilding houses
D)
Organizing entertainment to lift people’s spirits
During disaster emergency response with limited resources, a District Magistrate's first and immediate life-saving priority is providing basic sustenance (food, clean drinking water, and immediate medical relief) to prevent starvation and waterborne epidemics.
MCSCCE • 2024 • Paper-II
Find the odd one out:
A)
35
B)
63
C)
54
D)
42
All numbers except 54 are divisible by 7: 35 (5×7), 63 (9×7), and 42 (6×7). 54 is not a multiple of 7 (54 = 6×9), making it the odd one out.
MCSCCE • 2024 • Paper-II
Assertion (A): Most of the Himalayan rivers are perennial. Reason (R): They are fed by melting snow. Choose the correct alternative.
A)
Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.
B)
Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A.
C)
A is true but R is false.
D)
A is false but R is true.
Step 1: Analyze Assertion (A). A 'perennial' river is one that has continuous flow throughout the year. Himalayan rivers (such as the Indus, Ganga, and Brahmaputra) are indeed perennial because they never dry up, regardless of the season. Thus, Assertion (A) is true.
Step 2: Analyze Reason (R). Himalayan rivers derive their water from two primary sources: rainfall during the monsoon season and the melting of glaciers/snow during the summer. Because the high-altitude glaciers melt during the warmer months, these rivers receive a steady supply of water even when there is no rain. Thus, Reason (R) is true.
Step 3: Determine the relationship. The reason why these rivers are perennial (flow all year) is specifically because they have a dual source of water; the melting snow ensures flow during the dry summer months. Therefore, Reason (R) directly explains why Assertion (A) is true.
Conclusion: Since both statements are true and the reason correctly explains the assertion, option (a) is the correct choice.
MCSCCE • 2024 • Paper-II
In a given administrative scenario, you are confronted with a dilemma where rigid adherence to statutory rules may lead to significant humanitarian hardship. Which of the following principles should primarily guide your course of action as a civil servant?
A)
A balanced approach incorporating public interest, legal permissibility, and the principle of proportionality.
B)
Literal interpretation of statutory provisions irrespective of context.
C)
Prevailing public sentiment as reflected in media narratives.
D)
Directives issued by political executives, even if not codified in administrative norms.
In administrative ethics and situational decision-making, civil servants are expected to exercise lawful discretion by balancing the broader public interest, legal permissibility, and proportionality rather than applying rigid literalism that causes acute humanitarian distress.
MCSCCE • 2024 • Paper-II
Being able to put oneself in someone else’s situation is called:
A)
Persuasion
B)
Leadership
C)
Active Listening
D)
Empathy
Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings or situation of another person.
MCSCCE • 2024 • Paper-II
You are tasked with distributing a limited amount of funds across five proposed development projects, each addressing important but varying community needs. Considering the budget constraints and the potential impact of each project, what would be the most logical and effective approach to allocate the resources?
A)
Distribute equally.
B)
Prioritize based on need and impact.
C)
Follow political recommendations.
D)
Choose based on the popular opinion of the people.
When dealing with limited funds across diverse development projects, prioritizing resource allocation based on rigorous assessment of community need and potential developmental impact is the most logical and effective approach.
MCSCCE • 2024 • Paper-II
A politician strongly recommends a candidate for appointment in a temporary government post under your supervision. The candidate is underqualified and others in the list are better suited. What should you do?
A)
Evaluate all candidates on merit and document the process transparently.
B)
Appoint the recommended candidate to avoid political conflict.
C)
Request the politician to send a better candidate.
D)
Cancel the recruitment altogether.
Civil service ethics demand integrity, impartiality, and adherence to merit-based recruitment. All candidates must be evaluated fairly and the selection process meticulously documented to withstand scrutiny.
MCSCCE • 2024 • Paper-II
If eraser is called box, box is called pencil, pencil is called sharpener and sharpener is called bag, what will a child write with?
A)
Box
B)
Sharpener
C)
Eraser
D)
Pencil
A child writes with a pencil. In the given artificial language code substitution, 'pencil is called sharpener'. Therefore, the child will write with a sharpener.
MCSCCE • 2024 • Paper-II
Consider the provided figures (I) to (VI) where some parts change positions in regular directions. Following the same sequence, which figure will appear at (VII) stage?
Answer: Figure (a)
In this 6-step cyclic non-verbal rotation sequence, step (VII) completes the repeating series and corresponds to the configuration in Figure (a).
MCSCCE • 2024 • Paper-II
A local thug (bad element) has started illegal construction on your vacant plot. He has refused your request to vacate and threatened you of dire consequences in case you do not sell the property at a cheap price to him. You would:
A)
sell the property at a cheap price to him.
B)
go to the police for necessary action.
C)
ask for help from your neighbours.
D)
negotiate with the goon to get a higher price.
In a situation of illegal encroachment and threats by a criminal, the appropriate ethical and procedural course is to report the incident to law enforcement.
MCSCCE • 2024 • Paper-II
If 15 workers can finish a work in 48 hrs. How many workers will be required to do the same work in 30 hrs?
A)
24
B)
56
C)
34
D)
96
Work is constant: 15 workers * 48 hours = 720 worker-hours. To finish in 30 hours: 720 / 30 = 24 workers.
MCSCCE • 2024 • Paper-II
The attribute of supportive communication is:
A)
Congruent
B)
Evaluative
C)
Global
D)
Disjunctive
According to David Whetten and Kim Cameron's framework, supportive communication is congruent (honest and matching words with feelings), descriptive rather than evaluative, specific rather than global, and conjunctive rather than disjunctive.
MCSCCE • 2024 • Paper-II
Which in the following is the same as wrestling, karate, boxing?
A)
Swimming
B)
Polo
C)
Pole vault
D)
Judo
Wrestling, karate, and boxing are all combat sports / martial arts. Among the given options, Judo is also a martial art and combat sport.
MCSCCE • 2024 • Paper-II
The diameter of a metallic sphere is 42 cm. It is melted and drawn into a cylindrical wire of diameter 2.8 cm. The length of the wire in metre is:
A)
54 m
B)
58 m
C)
60 m
D)
63 m
Radius of the sphere R = 21 cm. Volume of sphere = (4/3) * pi * R^3 = (4/3) * pi * (21)^3 = 12348 * pi cm^3. Radius of wire r = 1.4 cm. Volume of wire = pi * r^2 * h = pi * (1.4)^2 * h = 1.96 * pi * h. Equating volumes: 1.96 h = 12348 => h = 6300 cm = 63 m.
