Question 1 of 19 · CSAT 2026, Q18
A pattern formed by two characters a and b is repeated more than once in the following string:
× b × a × a × × a × a × bab
What is × × in the 7th and 8th positions from the left in the above string?
CSAT · Puzzles, arrangements & general mental ability · Set 2 of 6
19 questions UPSC asked between 2016 and 2026, 30 minutes, negative marking — your score as soon as you submit.
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Puzzles, arrangements & general mental ability has 6 sets of about 20 questions — together, every question UPSC has asked on it since 2016. This is set 2; when you finish, the next one is a tap away.
Marking, as in the exam: +2.5 for a correct answer, −0.83 for a wrong one, 0 if you leave it. CSAT is qualifying: 33%.
Questions from the latest paper are scored against UPSC's provisional answer key (the final key comes out after the final result).
| Year | Questions | Easy | Medium | Hard |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 2025 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2023 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2022 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2021 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 2019 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 2018 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 2017 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 2016 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
Difficulty is the Vault's own rating of each question; subjects and topics follow the official syllabus.
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Puzzles, arrangements & general mental ability · Set 2 · Set 2 of 6
0 of 19 answered
Question 1 of 19 · CSAT 2026, Q18
A pattern formed by two characters a and b is repeated more than once in the following string:
× b × a × a × × a × a × bab
What is × × in the 7th and 8th positions from the left in the above string?
Question 2 of 19 · CSAT 2026, Q57
In a sequence of numbers, each number other than the first two is the sum of the two immediately preceding numbers from it. If the first two numbers in the sequence are 4 and 7, then the sixth number is
Question 3 of 19 · CSAT 2025, Q38
If P = +, Q = −, R = ×, S = ÷, then insert the proper notations between the successive numbers in the equation 60_15_3_20_4 = 20:
Question 4 of 19 · CSAT 2024, Q37
How many times the hour hand and the minute hand coincide in a clock between 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. (same day)?
Question 5 of 19 · CSAT 2023, Q24
If 7 ⊕ 9 ⊕ 10 = 8, 9 ⊕ 11 ⊕ 30 = 5, 11 ⊕ 17 ⊕ 21 = 13, what is the value of 23 ⊕ 4 ⊕ 15?
Question 6 of 19 · CSAT 2022, Q6
Two friends X and Y start running and they run together for 50 m in the same direction and reach a point. X turns right and runs 60 m, while Y turns left and runs 40 m. Then X turns left and runs 50 m and stops, while Y turns right and runs 50 m and then stops. How far are the two friends from each other now?
Question 7 of 19 · CSAT 2021, Q25
Seven books P, Q, R, S, T, U and V are placed side by side. R, Q and T have blue covers and other books have red covers. Only S and U are new books and the rest are old. P, R and S are law reports; the rest are Gazetteers. Books of old Gazetteers with blue covers are
Question 8 of 19 · CSAT 2021, Q50
What is the value of ‘X’ in the sequence 2, 7, 22, 67, 202, X, 1822?
Question 9 of 19 · CSAT 2019, Q10
A solid cube is painted yellow, blue and black such that opposite faces are of same colour. The cube is then cut into 36 cubes of two different sizes such that 32 cubes are small and the other four cubes are big. None of the faces of the bigger cubes is painted blue. How many cubes have only one face painted?
Question 10 of 19 · CSAT 2019, Q70
In the sequence 1, 5, 7, 3, 5, 7, 4, 3, 5, 7, how many such 5s are there which are not immediately preceded by 3 but are immediately followed by 7?
Question 11 of 19 · CSAT 2018, Q14
Directions for the following 3 (three) items: Rotated positions of a single solid are shown below. The various faces of the solid are marked with different symbols like dots, cross and line. Answer the three items that follow the given figures.

What is the symbol on the face opposite to that containing a single dot?
Question 12 of 19 · CSAT 2018, Q44
Directions for the following 6 (six) items: Read the information given below and answer the six items that follow.
A, B, C and D are students. They are studying in four different cities, viz., P, Q, R and S (not necessarily in that order). They are studying in Science college, Arts college, Commerce college and Engineering college (not necessarily in that order), which are situated in four different States, viz., Gujarat, Rajasthan, Assam and Kerala (not necessarily in that order). Further, it is given that—
Science college is located in
Question 13 of 19 · CSAT 2018, Q66
Consider the figures given below:

To fit the question mark, the correct answer is
Question 14 of 19 · CSAT 2017, Q18
15 students failed in a class of 52. After removing the names of failed students, a merit order list has been prepared in which the position of Ramesh is 22nd from the top. What is his position from the bottom?
Question 15 of 19 · CSAT 2017, Q58
The outer surface of a 4 cm × 4 cm × 4 cm cube is painted completely in red. It is sliced parallel to the faces to yield sixty four 1 cm × 1 cm × 1 cm small cubes. How many small cubes do not have painted faces?
Question 16 of 19 · CSAT 2017, Q76
Directions for the following 3 (three) items: Consider the given information and answer the three items that follow.
Eight railway stations A, B, C, D, E, F, G and H are connected either by two-way passages or one-way passages. One-way passages are from C to A, E to G, B to F, D to H, G to C, E to C and H to G. Two-way passages are between A and E, G and B, F and D, and E and D.
While travelling from C to H, which one of the following stations must be passed through?
Question 17 of 19 · CSAT 2016, Q16
Directions for the following 5 (five) items: Consider the following information and answer the five items that follow:
There are five persons in a group — P, Q, R, S and T. The group has one doctor, one lawyer and one artist. P and S are unmarried students. T is a man married to one of the group members. Q is the brother of P and is neither doctor nor artist. R is not doctor.
Who is the artist?
Question 18 of 19 · CSAT 2016, Q35
Direction for the following 3 (three) items: Consider the given information and answer the three items that follow.
Six boxes A, B, C, D, E and F have been painted with six different colours viz., violet, indigo, blue, green, yellow and orange and arranged from left to right (not necessarily either kept or painted with the colours in the same order). Each box contains a ball of any one of the following six games: cricket, hockey, tennis, golf, football and volleyball (not necessarily in the same order). The golf ball is in violet box and is not in the box D. The box A which contains tennis ball is orange in colour and is at the extreme right. The hockey ball is neither in box D nor in box E. The box C having cricket ball is painted green. The hockey ball is neither in the box painted blue nor in the box painted yellow. The box C is fifth from right and next to box B. The box B contains volleyball. The box containing the hockey ball is between the boxes containing golf ball and volleyball.
Which of the following statements is/are correct?
Question 19 of 19 · CSAT 2016, Q56
Direction for the following 3 (three) items: Consider the given information and answer the three items that follow.
When three friends A, B and C met, it was found that each of them wore an outer garment of a different colour. In random order, the garments are: jacket, sweater and tie; and the colours are: blue, white and black. Their surnames in random order are: Ribeiro, Kumar and Singh.
Further, we know that:
1. neither B nor Ribeiro wore a white sweater
2. C wore a tie
3. Singh's garment was not white
4. Kumar does not wear a jacket
5. Ribeiro does not like to wear the black colour
6. Each of the friends wore only one outer garment of only one colour
Who wore the sweater?
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