General Knowledge
BRICS Nations — "Brazil Russia India China South Africa" — Remember as "Brick-S" for the five emerging economies alliance formed in 2009.
Bharat Ratna Recipients Order — First three (1954): C.V. Raman, Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, C. Rajagopalachari — "Raman Radhakrishnan Rajaji" (Three R's).
Census Years — India conducts census every 10 years in years ending with '1': 1991, 2001, 2011, 2021 — "Decade's First Year".
Cyber Crime Types — "PHISH" mnemonic: Phishing, Hacking, Identity theft, Stalking, Harassment — covers major cyber offences under IT Act.
IPC Section 302 — Murder charge — Remember "3-0-2 = Three-Zero-Two = To Zero (kill) Too" for the most serious penal provision.
Emergency Years — National Emergency declared in 1962 (China war), 1971 (Pakistan war), 1975 (Internal) — "62-71-75" ascending pattern.
Indian Ocean Countries — Mnemonic "I Must Sail My Kayak South Today": India, Maldives, Sri Lanka, Mauritius, Kenya, Seychelles, Tanzania.
Fundamental Rights Articles — Articles 12-35 cover Fundamental Rights — Remember "12 disciples to 35mm film" for span in Constitution.
General Hindi (सामान्य हिंदी)
हिंदी व्याकरण के कारक — "ने को को से से में पर" — कर्ता (ने), कर्म (को), करण (से), संप्रदान (को/के लिए), अपादान (से), संबंध (का/की/के), अधिकरण (में/पर), संबोधन (हे/अरे).
काल के तीन भेद — "भू-वर्त-भवि" — भूतकाल (था/थी), वर्तमानकाल (है/हैं), भविष्यतकाल (होगा/होगी) — संस्कृत मूल से याद रखें।
लिंग निर्णय ट्रिक — Words ending in आ/आई/ई usually feminine (लता, लड़की, रोटी); आ consonant-ending often masculine (लड़का, घर, पानी) — 80% accuracy rule.
रस के स्थायी भाव — "हाश्रभवैअद" = हास्य-शृंगार-भयानक-वीर-रौद्र-करुण-वीभत्स-अद्भुत-शांत — 9 रसों के नाम क्रम से।
छंद पहचान — दोहा: 13-11 मात्रा (2 चरण), चौपाई: 16-16 मात्रा (4 चरण), सोरठा: 11-13 (दोहा उलटा) — मात्रा गिनती से पहचानें।
Numerical & Mental Ability
Divisibility by 11 — Subtract alternating digit sums: for 2728, (2+2)-(7+8)= 4-15= -11, divisible by 11. Quick check for any large number.
Percentage-Fraction Quick Conversions — 12.5%=1/8, 16.67%=1/6, 33.33%=1/3, 62.5%=5/8, 87.5%=7/8 — memorize these five for instant calculation.
Time-Distance: Relative Speed — Same direction: subtract speeds; opposite direction: add speeds — "Same Subtract, Opposite Add" (SSOA).
Profit/Loss Shortcut — Two successive discounts of a% and b%: Net = (a+b - ab/100)% — saves 30 seconds per question.
Average Trick — When new member joins, total age increase = (new age - old average) × 1; decrease similarly — difference method faster than re-calculation.
Compound Interest Approximation — For 2 years at r%: SI × (1 + r/200) ≈ CI — accurate within 1% for rates under 20%.
Mensuration: Circle-Square Relation — Circle inscribed in square: Circle area = (πa²/4) where 'a' is square side; circumscribed: Square area = (2r)² where r is radius.
Ratio Multiplication Trick — A:B = 2:3 and B:C = 4:5, make B equal: multiply first by 4, second by 3 → A:B:C = 8:12:15 — equate the common term.
Number Series: Difference Patterns — Check first differences; if irregular, check second differences (difference of differences) — 90% series follow this pattern.
Mental Aptitude / IQ / Reasoning
Direction Sense: NESW Clock — Start North (12 o'clock), clockwise: North-East-South-West at 12-3-6-9 positions — right turn = clockwise, left = anticlockwise.
Blood Relations: Generation Trick — +2 generation = grandparent, +1 = parent, 0 = self/sibling/spouse/cousin, -1 = child, -2 = grandchild — count upward/downward levels.
Coding-Decoding: Alphabet Position — A=1, Z=26; forward/backward: A+5=F, Z-5=U — remember position numbers 1-26 or use finger counting forward/backward.
Syllogism: Venn Diagrams — Always draw circles: "All A are B" = small circle A inside B; "Some" = overlapping — visual method prevents 95% errors.
Clock Angle Formula — Angle = |11M/2 - 30H| degrees, where M=minutes, H=hours — hands coincide when angle = 0; straight line when 180°.
Dice Opposite Faces — Standard dice: 1-6, 2-5, 3-4 are opposite pairs — if two faces shown, third pair's faces are on top/bottom.
Series Completion: Prime Check — Common patterns: +prime numbers (2,3,5,7...), ×2±1, squares±constant — check these three patterns first before complex logic.
Mirror Image Trick — Vertical mirror: only horizontal positions reverse (left↔right); water image: vertical positions reverse (top↔bottom) — V-mirror=H-reverse, H-mirror=V-reverse.