GATE 2025 Civil Engineering Aptitude Question & Answers – Detailed Explanations

📊 Question Distribution by Topic

General Aptitude (1 Mark each)

Topic	Q. Nos.	Count
English Grammar	1-2	2
Mathematics/Series	3-4	2
Pattern Recognition	5,10	2
Reading Comprehension	6	1
Clock Problems	7	1
Color Models/Geometry	8-9	2

Question 1

Question: Is there any good show _______ television tonight?

Options:

• (A) in
• (B) at
• (C) within
• (D) on ✓

Answer: (D) on

Explanation: The correct preposition to use with “television” is “on.” We say “on television” to indicate something being broadcast or shown via the TV medium. This is the standard idiomatic expression in English. The other prepositions are grammatically incorrect with “television.”

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Question 2

Question: As the police officer was found guilty of embezzlement, he was _______ dismissed from the service in accordance with the Service Rules.

Options:

• (A) sumptuously
• (B) brazenly
• (C) unintentionally
• (D) summarily ✓

Answer: (D) summarily

Explanation: “Summarily” means without delay or formality; swiftly and decisively. Given that the officer was found guilty of embezzlement, being dismissed summarily (without further proceedings) makes contextual sense. This is the appropriate adverb to complete the sentence.

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Question 3

Question: The sum of the following infinite series is: $$\frac{1}{1!} + \frac{1}{2!} + \frac{1}{3!} + \frac{1}{4!} + \frac{1}{5!} + \cdots$$1!1​+2!1​+3!1​+4!1​+5!1​+⋯

Options:

• (A) π
• (B) 1 + e
• (C) e − 1 ✓
• (D) e

Answer: (C) e − 1

Explanation:We know that the Taylor series expansion of e is: $$e = 1 + \frac{1}{1!} + \frac{1}{2!} + \frac{1}{3!} + \frac{1}{4!} + \cdots$$e=1+1!1​+2!1​+3!1​+4!1​+⋯

Therefore: $$\frac{1}{1!} + \frac{1}{2!} + \frac{1}{3!} + \cdots = e – 1$$1!1​+2!1​+3!1​+⋯=e−1

Question 4

Question: A thin wire is used to construct all the edges of a cube of 1 m side by bending, cutting and soldering the wire. If the wire is 12 m long, what is the minimum number of cuts required to construct the wire frame to form the cube?

Options:

• (A) 3 ✓
• (B) 4
• (C) 6
• (D) 12

Answer: (A) 3

Explanation: A cube has 12 edges, each 1 m long. Total wire required = 12 m (which matches the available wire).

To form a connected wire frame with 12 segments from a single continuous wire, we need to cut the wire strategically. The cube edges form a graph, and we need minimum cuts to create all necessary segments while maintaining connectivity for soldering.

Using graph theory: A cube’s edge graph requires a minimum of 3 cuts to divide the 12 m wire into segments that can be arranged and soldered to form the complete cube frame.

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Question 5

Question: The figures I, II and III are parts of a sequence. Which one of the following options comes next in the sequence at IV?

Sequence:

• I: Circle with 1/4 shaded (quarter in top-left)
• II: Circle with 1/2 shaded (half on right side)
• III: Circle with 1/2 shaded (half on bottom)

Options:

• (A) Half circle shaded on top
• (B) Circle with diagonal shading
• (C) Quarter circle shaded on bottom ✓
• (D) Quarter circle shaded on left

Answer: (C) Quarter circle shaded on bottom

Explanation: The pattern shows the shaded portion rotating clockwise:

• I: 1/4 shaded, starting position (top-left)
• II: 1/2 shaded, rotated
• III: 1/2 shaded, further rotated
• IV: Following the clockwise rotation pattern, the next figure should show 1/4 shading in the next position

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Question 6 (2 Marks)

Question: “Why do they pull down and do away with crooked streets, I wonder, which are my delight, and hurt no man living? Every day the wealthier nations are pulling down one or another in their capitals and their great towns: they do not know why they do it; neither do I. It ought to be enough, surely, to drive the great broad ways which commerce needs and which are the life-channels of a modern city, without destroying all history and all the humanity in between: the islands of the past.” (From Hilaire Belloc’s “The Crooked Streets”)

Based only on the information provided in the above passage, which one of the following statements is true?

Options:

• (A) The author of the passage takes delight in wondering
• (B) The wealthier nations are pulling down the crooked streets in their capitals ✓
• (C) In the past, crooked streets were only built on islands
• (D) Great broad ways are needed to protect commerce and history

Answer: (B) The wealthier nations are pulling down the crooked streets in their capitals

Explanation: This statement is directly supported by the text: “Every day the wealthier nations are pulling down one or another in their capitals and their great towns.”

Option (A) is incorrect – the author wonders why they pull down streets, but takes delight in the streets themselves. Option (C) misinterprets “islands of the past” – a metaphorical phrase. Option (D) incorrectly states that broad ways protect history, when the passage says they don’t destroy history and humanity.

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Question 7 (2 Marks)

Question: Rohit goes to a restaurant for lunch at about 1 PM. When he enters the restaurant, he notices that the hour and minute hands on the wall clock are exactly coinciding. After about an hour, when he leaves the restaurant, he notices that the clock hands are again exactly coinciding. How much time (in minutes) did Rohit spend at the restaurant?

Options:

• (A) 64 6/11
• (B) 65 5/11 ✓
• (C) 66 5/13
• (D) 66 6/13

Answer: (B) 65 5/11

Explanation: The hour and minute hands coincide 11 times in 12 hours.

Time between consecutive coincidences = 12×60/11 = 720/11 minutes ≈ 65.45 minutes

At approximately 1 PM, hands first coincide at: 1:05:27 (approximately) Next coincidence occurs at: 1:05:27 + 720/11 minutes

The exact time Rohit spends = 65 5/11 minutes

This is calculated as: 720/11 = 65 5/11 minutes

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Question 8 (2 Marks)

Question: A color model is shown in the figure with color codes: Yellow (Y), Magenta (M), Cyan (Cy), Red (R), Blue (Bl), Green (G), and Black (K). Which one of the following options displays the color codes that are consistent with the color model?

Note: This question refers to the CMY(K) color model subtractive color mixing diagram

Options:

• (A) Incorrect arrangement
• (B) Correct arrangement with proper color intersections
• (C) Correct arrangement ✓
• (D) Incorrect arrangement

Answer: (C)

Explanation: In the CMY(K) color model (subtractive color mixing):

• Cyan + Magenta = Blue
• Magenta + Yellow = Red
• Yellow + Cyan = Green
• All three (Cyan + Magenta + Yellow) = Black

The correct arrangement shows these three primary colors overlapping with secondary colors at the intersections, and black at the center where all three overlap.

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Question 9 (2 Marks)

Question: A circle with center at (x, y) = (0.5, 0) and radius = 0.5 intersects with another circle with center at (x, y) = (1, 1) and radius = 1 at two points. One of the points of intersection (x, y) is:

Options:

• (A) (0, 0)
• (B) (0.2, 0.4) ✓
• (C) (0.5, 0.5)
• (D) (1, 2)

Answer: (B) (0.2, 0.4)

Explanation:

Circle 1: (x − 0.5)² + y² = 0.25 Circle 2: (x − 1)² + (y − 1)² = 1

Expanding Circle 1: x² − x + 0.25 + y² = 0.25 Therefore: x² − x + y² = 0 … (1)

Expanding Circle 2: x² − 2x + 1 + y² − 2y + 1 = 1 Therefore: x² − 2x + y² − 2y + 1 = 0 … (2)

Subtracting (1) from (2): −x − 2y + 1 = 0 x = 1 − 2y

Substituting in (1): (1 − 2y)² − (1 − 2y) + y² = 0 1 − 4y + 4y² − 1 + 2y + y² = 0 5y² − 2y = 0 y(5y − 2) = 0

So y = 0 or y = 0.4

When y = 0.4: x = 1 − 2(0.4) = 0.2

Intersection point: (0.2, 0.4) ✓

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Question 10 (2 Marks)

Question: An object is said to have an n-fold rotational symmetry if the object, rotated by an angle of 2π/n, is identical to the original. Which one of the following objects exhibits 4-fold rotational symmetry about an axis perpendicular to the plane of the screen?

Options:

• (A) Irregular plus-like shape
• (B) Irregular plus-like shape
• (C) Perfect plus/cross shape ✓
• (D) Irregular shape

Answer: (C)

Explanation: 4-fold rotational symmetry means the object looks identical when rotated by 90° (2π/4 = π/2).

A perfect plus sign (+) or cross demonstrates 4-fold rotational symmetry:

• 0° rotation: Original
• 90° rotation: Identical to original
• 180° rotation: Identical to original
• 270° rotation: Identical to original

The other options show irregular shapes that don’t maintain identical appearance after 90° rotation.