General mental ability (GMA) is a small but highly scoring section of the BPSC preliminary examination
General Mental Ability (GMA) is a small but highly scoring section of the BPSC Preliminary Examination. Many aspirants either ignore this section or prepare it casually, which results in unnecessary loss of marks.
In this article, I am going to discuss a clear and practical preparation strategy for General Mental Ability, covering elementary mathematics, verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning, strictly from the BPSC Pre Exam point of view.
Weightage of general mental ability in BPSC pre exam
In BPSC Prelims, around 10 questions are asked from the General Mental Ability section. With proper preparation, aspirants should target 7–8 correct answers out of 10, which can make a big difference in pre selection.
Components of general mental ability
General Mental Ability for BPSC Pre Exam mainly consists of two parts:
- Elementary Mathematics
- Basic Verbal & Non-Verbal Reasoning
Elementary mathematics for BPSC pre exam
Candidates must give special attention to the following topics, as questions are frequently asked from them:
- Number System
- Average
- Ratio and Proportion
- Percentage
- Profit and Loss
- Simple Interest
- Compound Interest
- Time and Distance
- Time and Work
- Mixture and Alligation (basic level)
Strategy for elementary maths
- Understand basic concepts and formulas clearly
- Practice short calculation methods
- Avoid lengthy tricks; focus on accuracy
- Solve previous year BPSC questions
Verbal reasoning for BPSC pre exam
Verbal reasoning questions are usually simple and test basic understanding. Focus on:
- Analogy
- Classification
- Series (alphabet and word-based)
- Coding–decoding (basic level)
- Direction sense
- Blood relations
Non-verbal reasoning for BPSC pre exam
Non-verbal reasoning questions are visual and logic-based. Focus on:
- Figure series
- Odd one out (figures)
- Mirror image
- Water image
- Paper folding (basic)
Books for general mental ability (BPSC pre)
Preparation of GMA does not require multiple books. One standard source is enough.
Recommended approach:
- One basic quantitative aptitude + reasoning book
- Focus on practice questions, not theory
- Prefer exam-oriented content over bulky books
Practice & Revision strategy
- Practice GMA questions daily for 30–40 minutes
- Revise maths formulas weekly
- Solve mock tests and sectional tests
- Analyse mistakes carefully
Common mistakes to avoid
- Ignoring GMA thinking it is less important
- Studying very advanced maths or reasoning
- Memorising tricks without understanding concepts
- Avoiding practice
Conclusion
General Mental Ability is a low-risk, high-reward section of the BPSC Pre Exam. With focused preparation on elementary maths and basic reasoning, aspirants can easily secure a major portion of marks from this section. Follow a simple, practice-oriented strategy, avoid unnecessary sources, and give regular time to GMA to strengthen your overall Prelims score.
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