These questions are all about sharpening how you think and improving your problem-solving skills. With regular practice, you’ll get better at figuring out those tough questions.
As you continue, you’ll find that your confidence increases, and those tough questions start to feel more manageable.
If you’re in Class 10, this set of 65 questions will help you get familiar with different types of mental ability challenges, making sure you’re ready to ace them.
The questions are split into categories such as Analogy, Coding-Decoding, Puzzles, and more. Each section tests different parts of your brain, whether it’s figuring out patterns, decoding hidden messages, or solving puzzles. By practicing these, you’ll be able to prepare for your exams and also develop skills that will help in everyday life, from logical reasoning to quick decision-making.
Below are list of categories on which the questions are aligned.
- Analogy
- Coding-Decoding
- Puzzles
- Sequence
- Verbal reasoning
- Analytical Reasoning
- Blood Relation
- Classification
Let’s get started!
List of 65 Mental Ability Test Questions with Answers for Class 10
Question 1. Evaporation is to Liquid as Sublimation is to:
a) Solid
b) Gas
c) Plasma
d) Condensation
Answer:
a) Solid — Evaporation is the process where a liquid turns into gas, just as sublimation is the process where a solid turns directly into gas.
Question 2. Marathon is to Race as Hibernation is to:
a) Bear
b) Sleep
c) Winter
d) Dormancy
Answer:
d) Dormancy — A marathon is an extended race, just as hibernation is an extended period of dormancy.
Question 3. Carbon is to Diamond as Silicon is to:
a) Graphite
b) Quartz
c) Coal
d) Sand
Answer:
b) Quartz — Carbon forms diamond, just as silicon forms quartz.
Question 4. Planet is to Solar System as Electron is to:
a) Atom
b) Molecule
c) Proton
d) Neutron
Answer:
a) Atom — Planets orbit the sun in a solar system, just as electrons orbit the nucleus in an atom.
Question 5. Catalyst is to Reaction as Enzyme is to:
a) Protein
b) Metabolism
c) Substrate
d) Activation Energy
Answer:
b) Metabolism — A catalyst speeds up a chemical reaction, just as an enzyme speeds up metabolic processes.
Question 6. Skeleton is to Body as Framework is to:
a) Building
b) Blueprint
c) Foundation
d) Architecture
Answer:
a) Building — A skeleton provides structure to a body, just as a framework provides structure to a building.
Question 7. Voltage is to Volt as Resistance is to:
a) Ampere
b) Ohm
c) Watt
d) Coulomb
Answer:
b) Ohm — Voltage is measured in volts, just as resistance is measured in ohms.
Question 8. Prologue is to Beginning as Epilogue is to:
a) Middle
b) Introduction
c) Conclusion
d) Preface
Answer:
c) Conclusion — A prologue appears at the beginning of a work, just as an epilogue appears at the conclusion.
Question 1. In a certain code language, ‘GARDEN’ is written as ‘ICTFGP’. How is ‘PLANTS’ written in that code?
a) RNCPVU
b) TNCPVU
c) RNDQWU
d) RNCPWT
Answer:
a) RNCPVU — Each letter is shifted by +2 positions in the alphabet.
Question 2. If ‘ORGANIZE’ is coded as ‘OIZANGRE’, how is ‘CUSTOMER’ written in that code?
a) CRETOMSU
b) CERMOTSU
c) CETORMUS
d) CTEROMSU
Answer:
a) CRETOMSU — The letters are rearranged in the order: 1st, last, second last, 4th, 5th, 6th, 3rd, 2nd. Applying this pattern to ‘CUSTOMER’ gives ‘CRETOMSU’.
Question 3. In a certain code, ‘PROBLEM’ is written as ‘MPERLOB’. How is ‘SOLUTION’ written in that code?
a) NUTIOSLO
b) NOITULOS
c) NUTIOLSO
d) NUTIOLOS
Answer:
b) NOITULOS — The code reverses the word. ‘PROBLEM’ reversed is ‘MELBORP’. Similarly, ‘SOLUTION’ reversed is ‘NOITULOS’.
Question 4. If ‘KNIFE’ is coded as ‘MPKHG’, how is ‘SPOON’ coded in that language?
a) URQQP
b) URQPP
c) URRQP
d) UQRRQ
Answer:
a) URQQP — Each letter is shifted by +2 positions in the alphabet.
Question 5. In a code language, ‘STREAM’ is written as ‘UVTGCO’. How will ‘BRIDGE’ be written in that code?
a) DTKFIH
b) DTLGJG
c) DTKFJG
d) DTKFJG
Answer:
c) DTKFJG — Each letter is shifted by +2 positions in the alphabet.
Question 6. If ‘COMPUTER’ is coded as ‘DSNVQFSG’, how is ‘KEYBOARD’ coded in that language?
a) LFZCPBSE
b) LGAZPCSE
c) LGAZPCSF
d) LGAZQCTF
Answer:
a) LFZCPBSE — Each letter is shifted by +1 position in the alphabet.
Question 7. In a certain code language, ‘ELECTION’ is coded as ‘CDJARLML’. How is ‘CAMPAIGN’ coded in that code?
a) AYNYZFLK
b) AYNYZFLJ
c) AYMXZFLK
d) AYMYZFLK
Answer:
a) AYNYZFLK — Each letter is shifted by -2 positions in the alphabet.
Question 8. If ‘MATHEMATICS’ is coded as ‘NZUIFNZUJDT’, how is ‘SCIENCE’ coded?
a) TDJFOFD
b) UDJFOFE
c) UDJEOGD
d) TDJEOGD
Answer:
b) UDJFOFE — Each letter is shifted by +1 position in the alphabet.
Question 1. There are five houses in a row, each painted a different color and inhabited by people of different nationalities, with different pets, favorite drinks, and favorite sports. Use the following clues to determine who owns the zebra and who drinks water:
1. The Englishman lives in the red house. – The Norwegian drinks water. This is a logic puzzle known as Einstein’s Riddle.
2. The Spaniard owns the dog.
3. Coffee is drunk in the green house.
4. The Ukrainian drinks tea.
5. The green house is immediately to the right of the ivory house.
6. The baseball player owns snails.
7. The hockey player lives in the yellow house.
8. Milk is drunk in the middle house.
9. The Norwegian lives in the first house.
10. The soccer player lives next to the fox owner.
11. The hockey player lives next to the horse owner.
12. The basketball player drinks orange juice.
13. The Japanese is a cricket player.
14. The Norwegian lives next to the blue house.
Answer:
– The Japanese owns the zebra.
Question 2. You have 12 identical-looking coins, one of which is counterfeit and differs in weight (heavier or lighter). Using a balance scale only three times, how can you identify the counterfeit coin and determine whether it is heavier or lighter?
Answer:
This is a classic puzzle involving strategic grouping and weighing. By carefully selecting groups for each weighing, you can isolate the counterfeit coin and determine its nature within three weighings.
Question 3. A farmer needs to cross a river with a wolf, a goat, and a cabbage. His boat can carry only himself and one other item. If left alone, the wolf will eat the goat, and the goat will eat the cabbage. How can he get all three across safely?
Answer:
1. Take the goat across first.
2. Return alone.
3. Take the wolf across.
4. Bring the goat back.
5. Take the cabbage across.
6. Return alone.
7. Take the goat across again.
Question 4. You have a 3-liter jug and a 5-liter jug. How can you measure exactly 4 liters of water using these jugs?
Answer:
1. Fill the 5-liter jug.
2. Pour water from the 5-liter jug into the 3-liter jug until it’s full, leaving 2 liters in the 5-liter jug.
3. Empty the 3-liter jug.
4. Pour the 2 liters from the 5-liter jug into the 3-liter jug.
5. Fill the 5-liter jug again.
6. Pour water into the 3-liter jug until it’s full. Now, exactly 4 liters remain in the 5-liter jug.
Question 5. A man looks at a photograph and says, “Brothers and sisters have I none, but that man’s father is my father’s son.” Who is the man in the photograph?
Answer:
The man’s son. “My father’s son” refers to himself, so “that man’s father is me,” meaning the photo is of his son.
Question 6. You have three light switches outside a windowless room, each controlling one of three light bulbs inside. You can only enter the room once. How can you determine which switch controls each bulb?
Answer:
1. Turn on the first switch and leave it on for a few minutes.
2. Turn it off, turn on the second switch.
3. Enter the room.
- The bulb that is on is controlled by the second switch.
- The bulb that is off but warm is controlled by the first switch.
- The bulb that is off and cold is controlled by the third switch.
Question 7. A merchant packs boxes into cartons for shipping. He can fit either 8 large boxes or 10 small boxes into a carton. He ships a total of 96 boxes, using more large boxes than small boxes. How many cartons did he use?
Answer:
He used 11 cartons.
Let large cartons be x and small cartons be y.
8x + 10y = 96
x > y
Solving, x = 7, y = 4
Total cartons = x + y = 11
Question 8. You have two hourglasses: one measures 7 minutes, and the other measures 11 minutes. How can you measure exactly 15 minutes?
Answer:
1. Start both hourglasses simultaneously.
2. When the 7-minute hourglass runs out, flip it (7 minutes elapsed).
3. When the 11-minute hourglass runs out, flip the 7-minute hourglass again (11 minutes elapsed).
4. When the 7-minute hourglass runs out this time (14 minutes elapsed), flip the 11-minute hourglass.
5. When the 11-minute hourglass runs out again (15 minutes elapsed), exactly 15 minutes have passed.
Question 1. Find the missing number in the sequence: 3, 7, 15, 31, __?
a) 63
b) 62
c) 65
d) 61
Answer:
a) 63 — The pattern is multiplying by 2 and then adding 1: (3×2)+1=7 (7×2)+1=15 (15×2)+1=31 (31×2)+1=63
Question 2. Find the missing number in the sequence: 2, 5, 10, 17, 26, __?
a) 35
b) 37
c) 38
d) 39
Answer:
b) 37 — The sequence follows n² + 1: 1² +1=2 2² +1=5 3² +1=10 4² +1=17 5² +1=26 6² +1=37
Question 3. Find the missing number in the sequence: 4, 9, 16, 25, __?
a) 34
b) 35
c) 36
d) 37
Answer:
c) 36 — The sequence is n² where n=2,3,4,5,6: 2²=4 3²=9 4²=16 5²=25 6²=36
Question 4. Find the missing number in the sequence: 5, 11, 23, 47, __?
a) 95
b) 93
c) 90
d) 91
Answer:
a) 95 — The pattern is (Previous number ×2) -1: (5×2)-1=9 (Not matching) Alternatively, the pattern is multiplying by 2 and adding 1: (5×2)+1=11 (11×2)+1=23 (23×2)+1=47 (47×2)+1=95
Question 5. Find the missing number in the sequence: 1, 4, 9, 16, 25, __?
a) 36
b) 49
c) 64
d) 81
Answer:
a) 36 — Sequence of squares of natural numbers: 1²=1 2²=4 3²=9 4²=16 5²=25 6²=36
Question 6. Find the missing number in the sequence: 2, 3, 5, 9, 17, __?
a) 33
b) 31
c) 35
d) 37
Answer:
a) 33 — The pattern is (Previous number ×2) -1: (2×2)-1=3 (3×2)-1=5 (5×2)-1=9 (9×2)-1=17 (17×2)-1=33
Question 7. Find the missing number in the sequence: 8, 27, 64, 125, __?
a) 196
b) 216
c) 225
d) 256
Answer:
b) 216 — Sequence of cubes of natural numbers: 2³=8 3³=27 4³=64 5³=125 6³=216
Question 8. Find the missing number in the sequence: 7, 14, 42, 168, __?
a) 840
b) 672
c) 504
d) 680
Answer:
a) 840 — The pattern is multiplying by increasing integers: 7×2=14 14×3=42 42×4=168 168×5=840
Question 1. Statements: All books are pens. All pens are papers. Conclusions: I. Some papers are books. II. All pens are books.
a) Only conclusion I follows
b) Only conclusion II follows
c) Both conclusions I and II follow
d) Neither conclusion I nor II follows
Answer:
a) Only conclusion I follows — Since all books are pens and all pens are papers, it follows that all books are papers (hence, some papers are books). Conclusion II is incorrect.
Question 2. If it is given that ‘All apples are fruits’ and ‘No fruit is sour’, which of the following is true?
a) All apples are sour
b) No apple is sour
c) Some apples are sour
d) None of the above
Answer:
b) No apple is sour — Since all apples are fruits and no fruit is sour, apples cannot be sour.
Question 3. Statements: Some cats are dogs. All dogs are rabbits. Conclusions: I. Some cats are rabbits. II. All rabbits are cats.
a) Only conclusion I follows
b) Only conclusion II follows
c) Both conclusions I and II follow
d) Neither conclusion I nor II follows
Answer:
a) Only conclusion I follows — Some cats are dogs, and all dogs are rabbits, so some cats are rabbits. Conclusion II is incorrect.
Question 4. Statements: All flowers are trees. No tree is green. Conclusions: I. Some trees are flowers. II. No flower is green.
a) Only conclusion I follows
b) Only conclusion II follows
c) Both conclusions I and II follow
d) Neither conclusion I nor II follows
Answer:
c) Both conclusions I and II follow — From ‘All flowers are trees’, conclusion I follows. Since no tree is green and all flowers are trees, no flower can be green.
Question 5. Statements: All birds are animals. Some animals are reptiles. Conclusions: I. Some birds are reptiles. II. All animals are birds.
a) Only conclusion I follows
b) Only conclusion II follows
c) Both conclusions I and II follow
d) Neither conclusion I nor II follows
Answer:
d) Neither conclusion I nor II follows — There is no direct relation between birds and reptiles. Conclusion II is incorrect because not all animals are birds.
Question 6. If ‘A is taller than B’, ‘C is taller than A’, and ‘D is taller than C’, who is the shortest?
a) A
b) B
c) C
d) D
Answer:
b) B — Since B is shorter than A, who is shorter than C, who is shorter than D, B is the shortest.
Question 7. Statements: No men are lions. All lions are brave. Conclusions: I. No men are brave. II. Some brave are not men.
a) Only conclusion I follows
b) Only conclusion II follows
c) Both conclusions I and II follow
d) Neither conclusion I nor II follows
Answer:
b) Only conclusion II follows — Since all lions are brave and no men are lions, it means some brave (the lions) are not men. Conclusion I is incorrect.
Question 8. Arrange the following words to form a meaningful sentence: 1. Playing 2. children 3. the 4. in 5. are 6. park
a) 2, 5, 1, 3, 6, 4
b) 3, 2, 5, 1, 6, 4
c) 2, 5, 3, 6, 4, 1
d) 2, 5, 3, 6, 1, 4
Answer:
a) 2, 5, 1, 3, 6, 4 — “Children are playing in the park.”
Question 1. If ‘A + B’ means ‘A is the mother of B’, ‘A – B’ means ‘A is the brother of B’, ‘A × B’ means ‘A is the son of B’, which of the following means ‘P is the maternal uncle of Q’?
a) P – Q + R
b) P × Q + R
c) P – R + Q
d) P + Q – R
Answer:
c) P – R + Q — ‘P – R’ means P is the brother of R, ‘R + Q’ means R is the mother of Q. Therefore, P is the maternal uncle of Q.
Question 2. In a certain code, ‘P × Q’ means ‘P is the sister of Q’, ‘P + Q’ means ‘P is the father of Q’, ‘P – Q’ means ‘P is the brother of Q’. If ‘A + B – C’, then which of the following is true?
a) A is the father of C
b) B is the brother of C
c) C is the aunt of A
d) C is the sister of A
Answer:
a) A is the father of C — ‘A + B’ means A is the father of B, ‘B – C’ means B is the brother of C, so A is the father of both B and C.
Question 3. Five friends P, Q, R, S, and T are sitting in a row facing north. S is to the immediate right of Q but not at the extreme end. R is between T and Q. Who is sitting at the extreme left?
a) P
b) Q
c) R
d) T
Answer:
a) P — The order from left to right is P, T, R, Q, S. So P is at the extreme left.
Question 4. In a group of five students, V’s height is more than T but less than R. S is shorter than V but taller than Q. Who is the tallest among them?
a) V
b) R
c) S
d) T
Answer:
b) R — The order from tallest to shortest is R > V > S > Q > T. So R is the tallest.
Question 5. If ‘blue’ means ‘green’, ‘green’ means ‘yellow’, ‘yellow’ means ‘white’, ‘white’ means ‘black’, then what is the color of the milk?
a) Black
b) Yellow
c) White
d) Green
Answer:
a) Black — Milk is white, and ‘white’ means ‘black’. So the color of milk is ‘black’ in the code.
Question 6. Pointing to a photograph, Amit says, “She is the only daughter of my father’s only daughter-in-law.” How is the girl in the photograph related to Amit?
a) Sister
b) Daughter
c) Niece
d) Cousin
Answer:
b) Daughter — Amit’s father’s only daughter-in-law is Amit’s wife. So the girl is Amit’s daughter.
Question 7. If in a certain code language, ‘CAT’ is written as ‘XZG’, ‘DOG’ is written as ‘WLT’, then how is ‘BIRD’ written in that code?
a) YRMW
b) YRMV
c) YSMW
d) YSNW
Answer:
a) YRMW — The code reverses the alphabet positions: A(1) ↔ Z(26), B(2) ↔ Y(25), etc. So B(2) → Y, I(9) → R, R(18) → I, D(4) → W. Therefore, ‘BIRD’ is coded as ‘YRMW’.
Question 8. Arrange the given words in a meaningful sequence: 1. Birth, 2. Death, 3. Funeral, 4. Marriage, 5. Education
a) 1, 5, 4, 2, 3
b) 1, 5, 4, 3, 2
c) 5, 1, 4, 2, 3
d) 1, 4, 5, 2, 3
Answer:
a) 1, 5, 4, 2, 3 — Birth → Education → Marriage → Death → Funeral
Question 1. Pointing to a man, a woman said, “His mother is the only daughter of my mother.” How is the woman related to the man?
a) Mother
b) Grandmother
c) Aunt
d) Daughter
Answer:
a) Mother — The only daughter of her mother is herself, so she is the man’s mother.
Question 2. Introducing a boy, a girl says, “He is the son of the daughter of my mother’s sister.” How is the boy related to the girl?
a) Cousin
b) Nephew
c) Uncle
d) Brother
Answer:
a) Cousin — Mother’s sister’s daughter is her cousin; her son is her cousin as well.
Question 3. If A is the brother of B, B is the sister of C, and C is the father of D, how is A related to D?
a) Uncle
b) Brother
c) Father
d) Grandfather
Answer:
a) Uncle — A is the brother of B, who is C’s sister, so A is C’s brother. Since C is D’s father, A is D’s uncle.
Question 4. Pointing to a woman, Rajesh said, “She is the daughter-in-law of my grandmother’s only child.” How is the woman related to Rajesh?
a) Mother
b) Aunt
c) Sister-in-law
d) Wife
Answer:
d) Wife — Grandmother’s only child is Rajesh’s parent. The daughter-in-law of his parent is his wife.
Question 5. If P’s father is Q’s son, R is the paternal uncle of P, and Q has only two sons, how is Q related to R?
a) Father
b) Brother
c) Cousin
d) Grandfather
Answer:
d) Grandfather — Since Q has two sons, one is P’s father, and the other is R (paternal uncle of P). Therefore, Q is the father of R, making Q the grandfather of P and father of R.
Question 6. Maya said, “This boy is the son of my grandfather’s only son.” How is the boy related to Maya?
a) Brother
b) Cousin
c) Nephew
d) Uncle
Answer:
a) Brother — Grandfather’s only son is her father; the son of her father is her brother.
Question 7. Pointing to a photograph, a woman says, “This man’s sister is my mother’s only daughter.” How is the man related to the woman?
a) Brother
b) Father
c) Uncle
d) Nephew
Answer:
d) Nephew — The woman’s mother’s only daughter is herself. So the man’s sister is the woman herself, making the man her brother. But since she refers to him as “this man,” the logical relation is that he is her son (assuming the only daughter has a son). However, given options, the closest relation is nephew.
Question 8. If A is B’s sister, B is C’s father, and D is A’s mother, how is D related to C?
a) Grandmother
b) Mother
c) Aunt
d) Sister
Answer:
a) Grandmother — D is A’s mother, and A is B’s sister, so D is also B’s mother. Since B is C’s father, D is C’s grandmother.
Question 1. Choose the number that does not belong with the others:
a) 121
b) 143
c) 169
d) 225
Answer:
b) 143 — All the other numbers are perfect squares (11²=121, 13²=169, 15²=225), whereas 143 is not a perfect square.
Question 2. Identify the word that does not belong in the group:
a) Liver
b) Heart
c) Lung
d) Kidney
Answer:
c) Lung — The liver, heart, and kidney are all solid organs, whereas the lung is a hollow organ filled with air.
Question 3. Choose the pair that does not belong with the others:
a) Iron : Fe
b) Sodium : Na
c) Potassium : K
d) Calcium : Ca
Answer:
d) Calcium : Ca — In all other pairs, the symbol does not start with the same letter as the element name (Iron : Fe, Sodium : Na, Potassium : K). Calcium’s symbol Ca starts with the same letter.
Question 4. Select the option that doesn’t fit the pattern:
a) 2, 3
b) 5, 7
c) 11, 13
d) 14, 15
Answer:
d) 14, 15 — All other pairs are consecutive prime numbers, whereas 14 and 15 are consecutive composite numbers.
Question 5. Find the odd one out:
a) Mercury
b) Venus
c) Earth
d) Pluto
Answer:
d) Pluto — All others are inner planets of the solar system, whereas Pluto is a dwarf planet and part of the Kuiper belt.
Question 6. Choose the term that does not belong with the others:
a) Square
b) Rhombus
c) Rectangle
d) Trapezoid
Answer:
d) Trapezoid — All others are types of parallelograms, whereas a trapezoid has only one pair of parallel sides.
Question 7. Select the item that doesn’t belong to the group:
a) Carbon
b) Oxygen
c) Neon
d) Nitrogen
Answer:
c) Neon — Neon is a noble gas, whereas the others are common atmospheric gases involved in biological processes.
Question 8. Identify the number that does not fit in the series:
a) 3
b) 5
c) 9
d) 17
Answer:
c) 9 — All other numbers are prime numbers; 9 is not prime.
