CSS MPT Practice Test
1. English Section
Part A: Vocabulary and Usage (1–20)
1. The minister's explanation was so ______ that it clarified neither the cause of the crisis nor the government's response to it.
A. lucid
B. equivocal
C. trenchant
D. cogent
2. The scholar's argument was not merely controversial; it was so ______ that even his supporters hesitated to endorse it publicly.
A. orthodox
B. innocuous
C. incendiary
D. judicious
3. Despite years of criticism, the practice remained deeply ______ within the institution.
A. transient
B. entrenched
C. peripheral
D. sporadic
4. The witness's testimony was undermined by several ______ statements made during cross-examination.
A. corroborative
B. consistent
C. contradictory
D. categorical
5. His reputation as a reformer was largely ______; in practice he resisted most substantive changes.
A. nominal
B. exemplary
C. immutable
D. prolific
6. The committee sought to ______ the growing tension between the administration and the faculty.
A. exacerbate
B. mollify
C. instigate
D. precipitate
7. The CEO's confidence appeared less a product of competence than of sheer ______.
A. diffidence
B. temerity
C. prudence
D. austerity
8. The judge warned that any attempt to ______ evidence would be treated as contempt of court.
A. suppress
B. illuminate
C. authenticate
D. compile
9. The scientist rejected conclusions based on ______ observations unsupported by data.
A. empirical
B. anecdotal
C. rigorous
D. systematic
10. The policy was introduced with considerable fanfare but proved largely ______ in practice.
A. efficacious
B. superfluous
C. viable
D. seminal
11. The diplomat handled the delicate negotiations with remarkable ______.
A. tact
B. ostentation
C. belligerence
D. volatility
12. His criticism was so ______ that it alienated even those who initially agreed with him.
A. measured
B. caustic
C. restrained
D. conciliatory
13. The historian sought to ______ myths that had long distorted public understanding of the event.
A. perpetuate
B. vindicate
C. dispel
D. amplify
14. The company's financial position appeared robust, but closer inspection revealed significant ______.
A. liabilities
B. dividends
C. assets
D. reserves
15. The report was praised for its ______ analysis rather than emotional rhetoric.
A. dispassionate
B. impulsive
C. sentimental
D. whimsical
16. The discovery was regarded as ______ because it challenged assumptions held for decades.
A. mundane
B. revolutionary
C. derivative
D. obsolete
17. The speaker's remarks were so ______ that their intended meaning remained unclear.
A. unambiguous
B. explicit
C. cryptic
D. transparent
18. The agreement collapsed because neither side was willing to make even a ______ concession.
A. negligible
B. monumental
C. irrevocable
D. sweeping
19. His account of the incident lacked credibility because it was internally ______.
A. coherent
B. inconsistent
C. plausible
D. verifiable
20. The professor was known for her ______ intellect and ability to identify flaws in complex arguments.
A. pedestrian
B. incisive
C. dormant
D. superficial
Part B: Grammar and Sentence Correction (21–35)
21. Choose the correct sentence.
A. Neither the manager nor the employees was willing to compromise.
B. Neither the manager nor the employees were willing to compromise.
C. Neither the manager nor the employees has been willing to compromise.
D. Neither the manager nor the employees is willing to compromise.
22. If he ______ the warning seriously, the accident might have been avoided.
A. takes
B. took
C. had taken
D. would take
23. No sooner had the meeting begun ______ the fire alarm sounded.
A. when
B. than
C. then
D. that
24. The committee recommended that the proposal ______ before implementation.
A. is revised
B. be revised
C. revised
D. was revised
25. Choose the grammatically correct sentence.
A. Each of the candidates have submitted their application.
B. Each of the candidates has submitted his or her application.
C. Each of the candidates have submitted his application.
D. Each of the candidates has submitted their applications.
26. Hardly ______ the station when the train departed.
A. had we reached
B. we had reached
C. have we reached
D. did we reach
27. The number of applicants ______ significantly this year.
A. have increased
B. are increasing
C. has increased
D. increase
28. Had she known the consequences, she ______ differently.
A. acts
B. acted
C. would have acted
D. would act
29. Choose the correct option.
A. He is one of the best lawyers who has appeared before the court.
B. He is one of the best lawyers who have appeared before the court.
C. He is one of the best lawyers whom has appeared before the court.
D. He is one of the best lawyers which have appeared before the court.
30. The report, along with the supporting documents, ______ submitted yesterday.
A. were
B. have been
C. was
D. are
31. I would rather you ______ the matter confidential.
A. keep
B. kept
C. will keep
D. have kept
32. Scarcely had he spoken ______ the audience began applauding.
A. when
B. than
C. then
D. where
33. The principal objected to ______ without prior approval.
A. funds being allocated
B. allocate funds
C. funds allocate
D. allocated funds
34. Not only ______ the evidence insufficient, but it was also contradictory.
A. was
B. were
C. is
D. has
35. Choose the correct sentence.
A. The more carefully you plan, the less likely are mistakes.
B. The more carefully you plan, the less likely mistakes are.
C. The more carefully you plan, the fewer likely mistakes are.
D. The more carefully you plan, the less mistakes are likely.
Part C: Reading Comprehension (36–50)
Read the passage carefully.
In democratic societies, public debate is often celebrated as evidence of civic vitality. Yet disagreement alone is not necessarily a sign of intellectual health. Productive debate requires participants to share certain assumptions: that evidence matters, that arguments can be evaluated on their merits, and that positions may be revised in light of new information. When these assumptions erode, disagreement ceases to be constructive and becomes merely performative. In such circumstances, competing groups often speak past one another, not because the issues are inherently irresolvable, but because they no longer accept common standards by which claims may be judged.
The proliferation of digital media has complicated this problem. While access to information has expanded dramatically, individuals increasingly inhabit informational environments tailored to their preferences. As a result, exposure to contrary evidence may reinforce rather than weaken existing beliefs. This phenomenon suggests that the challenge facing modern democracies is not simply a lack of information but the fragmentation of shared frameworks for interpreting it.
36. The central argument of the passage is that:
A. democratic debate is inherently ineffective
B. disagreement is always beneficial
C. constructive debate depends upon shared standards of evaluation
D. digital media should be regulated
37. According to the passage, disagreement becomes unproductive when:
A. participants disagree strongly
B. evidence is abundant
C. common evaluative standards disappear
D. governments intervene
38. The word "erode" most nearly means:
A. strengthen
B. deteriorate
C. establish
D. conceal
39. The author suggests that public debate is valuable primarily because it:
A. guarantees consensus
B. reflects civic engagement
C. eliminates ideological differences
D. discourages criticism
40. The phrase "speak past one another" implies that groups:
A. communicate effectively
B. avoid communication altogether
C. fail to engage each other's arguments
D. reach compromise
41. According to the passage, digital media has:
A. reduced access to information
B. eliminated ideological divisions
C. complicated democratic discourse
D. strengthened shared standards
42. The author views the expansion of information access as:
A. wholly beneficial
B. entirely harmful
C. irrelevant to democracy
D. insufficient by itself
43. Which statement is most consistent with the passage?
A. More information automatically improves public reasoning.
B. Shared interpretive frameworks are important for productive debate.
C. Political disagreement should be avoided.
D. Consensus is the only goal of democracy.
44. The tone of the passage is best described as:
A. satirical
B. analytical
C. nostalgic
D. celebratory
45. The author's discussion of digital media primarily serves to:
A. provide a historical example
B. refute a common misconception
C. illustrate a contemporary challenge
D. criticize technological innovation
46. The passage implies that evidence is effective only when:
A. governments endorse it
B. citizens possess identical opinions
C. people accept common criteria for evaluating claims
D. it supports existing beliefs
47. Which of the following can be inferred from the passage?
A. Information abundance can coexist with misunderstanding.
B. Democracy requires complete agreement.
C. Digital media has reduced political participation.
D. Evidence is losing relevance altogether.
48. The author's primary concern is:
A. technological advancement
B. educational reform
C. fragmentation of shared standards of judgment
D. media profitability
49. The word "fragmentation" most nearly means:
A. unification
B. division
C. verification
D. amplification
50. Which title best captures the passage's main idea?
A. The End of Democracy
B. Information and Civic Participation
C. Debate, Evidence, and Shared Standards
D. The History of Digital Media