Easy Ways to Solve General Knowledge Questions

General Knowledge is briefly called the ‘Sea of Knowledge’. This is a field that is constantly evolving with new incidents taking place daily and thousands of new things being added to it. To excel in such a vast and limitless area of study candidates need to keep themselves updated with the latest happenings in the world daily. But a field of study that encompasses information on almost every topic in the world needs something more than just reading books and memorising general knowledge questions with answers.

GK is not only a major requirement for cracking competitive exams, but also it is high-scoring. So, having sound knowledge and a good ability to solve general knowledge questions in a time frame is important. Knowing the types of GK questions, being aware of what is happening around you, and working on your fact retention are the key to passing your GK exams.

About General Knowledge Questions

There is no hard and fast rule, nor any fixed pattern to solve the general knowledge section. The first step to improving general knowledge is to understand it well and know about the various topics that it covers. You should know what all this subject encompasses and what skills the assessing bodies want to evaluate through the exam. Even though the topics on which questions are put up change as per the exams, there are some common topics such as history, politics, sports, world affairs, awards and honours, world economics, geography, etc. from which most questions are asked.

Simple Ways to Improve General Knowledge

General knowledge has to be gained from multiple sources. There is no single medium to learn general knowledge. However, with so much to read and learn, candidates often get confused about what to read and what to leave. Here are a few simple but effective tips to improve your general knowledge skills.

• Reading newspapers, magazines & GK websites

Reading more and more books and materials on GK is the key to acquiring knowledge. However, only reading will not help as boring theoretical books will not add anything to your life. Instead, it can be done in countless ways. As an alternative to reading a book that doesn’t interest you, choose what you want to read, be it a fiction or history book, a newspaper, a magazine, an academic journal, or a GK website.

Newspapers are the best source of enriching yourself with general knowledge. Every day spend at least 30 minutes reading important news and current affairs happening in India and around the world. To access a huge number of general knowledge questions with answers for competitive exams refer to authentic websites such as Encyclopedia, Britannica, and Wikipedia.

• Talking to people and listening to them/ dialogue

Dialogue is more efficient than simple reading. To improve general knowledge, you need to converse with people having varied interests, not just with those who think like you. The more diverse number of people you meet and speak to, the more information you will gather on various topics.

Dialogue does not mean discussing; it means how to listen to what the other wants to say and seeking to understand. There is no hierarchical level in a dialogue. You can converse with peers and teachers, with older and younger people. Remember that knowledge has no boundaries. Therefore, general knowledge is not only related to science and school but rather gaining knowledge about the world in its numerous manifestations.

• Watching informative TV channels & mobile apps

Informative TV channels can be an excellent medium to gain GK knowledge entertainingly. Tune in to History Channel, National Geographic, and Animal Planet to learn about history through documentaries, geographical phenomena, and the animal kingdom. The facts being explained with visuals will remain etched in your memory for long. To get insights into global affairs and world communities and their way of living, BBC World is a great option and to know about sports, watch live telecasts on sports channels. 

Another interesting way to learn GK is through mobile apps. Install informative mobile apps such as Encyclopaedia by Farlex and General Knowledge- World GK and browse through them in your free time to get valuable information on topics that are commonly asked in top competitive exams in India.

• Participating in quiz contests, events and seminars

To improve your general knowledge, use your free time to participate in quiz contests and events that you find interesting, even if those are not your area of expertise. Candidates should go to conventions, academic days, political debates, artistic events, exhibitions, seminars, attend online webinars, and more to gather knowledge. In such places, you will meet people who have accomplished what you want to achieve. 

You don’t have to look at everything like a class, in which you have to write down everything you hear to reproduce during a test. Go as a good listener with an open mind to understand what is being discussed as that will help to retain the facts for a long time.

• Indulging in everything related to knowledge

Finally, the last tip works in conjunction with the previous ones. Experiencing things that are bright and lively is much better than studying them on paper. Many students are afraid to try new things because they believe they should research everything first. But the truth is that practice sometimes makes theory easier.

For example, if you are looking for ways to improve your knowledge about history, a good idea is to go on a trip to the place to witness its history. Such trips will be an experience where you must be willing to learn and step out of your comfort zone. 

Some Additional Tips

In addition, students should try doing things they have never done, reading about subjects they have never read, playing a sport they have never played, talking to people they have never spoken to, making friends with older and younger people, going to places they don’t know. This will help them to become accomplished human beings who can use their knowledge strategically to solve general knowledge questions on any topic.

Conclusion

It is always good to learn something different and add value to your knowledge. The more information you can gather and store in your mind, the better and more intelligent you can be. And this will in return make you solve your general knowledge question papers easily and confidently and score good marks in the exam.