Fill Blanks – MBA CET questions with solutions

Approach: Check each word in the blank for meaning and collocation.

Solution: Sentence: 'poet Bharathiar has been ____ in a saffron turban' — i.e. shown (in a painting/image) wearing one.
I. Depicted — shown in art: fits.
II. Characterized — means described by distinguishing qualities ('characterized as/by'); 'characterized in a turban' is unidiomatic: does not fit.
III. Presented — shown/portrayed in a particular way: fits.
So I and III — B.

Why the other options are wrong:
A: Includes II, which is unidiomatic.
C: Includes II.
D: I and III both fit.
E: II does not fit.

Cetking shortcut: Test 'characterized' with its natural partners 'as/by' — if they don't fit, it's out.

Answer: B

Approach: Double blank — use the contrast word 'Despite'.

Solution: 'Despite assurances' means the investors reacted against them: assurances that were given strongly/often (repeated), yet investors stayed doubtful (skeptical). 'Despite repeated assurances, investors remained skeptical' — A.

Why the other options are wrong:
B: Redundant assurances + optimistic — no contrast.
C: Reluctant assurances + confident — no contrast; logic reversed.
D: Implicit + indifferent — indifference is not a reaction against assurances.
E: Vague + complacent — complacent (relaxed) fits no contrast with 'despite'.

Cetking shortcut: Fill blank 2 first: 'remained ___ about recovery' after reassurance must be negative → skeptical.

Answer: A

Approach: Blank must match a strongly negative context ('rotten', 'became unconscious').

Solution: Revolting = disgusting, extremely unpleasant — the right strength.

Why the other options are wrong:
B Gratifying, C Captivating, E Delightful — positive; contradict 'rotten'.
D Unappealing — negative but too mild to cause unconsciousness.

Answer: A

Approach: Collocation — which verbs pair naturally with 'quick action'?

Solution: 'Initiate quick action' ✔ and 'take quick action' ✔ — both fit meaning and grammar.
'Intimate quick action' (= notify/hint) ✘; 'concede quick action' (= admit/yield) ✘.
So B and D.

Why the other options are wrong:
A, D, E — include 'intimate' (to inform), which does not fit.
B — includes 'concede' (to admit or give up), which does not fit.

Cetking shortcut: 'Take' is almost always valid with 'action'; this alone leaves only C and E — reject E (intimate).

Answer: C

Approach: The blank describes the size of the creditors' share that can make a joint decision.

Solution: A joint creditor decision that triggers a legal timeline needs a majority — a dominant (controlling) share of claims.

Why the other options are wrong:
A Auxiliary — supporting/secondary.
C Minority — the opposite of what is needed.
D Humble, E Inconspicuous — do not describe a financial share.

Answer: B

Approach: The blank needs a noun naming an injury from an accident.

Solution: 'The accident left him with bruises and a perforated eardrum' — two physical injuries joined by 'and'.

Why the other options are wrong:
B Grunt, E Whisper — sounds, not injuries.
C Silence — not an injury.
D Exaggerate — a verb; wrong part of speech.

Answer: A

Approach: 'Had no ___ about lying' — the blank needs a word for guilt or moral hesitation.

Solution: Compunction = guilt or scruple that stops one doing wrong. 'He had no compunction about lying' = he felt no guilt.

Why the other options are wrong:
A Excitement — the wrong emotion for the context.
B Evanescence — fleeting quality.
C Vindication — being proved right.
D Repudiation — rejection or denial.

Cetking shortcut: Fixed phrase: 'have no compunction about doing something'.

Answer: E

Approach: Single blank: the clue is 'coating ... on the unwashed sink'.

Solution: We need a noun for a dirty, slippery layer on an unwashed sink. SLIME = a thick, slippery, unpleasant substance. 'A coating of slime on the unwashed sink' fits perfectly.

Why the other options are wrong:
B Slew: a large number of something; also a verb (to turn).
C Slink: a verb, to move stealthily.
D Sledge: a vehicle on runners or a heavy hammer.
E Coat: 'a coating of coat' is redundant and meaningless.

Cetking shortcut: The options are sound-alikes (sli-, sle-); only one is a substance.

Answer: A

Approach: Single blank with confusable adjectives; clue word 'injury' and 'worried'.

Solution: NIGGLING = slight but persistent and troubling. A 'niggling injury' is a standard sports phrase for a minor injury that will not go away, which naturally worries team management.

Why the other options are wrong:
B Niggardly: miserly, used for people and money.
C Stingy: also miserly, same problem.
D Nifty: clever or stylish, positive and illogical with injury.
E Important: an injury is 'serious', not 'important'; poor collocation.

Cetking shortcut: Niggardly and stingy are synonyms of each other, so both can be eliminated together.

Answer: A

Approach: Single blank; the article 'an' and the clue 'plea for mercy' guide the choice.

Solution: A victim begging for mercy would plead with strong feeling. IMPASSIONED = filled with intense emotion. 'An impassioned plea for mercy' is a standard collocation.

Why the other options are wrong:
A Impassive: expressionless, unemotional; opposite of what fits.
B Impassable: cannot be crossed (a road), not for a plea.
D Imperial: relating to an empire; also 'an imperial' fails the article.
E Letter: 'an letter' is ungrammatical and 'letter plea' meaningless.

Answer: C

Approach: Collocation: which verb goes with 'pain and suffering ... on people'.

Solution: INFLICT = to cause something unpleasant (pain, damage, suffering) to be suffered by someone. The pattern 'inflict pain and suffering on' is a fixed collocation.

Why the other options are wrong:
A Deplored: means condemned; 'deplored pain on people' makes no sense.
B Eliminated: means removed, opposite meaning and wrong preposition.
C Affected: takes a direct object (affected people), not 'pain on'.
E Imposed: used with rules, taxes, restrictions or one's will, not pain and suffering.

Answer: D

Approach: Single blank: the father's natural reaction to good news.

Solution: His son was selected for the college team, which is happy news. ELATED = very happy and proud. 'He felt elated' fits.

Why the other options are wrong:
A Enamoured: in love with someone or something; wrong sense.
C Exasperated: intensely irritated, negative.
D Embittered: resentful, negative.
E Effervescent: bubbly and lively by nature; one 'is' effervescent rather than 'feels' it at news.

Answer: B

Approach: Word root — bio = life, -logy = study of.

Solution: Bio-logy = study of life and living organisms.

Why the other options are wrong:
A: Earth — geology.
B: Animals — zoology (only one part of biology).
D: Disease — pathology.
E: Society — sociology.

Cetking shortcut: Break the word: bio + logy.

Answer: C

Approach: Word root — anthropos = human.

Solution: Anthropo-logy = study of humans as a whole: biological, cultural and social.

Why the other options are wrong:
A: Culture — only cultural anthropology.
B: Society — sociology.
D: Behavior — psychology.
E: Fossils — palaeontology.

Cetking shortcut: Anthropo- as in philanthropy (love of humans).

Answer: C

Approach: Word root — archaios = ancient.

Solution: Archaeo-logy = study of the past culture of humans through artefacts, sites and remains.

Why the other options are wrong:
A: Animals — zoology.
B: Earth layers — geology/stratigraphy.
D: Weather — meteorology.
E: Fossils — palaeontology.

Answer: C

Approach: Word root — psyche = mind/soul.

Solution: Psycho-logy = scientific study of the mind and behaviour.

Why the other options are wrong:
A: Brain only — neuroscience; 'only' makes it too narrow.
B: Society — sociology.
C: Culture — anthropology.
E: Emotions only — too narrow.

Cetking shortcut: Reject any option with 'only' in a definition question.

Answer: D

Approach: Word root — geo = earth.

Solution: Geo-logy = study of the Earth, its rocks and physical processes.

Why the other options are wrong:
A: Atmosphere — meteorology.
B: Climate — climatology.
D: Environment — environmental science/ecology.
E: Oceans — oceanography.

Cetking shortcut: Geo- as in geography, geometry (earth-measuring).

Answer: C

Approach: Collocation — which noun goes with 'on his character'?

Solution: "This is a slur on his character" — slur = an insinuation or remark that damages someone's reputation. 'A slur on' is the standard collocation.

Why the other options are wrong:
A: table — meaningless here.
B: blue — not a noun that fits.
D: statement — 'a statement on his character' is neutral and unidiomatic; the phrase implies damage.
E: weakness — would be 'in', not 'on', his character.

Cetking shortcut: Slur / slight / reflection / blot + on someone's character.

Answer: C

Approach: Fit the noun to the adjective 'efficient'.

Solution: Efficiency describes functioning/management. "The administration of the state is efficient" — the running of the state is efficient.

Why the other options are wrong:
B, D, E: democracy, autocracy, plutocracy are forms of government, not things judged on efficiency.
C: policy — a policy is judged effective/sound; 'policy of the state is efficient' is unidiomatic.

Answer: A

Approach: Meaning + agreement.

Solution: "The ___ of private limited companies is in the hands of its directors." We need a singular noun meaning 'running/control'. Management fits: control of the company rests with the directors.

Why the other options are wrong:
A, B: plural (managers, administrators) — disagree with 'is'; also people cannot be 'in the hands of' directors in this sense.
D: department — a unit, not control.
E: society — unrelated.

Cetking shortcut: Check the verb: 'is' rules out plural options instantly.

Answer: C

Approach: Meaning + confusable pair adored/adorned.

Solution: Ram is known for his love for his brothers: "Ram, the prince of Ayodhya, adored his siblings" — loved them deeply.

Why the other options are wrong:
A: adorned — decorated; does not fit people as object here.
C: vitiated — spoiled/corrupted.
D: endangered — put at risk.
E: abhorred — hated; opposite tone.

Answer: B

Approach: Meaning + collocation 'adorned with'.

Solution: "The Christmas tree was adorned with stars and other decorative items" — decorated with.

Why the other options are wrong:
B: endowed with — provided with a quality/talent/fund.
C: encased — enclosed in a case.
D: enticed — tempted.
E: encompassed — surrounded/included.

Cetking shortcut: 'Decorative items' in the sentence is the clue — pick the word meaning decorated.

Answer: A

Approach: Fill in the blank — use the clue: "widely criticized" + "ignored years of empirical research".

Solution: A decision that ignores evidence and is criticized for it is one made without reason — arbitrary (based on whim, not on evidence or logic).

Why the other options are wrong:
A: Meticulous (very careful) is praise.
B: Deliberate (intentional) does not explain why ignoring research is criticized.
D: Judicious (wise) is praise.
E: Methodical (systematic) is praise.

Cetking shortcut: The blank needs a negative word; four options are positive, so arbitrary is the only fit.

Answer: C

Approach: Fill in the blank — use the clue: "dismissed as" + "failing to address the underlying concerns".

Solution: An apology that is dismissed and fails to address the real issues is empty and lacking substance — vacuous.

Why the other options are wrong:
A: Conciliatory (aiming to make peace) describes any apology; not a criticism.
B: Forthright (direct, honest) is praise.
C: Unequivocal (clear) is praise for an apology.
D: Magnanimous (generous) is praise.

Cetking shortcut: "Dismissed as ___" always needs a negative word; only vacuous is negative.

Answer: E

Approach: Fill in the blank — use the clue: "deliberately" + "to challenge the reader".

Solution: To challenge the reader, the novel must avoid conventional techniques. Eschews = deliberately avoids or shuns.

Why the other options are wrong:
A: Reinforces is the opposite.
C: Codifies (systematizes) supports convention.
D: Reiterates (repeats) supports convention.
E: Consolidates (strengthens) supports convention.

Cetking shortcut: Four options mean "keep or strengthen"; the one meaning "avoid" stands out.

Answer: B

Approach: Fill in the blank — use the clue: "though initially dismissed as" vs "later validated through rigorous experimentation".

Solution: "Though" sets up a contrast: claims first dismissed, later proved. Before proof, they were seen as unproven guesswork — speculative (based on conjecture, not evidence).

Why the other options are wrong:
A: Empirical (based on evidence) is what they later became — no contrast.
C: Methodical is praise.
D: Orthodox (conventional) claims would not be dismissed.
E: Systematic is praise.

Cetking shortcut: The blank is the opposite of "validated through experimentation" — find the word meaning "unproven".

Answer: B

Approach: Fill in the blank — use the clue: "refusal to offer easy moral conclusions" + "rather than inaccessible".

Solution: A novel that offers no easy moral conclusions is open to several interpretations — ambiguous. "Rather than inaccessible" says this openness is a quality, not a barrier to understanding, so the blank must be a word that is not a synonym of inaccessible.

Why the other options are wrong:
A: Abstruse means hard to understand — a synonym of inaccessible, so "abstruse rather than inaccessible" says nothing.
C: Incoherent is a flaw, not the result of withholding conclusions.
D: Simplistic contradicts "refusal to offer easy conclusions".
E: Didactic (morally instructive) is the opposite of refusing moral conclusions.

Cetking shortcut: "X rather than Y" needs X different from Y — strike any option that means "inaccessible".

Answer: B

Approach: Use the tone of the passage (irony about elders judging the young) to fill all four blanks.

Solution: Blank 1: 'each ___ generation grows up' → successive (one after another).
Blank 2: we forget what it feels like to be young.
Blank 3: most adults remember their own youthful indiscretions with a wink.
Blank 4: but they condemn the same behaviour in the next generation – that is hypocritical, so 'hypocritically sound the alarm'.
Set: successive, young, adults, hypocritically.

Why the other options are wrong:
A: 'next' (blank 2) makes no sense; 'naturally' misses the irony.
B: 'juvenile' is a noun/adjective misfit here and 'carefully' misses the double standard.
D: 'youngsters' cannot recall 'their own youthful indiscretions'; 'sincerely' contradicts the irony.
E: 'preceding' generation growing up is illogical; 'cautiously' misses the irony.

Cetking shortcut: The last blank decides it: wink at your own faults but alarm at others' = hypocrisy. Only C has it.

Answer: C

Approach: Fill each blank by grammar (part of speech) and meaning.

Solution: I: 'he ___ from his current job' needs a past-tense verb taking 'from' → resigned.
II: 'more ___ than a lie' needs an adjective → shocking (truth is often more startling than a lie).
III: willpower that becomes ___ as we use it → depleted (used up).
Set: resigned, shocking, depleted.

Why the other options are wrong:
B: 'he depleted from his job' is meaningless.
C: 'he shocks from his job' is meaningless.
D: 'he shocked from his job' is meaningless; 'truth is more depleted' makes no sense.
E: 'depleted from his job' is meaningless; willpower does not become 'resigned'.

Cetking shortcut: Blank I alone settles it: only 'resigned' goes with 'from his job'.

Answer: A

Approach: Pair the collocation 'manners and morals', then the literary term 'recurrent theme'.

Solution: Blank 1: 'manners and morals' is a standard pair describing social behaviour and values of the newly rich.
Blank 2: a topic that keeps appearing in literature is a 'recurrent theme'.
Set: morals … theme.

Why the other options are wrong:
B: 'style … motif' – 'manners and style' is weak; a motif is a recurring image, not a subject.
C: 'recurrent story' is unidiomatic.
D: 'manners and wealth' does not pair; wealth is already in 'nouveau riche'.
E: 'tableau … milieu' – a milieu is a setting, not something recurrent in literature.

Cetking shortcut: 'Recurrent theme' is a fixed phrase – it leaves only A and D; 'manners and morals' wins.

Answer: A

Approach: Double blank: the second half ('networks… mask signals of maladjustment') tells us the tendency makes something harder.

Solution: If friendships outside college mask the warning signs, then spotting the problem early becomes harder. Blank 1 needs a word for spotting (identification or detection), and blank 2 a word for 'made harder' (complicated). Only 'identification, complicated' fits both blanks.

Why the other options are wrong:
B treatment, compounded: masking signals hampers spotting, not treatment, and 'compounded' needs a problem to worsen.
C prevention, helped: masking does not help anything.
D prevention, compounded: you cannot 'prevent' through signals that are hidden; the clue is about noticing.
E detection, facilitated: blank 1 fits, but masking cannot facilitate detection.

Cetking shortcut: Fill the easier blank first: 'mask signals', so blank 2 must be negative. That leaves B, D and A; then 'signals' points to identification.

Answer: A

Approach: Double blank with contrast: 'instead of' sets the first idea (bad method) against the second (good result).

Solution: Companies that keep dangling or withholding rewards to push performance encourage negative behaviour. 'Instead of' needs a positive verb for blank 2: fostering (encouraging the growth of) a genuine interest. Only B gives this pair.

Why the other options are wrong:
A giving, seeking: 'seeking a genuine interest' does not fit with companies.
C conferring, fostering: blank 2 fits, but 'conferring' (granting) does not fit the manipulative tactic described.
D conferring, discrediting: blank 2 must be positive.
E bestowing, discouraging: blank 2 must be positive.

Cetking shortcut: After 'instead of', blank 2 must be positive; that leaves B and C, and 'encourage negative behavior' points to withholding.

Answer: B