NEST Exam Pattern 2024: Marking Scheme, Mode of Exam, Subjects & Scores

Question : Comprehension:
Read the given passage and answer the questions that follow.
The Black Drongo also known as the King Crow, is a small Asian bird of the drongo family. Previously, it was seen as a subspecies of the African Fork-tailed Drongo but is now recognized as a full species. It is a common resident breeder in much of tropical southern Asia from southwest Iran through India and Sri Lanka to southern China and Indonesia. It is a wholly black bird with a distinctive forked tail and measures 28 cm in length.
Feeding on insects, it is commonly found in open agricultural areas and light forest areas throughout its range, perching conspicuously on a bare perch or along power or telephone lines.
The species is famous for its aggressive behaviour towards much larger birds, such as crows, and never hesitates to dive-bomb any birds of prey that invade its territory. Smaller birds often nest in the well-guarded vicinity of a nesting Black Drongo
The Black Drongo has been introduced to some Pacific islands, where it has thrived and become abundant to the point of threatening and causing the extinction of native and endemic bird species there.
Drongos fly with strong flaps of the wing and are capable of fast manoeuvres that enable them to capture flying insects. With short legs, they sit upright on thorny bushes, bare perches or electricity wires. They may also perch on grazing animals.
The Black Drongo is found predominantly in open country and usually perches and hunts close to the ground. They are mostly aerial predators of insects but also glean from the ground or off vegetation.
They are found as summer visitors to northeastern Afghanistan and northern Pakistan but are mainly resident south from the Indus Valley up to Bangladesh and into India and Sri Lanka.
Question:
Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?

Option 1: The drongo looks exactly like a crow.

Option 2: Smaller birds are protected by the drongo.

Option 3: This bird is a native of tropical countries in south-Asia.

Option 4: The drongo is a small perching bird.

Question : Comprehension:
Read the given passage and answer the questions that follow.
The Black Drongo also known as the King Crow, is a small Asian bird of the drongo family. Previously, it was seen as a subspecies of the African Fork-tailed Drongo but is now recognised as a full species. It is a common resident breeder in much of tropical southern Asia from southwest Iran through India and Sri Lanka to southern China and Indonesia. It is a wholly black bird with a distinctive forked tail and measures 28 cm in length.
Feeding on insects, it is commonly found in open agricultural areas and light forest areas throughout its range, perching conspicuously on a bare perch or along power or telephone lines.
The species is famous for its aggressive behaviour towards much larger birds, such as crows, and never hesitates to dive-bomb any birds of prey that invade its territory. Smaller birds often nest in the well-guarded vicinity of a nesting Black Drongo.
The Black Drongo has been introduced to some Pacific islands, where it has thrived and become abundant to the point of threatening and causing the extinction of native and endemic bird species there.
Drongos fly with strong flaps of the wing and are capable of fast manoeuvres that enable them to capture flying insects. With short legs, they sit upright on thorny bushes, bare perches or electricity wires. They may also perch on grazing animals.
The Black Drongo is found predominantly in open country and usually perches and hunts close to the ground. They are mostly aerial predators of insects but also glean from the ground or off vegetation.
They are found as summer visitors to northeastern Afghanistan and northern Pakistan but are mainly resident south from the Indus Valley up to Bangladesh and into India and Sri Lanka.
Question:
What was the impact of trying to introduce the species to the Pacific islands?

Option 1: They decreased in numbers drastically.

Option 2: They returned to the lands of their origin.

Option 3: They proved to be a threat to the local birds.

Option 4: They did not survive in the changed climate conditions.

Question : Comprehension:
Read the given passage and answer the questions that follow.
The Black Drongo also known as the King Crow, is a small Asian bird of the drongo family. Previously, it was seen as a subspecies of the African Fork-tailed Drongo but is now recognised as a full species. It is a common resident breeder in much of tropical southern Asia, from southwest Iran through India and Sri Lanka to southern China and Indonesia. It is a wholly black bird with a distinctive forked tail and measures 28 cm in length.
Feeding on insects, it is commonly found in open agricultural areas and light forest areas throughout its range, perching conspicuously on a bare perch or along power or telephone lines.
The species is famous for its aggressive behaviour towards much larger birds, such as crows, and never hesitates to dive-bomb any birds of prey that invade its territory. Smaller birds often nest in the well-guarded vicinity of a nesting Black Drongo.
The Black Drongo has been introduced to some Pacific islands, where it has thrived and become abundant to the point of threatening and causing the extinction of native and endemic bird species there.
Drongos fly with strong flaps of the wing and are capable of fast manoeuvres that enable them to capture flying insects. With short legs, they sit upright on thorny bushes, bare perches or electricity wires. They may also perch on grazing animals.
The Black Drongo is found predominantly in open country and usually perches and hunts close to the ground. They are mostly aerial predators of insects but also glean from the ground or off vegetation.
They are found as summer visitors to northeastern Afghanistan and northern Pakistan but are mainly resident south from the Indus Valley up to Bangladesh and into India and Sri Lanka.
Question:
Which one of the following statements made about the Drongo in the passage will NOT help us to identify the bird?
 

Option 1: It is completely black.

Option 2: It is recognised as a full species.

Option 3: It hunts close to the ground.

Option 4: It has a forked tail.