A Passage to India Quiz

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Author: Nasir Iqbal | Assistant Professor of English Literature

A Passage to India Quiz
Updated on: October 28, 2025
Estimated Reading Time: 18 min

A Passage to India MCQs

1. What extraordinary feature lies twenty miles outside the city of Chandrapore?

A. The Marabar Caves
B. The Ganges River Front
C. The Oval Maidan
D. The Civil Station

A. The Marabar Caves
The Marabar Caves are the ancient, isolated hills that become the central symbolic setting of the novel.

2. What facility is notably absent on the Ganges river front near Chandrapore?

A. Bazaars
B. Tall houses
C. Bathing-steps
D. Toddypalms

C. Bathing-steps
The absence of bathing-steps (or ghats) is mentioned as a sign that the local river is used only for irrigation, not for religious or personal bathing.

3. The houses of the civil station are generally laid out along roads that intersect at what configuration?

A. Semicircles
B. Irregular curves
C. Diagonal lines
D. Right angles

D. Right angles
The straight, geometric layout of the Civil Station (English quarter) contrasts with the organic sprawl of the Indian city.

4. Who argues that friendship with an Englishman is possible only if that friendship is formed in England?

A. Dr. Aziz
B. Mehmood Ali
C. Hamidullah
D. Mr. Turton

C. Hamidullah
Hamidullah makes this cynical observation about the racial gulf that British India imposes, citing that the English become corrupted by colonial power.
5. Dr. Aziz compares Turton and Burton, stating that any Englishman becomes exactly the same after what period?

A. Six months
B. One year
C. Two years
D. Twenty years

C. Two years
He claims the corrupting influence of India destroys an Englishman’s potential for good after two years.

6. What did Mrs. Turton allegedly receive as a bribe concerning a Canal Scheme?

A. Shares in a factory
B. A carriage and horse
C. A sewing machine in solid gold
D. A valuable stamp collection

C. A sewing machine in solid gold
This is an example of the kind of corruption the Indians assume the English engage in.

7. Who interrupted Dr. Aziz’s dinner party by summoning him to his bungalow?

A. Mr. Turton
B. Major Callendar
C. Mr. McBryde
D. Ronny Heaslop

B. Major Callendar
Major Callendar, the Civil Surgeon and Aziz’s superior, rudely summons him, treating him like a servant.

8. What was the “Indian habit” Aziz refused to stop before visiting the Civil Surgeon?

A. Smoking a hookah
B. Taking pan
C. Reciting poetry
D. Riding his bicycle

B. Taking pan
He refused to spit out the pan (betel leaf mixture) he was chewing.

9. What personal items of Dr. Aziz did Mrs. Callendar and Mrs. Lesley take for themselves?

A. His bicycle and helmet
B. His dinner and hookah
C. His paper and ink
D. His tonga (carriage)

D. His tonga (carriage)
They rudely commandeered his tonga, forcing him to walk.
10. Where did Dr. Aziz go to rest and momentarily escape the oppressive atmosphere of the civil lines?

A. The Maidan
B. The Minto Hospital
C. A mosque
D. Hamidullah’s garden

C. A mosque
He retreats to the quiet, dignified space of the mosque after the humiliation.

11. What did Aziz try to symbolize the mosque scene into before Mrs. Moore appeared?

A. A truth of religion or love
B. A symbol of English oppression
C. The brevity of life
D. The decay of Islam

A. A truth of religion or love
He tried to imagine the mosque as a stable, unifying symbol of love and religious truth.

12. Mrs. Moore noted that if she removed her shoes, she was allowed in the mosque because of the presence of whom?

A. Aziz’s friends
B. God
C. The builder
D. A servant

B. God
She tells Aziz that since God is everywhere, he is here in the mosque and is thus present where she removes her shoes.

13. What relation was Ronny Heaslop (the City Magistrate) to Mrs. Moore?

A. Her stepson
B. Her son from her second marriage
C. Her son from her first marriage
D. Her nephew

C. Her son from her first marriage
Ronny Heaslop is Mrs. Moore’s son from her first marriage, whom she and Adela Quested have come to visit.

14. What play was the English community performing at the club?

A. Quality Street
B. The Yeomen of the Guard
C. Cousin Kate
D. The National Anthem

C. Cousin Kate
The English community staged this amateur production at the Civil Station club.
15. What did Aziz call Mrs. Moore after she showed him unexpected sympathy and understanding?

A. An Anglo-Indian
B. A globe-trotter
C. An Orientál
D. A missionary

C. An Orientál
Aziz affectionately calls her an Orientál, meaning someone who understands the Eastern heart.

16. When Adela Quested said she wanted to see the real India, what did Mr. Fielding suggest?

A. Try seeing the Marabar Caves
B. Try seeing Indians
C. Try seeing the hospital
D. Try seeing the bazaars

B. Try seeing Indians
Fielding cuts through the abstract desire to see “India” by suggesting Adela meet the people themselves.

17. According to Mrs. Callendar, what is the kindest thing an Englishwoman can do to a native?

A. Educate him
B. Offer him charity
C. Let him die
D. Introduce him to the club

C. Let him die
This shocking, callous remark reveals the deep racism and condescension of the English community.

18. What was Collector Mr. Turton’s invented term for a party intended to bridge the gulf between East and West?

A. The Unity Gala
B. The Bridge Party
C. The International Supper
D. The Social Frieze

B. The Bridge Party
The official name for the meeting meant to encourage social interaction between the English and Indians.

19. What physical attribute of the Englishwomen comforted Aziz after they took his carriage?

A. They were beautiful
B. They were fat
C. They were wealthy
D. They were young

B. They were fat
Aziz is comforted by the thought of them being fat, which he associates with a certain kind of soft, undemanding femininity.
20. What object did Mrs. Moore notice and speak kindly to in her room?

A. A rat
B. A cricket
C. A jackal
D. A small wasp

D. A small wasp
She feels a moment of profound, simple connection with the wasp, a key moment of sympathetic emotion.

21. Mehmood Ali cynically explained that the Collector only gave the Bridge Party because of orders from whom?

A. The Major
B. Ronny Heaslop
C. The L.G. (Lieutenant-Governor)
D. The Viceroy

C. The L.G. (Lieutenant-Governor)
He argued the party was a bureaucratic necessity handed down from the higher provincial administration (the L.G.).

22. What skill or subject was universally ignored by the English community at the club, viewed as “bad form”?

A. Politics
B. The Arts
C. Law
D. Athletics

B. The Arts
The English community found any serious discussion of Art or deep emotion embarrassing and improper.

23. When Ronny drove his mother and Adela away from the College, what feature of Aziz’s attire did he mock as typical Indian “slackness”?

A. His tie-pin
B. His spats
C. His missing back collar-stud
D. His green felt hat

C. His missing back collar-stud
Ronny points to the missing collar-stud as evidence of Indian inefficiency and moral failure.

24. What comparison did Ronny use to describe the temporary, spurious unity he and Adela felt after the car accident?

A. A shifting river
B. A fading memory
C. The gleam of a firefly
D. A tropical storm

C. The gleam of a firefly
He claimed their shared fear was “as the gleam of a firefly,” fleeting and not true intimacy.
25. What type of animal did Adela believe they hit with the car on the Marabar Road?

A. A buffalo
B. A hyena
C. A Brahminy Bull
D. A leopardí

B. A hyena
They believed the car accident was caused by hitting a hyena, a creature associated with the prmitive and the uncanny.

26. Why did Aziz initially agree to Dr. Panna Lal’s suggestion to attend the Bridge Party?

A. He genuinely wanted to go.
B. He wanted to secure Major Callendar’s favour.
C. Panna Lal could manage the horse.
D. He had nothing else to do.

C. Panna Lal could manage the horse.
He reluctantly agreed, hoping Panna Lal would drive, as Aziz was a poor driver.

27. What was the false ailment that Rafi, the schoolboy, initially suggested Professor Godbole had, causing alarm?

A. Cholera
B. Hemorrhoids
C. Sunstroke
D. Diarrhœa

D. Diarrhœa
The alarm caused by the simple illness reflects the English characters’ exaggerated fear of Indian diseases.

28. Professor Godbole was later diagnosed with what ailment by Dr. Panna Lal?

A. Diarrhœa
B. Sunstroke
C. Typhoid
D. Hemorrhoids

D. Hemorrhoids
The real, less-alarming ailment is revealed later in the conversation.

29. To which relative did Aziz compare Fielding when showing him his wife’s photograph?

A. A brother
B. A father
C. An uncle
D. A cousin

A. A brother
Aziz expresses his intimacy and affection for Fielding by comparing him to a brother.
30. What crucial quality did Aziz say Indians need more of, which Fielding provided by returning to his bungalow?

A. Justice
B. Honesty
C. Kindness
D. Respect

C. Kindness
Aziz laments that the English are good at justice and law, but terrible at kindness.

31. What did Aziz propose instead of giving a tea party at his dilapidated bungalow?

A. A feast at Hamidullah’s
B. An expedition to the Marabar Caves
C. A picnic on the Maidan
D. A dinner at the club

B. An expedition to the Marabar Caves
Seeking an exÓtic setting equal to his ambitious friendship, he offers the Marabar excursion.

32. What did Mr. Fielding declare India to be, in response to Adela’s concern about “mysteries”?

A. A muddle
B. A ghost
C. A labyrinth
D. A problem

A. A muddle
Fielding’s philosophical view is that India is confusing and chaotic, merely a muddle that defies simple mystical interpretation.

33. Who missed the train to the Marabar Caves because he miscalculated the duration of a prayer?

A. Mr. Fielding
B. Mohammed Latif
C. Professor Godbole
D. Ronny Heaslop

C. Professor Godbole
Professor Godbole misses the train, leaving Aziz alone to manage the Englishwomen.

34. What did Mrs. Moore and Miss Quested find arranged inside the purdah carriage?

A. Rugs, bolsters, and a step-ladder
B. Musical instruments
C. A fully stocked bar
D. A guide and a map

A. Rugs, bolsters, and a step-ladder
Aziz painstakingly arranged comforts and necessities, including the step-ladder needed to enter the train carriage.
35. What question did Adela ask Aziz that caused him great shock and led him to hide in a cave?

A. If he disliked the English.
B. If he believed in Hinduism.
C. How many wives he had.
D. If he was educated.

C. How many wives he had.
Adela abruptly asks how many wives he has, shocking Aziz and causing him to retreat to compose himself.

36. What did Adela realize regarding her engagement as she climbed the inverted saucer rock?

A. She would never fit into Anglo-India.
B. Ronny was too kind for her.
C. Ronny was too theoretical.
D. She and Ronny did not love each other.

D. She and Ronny did not love each other.
The clarity of the Marabar setting strips away her illusion, leading to the painful realization about her engagement.

37. What sound did the echo in the Marabar Cave make?

A. A high whistle
B. “Bourn”
C. A ringing clash
D. A dull thump

B. “Bourn”
The echo reduces all sounds and words to the singular, hollow, and indifferent sound of “boum” (or Bourn/Brum).

38. Mrs. Moore felt the cave echo reduced all lofty spiritual messages to what singular sound?

A. Silence
B. “Bourn”
C. Laughter
D. Despair

B. “Bourn”
The echo makes her feel that all the high points of life—love, faith, and duty—are meaningless.

39. Who informed Fielding and Mrs. Moore that Miss Quested had been insulted in one of the caves?

A. Ronny Heaslop
B. Major Callendar
C. Mr. Turton
D. Mr. McBryde

C. Mr. Turton
The Collector Mr. Turton informs them of the alleged assault, immediately setting the colonial machinery in motion.
40. What evidence was found in Aziz’s pocket that seemed to implicate him immediately?

A. Miss Quested’s purse
B. Miss Quested’s field glasses
C. A threatening note
D. A false railway ticket

B. Miss Quested’s field glasses
The presence of Adela Quested’s field glasses in Aziz’s pocket is taken as irrefutable proof of his guilt.

41. Mr. Turton asserted that disaster always resulted when English people and Indians attempted what social interaction?

A. Courtesy
B. Intercourse
C. Intimacy
D. Commerce

C. Intimacy
Turton claims that any attempt at intimacy or friendship between the races inevitably leads to disaster.

42. What did McBryde state was the difference in psychology between English and Indian criminals?

A. Indians go only bad, not queer.
B. Indians go not only very bad, but very queer.
C. Indians are easily deterred by evidence.
D. English criminals are more predictable.

B. Indians go not only very bad, but very queer.
McBryde claims that Indian criminals display an incomprehensible, perverse psychology (“queer”) that Westerners lack.

43. After Adela’s recantation, which individual continued to perform his duty, unaware of the upheaval?

A. The Magistrate (Das)
B. The Collector (Turton)
C. The punkah-wallah
D. The Nawab Bahadur

C. The punkah-wallah
The punkah-wallah (fan servant) continues his mechanical duty, symbolizing the silent, indifferent force of the Indian masses and the unimportance of the personal drama.

44. What did the chanting Indians Indianize Mrs. Moore’s name into, repeating it like a charm?

A. Esmoor Missus
B. Esmiss Esmoor
C. Old Lady Moore
D. Ronny’s Mum

B. Esmiss Esmoor
The chanting of “Esmiss Esmoor” during the trial signifies the Indians’ belief in her virtue and protective spirit.
45. What “ghostly” phenomenon had Mrs. Moore been mentioning in her sleep, which Ronny feared had been sold as gossip?

A. The hyena
B. The purdah carriage
C. The Marabar caves
D. Aziz’s name

D. Aziz’s name
Ronny was terrified that his mother’s half-asleep utterances of Aziz’s name would be misconstrued and used as evidence.

46. What was the central point of Adela Quested’s revelation in court that saved Aziz?

A. The guide was the culprit.
B. She never entered the cave.
C. Aziz never followed her into the cave.
D. She had signed the deposition under duress.

C. Aziz never followed her into the cave.
Adela testifies that she was mistaken; Aziz never followed her into the Marabar Cave.
47. Ronny Heaslop decided to ask his mother to leave India immediately after she announced her intention regarding the trial.

A. To testify against Adela
B. To testify for Aziz
C. To leave India in May
D. To retire into her own cave

B. To testify for Aziz
Ronny was outraged by his mother’s intention to speak the truth in favor of Aziz, and arranged her immediate departure.

48. Why did Mrs. Moore eventually accept the apathy and disillusionment she felt after the cave experience?

A. She was relieved to be leaving India.
B. She recognized her despair as personal weakness.
C. The abyss itself seemed petty.
D. She realized she needed God’s love.

C. The abyss itself seemed petty.
The profound, overwhelming despair caused by the echo eventually paled in comparison to the continued petty cruelties of life.

49. Why did Aziz eventually agree to waive compensation damages against Miss Quested?

A. Ronny paid him an extra-large tip.
B. He wanted to impress Amrit Rao.
C. He thought it was Mrs. Moore’s wish.
D. Fielding threatened to quit his job.

C. He thought it was Mrs. Moore’s wish.
Aziz, believing his benefactor, Mrs. Moore, wanted him to show generosity, waived the enormous compensation he was due.
50. What shocking news did Fielding reveal to Aziz on the rooftop at Dilkusha that Aziz initially refused to believe?

A. That Mehmood Ali was a spy.
B. That the Collector was sacked.
C. That Miss Quested was pregnant.
D. That Mrs. Moore was dead.

D. That Mrs. Moore was dead.
Fielding informs Aziz that Mrs. Moore had died at sea on her way back to England.

Brief Overview

A Passage to India is a complex novel by E. M. Forster. It focuses on the deep social and racial tensions between the British rulers and the Indian people. The story is set in the fictional Indian city of Chandrapore during the British Raj.

The main characters are Dr. Aziz, a kind Indian doctor, and two English visitors. These are Miss Adela Quested and the old Mrs. Moore. Adela wishes to genuinely experience India’s culture, moving beyond British social life.

Dr. Aziz generously takes them on a difficult trip to the mysterious Marabar Caves. The trip ends badly. Inside one of the caves, Adela becomes deeply distressed. She leaves the caves and later accuses Dr. Aziz of assaulting her in the darkness.

This accusation instantly brings out the intense racial prejudice that separates the two communities. The British immediately assume Adela is telling the truth. Aziz is arrested, and the incident leads to a massive court case that completely divides the city.

During the trial, Adela is pressured by her own conscience. She breaks down on the witness stand and takes back her accusation. Aziz is found innocent, but the damage to any potential race relations is permanent and severe.

In the final section, years later, Aziz and an Englishman named Fielding meet again. They try to rebuild their former friendship. However, the novel concludes with their horses physically separating them, symbolizing that a true friendship is impossible under the weight of political division.

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