180+ General Knowledge Questions for Class 8 with Answers

Introduction

Class 8 is a foundation-building year where students start learning advanced concepts in science, history, geography, and civics. They are now ready to explore deeper topics such as world organisations, advanced biology, environmental issues, the Indian Constitution, technology, and current affairs. General knowledge questions are the most enjoyable way to fuel this curiosity, build awareness, and turn classroom learning into real-world understanding.

This carefully prepared list contains 180+ general knowledge questions for Class 8 with answers, written in clear English and grouped into easy-to-revise categories. Whether your child is preparing for a school quiz, the IGKO Olympiad, NTSE preparation, or simply loves learning new facts every day, this blog will be their go-to GK resource.

Why is General Knowledge Important for Class 8 Students?

General knowledge plays a powerful role in shaping a Class 8 student’s awareness, thinking, and confidence. Here is why every child should practice GK regularly:

1. It builds awareness about India and the world around them.

    

2. It improves memory, reasoning, and critical thinking.

    

3. It supports school subjects like science, social studies, history, and English.

    

4. It boosts confidence in school quizzes, debates, and inter-school competitions.

    

5. It expands vocabulary and improves spoken and written communication.

    

6. It prepares students for Olympiads such as the IGKO conducted by the Science Olympiad Foundation.

    

7. It lays the foundation for higher-level competitive exams such as NTSE, KVPY, and scholarship tests.

    

8. It encourages a lifelong love for reading, asking questions, and learning new things.

180+ GK Questions for Class 8 with Answers

1. GK Questions for Class 8 on Indian History and Heritage

Q1. Who founded the Mughal dynasty in India?

Answer: Babur (in 1526, after the First Battle of Panipat).

Q2. What was the ruling period of Razia Sultana?

Answer: 1236 AD to 1240 AD.

Q3. Which Mughal ruler is associated with the Bibi ka Maqbara in Aurangabad?

Answer: Aurangzeb (built by his son Azam Shah in memory of his mother Dilras Banu Begum).

Q4. Who translated the Baburnama from Chagatai to Persian?

Answer: Abdul Rahim Khan-i-Khana.

Q5. Who wrote the Humayun-Nama?

Answer: Gulbadan Begum (sister of Emperor Humayun).

Q6. Where was the freedom fighter Udham Singh born?

Answer: In Sunam, Sangrur district, Punjab.

Q7. Who is known as the Frontier Gandhi?

Answer: Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan.

Q8. Who gave the slogan “Jai Jawan Jai Kisan”?

Answer: Lal Bahadur Shastri.

Q9. Who is the author of the book The Story of My Experiments with Truth?

Answer: Mahatma Gandhi.

Q10. Which date is mentioned in the Preamble of India and is observed as Samvidhan Divas (Constitution Day)?

Answer: 26th November 1949.

Q11. Which year did India celebrate its first Republic Day?

Answer: 1950.

Q12. Which was the first state in India formed on the basis of language?

Answer: Andhra Pradesh (in 1953).

Q13. Where is the Bhil tribe primarily found?

Answer: Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Gujarat.

Q14. In which Indian state is the famous Hornbill Festival celebrated?

Answer: Nagaland.

Q15. How many wars have India and Pakistan fought since partition?

Answer: Four major wars (1947 to 1948, 1965, 1971, and 1999).

2. GK Questions for Class 8 on India

Q16. What is the capital of India?

Answer: New Delhi.

Q17. Who is the current Prime Minister of India?

Answer: Narendra Modi.

Q18. Who is known as the Father of the Indian Constitution?

Answer: Dr. B.R. Ambedkar.

Q19. What is the National Tree of India?

Answer: The Banyan tree (Ficus benghalensis).

Q20. Which is the smallest state of India?

Answer: Goa.

Q21. Which Indian state has the longest coastline?

Answer: Gujarat (around 1,596 km).

Q22. Which is the highest dam in India?

Answer: The Tehri Dam in Uttarakhand.

Q23. Which public sector bank is the largest in India?

Answer: The State Bank of India (SBI).

Q24. Which bank is known as the Banker’s Bank of India?

Answer: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI).

Q25. When was India’s first national park established and what was its original name?

Answer: In 1936, as Hailey National Park (now known as Jim Corbett National Park).

Q26. Where is Bandipur National Park located?

Answer: In Karnataka.

Q27. Where is Salim Ali National Park located?

Answer: In Jammu and Kashmir.

Q28. What is Nagpur famous for?

Answer: Oranges (Nagpur is also called the Orange City of India).

Q29. What is the full form of ISRO?

Answer: Indian Space Research Organisation.

Q30. Which space mission inspired the movie Mission Mangal?

Answer: The Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM), also called Mangalyaan.

Q31. When is Martyrs’ Day celebrated in India every year?

Answer: 30th January.

3. GK Questions for Class 8 on World Geography

Q32. What is the origin of the Tapi River?

Answer: The Satpura Range (specifically Multai in Madhya Pradesh).

Q33. Which is said to be the highest region on Earth?

Answer: Tibet (around 14,370 feet above sea level), often called the Roof of the World.

Q34. Which two oceans are linked by the Panama Canal?

Answer: The Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean.

Q35. Which is the smallest continent in the world?

Answer: Australia.

Q36. Which continent is considered the hottest in the world?

Answer: Africa.

Q37. Which is the largest hot desert in the world?

Answer: The Sahara Desert.

Q38. Name 5 countries situated along the Pacific Ring of Fire.

Answer: Indonesia, Japan, the Philippines, the United States, and Chile.

Q39. What is the Pacific Ring of Fire?

Answer: A horseshoe-shaped path along the Pacific Ocean characterised by active volcanoes and frequent earthquakes.

Q40. Where is the Pyramid of Khufu located?

Answer: In Giza, Egypt.

Q41. Name a country that lies in both Asia and Europe.

Answer: Turkey (or Russia).

Q42. In which city is the Statue of Liberty located?

Answer: New York City, USA.

4. GK Questions for Class 8 on World Capitals and Currencies

Q43. Kuala Lumpur is the capital of which country?

Answer: Malaysia.

Q44. Port Louis is the capital of which country?

Answer: Mauritius.

Q45. Vilnius is the capital of which country?

Answer: Lithuania.

Q46. What is the capital of Mexico?

Answer: Mexico City.

Q47. What does “DC” stand for in Washington DC?

Answer: District of Columbia.

Q48. Where is the headquarters of the World Health Organization (WHO) located?

Answer: Geneva, Switzerland.

Q49. What is the currency of Japan?

Answer: Japanese Yen.

Q50. How many MBs are there in 1 GB?

Answer: 1024 MBs.

Q51. How many stars are there on the flag of China?

Answer: 5 (one large and four smaller).

5. GK Questions for Class 8 on Science and the Human Body

Q52. Which is known as the suicidal bag of the cell?

Answer: Lysosomes.

Q53. Name two well-known unicellular organisms.

Answer: Amoeba and Paramecium.

Q54. What is produced when there is friction between two surfaces?

Answer: Heat.

Q55. What type of reaction is combustion?

Answer: An exothermic redox reaction.

Q56. What is the chemical name and common alias of methanol?

Answer: Methyl alcohol, also known as wood alcohol.

Q57. Which oilseed is used in the manufacturing of paints?

Answer: Linseed oil.

Q58. What is the process of loosening soil for cultivation called?

Answer: Tilling or ploughing.

Q59. What is the instrument used for spraying weedicides called?

Answer: A sprayer.

Q60. What is the greenhouse effect?

Answer: A natural process in which gases like carbon dioxide and methane trap heat from the Sun in the Earth’s atmosphere, keeping the planet warm.

Q61. What is global warming?

Answer: The long-term rise in Earth’s average surface temperature mainly caused by an increase in greenhouse gases due to human activities.

Q62. Which planet has the longest rotation period in the solar system?

Answer: Venus (one day on Venus is longer than its year).

Q63. Which metal is found in the Earth’s core?

Answer: Iron (along with nickel).

Q64. Which metal exists in liquid form at room temperature?

Answer: Mercury.

Q65. Which metal is considered very soft and malleable?

Answer: Gold (though it is often alloyed for jewellery).

Q66. Which type of element glows in the dark?

Answer: Radioactive elements (and phosphorescent substances).

Q67. What is the largest object in our solar system by mass and size?

Answer: The Sun.

Q68. What is the name of the largest known star in the universe?

Answer: UY Scuti (a red hypergiant).

Q69. How long does light take to travel from the Sun to the Earth?

Answer: Approximately 499 seconds (about 8 minutes 19 seconds).

Q70. Through which mediums does sound travel?

Answer: Solids, liquids, and gases.

Q71. What is Silviculture?

Answer: The science and practice of managing and cultivating forests.

Q72. What is the full form of LED?

Answer: Light Emitting Diode.

Q73. What is the full form of AIDS?

Answer: Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome.

Q74. What does COVID-19 stand for?

Answer: Coronavirus Disease 2019.

6. GK Questions for Class 8 on Maths

Q75. Who is known as the Father of Mathematics?

Answer: Archimedes (some also recognise Aryabhatta as the father of Indian mathematics).

Q76. What is the smallest perfect number?

Answer: 6 (because 1 + 2 + 3 = 6 and 1 x 2 x 3 = 6).

Q77. What is a bar graph that displays data in continuous intervals called?

Answer: A histogram.

Q78. What is the multiplicative inverse of -3/11?

Answer: -11/3.

Q79. What is the value of Pi to two decimal places?

Answer: 3.14.

Q80. How many sides does a decagon have?

Answer: 10.

Q81. What is the only even prime number?

Answer: 2.

Q82. Which number is neither prime nor composite?

Answer: 1.

Q83. What are the angles greater than 180 degrees but less than 360 degrees called?

Answer: Reflex angles.

Q84. What is the sum of the interior angles of a pentagon?

Answer: 540 degrees.

7. GK Questions for Class 8 on Inventions and Famous People

Q85. Who founded the search engine Google and in which year?

Answer: Larry Page and Sergey Brin in 1998.

Q86. When was the camera invented and by whom?

Answer: In 1816, by Joseph Nicephore Niepce.

Q87. Who is associated with the discovery of electricity?

Answer: Benjamin Franklin (his kite experiment showed that lightning is electricity).

Q88. The electric chair was invented by which professional?

Answer: A dentist (Alfred P. Southwick).

Q89. In which country was the first compass invented?

Answer: China.

Q90. Who is known as the Saint of the Gutters?

Answer: Mother Teresa.

Q91. Who is the writer of The God of Small Things?

Answer: Arundhati Roy.

Q92. How many times can an American President be elected?

Answer: A maximum of two terms (8 years total).

Q93. Who was the first President of India?

Answer: Dr. Rajendra Prasad.

8. GK Questions for Class 8 on Sports

Q94. How many cricket World Cups has India won?

Answer: 2 (in 1983 and 2011).

Q95. How long does a Test cricket match last?

Answer: Up to 5 days.

Q96. What is the motto of the International Olympic Committee?

Answer: “Faster, Higher, Stronger, Together” (Citius, Altius, Fortius, Communiter).

Q97. Taekwondo originated in which country?

Answer: South Korea.

Q98. What is the national sport of Hungary?

Answer: Water polo.

Q99. How many players are there in one Baseball team on the field?

Answer: 9 players.

Q100. Which sport is associated with the China Cup?

Answer: Gymnastics.

Q101. Who is the fastest man in the world (by sprint records)?

Answer: Usain Bolt of Jamaica.

9. GK Questions for Class 8 on Important Days

Q102. When is National Science Day celebrated in India?

Answer: 28th February.

Q103. When is World Earth Day observed?

Answer: 22nd April.

Q104. When is World Environment Day celebrated?

Answer: 5th June.

Q105. When is International Yoga Day celebrated?

Answer: 21st June.

Q106. When is World Health Day observed?

Answer: 7th April.

Q107. When is World AIDS Day observed?

Answer: 1st December.

Q108. When is National Unity Day (Rashtriya Ekta Divas) celebrated in India?

Answer: 31st October (birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel).

10. GK Questions for Class 8 on Animals and Nature

Q109. Which is the largest animal on land in the world?

Answer: The African elephant.

Q110. Which is the largest animal in water?

Answer: The blue whale.

Q111. Which is the fastest land animal in the world?

Answer: The cheetah.

Q112. Which animal almost never drinks water?

Answer: The kangaroo rat (it gets moisture from the seeds it eats).

Q113. Name the largest flower in the world.

Answer: Rafflesia arnoldii.

Q114. Name the bird that can fly backwards.

Answer: The hummingbird.

Q115. Name some birds that cannot walk.

Answer: The hummingbird, the loon, the swift, the kingfisher, and the grebe.

Q116. Which is the fastest bird in the world?

Answer: The Peregrine falcon (with diving speeds up to 240 mph).

11. GK Questions for Class 8 on Computers and Technology

Q117. What does 4G stand for in mobile communications?

Answer: Fourth Generation.

Q118. What does 5G stand for?

Answer: Fifth Generation.

Q119. What is the full form of GPS?

Answer: Global Positioning System.

Q120. What is the full form of WWW?

Answer: World Wide Web.

Q121. What is the full form of CPU?

Answer: Central Processing Unit.

Q122. What is the full form of RAM?

Answer: Random Access Memory.

Q123. What is the full form of WiFi?

Answer: Wireless Fidelity.

12. GK Questions for Class 8 on Books and Authors

Q124. Who is the author of Wings of Fire?

Answer: Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam (with Arun Tiwari).

Q125. Who wrote The Discovery of India?

Answer: Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru.

Q126. Who is the author of The Godfather?

Answer: Mario Puzo.

Q127. Who wrote the famous play Romeo and Juliet?

Answer: William Shakespeare.

Q128. Who is the author of On the Origin of Species?

Answer: Charles Darwin.

Q129. Who wrote the Harry Potter series?

Answer: J.K. Rowling.

Q130. Who wrote the Mahabharata?

Answer: Maharishi Ved Vyasa.

Q131. Who wrote the Ramayana?

Answer: Maharishi Valmiki.

13. GK Questions for Class 8 on Miscellaneous Facts

Q132. What is Esperanto?

Answer: An artificial language constructed in 1887 by L.L. Zamenhof, intended for use as an international second language.

Q133. From which language does the word “Tsunami” originate?

Answer: Japanese (meaning “harbour wave”).

Q134. What is Baklava?

Answer: A sweet dessert of Turkish (Ottoman) origin made of thin pastry layers, nuts, and honey or syrup.

Q135. Who painted the famous artwork the Mona Lisa?

Answer: Leonardo da Vinci.

Q136. Which Indian state had its own constitution before its reorganisation?

Answer: Jammu and Kashmir.

Q137. What is the chemical formula of water?

Answer: H2O.

Q138. What is the chemical formula of common table salt?

Answer: NaCl (Sodium Chloride).

Q139. What is the boiling point of water?

Answer: 100 degrees Celsius (at sea level).

Q140. What is the freezing point of water?

Answer: 0 degrees Celsius.

Q141. What is the main source of energy for the Earth?

Answer: The Sun.

Q142. How many continents are there in the world?

Answer: 7.

Q143. How many oceans are there in the world?

Answer: 5.

Q144. India shares its land borders with how many countries?

Answer: 7 (Pakistan, Afghanistan, China, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, and Myanmar).

Q145. How many days are there in a leap year?

Answer: 366.

Q146. Which is the smallest country in the world?

Answer: Vatican City.

Q147. Which is the largest country in the world by area?

Answer: Russia.

Q148. What is the largest planet in our solar system?

Answer: Jupiter.

Q149. Which planet is closest to the Sun?

Answer: Mercury.

Q150. Which planet is known as the Red Planet?

Answer: Mars.

Q151. Who is known as the Father of the Nation in India?

Answer: Mahatma Gandhi.

Q152. Who is the current President of the Republic of India?

Answer: Droupadi Murmu (the 15th President of India).

Q153. What is the colour of a polar bear’s skin under its fur?

Answer: Black.

Q154. Who is known as the Magician of Hockey?

Answer: Major Dhyan Chand.

Q155. Who was the first Indian woman to climb Mount Everest?

Answer: Bachendri Pal.

Q156. Which is the longest river in India?

Answer: The Ganga.

Q157. Which is the longest river in the world?

Answer: The Nile.

Q158. Which is the highest mountain peak in the world?

Answer: Mount Everest.

Q159. Which is the deepest oceanic trench on Earth?

Answer: The Mariana Trench.

Q160. What is the national bird of India?

Answer: The peacock.

Q161. What is the national animal of India?

Answer: The Royal Bengal Tiger.

Q162. What is the currency of India?

Answer: Indian Rupee (INR).

Q163. Who wrote the national anthem of India?

Answer: Rabindranath Tagore.

Q164. Who composed the song Vande Mataram?

Answer: Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay.

Q165. Which is the largest hot desert in the world?

Answer: The Sahara Desert.

Q166. Which is the largest cold desert in the world?

Answer: Antarctica (technically a desert because of its low precipitation).

Q167. How many bones are there in an adult human body?

Answer: 206.

Q168. How many letters are there in the English alphabet?

Answer: 26.

Q169. How many vowels are there in the English alphabet?

Answer: 5 (a, e, i, o, u).

Q170. Which acid is found in our stomach to digest food?

Answer: Hydrochloric acid (HCl).

Q171. Which gas do plants take in for photosynthesis?

Answer: Carbon dioxide.

Q172. Which gas do humans need to breathe in to stay alive?

Answer: Oxygen.

Q173. What is the SI unit of force?

Answer: The Newton (N).

Q174. Who invented the World Wide Web?

Answer: Sir Tim Berners-Lee.

Q175. Who is the current Defence Minister of India?

Answer: Rajnath Singh.

Q176. Which is the largest organ in the human body?

Answer: The skin.

Q177. Which is the longest bone in the human body?

Answer: The femur (thigh bone).

Q178. Which is the smallest bone in the human body?

Answer: The stapes (in the middle ear).

Q179. What is the highest civilian award of India?

Answer: The Bharat Ratna.

Q180. What is the highest peace-time gallantry award of India?

Answer: The Ashoka Chakra.

Q181. What is the Indian space agency’s first lunar mission called?

Answer: Chandrayaan-1.

10 Fun Facts for Class 8 Kids

1. “Typewriter” is the longest English word that can be made using only the letters in the top row of a standard QWERTY keyboard.

    

2. The bullet-proof vest, windscreen wipers, laser printers, and fire escapes were all invented by women.

    

3. Human thigh bones (femurs) are pound-for-pound stronger than concrete.

    

4. People say “Bless you” when you sneeze because your heart skips a tiny beat for a millisecond during a sneeze.

    

5. Carbon monoxide is so dangerous that breathing in high concentrations can be fatal in less than 15 minutes.

    

6. The Peregrine falcon is the fastest bird in the world, reaching speeds of over 240 mph during its hunting dive.

    

7. The electric chair was invented by Alfred P. Southwick, a dentist by profession.

    

8. A cat’s tail contains nearly 10 percent of all the bones in its body.

    

9. Sharks have been around longer than trees. Sharks existed about 400 million years ago, while the earliest trees appeared around 350 million years ago.

    

10. The Eiffel Tower can grow more than 6 inches taller in summer because the iron expands when heated.

     

Tips for Parents to Improve a Class 8 Child’s General Knowledge

1. Encourage daily newspaper reading. Start with editorials, sports pages, and student-focused publications such as The Hindu in School or Times NIE.

    

2. Build a small home library with reference books like the Manorama Yearbook, an atlas, an encyclopedia, and Tinkle for casual reading.

    

3. Watch news channels and educational documentaries together. Discovery, National Geographic, BBC Earth, and history channels work well for this age group.

    

4. Use technology wisely. Trusted apps like BYJU’s, Vedantu, Kahoot, and Quizizz offer free quizzes, current affairs updates, and Olympiad preparation modules.

    

5. Visit museums, planetariums, science centres, and historical monuments as a family. Real-world experiences make GK more memorable.

    

6. Hold a weekly family quiz night. Healthy competition makes learning fun and builds long-term memory.

    

7. Encourage your child to socialise and discuss what they have learnt. Group discussions and debates strengthen knowledge.

    

8. Introduce them to lesser-known sports while watching the Olympics or international tournaments. Discuss countries, capitals, and flags as they appear.

    

9. Help your child appear for Olympiads such as IGKO, NSO, and NTSE preparation contests. Regular practice builds speed and confidence.

    

10. Be a role model. Share interesting facts you read or hear, so your child sees that learning is a lifelong joy.

     

Conclusion

These 180+ general knowledge questions for Class 8 are a fun and effective way to help your child grow smarter every day. Regular practice will improve their memory, build confidence, and prepare them for school quizzes, the IGKO Olympiad, and future competitive exams like NTSE and KVPY. Bookmark this page, solve a few questions every day, and watch your child’s knowledge grow steadily over the year. A little learning each day adds up to a lot of knowledge over time.

Also Read:

General Knowledge Questions for Class 1

General Knowledge Questions for Class 2

General Knowledge Questions for Class 3

General Knowledge Questions for Class 4

General Knowledge Questions for Class 5

General Knowledge Questions for Class 6

General Knowledge Questions for Class 7

General Knowledge Questions for Class 9

General Knowledge Questions for Class 10

FAQs on GK Questions for Class 8

Q1. What are the most important GK topics for Class 8 students?

Answer: The most important GK topics for Class 8 include Indian history (Mughal era, freedom struggle), the Indian Constitution, world geography, advanced science (cells, chemistry, environment), the human body, world capitals and currencies, important days, sports, computers and technology, famous books and authors, and current affairs.

Q2. How many GK questions should a Class 8 child practice every day?

Answer: 15 to 25 GK questions a day are ideal for a Class 8 student. Short, regular practice works much better than long study sessions once a week.

Q3. Where can I download GK questions for Class 8 with answers in PDF?

Answer: You can save this blog as a PDF using your browser’s print or save option. Many education websites also offer free downloadable GK PDFs and worksheets for Class 8.

Q4. Are these GK questions useful for the IGKO Class 8 Olympiad?

Answer: Yes. The questions on this page cover all the main topics that appear in the IGKO syllabus for Class 8, including general awareness, current affairs, science, sports, and life skills.

Q5. How can I make GK fun for my Class 8 child?

Answer: Turn it into a game. Use flashcards, hold mini quizzes between siblings, give small rewards for correct answers, and connect questions with real-life experiences such as family trips, festivals, news events, and shows your child watches.

Q6. Is GK part of the Class 8 CBSE or ICSE syllabus?

Answer: GK is not always a graded subject in every school, but most CBSE, ICSE, and state board schools include GK as part of social studies or extra reading. Many schools also conduct weekly GK tests in Class 8.

Q7. How is GK for Class 8 different from GK for Class 7?

Answer: Class 8 GK introduces deeper topics like the Indian Constitution, Mughal-era books (Humayun-Nama, Baburnama), advanced science (lysosomes, combustion reactions, greenhouse effect), economics (RBI, SBI), the Pacific Ring of Fire, environmental issues, and broader current affairs. Class 7 GK is comparatively simpler and focuses on the four Vedas, basic science, and capitals.

Q8. What are some easy GK questions for a 13-year-old?

Answer: Easy GK questions for a 13-year-old include questions on Indian national symbols, the Constitution, world capitals and currencies, planets, famous inventors and discoveries, important days, sports records, well-known landmarks, and basic science concepts like cells, photosynthesis, vitamins, and the human body.

Q9. Which competitive exams require strong GK in Class 8?

Answer: Class 8 students with strong GK perform better in Olympiads like IGKO, NSO, NTSE, KVPY foundation tests, and various scholarship exams. Strong GK in Class 8 also lays a solid foundation for entrance exams in Classes 9, 10, and beyond, including civil services preparation later in life.