NDA (II) 2022 GAT Q46: Be in the

Q: What is the answer to NDA (II) 2022 GAT Q46?

C. Correct — C, in a good position to win. To be in the running is to be a live contender — still eligible, and with a real chance of winning or being chosen. Its ready-made opposite, 'out of the running', means the chance has gone.

NDA (II) 2022 General Ability Test · Question 46 of 150

Question text verified against the official NDA question paper.

Be in the running

(a)In a very bad state to speak
(b)In a powerful position
(c)In a good position to win
(d)In a losing position

Answer

Why

Correct — C, in a good position to win. To be in the running is to be a live contender — still eligible, and with a real chance of winning or being chosen. Its ready-made opposite, 'out of the running', means the chance has gone.

Why the others are wrong

(a)In a very bad state to speak — No part of the phrase touches on speech or on being unwell.
(b)In a powerful position — Close, but not the sense — the phrase marks someone as a serious contender, which is not the same as already holding power.
(d)In a losing position — That is 'out of the running'; the small word 'in' reverses the meaning.

Concept

'In the running' means still a contender — eligible, and with a genuine chance of winning or being selected.

The image is a race in which a competitor has not yet dropped out. Watch the little word that carries the whole meaning: 'in the running' and 'out of the running' are exact opposites, and objective papers like to place both among the options.

Key facts

'Out of the running' means no longer able to win.
The phrase is applied to candidates and applicants as readily as to competitors.
'A front runner' names the contender currently ahead.

Study next

idioms drawn from sport and racingidiom pairs that turn on in and out — in the loop, out of the loopvocabulary of competition — contender, aspirant, front runneridioms about chance and likelihood

Common traps

Choosing 'powerful' because being a contender sounds like strength.
Missing the in/out contrast and picking the losing option.

Asked as an idioms-and-phrases item — choose the option that gives the meaning of the phrase.

Related PYQs

No directly related past PYQ was found.

Practice

practice — not a real PYQ
'Out of the running' means:
- (a)running very fast
- (b)no longer having a chance of winning
- (c)resting between races
- (d)leading the race
Answer(b) no longer having a chance of winning — it is the exact opposite of 'in the running'.
practice — not a real PYQ
'A front runner' in an election is:
- (a)the person who counts the votes
- (b)the candidate most likely to win
- (c)the last candidate to file papers
- (d)a candidate who withdraws
Answer(b) the candidate most likely to win — the front runner is the contender currently ahead.