CLATnetwork · Current Affairs
World Happiness Report 2025 HARD
10 passage-based questions · Comprehension + Inference + Critical Reasoning · 12 minutes
🔵 Section A (Q1–4): Reading Comprehension
🟡 Section B (Q5–7): Inference & Assumption
🟣 Section C (Q8–10): Critical Reasoning
🔴 Hard Mode — answers are NOT directly in the passage
⏱ 12 minute countdown timer
🏆 Live leaderboard after submission
Please enter your name before starting.
CLATnetwork · Current Affairs
World Happiness Report 2025 HARD
10 Questions · Passage-Based · Comprehension + Inference + Critical Reasoning · 12 Minutes
0 / 10
12:00
DIRECTIONS: Read the passage carefully. This is a Hard Mode set — answers require comprehension, inference, and critical reasoning. Direct lifting from text is insufficient. Marking: +1 correct, −0.25 incorrect.
Passage — World Happiness Report 2025
Read carefully before attempting Q1–Q10
📄 PASSAGE · CLAT CURRENT AFFAIRS · HARD MODE
World Happiness Report 2025
Well-being & Development
Critical Reasoning
Nordic Rankings
The publication of the World Happiness Report 2025 once again generated discussion regarding the relationship between economic development, social trust, governance, and human well-being. Produced under the auspices of the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network and informed by data from international survey agencies, the report seeks to evaluate how individuals perceive the quality of their lives rather than merely measuring economic output.
The report's findings highlighted the continued dominance of Nordic countries in global happiness rankings. Finland retained the top position for the eighth consecutive year, while several countries experiencing economic or political instability occupied lower positions. Researchers increasingly argue that factors such as social trust, institutional effectiveness, freedom of life choices, and perceptions of corruption may influence well-being as much as traditional economic indicators. The methodology of the report relies upon a number of variables, including GDP per capita, healthy life expectancy, social support, generosity, freedom to make life choices, and perceptions of corruption. Scholars caution against interpreting these indicators as establishing direct causation.
India's position has improved gradually over recent years, although it remains below several regional peers. Analysts note that demographic diversity, economic disparities, rapid urbanisation, and varying levels of institutional access make comparisons complex. Critics argue that excessive reliance on economic growth as a measure of national success may obscure issues such as loneliness, social fragmentation, and declining trust in public institutions. Others caution that cross-national rankings should be interpreted carefully because cultural differences influence how individuals evaluate life satisfaction.
The report's findings highlighted the continued dominance of Nordic countries in global happiness rankings. Finland retained the top position for the eighth consecutive year, while several countries experiencing economic or political instability occupied lower positions. Researchers increasingly argue that factors such as social trust, institutional effectiveness, freedom of life choices, and perceptions of corruption may influence well-being as much as traditional economic indicators. The methodology of the report relies upon a number of variables, including GDP per capita, healthy life expectancy, social support, generosity, freedom to make life choices, and perceptions of corruption. Scholars caution against interpreting these indicators as establishing direct causation.
India's position has improved gradually over recent years, although it remains below several regional peers. Analysts note that demographic diversity, economic disparities, rapid urbanisation, and varying levels of institutional access make comparisons complex. Critics argue that excessive reliance on economic growth as a measure of national success may obscure issues such as loneliness, social fragmentation, and declining trust in public institutions. Others caution that cross-national rankings should be interpreted carefully because cultural differences influence how individuals evaluate life satisfaction.
Section A — Reading Comprehension
Q1–Q4 · Purpose, context, fill-in-blanks from passage and applied GK
01
ComprehensionSEC AModerateWhich of the following best captures the primary purpose of the passage?
The passage is balanced — it presents both the significance (multidimensional methodology, Finland's dominance, India's improvement) and the limitations (causation vs correlation, cultural differences, GDP-only critique). Option A is directly refuted. Option C is a misreading — Finland is used to stimulate broader questions, not to argue Nordic superiority. Option D is never stated. B is the most accurate and balanced description of the passage's purpose.
02
ComprehensionSEC AModerateFinland's continued top ranking is discussed in the passage primarily to:
The passage uses Finland as a reference point to open the broader discussion on what determines happiness beyond GDP — social trust, institutional effectiveness, freedom of choice, etc. The passage explicitly cautions against direct causation (ruling out A). Nothing in the passage suggests Finland has eliminated corruption (C) or that others should export its model (D). B best captures the rhetorical function of Finland's mention.
03
Fill in BlankSEC AHardThe passage states the report is "informed by data from international survey agencies." The World Happiness Report specifically relies on which survey as its primary data source?
This is a GK-based fill-in-the-blank. The World Happiness Report primarily relies on the Gallup World Poll, which uses the Cantril Ladder (a self-reported life evaluation scale from 0–10) as the core happiness measure. Respondents are asked to imagine a ladder where the best possible life = 10 and worst = 0. The World Values Survey is a separate academic project; Pew Research focuses on opinion polling; ILO conducts labour surveys.
04
Fill in BlankSEC AHardThe passage mentions "continued dominance of Nordic countries." In the World Happiness Report 2025, which country ranked second globally?
In the World Happiness Report 2025, the top rankings were: 1st — Finland, 2nd — Denmark, 3rd — Iceland. This is a fact-based GK question where applied knowledge beyond the passage is required. All options are Nordic/Scandinavian countries, making this a genuine recall test. Sweden and Netherlands also rank highly but not in the top two.
Section B — Inference & Assumption
Q5–Q7 · Identify challenged assumptions, test inferences, evaluate arguments
05
InferenceSEC BHardWhich assumption is most strongly challenged by the passage's overall argument?
The passage directly and repeatedly challenges the assumption that GDP alone measures national success — arguing that this obscures loneliness, social fragmentation, and declining institutional trust. Options A and D are views the passage supports (not challenges). Option B is partially accepted (prosperity contributes) but not challenged. C is the assumption the entire passage argues against most forcefully.
06
InferenceSEC BHardIf a country experiences significant GDP growth but simultaneously sees a decline in social trust and social support, the most plausible outcome according to the passage's framework would be:
The passage explicitly states that social trust, institutional effectiveness, and perceptions of corruption influence well-being "as much as traditional economic indicators." Therefore, GDP rising while trust and social support fall would produce a mixed outcome — the ranking may not improve proportionately. A assumes only GDP matters (contradicted). C and D are unsupported extrapolations. B is the most logical application of the passage's framework.
07
WeakenerSEC BHardWhich fact, if true, would most weaken the argument that social trust significantly contributes to happiness rankings?
A weakener must directly undercut the claim being made. The claim is: social trust contributes significantly to happiness. Option C — "no meaningful statistical correlation between social trust and happiness scores" — directly destroys the evidentiary basis of the argument. Option A actually strengthens the claim. Option B also strengthens it (community = social trust). Option D is about welfare spending, not social trust directly. C is the clearest weakener.
Section C — Critical Reasoning
Q8–Q10 · Interpretive caution, most reasonable inferences, best counterargument
08
Critical ReasoningSEC CModerateAccording to the passage, why should cross-national comparisons be interpreted with caution?
The passage explicitly states: "cross-national rankings should be interpreted carefully because cultural differences influence how individuals evaluate life satisfaction." This is the passage's own stated reason. Option C overstates the argument (the passage doesn't say rankings are meaningless — just that they need careful interpretation). Options A and D are not mentioned anywhere in the passage. B is directly supported by the text.
09
Critical ReasoningSEC CHardWhich of the following inferences is most reasonable based on the passage?
Option A is directly contradicted (cultural differences affect responses — rankings are not culturally neutral). Option B is an extreme inference not supported (the passage criticises GDP-only thinking but never says abandon economic policy entirely). Option D overstates — the passage presents multiple variables as important, not just institutional quality. C is the most reasonable inference: the passage's entire framework — GDP, social support, trust, freedom, health — points to well-being being multidimensional.
10
Critical ReasoningSEC CHardWhich aspect of the report most directly undermines a GDP-only view of national success?
Option A (survey vs government data) is about data source methodology — it doesn't directly challenge GDP-only thinking. Option B (Finland's ranking) is a symptom, not the structural argument against GDP-only thinking. Option D (annual publication) is irrelevant to this question. Option C is the direct answer: the report's multidimensional framework — which includes social support, freedom, healthy life expectancy, generosity, and perceptions of corruption alongside GDP — structurally demonstrates that GDP alone is insufficient to capture well-being.
YOUR SCORE
—/10
Correct
—
questions
Wrong
—
questions
Time Taken
—
out of 12:00
● Sec A · Comprehension
—
out of 4
● Sec B · Inference
—
out of 3
● Sec C · Critical
—
out of 3
🏆 Class Leaderboard
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CLATnetwork · Current Affairs
World Happiness Report 2025 HARD
10 passage-based questions · Comprehension + Inference + Critical Reasoning · 12 minutes
🔵 Section A (Q1–4): Reading Comprehension
🟡 Section B (Q5–7): Inference & Assumption
🟣 Section C (Q8–10): Critical Reasoning
🔴 Hard Mode — answers are NOT directly in the passage
⏱ 12 minute countdown timer
🏆 Live leaderboard after submission
Please enter your name before starting.
CLATnetwork · Current Affairs
World Happiness Report 2025 HARD
10 Questions · Passage-Based · Comprehension + Inference + Critical Reasoning · 12 Minutes
0 / 10
12:00
DIRECTIONS: Read the passage carefully. This is a Hard Mode set — answers require comprehension, inference, and critical reasoning. Direct lifting from text is insufficient. Marking: +1 correct, −0.25 incorrect.
Passage — World Happiness Report 2025
Read carefully before attempting Q1–Q10
📄 PASSAGE · CLAT CURRENT AFFAIRS · HARD MODE
World Happiness Report 2025
Well-being & Development
Critical Reasoning
Nordic Rankings
The publication of the World Happiness Report 2025 once again generated discussion regarding the relationship between economic development, social trust, governance, and human well-being. Produced under the auspices of the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network and informed by data from international survey agencies, the report seeks to evaluate how individuals perceive the quality of their lives rather than merely measuring economic output.
The report's findings highlighted the continued dominance of Nordic countries in global happiness rankings. Finland retained the top position for the eighth consecutive year, while several countries experiencing economic or political instability occupied lower positions. Researchers increasingly argue that factors such as social trust, institutional effectiveness, freedom of life choices, and perceptions of corruption may influence well-being as much as traditional economic indicators. The methodology of the report relies upon a number of variables, including GDP per capita, healthy life expectancy, social support, generosity, freedom to make life choices, and perceptions of corruption. Scholars caution against interpreting these indicators as establishing direct causation.
India's position has improved gradually over recent years, although it remains below several regional peers. Analysts note that demographic diversity, economic disparities, rapid urbanisation, and varying levels of institutional access make comparisons complex. Critics argue that excessive reliance on economic growth as a measure of national success may obscure issues such as loneliness, social fragmentation, and declining trust in public institutions. Others caution that cross-national rankings should be interpreted carefully because cultural differences influence how individuals evaluate life satisfaction.
The report's findings highlighted the continued dominance of Nordic countries in global happiness rankings. Finland retained the top position for the eighth consecutive year, while several countries experiencing economic or political instability occupied lower positions. Researchers increasingly argue that factors such as social trust, institutional effectiveness, freedom of life choices, and perceptions of corruption may influence well-being as much as traditional economic indicators. The methodology of the report relies upon a number of variables, including GDP per capita, healthy life expectancy, social support, generosity, freedom to make life choices, and perceptions of corruption. Scholars caution against interpreting these indicators as establishing direct causation.
India's position has improved gradually over recent years, although it remains below several regional peers. Analysts note that demographic diversity, economic disparities, rapid urbanisation, and varying levels of institutional access make comparisons complex. Critics argue that excessive reliance on economic growth as a measure of national success may obscure issues such as loneliness, social fragmentation, and declining trust in public institutions. Others caution that cross-national rankings should be interpreted carefully because cultural differences influence how individuals evaluate life satisfaction.
Section A — Reading Comprehension
Q1–Q4 · Purpose, context, fill-in-blanks from passage and applied GK
01
ComprehensionSEC AModerateWhich of the following best captures the primary purpose of the passage?
The passage is balanced — it presents both the significance (multidimensional methodology, Finland's dominance, India's improvement) and the limitations (causation vs correlation, cultural differences, GDP-only critique). Option A is directly refuted. Option C is a misreading — Finland is used to stimulate broader questions, not to argue Nordic superiority. Option D is never stated. B is the most accurate and balanced description of the passage's purpose.
02
ComprehensionSEC AModerateFinland's continued top ranking is discussed in the passage primarily to:
The passage uses Finland as a reference point to open the broader discussion on what determines happiness beyond GDP — social trust, institutional effectiveness, freedom of choice, etc. The passage explicitly cautions against direct causation (ruling out A). Nothing in the passage suggests Finland has eliminated corruption (C) or that others should export its model (D). B best captures the rhetorical function of Finland's mention.
03
Fill in BlankSEC AHardThe passage states the report is "informed by data from international survey agencies." The World Happiness Report specifically relies on which survey as its primary data source?
This is a GK-based fill-in-the-blank. The World Happiness Report primarily relies on the Gallup World Poll, which uses the Cantril Ladder (a self-reported life evaluation scale from 0–10) as the core happiness measure. Respondents are asked to imagine a ladder where the best possible life = 10 and worst = 0. The World Values Survey is a separate academic project; Pew Research focuses on opinion polling; ILO conducts labour surveys.
04
Fill in BlankSEC AHardThe passage mentions "continued dominance of Nordic countries." In the World Happiness Report 2025, which country ranked second globally?
In the World Happiness Report 2025, the top rankings were: 1st — Finland, 2nd — Denmark, 3rd — Iceland. This is a fact-based GK question where applied knowledge beyond the passage is required. All options are Nordic/Scandinavian countries, making this a genuine recall test. Sweden and Netherlands also rank highly but not in the top two.
Section B — Inference & Assumption
Q5–Q7 · Identify challenged assumptions, test inferences, evaluate arguments
05
InferenceSEC BHardWhich assumption is most strongly challenged by the passage's overall argument?
The passage directly and repeatedly challenges the assumption that GDP alone measures national success — arguing that this obscures loneliness, social fragmentation, and declining institutional trust. Options A and D are views the passage supports (not challenges). Option B is partially accepted (prosperity contributes) but not challenged. C is the assumption the entire passage argues against most forcefully.
06
InferenceSEC BHardIf a country experiences significant GDP growth but simultaneously sees a decline in social trust and social support, the most plausible outcome according to the passage's framework would be:
The passage explicitly states that social trust, institutional effectiveness, and perceptions of corruption influence well-being "as much as traditional economic indicators." Therefore, GDP rising while trust and social support fall would produce a mixed outcome — the ranking may not improve proportionately. A assumes only GDP matters (contradicted). C and D are unsupported extrapolations. B is the most logical application of the passage's framework.
07
WeakenerSEC BHardWhich fact, if true, would most weaken the argument that social trust significantly contributes to happiness rankings?
A weakener must directly undercut the claim being made. The claim is: social trust contributes significantly to happiness. Option C — "no meaningful statistical correlation between social trust and happiness scores" — directly destroys the evidentiary basis of the argument. Option A actually strengthens the claim. Option B also strengthens it (community = social trust). Option D is about welfare spending, not social trust directly. C is the clearest weakener.
Section C — Critical Reasoning
Q8–Q10 · Interpretive caution, most reasonable inferences, best counterargument
08
Critical ReasoningSEC CModerateAccording to the passage, why should cross-national comparisons be interpreted with caution?
The passage explicitly states: "cross-national rankings should be interpreted carefully because cultural differences influence how individuals evaluate life satisfaction." This is the passage's own stated reason. Option C overstates the argument (the passage doesn't say rankings are meaningless — just that they need careful interpretation). Options A and D are not mentioned anywhere in the passage. B is directly supported by the text.
09
Critical ReasoningSEC CHardWhich of the following inferences is most reasonable based on the passage?
Option A is directly contradicted (cultural differences affect responses — rankings are not culturally neutral). Option B is an extreme inference not supported (the passage criticises GDP-only thinking but never says abandon economic policy entirely). Option D overstates — the passage presents multiple variables as important, not just institutional quality. C is the most reasonable inference: the passage's entire framework — GDP, social support, trust, freedom, health — points to well-being being multidimensional.
10
Critical ReasoningSEC CHardWhich aspect of the report most directly undermines a GDP-only view of national success?
Option A (survey vs government data) is about data source methodology — it doesn't directly challenge GDP-only thinking. Option B (Finland's ranking) is a symptom, not the structural argument against GDP-only thinking. Option D (annual publication) is irrelevant to this question. Option C is the direct answer: the report's multidimensional framework — which includes social support, freedom, healthy life expectancy, generosity, and perceptions of corruption alongside GDP — structurally demonstrates that GDP alone is insufficient to capture well-being.
YOUR SCORE
—/10
Correct
—
questions
Wrong
—
questions
Time Taken
—
out of 12:00
● Sec A · Comprehension
—
out of 4
● Sec B · Inference
—
out of 3
● Sec C · Critical
—
out of 3
🏆 Class Leaderboard
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