100+ Free Master's Kankor Practice Questions

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Key Facts: Master's Kankor Exam

500 AFN

Master's participation fee (1,000 AFN for doctorate)

NExA 1405 master's registration guide, rule 3

2 stages

International-language paper, then professional paper

NExA 1405 master's registration guide, rules 10-11

3 sources

Published English international-language reading list

NExA 1405 international-language source list

Not published

Item count, duration and pass mark

NExA 1405 master's registration guide

The Afghanistan Master's Kankor is NExA's postgraduate admission examination, run with the Ministry of Higher Education. It costs 500 AFN for master's programmes and 1,000 AFN for doctoral programmes, is sat in the province of the university applied to, and runs in two stages: an international-language paper in English or Arabic, which NExA states must be passed before a candidate may compete in the professional subject paper for their own field. NExA publishes the English source list — grammar, the 4000 Essential English Words 2 vocabulary band, and paragraph-to-essay writing — but no item count, duration or pass mark. This bank is an English-language MCQ study adaptation covering that international-language component and the shared academic literacy used across the professional paper; it does not replace revising your own subject field, and it is not an official translation or a simulation of the real paper.

Sample Master's Kankor Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to test your Master's Kankor exam readiness. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 100+ question experience with AI tutoring.

1In empirical research methodology, what is the defining characteristic of a 'True Experimental Design' compared to a 'Quasi-Experimental Design'?

A.Random assignment (randomization) of participants to experimental and control groups

B.The collection of numerical data through standardized survey questionnaires

C.The use of qualitative open-ended interviews alongside statistical tests

D.Conducting research inside a natural field setting without any intervention

Explanation: True experimental designs are uniquely characterized by the random assignment (randomization) of participants to treatment and control conditions, which controls for extraneous confounding participant variables. Quasi-experiments lack random assignment (using intact or pre-existing groups).

2What is the primary difference between a 'Null Hypothesis' (H_0) and an 'Alternative Hypothesis' (H_1 or H_a) in inferential statistical testing?

A.The null hypothesis posits no significant effect, difference, or relationship in the population, while the alternative hypothesis posits an actual effect, difference, or relationship

B.The null hypothesis is proven true with 100% certainty, while the alternative hypothesis is always rejected

C.The null hypothesis is used only in qualitative research, while the alternative hypothesis is used in quantitative research

D.The null hypothesis tests sample size, while the alternative hypothesis tests sampling error

Explanation: In hypothesis testing, the Null Hypothesis (H_0) is the default baseline assumption that there is no true difference, effect, or association between variables (e.g. mu_1 - mu_2 = 0). The Alternative Hypothesis (H_1) represents the researcher's substantive claim that a real effect or relationship exists.

3Which sampling method involves dividing the population into mutually exclusive subgroups (strata) based on relevant characteristics (e.g. gender, academic discipline) and then drawing independent random samples from each stratum proportionally?

A.Stratified Random Sampling

B.Cluster Sampling

C.Convenience Sampling

D.Snowball Sampling

Explanation: Stratified random sampling ensures adequate representation of key demographic subgroups by dividing the target population into homogeneous strata (e.g. engineering, humanities, medicine) and taking a random sample from within each stratum, reducing sampling error.

4What is 'Internal Validity' in empirical research design?

A.The degree to which the observed change in the dependent variable can be confidently attributed solely to the independent variable and not to confounding extraneous factors

B.The degree to which research findings can be generalized across broader populations, settings, and times

C.The physical printing quality and internal binding of a Master's thesis

D.The mathematical precision of the bibliography citations

Explanation: Internal validity reflects the causal rigor of a study: whether the researcher can definitively state that variable X caused the observed change in variable Y, without alternative explanations (confounds, history effects, maturation, testing effects).

5Which qualitative research tradition focuses on exploring the lived, subjective experiences of individuals regarding a specific phenomenon to describe the universal essence of that experience?

A.Phenomenology

B.Grounded Theory

C.Ethnography

D.Historical Narrative

Explanation: Phenomenological research (founded in the philosophy of Husserl and Heidegger) investigates the 'lived experiences' of human participants concerning a specific phenomenon (e.g. the lived experience of returning refugee scholars), aiming to distill individual accounts into a core structural essence.

6Choose the sentence that uses the present perfect correctly for research completed at an unspecified time whose result matters now.

A.Researchers have identified three barriers to postgraduate enrolment, and those barriers still shape policy today.

B.Researchers have identified three barriers to postgraduate enrolment in 2019, and those barriers still shape policy today.

C.Researchers identified three barriers to postgraduate enrolment since 2019, and those barriers still shape policy today.

D.Researchers are identifying three barriers to postgraduate enrolment last year, and those barriers still shape policy today.

Explanation: The present perfect (have identified) links a completed action to the present moment and cannot take a finished time expression. Here no specific past time is named and the second clause states that the result still matters, which is exactly the environment the present perfect is built for.

7What threat to internal validity occurs when participants drop out of a longitudinal study in a systematic, non-random manner between the pre-test and post-test?

A.Attrition (Experimental Mortality)

B.History effect

C.Maturation effect

D.Statistical regression toward the mean

Explanation: Attrition (subject mortality) refers to the differential loss of participants from research groups over time. If struggling or dissatisfied participants drop out of the treatment group while remaining in the control group, post-test differences may be artificially distorted rather than caused by the intervention.

8What is the primary purpose of conducting a comprehensive 'Literature Review' in a Master's thesis proposal?

A.To critically synthesize existing scholarly knowledge, identify theoretical gaps, contextualize the research problem, and justify the study's methodological approach

B.To fill thesis page requirements by copy-pasting textbook summaries

C.To prove that no other researcher in human history has ever studied the topic

D.To list the names and biographies of all faculty members in the department

Explanation: A scholarly literature review establishes the theoretical framework, synthesizes existing evidence, identifies unresolved contradictions and gaps in current knowledge, prevents inadvertent replication, and provides rational justification for the new study's research questions and methodology.

9In quantitative research design, what is an 'Operational Definition' of a variable?

A.A clear, precise specification of the exact procedures, operations, or measurement instruments used to measure or manipulate the variable in a concrete study

B.A dictionary definition copied from an encyclopedia

C.A surgical procedure performed in a medical hospital

D.A theoretical philosophical contemplation with no empirical metrics

Explanation: An operational definition translates an abstract theoretical construct (e.g. 'academic achievement', 'stress', 'socioeconomic status') into concrete, measurable, and replicable empirical indicators (e.g. 'academic achievement is defined as the student's cumulative grade point average (GPA) on a 4.0 scale').

10Read the sentence: 'The committee decided to allocate the remaining funds to rural schools.' Which word is closest in meaning to 'allocate'?

A.distribute

B.postpone

C.estimate

D.withdraw

Explanation: To allocate is to set something aside and give it out for a particular purpose, so 'distribute' is the closest match in this sentence. Allocate belongs to the mid-frequency academic vocabulary band tested on the international-language paper and collocates strongly with funds, resources, time and budget.

About the Master's Kankor Exam

The Afghanistan Master's Kankor (کانکور شمولیت در برنامه‌های فوق لیسانس) is the postgraduate admission examination administered by the General Directorate of Examinations (NExA) with the Ministry of Higher Education for bachelor's graduates competing for master's places at Afghanistan's public universities.

Assessment

Two stages. Stage one is the international-language examination in English or Arabic, fixed by the language announced against the programme's admission code (or chosen by the candidate where the code says 'optional'); NExA states that passing it is a precondition for competing in stage two. Stage two is the professional or subject examination in the candidate's own field. Where a programme's examination language is announced as national, the candidate chooses Dari or Pashto. Candidates compete on one of three routes: academic cadre, government employee quota, or open competition.

Time Limit

Not published by NExA

Passing Score

No published numeric pass mark. Passing the international-language examination is required before the professional examination counts, and final placement is by competitive ranking within the programme's published quota.

Exam Fee

500 AFN for master's programmes; 1,000 AFN for doctoral programmes (General Directorate of Examinations / NExA (ادارهٔ عمومی امتحانات) with the Ministry of Higher Education)

Master's Kankor Exam Content Outline

Stage one (gate)

International-Language Examination (English or Arabic)

English track sources published by NExA for 1405: Focus on Grammar (Seaton, 2014), 4000 Essential English Words 2 (Nation, 2009), and Great Writing 3: From Great Paragraphs to Great Essays, 5th ed. (Folse, Vestri and Clabeaux, 2020). Arabic track applies to sharia and Arabic-language programmes.

Stage two

Professional (Subject) Examination

A field-specific paper set against the master's programme code applied for, spanning the full range of faculties from engineering and computer science to sharia, economics, agriculture, education and the medical sciences.

Transferable

Research Methodology & Statistical Literacy

Research design, sampling, validity and reliability, hypothesis testing, correlation and regression, and effect size — the analytical vocabulary of postgraduate study and thesis work.

Transferable

Analytical Reasoning & Academic Ethics

Deductive and syllogistic reasoning, logical fallacies, plagiarism and authorship standards, peer review, and research ethics governance.

How to Pass the Master's Kankor Exam

What You Need to Know

Passing score: No published numeric pass mark. Passing the international-language examination is required before the professional examination counts, and final placement is by competitive ranking within the programme's published quota.
Assessment: Two stages. Stage one is the international-language examination in English or Arabic, fixed by the language announced against the programme's admission code (or chosen by the candidate where the code says 'optional'); NExA states that passing it is a precondition for competing in stage two. Stage two is the professional or subject examination in the candidate's own field. Where a programme's examination language is announced as national, the candidate chooses Dari or Pashto. Candidates compete on one of three routes: academic cadre, government employee quota, or open competition.
Time limit: Not published by NExA
Exam fee: 500 AFN for master's programmes; 1,000 AFN for doctoral programmes

Keys to Passing

Work through all 100 available questions
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Track weak areas and revisit them
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Master's Kankor Study Tips from Top Performers

1Treat the international-language paper as a gate, not a formality: NExA states you cannot compete in the professional examination without passing it.

2Work directly from NExA's three published English sources rather than generic test-prep material — grammar, the 4000-word academic vocabulary band, and paragraph-to-essay structure.

3Check your programme code before you register: the code fixes both your examination language and your competition route (academic cadre, government employee quota, or open competition).

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the two stages of the Afghanistan Master's Kankor?

First the international-language examination in English or Arabic, then the professional examination in the candidate's own subject field. NExA's registration guide states plainly that success in the international-language examination is a condition of competing in the professional examination.

How much does the Master's Kankor cost?

The participation fee (حق‌الشمول) is 500 AFN for master's programmes and 1,000 AFN for doctoral programmes, handed in with the completed registration form to the postgraduate programme of the relevant public university.

What does NExA publish about the English component?

For 1405 NExA published a three-item source list for the English international-language paper: Focus on Grammar (Seaton, 2014), 4000 Essential English Words 2 (Nation, 2009), and Great Writing 3: From Great Paragraphs to Great Essays, 5th edition (Folse, Vestri and Clabeaux, 2020). It does not publish an item count, a duration or a pass mark.

In what language is the examination set?

It depends on the programme code. Where the code announces English or Arabic, that language is fixed and the candidate cannot choose otherwise; where it announces 'national', the candidate must choose Dari or Pashto; where it announces 'optional', the candidate must pick either English or Arabic. Our practice bank is an English-language MCQ study adaptation, not an official translation.