A census is a survey carried out by nearly all countries every 10 years. Which choice matches this description?

• A. Every year
• B. Every 10 years
• C. Every 5 years
• D. Every century

Answer: (B)

The main idea being tested is how often a census is conducted. A census is a complete count of the population and usually collects basic information about households and people. The description specifies that this happens every 10 years, which is the standard decennial cycle used by many countries. Doing a census every decade provides up-to-date population data for planning, budgeting, and policy decisions, while keeping the cost and effort manageable.

Frequencies like every year would be impractical for a full headcount and are not how most countries run censuses. Every five years or every century don’t match the common practice either, since five-year checks are typically smaller surveys or updates and a century gap would be far too long to track demographic changes accurately.