IBPS PO / SBI PO Computer Aptitude Syllabus

Computer Aptitude syllabus — full chapter and topic list

Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics. This is the whole examinable outline for Computer Aptitude in IBPS PO / SBI PO, not a summary of it.

1. 1

   Computer Fundamentals

   3 topics

   • Generations and Classification of Computers
     • Five generations of computers
     • Analog, digital and hybrid computers
   • Input, Output and Storage Devices
     • Input and output peripherals
     • Primary, secondary and cache memory
   • Number Systems and Data Representation
     • Binary, octal, decimal and hexadecimal
     • Bits, bytes and units of memory
2. 2

   Software and Operating Systems

   3 topics

   • Types of Software
     • System and application software
     • Utility and programming languages
   • Operating System Concepts
     • Functions of an operating system
     • Common operating systems
   • MS Office and Productivity Tools
     • MS Word and MS PowerPoint shortcuts
     • MS Excel functions and formulae
3. 3

   Networking, Internet and Security

   4 topics

   • Networking Basics
     • LAN, MAN and WAN
     • Network topologies and devices
   • Internet and Web Technology
     • Protocols, URL and IP address
     • Email, browsers and search engines
   • Cyber Security and Threats
     • Viruses, malware and phishing
     • Firewalls, encryption and antivirus
   • Database and Abbreviations
     • DBMS and basic SQL concepts
     • Important computer abbreviations

Computer Aptitude flashcards for IBPS PO / SBI PO

21 of 51 cards from the Computer Aptitude deck — real questions with worked answers.

1. Which generation of computers used vacuum tubes, and what was their main programming language?

   First generation (1940-1956); used machine language. Examples: ENIAC, UNIVAC, EDVAC.

2. What electronic component characterized second-generation computers, and what languages did they introduce?

   Transistors. They introduced assembly language and early high-level languages like COBOL and FORTRAN.

3. Third-generation computers were based on which technology?

   Integrated Circuits (ICs), which placed many transistors on a single silicon chip, making computers smaller, faster, and cheaper.

4. What defines fourth-generation computers?

   Microprocessors (VLSI - Very Large Scale Integration), where the entire CPU is on a single chip. Marked the rise of personal computers.

5. Fifth-generation computers are associated with which concept?

   Artificial Intelligence (AI) and ULSI (Ultra Large Scale Integration); use parallel processing and aim for natural-language understanding.

6. Classify computers by size from largest to smallest.

   Supercomputer, Mainframe, Minicomputer, Microcomputer (PC).

7. What is the fastest category of computer, used for weather forecasting and scientific research?

   Supercomputer (e.g., PARAM in India). Speed measured in FLOPS.

8. Differentiate analog, digital, and hybrid computers.

   Analog process continuous data; Digital process discrete (binary) data; Hybrid combine both (e.g., ECG machines).

9. Name three common input devices.

   Keyboard, mouse, scanner (also: joystick, light pen, microphone, webcam, OMR/OCR/MICR readers).

10. Name three common output devices.

    Monitor, printer, speaker (also: projector, plotter, headphones).

11. What is MICR and where is it primarily used?

    Magnetic Ink Character Recognition; used in banking to process cheques by reading the magnetic ink characters at the bottom of cheques.

12. What is OMR and give a common use.

    Optical Mark Recognition; reads marks like filled bubbles on answer sheets and survey forms.

13. Distinguish primary memory from secondary memory.

    Primary (RAM/ROM) is directly accessible by the CPU, fast, and mostly volatile; secondary (HDD, SSD, USB) is permanent storage, slower, and non-volatile.

14. What is the difference between RAM and ROM?

    RAM is volatile read/write working memory that loses data on power-off; ROM is non-volatile and stores permanent instructions like the BIOS.

15. Differentiate SRAM and DRAM.

    SRAM (Static RAM) uses flip-flops, is faster, costlier, and used in cache; DRAM (Dynamic RAM) uses capacitors, needs refreshing, is cheaper, and used as main memory.

16. List the storage size units from smallest to largest up to terabyte.

    Bit, Nibble (4 bits), Byte (8 bits), Kilobyte, Megabyte, Gigabyte, Terabyte.

17. How many bits are in a byte and in a nibble?

    A byte = 8 bits; a nibble = 4 bits.

18. What is cache memory and why is it used?

    A small, very fast memory between the CPU and RAM that stores frequently used data/instructions to speed up processing.

19. What are the base values of the binary, octal, decimal, and hexadecimal number systems?

    Binary = 2, Octal = 8, Decimal = 10, Hexadecimal = 16.

20. Convert the binary number 1010 to decimal.

    10 (8 + 0 + 2 + 0 = 10).

21. Which digits/symbols are used in the hexadecimal system?

    0-9 and A-F, where A=10, B=11, C=12, D=13, E=14, F=15.

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