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IBPS PO / SBI PO Computer Aptitude Syllabus

The Computer Aptitude syllabus for IBPS PO / SBI PO in full: 3 chapters, 10 topics and 20 sub-topics, every one listed below, plus 51 Computer Aptitude flashcards with answers.

3Chapters
10Topics
20Sub-topics
51Flashcards

Computer Aptitude syllabus: all 3 chapters

Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics.

  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. 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. 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

IBPS PO / SBI PO Computer Aptitude flashcards — 51 questions with 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).

Show the other 31 Computer Aptitude flashcards

  1. 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.

  2. What is ASCII and how many characters does standard ASCII represent?

    American Standard Code for Information Interchange; standard ASCII uses 7 bits to represent 128 characters.

  3. What is the smallest and the basic unit of data in a computer?

    The bit (binary digit, 0 or 1) is the smallest unit; the byte is the basic unit of storage.

  4. What is the difference between system software and application software?

    System software (e.g., OS, drivers) manages hardware and runs the computer; application software (e.g., MS Word, browsers) performs specific user tasks.

  5. What is a compiler and how does it differ from an interpreter?

    A compiler translates the entire program to machine code at once; an interpreter translates and executes line by line.

  6. What is firmware?

    Software permanently stored in ROM/hardware that controls a device, e.g., BIOS.

  7. What is an Operating System and name its key functions.

    System software that manages hardware and software resources. Functions: process management, memory management, file management, device management, security.

  8. What is multitasking in an operating system?

    The ability of an OS to run multiple tasks or programs apparently simultaneously by rapidly switching the CPU among them.

  9. What is a GUI and give an example OS.

    Graphical User Interface; uses icons, windows, and a mouse instead of text commands. Example: Windows, macOS.

  10. What is booting, and differentiate cold and warm booting.

    Booting is starting a computer and loading the OS. Cold boot = starting from power-off; warm boot = restarting an already-on computer.

  11. What is the default file extension for MS Word, MS Excel, and MS PowerPoint (modern versions)?

    Word = .docx, Excel = .xlsx, PowerPoint = .pptx.

  12. In MS Excel, what is a cell and what is the intersection terminology?

    A cell is the intersection of a row (numbered) and a column (lettered); each cell has an address like A1.

  13. Which Excel function adds a range of numbers, and which finds the average?

    SUM() adds a range; AVERAGE() computes the mean.

  14. What keyboard shortcuts perform Copy, Paste, and Undo in MS Office?

    Copy = Ctrl+C, Paste = Ctrl+V, Undo = Ctrl+Z.

  15. In MS PowerPoint, what is a slide and what key starts the slideshow from the beginning?

    A slide is a single page of a presentation; F5 starts the slideshow from the beginning.

  16. What is a computer network?

    A group of two or more computers connected together to share data, resources, and communicate.

  17. Differentiate LAN, MAN, and WAN by coverage area.

    LAN covers a small area (building); MAN covers a city; WAN covers a large geographic area (countries), e.g., the Internet.

  18. What are common network topologies?

    Bus, Star, Ring, Mesh, and Tree.

  19. Differentiate a hub, a switch, and a router.

    A hub broadcasts data to all ports; a switch sends data only to the intended device; a router connects different networks and routes data between them.

  20. What is the most widely used networking protocol suite for the Internet?

    TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol / Internet Protocol).

  21. What is the difference between the Internet and the World Wide Web (WWW)?

    The Internet is the global network of connected computers; the WWW is a service of interlinked web pages accessed via the Internet using HTTP.

  22. What does a URL stand for and what does it identify?

    Uniform Resource Locator; the address that identifies the location of a resource (web page) on the Internet.

  23. What is the function of a web browser, and name two examples.

    A browser displays web pages by interpreting HTML. Examples: Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox.

  24. What does HTTP and HTTPS stand for, and what is the key difference?

    HyperText Transfer Protocol / HTTP Secure. HTTPS adds encryption (SSL/TLS) for secure data transfer.

  25. What is phishing?

    A cyberattack where fraudulent emails/websites trick users into revealing sensitive data like passwords or bank details.

  26. Differentiate a virus from a worm.

    A virus attaches to a file and needs a host/user action to spread; a worm is standalone and self-replicates across networks without user action.

  27. What is a firewall?

    A security system that monitors and controls incoming and outgoing network traffic based on security rules, acting as a barrier between trusted and untrusted networks.

  28. What is malware, and name three types.

    Malicious software designed to harm systems. Types: virus, worm, Trojan horse, ransomware, spyware.

  29. What is a database and what is a DBMS?

    A database is an organized collection of related data; a DBMS (Database Management System) is software to store, retrieve, and manage that data, e.g., MySQL, Oracle.

  30. What does SQL stand for and what is its purpose?

    Structured Query Language; used to create, query, and manage data in relational databases.

  31. Expand the abbreviations CPU, ALU, and GPU.

    CPU = Central Processing Unit; ALU = Arithmetic Logic Unit; GPU = Graphics Processing Unit.

IBPS PO / SBI PO Computer Aptitude FAQ

What is in the IBPS PO / SBI PO Computer Aptitude syllabus?

IBPS PO / SBI PO Computer Aptitude is split into 3 chapters: Computer Fundamentals, Software and Operating Systems and Networking, Internet and Security. Together they contain 10 topics and 20 sub-topics.

How many chapters are in IBPS PO / SBI PO Computer Aptitude?

3 chapters, containing 10 topics and 20 sub-topics. The largest chapter is Networking, Internet and Security, with 4 topics.

Are there flashcards for IBPS PO / SBI PO Computer Aptitude?

Yes — a 51-card Computer Aptitude deck, printed in full in the flashcards section of this page and available in the Examius app with spaced repetition. The free plan covers one exam of your choice, including its flashcards; Examius Pro, a one-time purchase, unlocks every other exam and deck.