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IBPS PO Computer Knowledge Syllabus

The Computer Knowledge syllabus for IBPS PO in full: 3 chapters and 7 topics, every one listed below, plus 50 Computer Knowledge flashcards with answers.

3Chapters
7Topics
50Flashcards

Computer Knowledge syllabus: all 3 chapters

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

  1. Basics of Computers

     2 topics
    • Hardware
    • Software

  2. Internet

     2 topics
    • Internet Basics
    • Web Browsers

  3. MS Office

     3 topics
    • MS Word
    • MS Excel
    • MS PowerPoint

IBPS PO Computer Knowledge flashcards — 50 questions with answers

  1. What is computer hardware?

    The physical, tangible components of a computer system (e.g., CPU, monitor, keyboard, hard disk) that can be touched, as opposed to software.

  2. What does CPU stand for and what is its role?

    Central Processing Unit — the 'brain' of the computer that executes instructions; it consists of the ALU, Control Unit (CU), and registers.

  3. What are the two main components inside the CPU?

    The Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU), which performs arithmetic and logical operations, and the Control Unit (CU), which directs and coordinates operations.

  4. Differentiate between RAM and ROM.

    RAM (Random Access Memory) is volatile, read/write temporary working memory that loses data when power is off; ROM (Read Only Memory) is non-volatile permanent memory that retains data without power.

  5. What is the difference between an input device and an output device? Give examples.

    Input devices feed data into the computer (keyboard, mouse, scanner); output devices present results to the user (monitor, printer, speakers).

  6. What is a motherboard?

    The main printed circuit board (PCB) that connects and allows communication between all components — CPU, memory, storage, and peripherals.

  7. Order the memory hierarchy by speed, fastest to slowest.

    Registers > Cache memory > Main memory (RAM) > Secondary storage (HDD/SSD).

  8. What is cache memory?

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

  9. Convert: how many bytes are in 1 KB, 1 MB, 1 GB, and 1 TB (binary)?

    1 KB = 1024 bytes; 1 MB = 1024 KB; 1 GB = 1024 MB; 1 TB = 1024 GB.

  10. How many bits are in one byte, and what is a nibble?

    1 byte = 8 bits; a nibble = 4 bits (half a byte).

  11. What is the difference between a compiler and an interpreter?

    A compiler translates the entire source program into machine code at once (faster execution); an interpreter translates and executes code line by line (easier debugging, slower).

  12. What is software? Name its two main types.

    Software is a set of instructions/programs that tell hardware what to do. Two main types: System software and Application software.

  13. What is system software? Give examples.

    Software that manages and controls hardware and provides a platform for applications — e.g., operating systems, device drivers, utilities, compilers.

  14. What is application software? Give examples.

    Software designed for specific user tasks — e.g., MS Word, Excel, web browsers, media players, games.

  15. What is an operating system (OS)? Name three examples.

    System software that manages hardware, software resources, and provides services to programs. Examples: Windows, Linux, macOS (also Android, iOS).

  16. What is firmware?

    Permanent software programmed into read-only memory (ROM/flash) that provides low-level control for a device's hardware, e.g., BIOS.

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

    System software runs and manages the computer/hardware (OS, drivers); application software helps users perform specific tasks (Word, browsers).

  18. What is an utility program? Give an example.

    System software that performs maintenance tasks like antivirus, disk cleanup, file compression, backup, and defragmentation.

  19. What does GUI stand for and what does it mean?

    Graphical User Interface — lets users interact with a computer using graphical elements like icons, windows, and a mouse instead of text commands.

  20. What is open-source software? Give an example.

    Software whose source code is freely available to view, modify, and distribute — e.g., Linux, Mozilla Firefox, LibreOffice.

Show the other 30 Computer Knowledge flashcards

  1. What is the Internet?

    A global network of interconnected computer networks that communicate using standard protocols (TCP/IP) to share information and resources.

  2. What does WWW stand for and how does it differ from the Internet?

    World Wide Web — a system of interlinked hypertext documents (web pages) accessed via the Internet; the Internet is the underlying network infrastructure, the WWW is a service running on it.

  3. What does HTTP stand for, and what is HTTPS?

    HTTP = HyperText Transfer Protocol, used to transfer web pages; HTTPS is its secure version using SSL/TLS encryption.

  4. What is an IP address?

    A unique numerical identifier assigned to each device on a network (e.g., 192.168.1.1 for IPv4) used to locate and communicate with it.

  5. What is a URL? Name its parts.

    Uniform Resource Locator — the address of a web resource. Parts: protocol (https://), domain name (www.example.com), and path (/page).

  6. What does DNS stand for and what does it do?

    Domain Name System — translates human-readable domain names (e.g., google.com) into numerical IP addresses.

  7. What is the difference between download and upload?

    Download = receiving/transferring data FROM a remote server TO your device; Upload = sending data FROM your device TO a remote server.

  8. What is an ISP?

    Internet Service Provider — a company that provides users with access to the Internet (e.g., Airtel, Jio, BSNL).

  9. What is a search engine? Give two examples.

    A program/website that searches the Web for information matching user queries — e.g., Google, Bing, Yahoo.

  10. Differentiate between a website and a web page.

    A web page is a single document on the Web; a website is a collection of related web pages under one domain.

  11. What is a web browser? Name four examples.

    Application software used to access, retrieve, and display web pages — e.g., Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Edge, Safari.

  12. What is a cookie in the context of web browsers?

    A small text file stored by a website on the user's browser to remember information like login details, preferences, and browsing activity.

  13. What is a bookmark (favorite) in a browser?

    A saved shortcut to a web page's URL that lets users quickly return to it without retyping the address.

  14. What is the browser cache?

    Temporary storage where a browser keeps web page elements (images, files) to load previously visited pages faster.

  15. What is 'incognito' or 'private' browsing mode?

    A browser mode that does not save browsing history, cookies, or form data after the session ends.

  16. What is the file extension of an MS Word document (2007 onwards)?

    .docx (the older format was .doc).

  17. In MS Word, which keyboard shortcuts perform Save, Copy, Paste, and Undo?

    Save = Ctrl+S; Copy = Ctrl+C; Paste = Ctrl+V; Undo = Ctrl+Z.

  18. In MS Word, what does the shortcut Ctrl+B, Ctrl+I, and Ctrl+U do?

    Ctrl+B = Bold; Ctrl+I = Italic; Ctrl+U = Underline.

  19. What is 'Mail Merge' in MS Word?

    A feature that creates multiple personalized documents (letters, labels, emails) by combining a main document with a data source/list of recipients.

  20. In MS Word, what is the function of the shortcut Ctrl+A?

    Selects all the content (text and objects) in the document.

  21. What is the file extension of an MS Excel workbook (2007 onwards)?

    .xlsx (the older format was .xls).

  22. In MS Excel, what is a cell, and how is its address formed?

    A cell is the intersection of a row and a column; its address is formed by the column letter followed by the row number (e.g., B5).

  23. In MS Excel, what does the SUM function do and what is its syntax?

    It adds a range of numbers. Syntax: =SUM(number1, number2, ...) e.g., =SUM(A1:A10).

  24. In MS Excel, what is the difference between the AVERAGE and COUNT functions?

    AVERAGE returns the arithmetic mean of the numbers in a range; COUNT returns how many cells in a range contain numbers.

  25. In MS Excel, what symbol must every formula begin with?

    The equals sign (=).

  26. In MS Excel, what is the difference between a relative and an absolute cell reference?

    A relative reference (A1) changes when copied; an absolute reference ($A$1) stays fixed because of the dollar signs locking row and column.

  27. In MS Excel, what does the function =MAX(A1:A10) do?

    Returns the largest (maximum) value in the range A1 to A10.

  28. What is the file extension of an MS PowerPoint presentation (2007 onwards)?

    .pptx (the older format was .ppt).

  29. In MS PowerPoint, what is a 'slide transition' versus an 'animation'?

    A transition is the visual effect when moving from one slide to the next; an animation is an effect applied to objects/text within a single slide.

  30. In MS PowerPoint, which keyboard shortcut starts the slide show from the beginning?

    F5 (Shift+F5 starts the show from the current slide).

IBPS PO Computer Knowledge FAQ

What is in the IBPS PO Computer Knowledge syllabus?

IBPS PO Computer Knowledge is split into 3 chapters: Basics of Computers, Internet and MS Office. Together they contain 7 topics.

How many chapters are in IBPS PO Computer Knowledge?

3 chapters, containing 7 topics. The largest chapter is MS Office, with 3 topics.

Are there flashcards for IBPS PO Computer Knowledge?

Yes — a 50-card Computer Knowledge 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.