NABARD Grade A Computer Knowledge Syllabus

Computer Knowledge syllabus — full chapter and topic list

Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics. This is the whole examinable outline for Computer Knowledge in NABARD Grade A, not a summary of it.

1. 1

   Computer Fundamentals

   3 topics

   • Basics of Computers
     • Generations and types of computers
     • Input and output devices
   • Hardware and Software
     • CPU, memory and storage
     • System and application software
   • Number Systems and Data Representation
     • Binary, octal and hexadecimal
     • Bits, bytes and units of memory
2. 2

   Operating Systems and Office Tools

   3 topics

   • Operating Systems
     • Functions of OS
     • Windows and Linux basics
   • MS Office
     • MS Word and Excel
     • MS PowerPoint and shortcuts
   • File Management
     • Files, folders and extensions
3. 3

   Networking, Internet and Security

   4 topics

   • Computer Networks
     • LAN, WAN, MAN and topologies
     • OSI model basics
   • Internet and Web
     • WWW, browsers and protocols
     • Email and search engines
   • Cyber Security
     • Viruses, malware and firewalls
     • Cyber threats and safe practices
   • Emerging Technologies
     • Cloud computing, AI and IoT
     • Blockchain and big data

Computer Knowledge flashcards for NABARD Grade A

23 of 60 cards from the Computer Knowledge deck — real questions with worked answers.

1. What is a computer?

   An electronic device that accepts data as input, processes it according to stored instructions (a program), and produces meaningful information as output, with the ability to store data.

2. What are the four basic functions performed by a computer?

   Input (accepting data), Processing (manipulating data), Output (producing results), and Storage (retaining data and instructions).

3. Name the five generations of computers by their main technology.

   1st - Vacuum tubes; 2nd - Transistors; 3rd - Integrated Circuits (ICs); 4th - Microprocessors (VLSI); 5th - Artificial Intelligence (ULSI/parallel processing).

4. What does CPU stand for, and what are its main components?

   Central Processing Unit; its main components are the Control Unit (CU), the Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU), and registers.

5. What is the function of the ALU and the Control Unit in the CPU?

   The ALU performs arithmetic and logical operations; the Control Unit directs and coordinates all operations by fetching, decoding, and executing instructions.

6. What is the difference between hardware and software?

   Hardware is the physical, tangible components of a computer (e.g., CPU, monitor); software is the set of programs and instructions that tell the hardware what to do.

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

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

8. Classify input devices with examples.

   Devices that feed data into a computer: keyboard, mouse, scanner, microphone, joystick, light pen, barcode reader, and webcam.

9. Classify output devices with examples.

   Devices that present results to the user: monitor, printer, speaker, plotter, and projector.

10. What is firmware?

    Permanent software programmed into a read-only memory (such as ROM/flash) of a hardware device, providing low-level control; e.g., BIOS.

11. Differentiate primary memory from secondary memory.

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

12. What is the difference between RAM and ROM?

    RAM (Random Access Memory) is volatile read/write working memory that loses data on power-off; ROM (Read Only Memory) is non-volatile and stores permanent instructions like boot firmware.

13. Differentiate SRAM and DRAM.

    SRAM uses flip-flops, is faster, costlier, and needs no refresh (used in cache); DRAM uses capacitors, is slower, cheaper, denser, and needs constant refreshing (used as main memory).

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

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

15. List the memory hierarchy from fastest to slowest.

    Registers > Cache memory > Main memory (RAM) > Secondary storage (SSD/HDD) > Tertiary/offline storage (tape, optical).

16. What is a binary number system and which digits does it use?

    A base-2 number system used internally by computers, using only two digits: 0 and 1.

17. What is the base (radix) of decimal, binary, octal, and hexadecimal systems?

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

18. Convert the binary number 1010 to decimal.

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

19. Convert the decimal number 25 to binary.

    11001.

20. Define bit, nibble, and byte.

    A bit is a single binary digit (0 or 1); a nibble is 4 bits; a byte is 8 bits.

21. List storage units in increasing order from byte to terabyte.

    Byte < Kilobyte (KB) < Megabyte (MB) < Gigabyte (GB) < Terabyte (TB), each step being approximately 1024 times the previous.

22. What is ASCII and how many bits does standard ASCII use?

    ASCII (American Standard Code for Information Interchange) is a character-encoding standard; standard ASCII uses 7 bits, representing 128 characters.

23. What is Unicode and why is it important?

    A universal character-encoding standard that assigns a unique code to every character of all major languages, allowing consistent representation of multilingual text.

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