PPSC Assistant Director Test Computer and IT Skills Syllabus

Computer and IT Skills syllabus — full chapter and topic list

Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics. This is the whole examinable outline for Computer and IT Skills in PPSC Assistant Director Test, not a summary of it.

1. 1

   Computer Fundamentals

   4 topics

   • Generations and Types of Computers
   • Hardware Components
   • Input and Output Devices
   • Memory and Storage
2. 2

   Software and Operating Systems

   3 topics

   • System and Application Software
   • Operating Systems Basics
   • MS Office Suite
3. 3

   Internet and Networking

   4 topics

   • Internet and Web Basics
   • Networking Concepts
   • Email and Browsers
   • Cyber Security Basics
4. 4

   Abbreviations and Terminology

   2 topics

   • Common IT Abbreviations
   • Programming and Database Basics

Computer and IT Skills flashcards for PPSC Assistant Director Test

25 of 55 cards from the Computer and IT Skills deck — real questions with worked answers.

1. Who is regarded as the "Father of the Computer" for designing the Analytical Engine?

   Charles Babbage.

2. List the five generations of computers with the main electronic component of each.

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

3. On what basis are computers classified as Analog, Digital, and Hybrid?

   On the basis of how they process/represent data: Analog uses continuous physical quantities, Digital uses discrete binary digits, and Hybrid combines both.

4. Order these computer types from largest to smallest in size/power: Mini, Micro, Mainframe, Super.

   Supercomputer > Mainframe > Minicomputer > Microcomputer.

5. What is a microcomputer, and give a common example.

   A small, single-microprocessor computer designed for individual use; e.g., a personal computer (PC) or laptop.

6. Name the two main functional units inside the Central Processing Unit (CPU).

   The Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU) and the Control Unit (CU). (Registers are also part of the CPU.)

7. What is the function of the Control Unit (CU) in the CPU?

   It directs and coordinates all computer operations by fetching, decoding, and controlling the execution of instructions, but does not perform calculations itself.

8. What is the function of the Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU)?

   It performs all arithmetic operations (add, subtract, etc.) and logical/comparison operations (AND, OR, greater-than, etc.).

9. What is the motherboard in a computer?

   The main printed circuit board that connects and allows communication between the CPU, memory, and all other hardware components.

10. What does the term "clock speed" of a CPU measure, and in what unit is it expressed?

    The number of instruction cycles per second the CPU can execute, measured in Hertz (typically GigaHertz, GHz).

11. Define an input device and give three examples.

    A device that feeds data/instructions into the computer; e.g., keyboard, mouse, scanner (also microphone, joystick, webcam).

12. Define an output device and give three examples.

    A device that delivers processed information from the computer to the user; e.g., monitor, printer, speakers (also projector, plotter).

13. Classify the following as input or output: Scanner, Plotter, Microphone, Speaker.

    Input: Scanner, Microphone. Output: Plotter, Speaker.

14. Which device is both an input and an output device (give one example)?

    A touchscreen (also modems and headsets) — it both receives input and displays/delivers output.

15. What is OCR and what does it do?

    Optical Character Recognition — technology that converts scanned images of printed/handwritten text into machine-editable text.

16. What is the smallest unit of data in a computer, and how many of them make one byte?

    The bit (binary digit) is the smallest unit; 8 bits make 1 byte.

17. State the standard memory size hierarchy from Kilobyte up to Terabyte.

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

18. What is the key difference between RAM and ROM?

    RAM is volatile, read-write temporary working memory (lost when power is off); ROM is non-volatile, permanent read-only memory that retains data without power.

19. Name the two main types of RAM and how they differ.

    SRAM (Static RAM) – faster, no refresh needed, used in cache; DRAM (Dynamic RAM) – slower, must be refreshed constantly, used as main memory.

20. Why is cache memory used, and where is it located?

    Cache is a very fast, small memory placed between the CPU and main memory (RAM) to store frequently used data/instructions and speed up processing.

21. Classify storage as primary or secondary: RAM, Hard Disk, Cache, USB Flash Drive.

    Primary: RAM, Cache. Secondary: Hard Disk, USB Flash Drive.

22. What is the main advantage of an SSD over a traditional HDD?

    An SSD (Solid State Drive) has no moving parts, so it is much faster, more durable, and quieter than a magnetic HDD (Hard Disk Drive).

23. What is volatile memory? Give an example.

    Memory that loses its stored contents when power is switched off; e.g., RAM.

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

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

25. Give two examples each of system software and application software.

    System software: Operating System, device drivers (also utilities). Application software: MS Word, Google Chrome (also Excel, games).

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