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PPSC Assistant Director Test Computer and IT Skills Syllabus

The Computer and IT Skills syllabus for PPSC Assistant Director Test in full: 4 chapters and 13 topics, every one listed below, plus 55 Computer and IT Skills flashcards with answers.

4Chapters
13Topics
55Flashcards

Computer and IT Skills syllabus: all 4 chapters

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

  1. Computer Fundamentals

     4 topics
    • Generations and Types of Computers
    • Hardware Components
    • Input and Output Devices
    • Memory and Storage

  2. Software and Operating Systems

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

  3. Internet and Networking

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

  4. Abbreviations and Terminology

     2 topics
    • Common IT Abbreviations
    • Programming and Database Basics

PPSC Assistant Director Test Computer and IT Skills flashcards — 55 questions with 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.

Show the other 35 Computer and IT Skills flashcards

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

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

  2. 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).

  3. What is volatile memory? Give an example.

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

  4. 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).

  5. 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).

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

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

  7. What is firmware?

    Permanent software programmed into a hardware device's ROM/flash memory that controls the device's basic functions (e.g., BIOS).

  8. What is an Operating System and name its primary functions.

    System software that manages hardware and software resources; functions include process/memory management, file management, device control, and providing a user interface.

  9. Name four widely used operating systems.

    Microsoft Windows, macOS, Linux, and Android (also iOS, UNIX).

  10. What is the difference between a GUI and a CLI operating system interface?

    GUI (Graphical User Interface) lets users interact via icons, windows, and a mouse; CLI (Command Line Interface) requires typing text commands.

  11. What is multitasking in an operating system?

    The ability of an OS to run and manage multiple programs/processes at the same time.

  12. What is booting, and what are its two types?

    Booting is the process of starting up a computer and loading the OS into memory. Cold boot = starting from power-off; Warm boot = restarting an already-on computer.

  13. Name the core applications in the Microsoft Office Suite and their primary purposes.

    Word (word processing), Excel (spreadsheets), PowerPoint (presentations), Access (database), Outlook (email/calendar).

  14. In MS Excel, what symbol must every formula begin with, and write a formula to add cells A1 to A5.

    Every formula begins with the equals sign (=); to add A1 to A5: =SUM(A1:A5).

  15. What is the default file extension for MS Word documents (Office 2007+) and for MS Excel workbooks?

    MS Word: .docx ; MS Excel: .xlsx.

  16. In MS Office, what is the keyboard shortcut to copy, paste, and undo?

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

  17. In MS Excel, what does a cell address like "B7" represent?

    The intersection of column B and row 7 — it uniquely identifies a single cell.

  18. What is the Internet?

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

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

    The Internet is the global hardware/network infrastructure; the WWW is a service running on it — a collection of linked web pages accessed via HTTP.

  20. What does a URL stand for, and name its main parts.

    Uniform Resource Locator — the web address of a resource; parts include the protocol (http/https), domain name, and path/file name.

  21. What is an IP address?

    A unique numerical address assigned to each device on a network to identify and locate it for communication.

  22. Identify the network type by area: LAN, WAN, MAN.

    LAN (Local Area Network) – small area like a building; MAN (Metropolitan Area Network) – a city; WAN (Wide Area Network) – large area/countries (e.g., the Internet).

  23. What is the function of a network router?

    A device that forwards data packets between different networks and finds the best path to route data to its destination.

  24. What is the difference between a hub and a switch?

    A hub broadcasts incoming data to all connected devices; a switch sends data only to the specific intended destination device, making it more efficient.

  25. What is bandwidth in networking?

    The maximum amount of data that can be transmitted over a network connection in a given time, usually measured in bits per second (bps/Mbps).

  26. What is a web browser, and give three examples.

    Software used to access and display web pages; e.g., Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Edge (also Safari).

  27. What is the role of a search engine? Name two examples.

    Software that searches the web and returns relevant results for a user's query; e.g., Google and Bing.

  28. In an email address like user@example.com, what does the part after the @ symbol indicate?

    The domain name of the mail server/host that manages the recipient's mailbox.

  29. What is the difference between the CC and BCC fields in an email?

    CC (Carbon Copy) sends a visible copy to additional recipients; BCC (Blind Carbon Copy) sends a copy whose recipients are hidden from all others.

  30. What is a computer virus, and how does it differ from a worm?

    A virus is malicious code that attaches to a file/program and needs a host to spread; a worm is standalone malware that self-replicates and spreads across networks without a host.

  31. What is phishing in cyber security?

    A fraudulent attempt to obtain sensitive information (passwords, bank details) by disguising as a trustworthy entity, usually via fake emails or websites.

  32. What is the purpose of a firewall?

    A security system that monitors and controls incoming and outgoing network traffic to block unauthorized access while permitting legitimate communication.

  33. Expand these abbreviations: CPU, RAM, ROM, and GPU.

    CPU – Central Processing Unit; RAM – Random Access Memory; ROM – Read Only Memory; GPU – Graphics Processing Unit.

  34. Expand these abbreviations: HTTP, HTTPS, URL, and HTML.

    HTTP – HyperText Transfer Protocol; HTTPS – HyperText Transfer Protocol Secure; URL – Uniform Resource Locator; HTML – HyperText Markup Language.

  35. Expand these abbreviations: USB, GUI, OS, and ISP.

    USB – Universal Serial Bus; GUI – Graphical User Interface; OS – Operating System; ISP – Internet Service Provider.

PPSC Assistant Director Test Computer and IT Skills FAQ

What is in the PPSC Assistant Director Test Computer and IT Skills syllabus?

PPSC Assistant Director Test Computer and IT Skills is split into 4 chapters: Computer Fundamentals, Software and Operating Systems, Internet and Networking and Abbreviations and Terminology. Together they contain 13 topics.

How many chapters are in PPSC Assistant Director Test Computer and IT Skills?

4 chapters, containing 13 topics. The largest chapter is Computer Fundamentals, with 4 topics.

Are there flashcards for PPSC Assistant Director Test Computer and IT Skills?

Yes — a 55-card Computer and IT Skills 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.