RBI Assistant 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 RBI Assistant, not a summary of it.

1. 1

   Computer Fundamentals

   4 topics

   • History and Generations of Computers
     • Generations and their technologies
     • Types and classification of computers
   • Hardware Components
     • Input and output devices
     • CPU, ALU and control unit
     • Ports and connectors
   • Memory and Storage
     • Primary memory (RAM, ROM, cache)
     • Secondary storage devices
     • Units of memory measurement
   • Number Systems and Codes
     • Binary, octal, hexadecimal
     • ASCII and Unicode
2. 2

   Software and Operating Systems

   3 topics

   • Types of Software
     • System versus application software
     • Utility software
   • Operating System Concepts
     • Functions of an operating system
     • Common operating systems (Windows, Linux)
   • Programming Languages
     • High-level versus low-level languages
     • Compiler, interpreter and assembler
3. 3

   MS Office and Productivity Tools

   3 topics

   • MS Word
     • Formatting and editing tools
     • Shortcut keys
   • MS Excel
     • Cells, formulas and functions
     • Charts and data sorting
   • MS PowerPoint
     • Slides, transitions and animations
4. 4

   Internet, Networking and Security

   4 topics

   • Networking Basics
     • LAN, WAN, MAN
     • Network topologies and devices
   • Internet and Web
     • Browsers, URLs and protocols
     • Email and search engines
   • Cyber Security
     • Viruses, malware and antivirus
     • Firewalls and encryption basics
   • Banking Technology and Abbreviations
     • Core banking and digital banking terms
     • Common computer abbreviations

Computer Knowledge flashcards for RBI Assistant

23 of 51 cards from the Computer Knowledge deck — real questions with worked answers.

1. Which generation of computers used vacuum tubes as the main electronic component, and what years did it span?

   The First Generation (1940-1956). It used vacuum tubes, was very large, consumed a lot of power, and used machine language. Example: ENIAC, UNIVAC.

2. What electronic component characterized the Second Generation of computers (1956-1963)?

   Transistors. They replaced vacuum tubes, making computers smaller, faster, cheaper, and more energy-efficient. Assembly and early high-level languages (COBOL, FORTRAN) were used.

3. What technology defined the Third Generation of computers (1964-1971)?

   Integrated Circuits (ICs). Many transistors were placed on a single silicon chip, increasing speed and reducing size. Keyboards and monitors came into use.

4. Which component marks the Fourth Generation of computers (1971-present)?

   The Microprocessor (VLSI - Very Large Scale Integration), which put thousands of ICs on one chip. The Intel 4004 (1971) was the first microprocessor.

5. What is the defining concept of the Fifth Generation of computers?

   Artificial Intelligence (AI). It is based on parallel processing and superconductors, aiming for machines that respond to natural language and learn/self-organize. Uses ULSI technology.

6. Who is regarded as the 'Father of the Computer' for designing the Analytical Engine?

   Charles Babbage. He designed the Analytical Engine, a mechanical general-purpose computer concept. Ada Lovelace is regarded as the first programmer.

7. What are the four basic functional units of a computer system?

   Input unit, Output unit, Central Processing Unit (CPU), and Memory/Storage unit. The CPU contains the ALU and the Control Unit.

8. What are the two main components inside the CPU and their functions?

   The ALU (Arithmetic Logic Unit) performs arithmetic and logical operations, and the Control Unit (CU) directs/coordinates all operations by fetching and decoding instructions.

9. Classify input vs. output devices: keyboard, mouse, monitor, printer, scanner, speaker.

   Input devices: keyboard, mouse, scanner. Output devices: monitor, printer, speaker. A touchscreen is both input and output.

10. What is the motherboard, and what is the role of a bus on it?

    The motherboard is the main printed circuit board connecting all components. A bus is a set of wires/pathways that transfers data between components (data bus, address bus, control bus).

11. What is the difference between primary memory and secondary memory?

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

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

    RAM (Random Access Memory) is volatile (loses data when power is off) and read/write. ROM (Read Only Memory) is non-volatile and mainly read-only, storing firmware/boot instructions.

13. Differentiate between SRAM and DRAM.

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

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

    Cache is a small, very fast memory located between the CPU and main memory. It stores frequently used data/instructions to speed up processing and reduce CPU access time to RAM.

15. List the memory hierarchy from fastest/smallest to slowest/largest.

    Registers > Cache memory > Primary memory (RAM) > Secondary storage (HDD/SSD) > Tertiary/offline storage. Speed and cost decrease, while capacity increases, going down.

16. Arrange these data units from smallest to largest: KB, Bit, MB, Byte, GB, TB.

    Bit < Byte (8 bits) < KB < MB < GB < TB. Each step up is 1024 of the previous (Nibble = 4 bits; 1 Byte = 8 bits).

17. What are the four common types of ROM?

    PROM (Programmable), EPROM (Erasable by UV light), EEPROM (Electrically Erasable), and Mask ROM (programmed at manufacture). Flash memory is a type of EEPROM.

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

    Decimal = base 10 (0-9), Binary = base 2 (0,1), Octal = base 8 (0-7), Hexadecimal = base 16 (0-9, A-F).

19. Convert the binary number 1010 to decimal.

    10. Calculation: (1x8)+(0x4)+(1x2)+(0x1) = 8+0+2+0 = 10.

20. Convert the decimal number 25 to binary.

    11001. (16+8+0+0+1 = 25).

21. 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; extended ASCII uses 8 bits for 256 characters.

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

    System software (OS, device drivers, utilities) manages and runs computer hardware. Application software (MS Word, browsers) performs specific user tasks. System software runs in the background; application software runs in the foreground.

23. Differentiate between a compiler and an interpreter.

    A compiler translates the entire source code into machine code at once and reports all errors together. An interpreter translates and executes code line-by-line, stopping at the first error. Compiled programs run faster.

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