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RBI Assistant Computer Knowledge Syllabus

The Computer Knowledge syllabus for RBI Assistant in full: 4 chapters, 14 topics and 29 sub-topics, every one listed below, plus 51 Computer Knowledge flashcards with answers.

4Chapters
14Topics
29Sub-topics
51Flashcards

Computer Knowledge syllabus: all 4 chapters

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

  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. 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. 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. 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

RBI Assistant Computer Knowledge flashcards — 51 questions with 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).

Show the other 31 Computer Knowledge flashcards

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

  4. What is firmware?

    Firmware is permanent software programmed into read-only memory (like ROM/flash). It provides low-level control for a device's hardware. Example: BIOS, embedded device software.

  5. What is freeware vs. shareware vs. open-source software?

    Freeware is free to use but source code is closed. Shareware is free for a trial period, then requires payment. Open-source software has freely available, modifiable source code (e.g., Linux).

  6. What is an Operating System and name its main functions.

    An OS is system software that manages hardware and software resources. Main functions: process management, memory management, file management, device/I-O management, and security. Examples: Windows, Linux, macOS, Android.

  7. What is multitasking vs. multiprocessing in an OS?

    Multitasking is running multiple tasks/programs seemingly simultaneously on a single CPU by time-sharing. Multiprocessing is using two or more CPUs/processors to execute processes simultaneously.

  8. What is a GUI and how does it differ from a CLI?

    GUI (Graphical User Interface) lets users interact via icons, windows, and a mouse (e.g., Windows). CLI (Command Line Interface) requires typing text commands (e.g., MS-DOS, Linux terminal).

  9. What is 'booting' and what is the difference between cold and warm booting?

    Booting is the process of starting a computer and loading the OS into memory. Cold boot starts the computer from a powered-off state; warm boot restarts an already-running computer (e.g., Ctrl+Alt+Del).

  10. What is virtual memory?

    Virtual memory is a memory-management technique that uses part of the secondary storage (hard disk) as an extension of RAM, allowing the system to run programs larger than physical RAM.

  11. Classify these into low-level and high-level languages: Python, Assembly, Machine code, Java, C++.

    Low-level: Machine code (binary) and Assembly language. High-level: Python, Java, C++ (closer to human language, machine-independent).

  12. What is the difference between source code and object code?

    Source code is the human-readable program written in a high-level language. Object code is the machine-readable code produced after the source code is compiled/translated.

  13. In MS Word, what is the keyboard shortcut to make text bold, italic, and underlined?

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

  14. What is the default file extension of MS Word documents (2007 and later)?

    .docx (earlier versions used .doc). The 'x' indicates the XML-based Open format.

  15. In MS Word, what shortcuts perform Copy, Cut, Paste, and Undo?

    Copy = Ctrl+C, Cut = Ctrl+X, Paste = Ctrl+V, Undo = Ctrl+Z (Redo = Ctrl+Y).

  16. In MS Excel, what is a cell, and how is its address (reference) written?

    A cell is the intersection of a row and a column. Its address is written as the column letter followed by the row number, e.g., A1, B5, C10.

  17. In MS Excel, write the formula to add the values in cells A1 through A10.

    =SUM(A1:A10). All Excel formulas begin with an equals sign (=).

  18. What are the MS Excel functions for average, count of numbers, maximum, and minimum?

    =AVERAGE(range) for average, =COUNT(range) for counting numeric cells, =MAX(range) for the largest value, and =MIN(range) for the smallest value.

  19. What is the default file extension of an MS Excel workbook (2007 and later)?

    .xlsx (earlier versions used .xls). A workbook contains multiple worksheets.

  20. In MS PowerPoint, what is the keyboard shortcut to start a slideshow from the beginning?

    F5 starts the slideshow from the beginning; Shift+F5 starts from the current slide. Esc ends the slideshow.

  21. What is the default file extension of an MS PowerPoint presentation (2007 and later)?

    .pptx (earlier versions used .ppt). A single page is called a 'slide'.

  22. What is the difference between a LAN, MAN, and WAN?

    LAN (Local Area Network) covers a small area like an office. MAN (Metropolitan Area Network) covers a city. WAN (Wide Area Network) covers large regions/countries (the Internet is the largest WAN).

  23. Name common network topologies.

    Bus, Star, Ring, Mesh, and Tree/Hybrid. Star topology connects all nodes to a central hub/switch and is the most common in LANs.

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

    A hub broadcasts data to all ports. A switch sends data only to the intended device (using MAC addresses). A router connects different networks and routes data between them (using IP addresses).

  25. What is a protocol, and what does TCP/IP stand for?

    A protocol is a set of rules governing data communication. TCP/IP = Transmission Control Protocol / Internet Protocol, the basic communication suite of the Internet.

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

    The Internet is a global network of interconnected computers (the infrastructure). The WWW is a system of interlinked hypertext documents (web pages) accessed via the Internet using browsers and HTTP.

  27. What does a URL contain, and what do HTTP and HTTPS stand for?

    A URL (Uniform Resource Locator) is a web address (protocol + domain + path). HTTP = HyperText Transfer Protocol; HTTPS = HTTP Secure (encrypted using SSL/TLS).

  28. Differentiate between a virus, a worm, and a Trojan horse.

    A virus attaches to a file and needs user action to spread. A worm is standalone and self-replicates across networks without user action. A Trojan horse disguises itself as legitimate software to gain access.

  29. What is phishing in cyber security?

    Phishing is a fraudulent attempt to obtain sensitive information (passwords, card details) by impersonating a trustworthy entity, usually via fake emails, messages, or websites.

  30. What is a firewall, and what is the difference between authentication and encryption?

    A firewall is a security system that monitors and controls network traffic based on rules. Authentication verifies a user's identity (e.g., password/OTP). Encryption converts data into a coded form to prevent unauthorized reading.

  31. Expand these banking-technology abbreviations: NEFT, RTGS, IMPS, UPI, IFSC.

    NEFT = National Electronic Funds Transfer; RTGS = Real Time Gross Settlement; IMPS = Immediate Payment Service; UPI = Unified Payments Interface; IFSC = Indian Financial System Code.

RBI Assistant Computer Knowledge FAQ

What is in the RBI Assistant Computer Knowledge syllabus?

RBI Assistant Computer Knowledge is split into 4 chapters: Computer Fundamentals, Software and Operating Systems, MS Office and Productivity Tools and Internet, Networking and Security. Together they contain 14 topics and 29 sub-topics.

How many chapters are in RBI Assistant Computer Knowledge?

4 chapters, containing 14 topics and 29 sub-topics. The largest chapter is Computer Fundamentals, with 4 topics.

Are there flashcards for RBI Assistant Computer Knowledge?

Yes — a 51-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.