SSC CGL (Combined Graduate Level) Computer Knowledge (Tier II Module) Syllabus

Convert the binary number 1010 to decimal.

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

What is a bit, a nibble, and a byte?

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

Arrange these storage units in ascending order: GB, KB, TB, MB, Byte.

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

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 to represent 128 characters (extended ASCII uses 8 bits for 256).

What is Unicode and why is it used?

A universal character-encoding standard that can represent characters of almost all world languages (over a million code points), unlike ASCII which is limited mainly to English.

In MS Word, what is the default file extension for documents in recent versions?

.docx (older versions used .doc).

In MS Word, which keyboard shortcuts perform Bold, Italic, and Underline?

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

In MS Word, what is the function of 'Mail Merge'?

It creates multiple personalized documents (letters, labels, envelopes) by combining a main document with a data source/recipient list.

What is the difference between 'Save' and 'Save As' in MS Office?

'Save' (Ctrl+S) updates the existing file with changes; 'Save As' creates a new copy, allowing a new name, location, or file format.

In MS Word, what is the keyboard shortcut to find text and to replace text?

Find = Ctrl + F; Replace = Ctrl + H.

In MS Excel, what is a cell, a row, and a column?

A cell is the intersection of a row and a column; rows are horizontal and identified by numbers; columns are vertical and identified by letters.

In MS Excel, what symbol must every formula begin with?

The equals sign (=).

What does the Excel formula =SUM(A1:A10) do?

It adds the values in the range of cells from A1 through A10.

Name the Excel functions for average, count of numbers, maximum, and minimum.

AVERAGE() gives the mean; COUNT() counts numeric cells; MAX() gives the highest value; MIN() gives the lowest value.

What is the difference between a relative and an absolute cell reference in Excel?

A relative reference (A1) changes when a formula is copied; an absolute reference ($A$1) stays fixed using dollar signs when copied.

In MS Excel, what does the IF function do? Give its syntax.

It returns one value if a condition is TRUE and another if FALSE. Syntax: =IF(logical_test, value_if_true, value_if_false).

What is the default file extension of an MS Excel workbook in recent versions?

.xlsx (older versions used .xls).

In MS PowerPoint, what is a 'slide' and what is the default file extension?

A slide is a single page of a presentation; the default extension in recent versions is .pptx (older was .ppt).

In MS PowerPoint, which key/shortcut starts a slideshow from the beginning?

Pressing F5 starts the slideshow from the beginning (Shift + F5 starts from the current slide).

What is the difference between 'Slide Transition' and 'Animation' in PowerPoint?

A transition is the visual effect when moving from one slide to the next; an animation is an effect applied to individual objects/text within a single slide.

What is the difference between the To, Cc, and Bcc fields in email?

To: primary recipient(s); Cc (Carbon Copy): others who get a visible copy; Bcc (Blind Carbon Copy): recipients hidden from all others on the email.

What do the protocols SMTP, POP3, and IMAP do in email?

SMTP sends/delivers outgoing email; POP3 downloads email to one device and usually removes it from the server; IMAP syncs email across multiple devices keeping it on the server.

What is the World Wide Web (WWW) and who invented it?

The WWW is a system of interlinked hypertext documents accessed via the Internet using browsers; it was invented by Tim Berners-Lee in 1989-1991.

What is the difference between the Internet and the World Wide Web?

The Internet is the global network of interconnected computers (the infrastructure); the WWW is a service/collection of web pages that runs on top of the Internet.

What does a URL stand for, and what are its main parts?

URL = Uniform Resource Locator; its parts include the protocol (https), domain name (www.example.com), and path/resource location (/page.html).

What do the protocols HTTP and HTTPS do, and how do they differ?

HTTP (HyperText Transfer Protocol) transfers web pages; HTTPS is the secure version that encrypts data using SSL/TLS for safe transmission.

Differentiate between 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 countries/the globe (e.g., the Internet).

What is an IP address and what is the difference between IPv4 and IPv6?

An IP address uniquely identifies a device on a network; IPv4 is 32-bit (e.g., 192.168.1.1), while IPv6 is 128-bit, allowing far more addresses.

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 using IP addresses.

What is the difference between phishing and a computer virus?

Phishing is a fraud technique that tricks users into revealing sensitive information via fake emails/websites; a virus is malicious code that attaches to files and replicates to damage or disrupt a system. (Also note: a firewall is the security system that monitors and controls network traffic to block threats; and Digital India, launched on 1 July 2015, is the government program to make India a digitally empowered society, with initiatives like DigiLocker for storing documents and UMANG/BHIM for digital services.)