Computer Knowledge and Office Applications
This section tests practical working knowledge of a computer as used in a court office: operating system basics, word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, internet and e-mail, file management, printing and scanning, basic security, and awareness of court computerisation such as the e-Courts system, the Case Information System and e-filing portals.
What to know cold
- Word processing: formatting, headers and footers, page setup, find and replace, spell check, track changes, mail merge, and saving in .docx and PDF.
- Spreadsheets: rows, columns, cells; formulas beginning with "="; cell references; functions such as SUM, AVERAGE, COUNT, IF; sorting, filtering and charts.
- Absolute versus relative reference: $B$2 is fixed, B2 shifts when copied.
- File management: extensions (.docx, .xlsx, .pdf, .jpg), folders, copy versus cut, and the Recycle Bin.
- E-mail: To, Cc, Bcc, attachment size limits, and the meaning of Reply All.
Worked example
A cell contains **=$B$2C3. If the formula is copied to the cell one column right and one row down, what does it become?* Reasoning: the dollar signs lock column and row for B2, so it stays $B$2. The reference C3 has no dollar signs, so it shifts one column right (D) and one row down (4), becoming D4. Result: =$B$2*D4. This is the standard test of whether you understand mixed and absolute referencing.
Traps that cost marks
Confusing "Save" with "Save As"; assuming Ctrl+S and Ctrl+P do the same thing; believing a deleted file is always gone; treating a PDF as directly editable in Word; and forgetting that a formula typed without "=" is stored as plain text.