Assam ASSEB Higher Secondary Skill Subject IT/ITeS cheat sheet

IT enables storage, processing and transmission of data; ITeS delivers IT-enabled business processes (payroll, help desk, medical transcription) as a service rather than a product.

Data is raw unprocessed facts; information is processed data with context; knowledge is information applied to decisions - the DIKW ladder.

Bit = one binary digit (0 or 1); byte = 8 bits; 1 KB = 1024 bytes, 1 MB = 1024 KB, 1 GB = 1024 MB, 1 TB = 1024 GB.

Character encoding: ASCII uses 7 bits (128 codes); Extended ASCII 8 bits; Unicode/UTF-8 covers all scripts and is standard on the web.

Hardware is physical (CPU, RAM, disk); software is instructions - system software (OS, drivers, utilities) vs application software (browser, spreadsheet).

Digital literacy core skills: file/folder management, search operators, e-mail etiquette, password hygiene, recognising phishing, and safe use of cloud storage.

Input devices convert human data into machine form (keyboard, mouse, scanner, mic); output devices convert machine data for humans (monitor, printer, speaker).

A computer's four functional units: input, processing (CPU), storage (primary/secondary), and output; control unit and ALU together form the CPU.

CPU components: Control Unit fetches/decodes instructions, ALU performs arithmetic and logic, registers hold operands; clock speed measured in GHz.

RAM is volatile working memory (DRAM/SRAM); ROM is non-volatile firmware storage (BIOS/UEFI chip); cache (L1/L2/L3) sits between CPU and RAM.

Storage hierarchy by speed and cost: registers > cache > RAM > SSD > HDD > optical/tape; SSD uses flash NAND, HDD uses spinning platters and heads.

Motherboard hosts CPU socket, RAM slots, chipset, PCIe slots, SATA/M.2 connectors and power connectors; the chipset links CPU to peripherals.

Ports: USB (Type-A, Type-C, USB 2.0 = 480 Mbps, USB 3.x = 5 Gbps+), HDMI/DisplayPort for video, RJ-45 for Ethernet, 3.5 mm audio.

SMPS converts AC mains to DC rails (+3.3 V, +5 V, +12 V); wattage must exceed total component draw with headroom.

Laptop vs desktop: laptops use SO-DIMM RAM, M.2 storage, integrated or discrete mobile GPU, and thermal-limited CPUs.

POST (Power-On Self-Test) runs from firmware at boot; a beep code or on-screen error indicates failed RAM, GPU or keyboard detection.

OS functions: process management, memory management, file system management, device (I/O) management, security and user interface.

Windows file paths use drive letters and backslashes (C:\Users\Name\file.txt); Linux/macOS use a single root and forward slashes (/home/name/file).

File extensions map to handlers: .docx word processing, .xlsx spreadsheet, .pptx presentation, .pdf portable document, .exe/.msi installer, .zip archive.

Windows shortcuts: Ctrl+C copy, Ctrl+X cut, Ctrl+V paste, Ctrl+Z undo, Ctrl+Y redo, Alt+Tab switch apps, Win+E File Explorer, Win+L lock screen.

Peripheral categories: input (scanner, barcode reader), output (printer, projector), storage (pen drive, external HDD), and hybrid (touchscreen, multifunction printer).

Printer types: inkjet (liquid ink, photo quality), laser (toner + fuser, high volume), thermal (POS receipts), dot-matrix (multi-part carbon forms).

Driver = OS-level software translating commands into device-specific signals; a missing or corrupt driver produces 'device not recognised' errors.

Virtual memory/paging extends RAM to disk; excessive paging (thrashing) slows the system - remedy by adding RAM or reducing background apps.

Word processor: styles apply consistent formatting; mail merge combines a main document with a data source (spreadsheet/table) to produce personalised letters.

Spreadsheet cell reference types: relative A1 (changes on copy), absolute $A$1 (fixed), mixed $A1 or A$1 (one axis fixed).

Essential spreadsheet functions: SUM(range), AVERAGE(range), COUNT (numbers only), COUNTA (non-empty), IF(condition, true_value, false_value), VLOOKUP(value, table, col_index, FALSE).

Charts: column/bar for comparison, line for trend over time, pie for parts of a whole (single series only), scatter for correlation between two variables.

Presentation best practice: one idea per slide, 6x6 rule (max ~6 bullets, ~6 words each), consistent master template, high contrast text, alt text on images.

Document layout terms: margin (space outside text), indent (text offset from margin), header/footer (repeated top/bottom content), gutter (extra binding margin).

Spreadsheet error values: #DIV/0! divide by zero, #REF! deleted reference, #VALUE! wrong data type, #N/A lookup value not found.

PDF preserves layout across devices; export to PDF for submission, keep editable source format for further revision.

Internet = global network of networks using TCP/IP; the World Wide Web is a service on it using HTTP/HTTPS to serve hypertext documents.

URL anatomy: scheme (https://), subdomain, domain name, top-level domain (.in, .com, .org), port, path, query string (?key=value), fragment (#section).

DNS resolves domain names to IP addresses; DHCP assigns IP addresses automatically; HTTP default port 80, HTTPS 443, FTP 21, SMTP 25, POP3 110, IMAP 143.

IPv4 is 32-bit dotted decimal (e.g. 192.168.1.1); IPv6 is 128-bit hexadecimal; private ranges 10.0.0.0/8, 172.16.0.0/12, 192.168.0.0/16 are not routable on the public internet.

Search operators: quotes for exact phrase, site: to restrict domain, minus to exclude a term, filetype: to restrict document type, OR for alternatives.

E-mail fields: To (primary recipients), Cc (visible copy), Bcc (hidden copy - use for large lists to protect addresses), Subject, Body, Attachment.

Netiquette rules: no ALL CAPS (reads as shouting), quote only relevant text, use a clear subject, avoid large attachments, reply-all only when necessary.

Web 1.0 static read-only pages; Web 2.0 user-generated and interactive (social media, wikis); Web 3.0 semantic/decentralised with machine-readable data.

Touch typing home row: left hand A S D F, right hand J K L ; - F and J carry raised tactile bumps for index fingers.

Standard typing speed is measured in WPM (words per minute); gross WPM = (total characters / 5) / minutes; net WPM = gross WPM minus (errors / minutes).

Accuracy target for data entry roles is typically 95–98%+; 1 error per 100 keystrokes = 99% keystroke accuracy.

Key data-entry controls: double entry (two operators, compare), verification (re-read against source), validation (format/range checks), and batch totals.

Common validation rules: numeric only, range check, length check, format check (PIN code = 6 digits), consistency check, presence (mandatory field) check.

Numeric keypad: 7-8-9 top row, 4-5-6 middle, 1-2-3 bottom, 0 wide key; the 5 key has a tactile bump for home position.

Documentation standards: version number, date, author, change log, and consistent naming convention (e.g. YYYY-MM-DD_client_type).

Ergonomics for keyboard work: wrists straight, elbows ~90°, monitor top at eye level, feet flat, short breaks every 30–45 minutes to prevent RSI.

DBMS = software to create, store, retrieve and secure data; RDBMS stores data as related tables with rows (records) and columns (fields).

Primary key uniquely identifies each row and cannot be NULL; foreign key references a primary key in another table to enforce referential integrity.

Normalisation reduces redundancy: 1NF atomic values, 2NF no partial dependency on part of a composite key, 3NF no transitive dependency on a non-key attribute.

SQL core statements: SELECT columns FROM table WHERE condition; INSERT INTO table VALUES; UPDATE table SET column=value WHERE; DELETE FROM table WHERE.

Aggregate functions: COUNT(*), SUM(col), AVG(col), MIN(col), MAX(col); GROUP BY groups rows, HAVING filters groups (WHERE filters rows).

Joins: INNER (matching rows only), LEFT (all left + matches), RIGHT (all right + matches), FULL (all rows from both); CROSS join is a Cartesian product.

Data types: INTEGER whole numbers, VARCHAR(n) variable text up to n characters, CHAR(n) fixed length, DATE, DECIMAL(p,s) exact money values, BLOB binary.

ACID properties: Atomicity (all or nothing), Consistency (valid state to valid state), Isolation (concurrent transactions don't interfere), Durability (committed data persists).

Program = algorithm + data structures; algorithm properties: finite, definite, has input/output, and is effective (each step executable).

Three control structures: sequence, selection (if/else, switch), and iteration (for, while, do-while) - any algorithm can be built from these.

Flowchart symbols: oval = start/stop, parallelogram = input/output, rectangle = process, diamond = decision, arrow = flow direction.

Variable = named memory location holding a value of a type; declaration reserves name and type, initialisation assigns the first value.

Operators: arithmetic (+ - * / %), relational (== != < > <= >=), logical (AND, OR, NOT); % (modulus) returns the remainder, e.g. 17 % 5 = 2.

Loop types: for when the count is known, while when the condition is checked before the body, do-while when the body must run at least once.

Swap logic with a temporary variable: temp = a; a = b; b = temp - a classic dry-run exercise using three assignments.

Even/odd test: n % 2 == 0 means even; prime test: no divisor from 2 to sqrt(n); these are standard logic-building exercises.

ITeS covers BPO (voice/non-voice), KPO (knowledge-intensive analysis), IT services (development, maintenance), and shared-service centres.

BPO delivery models: onshore (same country as client), nearshore (neighbouring country), offshore (distant country, e.g. India serving US/UK).

Voice processes: inbound (customer calls in - support, order taking) and outbound (agent calls out - sales, collections, surveys).

Non-voice processes: e-mail support, chat support, back-office data processing, medical transcription, insurance claim processing, payroll.

Service Level Agreement (SLA) defines measurable targets: response time, resolution time, abandonment rate, first-call resolution, quality score.

Key ITeS metrics: AHT (average handling time), FCR (first-call resolution), CSAT (customer satisfaction), NPS (net promoter score), shrinkage, occupancy.

KPO examples include equity research, patent analysis, legal research, and analytics - work requiring domain judgement, not just rule-following.

Escalation matrix: L1 frontline agent, L2 specialist team, L3 engineering/vendor; each level has a defined time threshold before escalating.

Call flow stages: greeting with brand and name, verify identity, listen and acknowledge, resolve or escalate, confirm resolution, close politely.

Active listening techniques: paraphrase ('so what I understand is…'), ask clarifying questions, avoid interrupting, note key facts.

Handling an angry customer: stay calm, let them finish, empathise without admitting fault, restate the problem, offer options, confirm agreement.

AHT = total talk time + hold time + after-call work, divided by number of calls handled; reducing ACW raises capacity.

Call quality is scored on a QA scorecard: greeting, compliance disclosure, probing, accuracy, hold procedure, closing - typically weighted to 100 points.

Data privacy in BPO: never disclose another customer's data, never share credentials, lock the screen when away, follow the client's DPA/NDA terms.

Voice and tone: moderate pace, clear articulation, avoid jargon, smile in the voice; avoid filler sounds and background noise.

Escalation triggers: repeated unresolved contact, safety or legal threat, policy exception request, or a supervisor request by the customer.

Phishing = fraudulent message tricking users into revealing credentials; signs: urgency, mismatched sender domain, unexpected attachment, generic greeting, hover-link mismatch.

Malware types: virus (attaches to files), worm (self-propagates over networks), trojan (disguised as legitimate), ransomware (encrypts and demands payment), spyware (secretly collects data).

Strong password rule: length ≥ 12 characters, mix of upper/lower case, digits and symbols, unique per site; a password manager reduces reuse risk.

Multi-factor authentication combines something you know (password), have (OTP/device), and are (biometrics) - enabling MFA blocks most credential-theft attacks.

HTTPS with the padlock indicates an encrypted TLS channel, not that the site is trustworthy - check the domain spelling carefully.

India's Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 sets obligations for data fiduciaries: consent, purpose limitation, data minimisation, breach notification, and Data Principal rights.

Ethics in IT: respect software licences (proprietary vs open source), avoid plagiarism, do not access data beyond your role, report vulnerabilities responsibly.

Safe browsing habits: keep OS and apps patched, avoid pirated software, log out of shared machines, back up data using the 3-2-1 rule (3 copies, 2 media, 1 offsite).

Business plan sections: problem, solution, target market, competition, revenue model, marketing plan, operations plan, team, financial projections.

Revenue models: subscription, freemium, transaction fee/commission, advertising, licensing, and direct product sales.

Break-even point (units) = fixed costs / (selling price per unit − variable cost per unit); above it the business earns profit.

Market segmentation divides customers by demographics, geography, psychographics, or behaviour to target the offer precisely.

Startup funding stages: bootstrapping, angel/seed, venture capital, growth/private equity; each dilutes founder equity differently.

Government of India support: MSME/Udyam registration, Startup India recognition, MUDRA loans, Stand-Up India, and Atal Innovation Mission incubators.

GST registration is generally required once turnover crosses the threshold (₹40 lakh for goods, ₹20 lakh for services in most states; lower in special-category states).

Digital presence essentials for a small business: domain name, mobile-friendly website, verified Google Business Profile, social handles, and secure payment gateway.

Resume structure: contact details, career objective, education, skills, projects, experience/internships, certifications, achievements - keep to 1–2 pages for freshers.

Cover letter structure: role applied for, why this organisation, evidence of fit with a concrete example, polite closing and call to action.

Formal e-mail structure: clear subject line, salutation, one-paragraph purpose, details in bullets, action requested, professional sign-off and signature block.

Job interview STAR method: Situation, Task, Action, Result - answer behavioural questions with a specific example and a measurable outcome.

Group discussion etiquette: enter politely, support points with evidence, invite others in, avoid interrupting, summarise when asked.

Teamwork roles (Belbin-style): coordinator, implementer, completer-finisher, ideas person, resource investigator, monitor-evaluator, team worker, specialist.

Workplace etiquette: arrive on time, meet deadlines, confirm instructions by restating them, report delays early, keep confidential information private.

Grooming and body language for interviews: firm handshake, eye contact, upright posture, no phone, formal attire suited to the organisation's culture.