CBSE Junior Assistant key terms

The section of the Tier-1 objective paper that tests basic familiarity with hardware, software, the internet, and common office applications. Questions are usually factual and do not require programming skill.

A Tier-1 section covering current affairs, Indian polity, geography, history, economy, and basic science. Candidates are expected to know recent national events and static facts taught at school level.

A Tier-1 section that measures logical thinking through series, analogies, coding-decoding, syllogisms, blood relations, and spatial reasoning. Most items are solved by pattern recognition rather than calculation.

A Tier-1 section testing numerical ability through arithmetic topics such as percentages, ratios, averages, time and work, profit and loss, and simple interest. Speed with basic calculations matters as much as method.

A Tier-1 section assessing grammar, vocabulary, sentence correction, synonyms, antonyms, idioms, and comprehension. Questions check standard written English rather than literary knowledge.

A Tier-1 section testing Hindi grammar and usage, including संधि, समास, मुहावरे, पर्यायवाची, and विलोम. It mirrors the English section for candidates who choose Hindi as the language of the paper.

A scoring rule in which a fraction of a mark is deducted for each wrong answer, discouraging random guessing. Candidates should attempt only questions where they can eliminate options confidently.

The minimum score, set per category and per paper, that a candidate must reach to qualify for the next stage. Cut-offs vary by year depending on paper difficulty and the number of candidates.

The first, computer-based objective stage of the recruitment process, made up of multiple-choice questions across several subject sections. Clearing it is a precondition for appearing in Tier-2.

The second stage, which is also objective in format but typically shorter and focused, and which must be cleared before the skill test is evaluated. Its marks usually decide final ranking along with Tier-1.

A qualifying skill test in which the candidate types a given passage on a computer within a fixed time. Only speed and accuracy are measured, and the result is usually pass or fail rather than a scored mark.

The standard measure of typing speed, calculated by dividing the number of words typed by the time taken and converting to a per-minute figure. A word is conventionally counted as five characters including spaces.

Typing speed calculated from the total characters typed, without deducting errors. It shows raw output but overstates usable speed when many mistakes are made.

Typing speed after penalty for errors is applied, giving the speed that actually counts for the skill test. It is always equal to or lower than gross speed.

The share of typed characters or words that are correct, expressed as a percentage of the total attempted. Skill tests usually require a minimum accuracy alongside the required speed.

The number of times the backspace key is pressed during a typing test. Some tests restrict or count it, so habitual over-correction can slow a candidate down.

Typing without looking at the keyboard, using an assigned finger for each key from the home row. It is the technique that most reliably produces high speed with low error rates.

The middle row of keys where the fingers rest between strokes, typically ASDF for the left hand and JKL; for the right. The raised bumps on F and J help locate it without looking.

The arrangement of keys on a keyboard, such as QWERTY or InScript. Candidates should confirm which layout the test centre provides, since Hindi typing often uses a different layout from English.

A standard keyboard layout for typing Indian scripts, in which each key maps to a Devanagari character in a fixed, logical order. It is the usual layout for Hindi typing tests on government recruitment.

A font that represents characters by standard numeric codes so text displays correctly across systems. Typing tests generally require Unicode-compliant input rather than legacy non-standard fonts.

An examination taken on a computer at a designated centre, where questions appear on screen and answers are marked with a mouse or keyboard. No paper booklet is provided.

A practice test that reproduces the pattern, timing, and interface of the real examination. Regular mock tests build speed and reveal which sections need more revision.

The strategy of allocating fixed minutes to each section and moving on when a question stalls. In objective papers with sectional timing, poor pacing costs more marks than lack of knowledge.

The system software that manages hardware, files, and programs and provides the interface a user works through. Common examples are Windows, Linux, and macOS.

The storage in a computer, measured in bytes, kilobytes, megabytes, gigabytes, and terabytes, holding data and instructions. It is broadly divided into primary memory such as RAM and secondary storage such as a hard disk.

Hardware that sends data into a computer, such as a keyboard, mouse, or scanner, and hardware that delivers results, such as a monitor, printer, or speaker. Questions often ask which category a given device belongs to.

A word-processing application used to create, format, and print documents. Computer knowledge sections ask about menus, shortcuts, and features such as mail merge and spell check.

A spreadsheet application that stores data in cells arranged in rows and columns and performs calculations through formulas. Questions commonly test cell references, basic functions, and chart types.

A key combination that performs a command quickly, such as Ctrl+C to copy or Ctrl+P to print. Objective papers frequently ask which shortcut performs a named action.

A way of expressing a number as a fraction of one hundred, used to compare quantities on a common scale. Percentage problems underpin profit and loss, interest, and data interpretation questions.

A ratio compares two quantities of the same kind, and a proportion states that two ratios are equal. These ideas are used to divide amounts and to solve mixture and partnership problems.

The sum of a set of values divided by the number of values. Average questions often involve changes when a value is added, removed, or replaced.

A reasoning question that gives two or more statements and asks which conclusions follow logically from them. The standard method is to draw the possible arrangements of the categories involved.

A reasoning topic in which words or numbers are converted into a code by a rule, and the candidate must apply the same rule to a new word. Identifying the pattern is the whole task.

A reasoning topic that presents family relationships in words or symbols and asks how two people are related. Drawing a small family tree is the usual way to avoid confusion.

A synonym is a word with a meaning close to another, and an antonym is a word with the opposite meaning. English sections ask candidates to pick the closest or most opposite option.

An expression whose meaning cannot be worked out from its individual words, such as 'to let the cat out of the bag'. Questions ask for the correct meaning or the right idiom for a situation.

A passage followed by questions on its content, tone, and implied meaning. Answers must be supported by the passage rather than by outside knowledge.

हिंदी में ऐसा वाक्यांश जिसका अर्थ उसके शब्दों के सामान्य अर्थ से भिन्न होता है, जैसे 'नौ दो ग्यारह होना' का अर्थ भाग जाना है। प्रश्न में प्रायः मुहावरे का अर्थ या उचित प्रयोग पूछा जाता है।

हिंदी व्याकरण में दो वर्णों के मेल से होने वाले परिवर्तन को संधि कहते हैं, जैसे विद्या + आलय = विद्यालय। प्रश्नों में संधि-विच्छेद या संधि का नाम पूछा जाता है।

Recent events of national and international importance, including appointments, schemes, sports results, and awards. Questions usually cover the months immediately before the examination.

The study of India's Constitution, its institutions, fundamental rights and duties, and the working of Parliament and the judiciary. It is a high-weight part of the general awareness section.