Computer Knowledge and Basic Office Applications
Practical computer literacy
Know hardware (CPU, RAM, ROM, input and output devices), software (system versus application), operating systems, file and folder management, and storage units. In MS Word, learn formatting, tables, mail merge, and page setup. In MS Excel, learn cells, formulas, functions such as SUM, AVERAGE, IF, and COUNT, relative and absolute references, and charts. In MS PowerPoint, learn slides, transitions, and animations.
Internet and e-governance
Understand browsers, URLs, search, email attachments, cc and bcc, and spam. Karnataka's e-governance platforms include Bhoomi for land records, Seva Sindhu for citizen services, and e-Office for file movement. Know digital signatures and Aadhaar-enabled services.
Cyber safety
Use strong passwords, never share OTPs, check for HTTPS, and recognise phishing messages. Do not open unknown attachments.
Traps
Shortcut keys are frequently tested: Ctrl+C copies, Ctrl+X cuts, Ctrl+V pastes, Ctrl+Z undoes, and Ctrl+S saves. RAM is volatile; ROM is not. '$A$1' is an absolute reference. Distinguish 'Save' from 'Save As', and HTTP from HTTPS.
Rule of thumb
In Excel, press F2 to edit a cell and use '$' to lock a row or column. When a formula is copied, relative references shift while absolute references stay fixed.
Worked example
=SUM(A1:A5) adds the values from A1 to A5. =AVERAGE(B1:B4) divides the total of B1 to B4 by 4. =IF(C2>=40,1,0) returns 1 when C2 is 40 or more, and 0 otherwise.