Computer Awareness and Basic Digital Skills
Hardware and software basics
- CPU = Arithmetic Logic Unit + Control Unit + registers; it is the brain of the computer.
- Memory order: bit → byte → KB → MB → GB → TB. RAM is volatile (lost on power off); ROM is non-volatile.
- Input devices: keyboard, mouse, scanner, microphone. Output: monitor, printer, speaker. Both: touchscreen, modem.
- Software is system (operating system, utilities) or application (MS Office, browsers).
Office and internet skills
- Common shortcuts: Ctrl+C copy, Ctrl+X cut, Ctrl+V paste, Ctrl+Z undo, Ctrl+Y redo, Ctrl+S save, Ctrl+P print, Alt+Tab switch windows, F1 help.
- In Excel,
=starts a formula;:is the range operator, so=SUM(A1:A5)adds five cells. - Email fields: To (primary recipient), Cc (visible copy), Bcc (hidden copy - use it to protect addresses).
- A URL contains the protocol, domain and path; HTTPS indicates encrypted transfer.
Worked example. Which Excel entry correctly totals cells A1 through A5? Options: =SUM(A1;A5) / =SUM(A1:A5) / SUM(A1-A5) / =ADD(A1:A5). Reasoning: a formula begins with =, and the colon denotes a continuous range. The semicolon version adds only two cells, the minus sign subtracts, and ADD is not an Excel function. Answer: =SUM(A1:A5).
Traps that cost marks
- Treating RAM as permanent storage.
- Using Cc when the question stresses privacy of recipients - that is Bcc.
- Confusing a browser (Chrome, Firefox) with a search engine (Google).
- Forgetting that antivirus software needs signature updates; it is not a one-time install.