Computer Knowledge and Basic IT Skills
Computer Knowledge tests hardware, operating systems, MS Office, internet and networking basics, databases, and cybersecurity awareness. Questions are often shortcut- or terminology-based, so precise definitions matter more than long explanations.
Core rules
- Memory hierarchy: registers, cache, RAM, secondary storage; RAM is volatile, ROM is non-volatile.
- Input devices send data in; output devices send results out; a touchscreen does both.
- Common shortcuts: Ctrl+C copy, Ctrl+V paste, Ctrl+Z undo, Ctrl+S save, Ctrl+P print.
- IP addresses identify hosts; DNS maps domain names to IP addresses; HTTP/HTTPS transfer web content, with HTTPS encrypted.
- LAN is local, WAN is wide-area; a router forwards between networks.
- Malware types include virus, worm, Trojan, and ransomware; backups and updates are core defences.
Worked example. Convert binary 1101₂ to decimal. Write place values from the right: 1×2⁰ = 1, 0×2¹ = 0, 1×2² = 4, 1×2³ = 8. Sum = 8 + 4 + 0 + 1 = 13. So 1101₂ = 13₁₀.
Traps. A bit is one binary digit and a byte is eight bits; ROM is not faster working memory than RAM; HTTPS is not a different internet, only an encrypted HTTP connection; deleting a file does not always erase it from storage; Ctrl+Z is undo, not redo.