Computer Awareness and Basic Information Technology
Computer awareness tests everyday IT literacy: hardware and software, memory, operating systems, word processing and spreadsheets, internet and email, networking basics, shortcuts and cyber safety. Questions are factual, so precise terms matter more than long explanations.
Core rules
- Hardware is physical; software is a set of programs. RAM is volatile primary memory; ROM is non-volatile. Secondary storage includes hard disks, SSDs and pen drives.
- An operating system manages hardware, files and processes; examples include Windows, Linux and macOS.
- 1 byte = 8 bits; 1 KB = 1024 bytes in binary convention.
- Common shortcuts: Ctrl+C copy, Ctrl+X cut, Ctrl+V paste, Ctrl+Z undo, Ctrl+S save, Ctrl+P print.
- Internet services include the web, email, FTP and cloud storage; HTTPS adds encryption to HTTP.
Worked example
Convert binary 1101 to decimal. Write place values from right: 1×2⁰ = 1, 0×2¹ = 0, 1×2² = 4, 1×2³ = 8. Sum = 1 + 0 + 4 + 8 = 13. The reasoning is positional: each binary digit is multiplied by a power of 2 according to its position.
Traps that cost marks
- Confusing RAM with ROM or primary with secondary memory.
- Treating 1 KB as exactly 1000 bytes in binary-based questions.
- Mixing Ctrl+X (cut) with Ctrl+C (copy).
- Assuming HTTP is secure; HTTPS is the encrypted version.
- Forgetting that an email address needs a valid domain.