Basic Computer Knowledge
What this domain tests
Practical computer awareness: generations and types of computers, hardware and memory, input and output devices, operating systems, MS Office, internet and email, networking basics, keyboard shortcuts and e-governance platforms.
Core rules
- Memory ladder: 8 bits = 1 byte, 1024 bytes = 1 KB, 1024 KB = 1 MB, 1024 MB = 1 GB, 1024 GB = 1 TB.
- RAM is volatile and holds running programs; ROM is non-volatile and stores firmware.
- Generations: vacuum tubes, transistors, integrated circuits, microprocessors, artificial intelligence.
- Shortcuts: Ctrl+C copy, Ctrl+V paste, Ctrl+X cut, Ctrl+Z undo, Ctrl+Y redo, Ctrl+E centre in Word, F2 rename.
- Rajasthan platforms: the SSO portal for employee services, e-Mitra for citizen services, Jan Aadhaar for family identity.
Worked example
Convert the binary number 1011 to decimal, and state 1.5 GB in MB. Reasoning: place values from the right are 1, 2, 4, 8; summing the set positions gives 8 + 2 + 1 = 11. For storage, 1 GB = 1024 MB, so 1.5 × 1024 = 1536 MB. Keep the 1024 factor, not 1000, unless the question is about hardware marketing.
Traps
- Mb (megabit) versus MB (megabyte) in internet-speed questions.
- Non-input devices such as plotter, monitor and speaker are slipped into lists.
- Ctrl+Z and Ctrl+Y are frequently swapped in options.
- Firmware is software embedded in hardware; do not classify it as pure hardware.
- In MS Excel, a formula must begin with = and cell references are relative unless marked with $.