Computer Knowledge and Basic IT: Memory Units, Office Shortcuts and Safe Practice
Questions are basic but literal: memory units, hardware versus software, Office shortcuts, internet and email, security, and digital-governance platforms.
Facts to fix
- 1 byte = 8 bits; 1 KB = 1024 bytes; 1 MB = 1024 KB.
- RAM is volatile and loses data on power off; ROM is non-volatile and holds firmware/BIOS. Hard disks and SSDs are secondary storage.
- Word: Ctrl+C copy, Ctrl+V paste, Ctrl+X cut, Ctrl+Z undo, Ctrl+Enter page break, F7 spelling check.
- Excel: every formula begins with =; =SUM(A1:A5) adds a range; $B$1 is absolute while B1 is relative.
- Email: To is the primary recipient, Cc a visible copy, Bcc a hidden copy. A browser is not a search engine.
- Security: a virus attaches to files, a worm spreads by itself, phishing lures credentials, and a firewall filters traffic.
Worked example
Cell C1 contains =A1+$B$1 and is copied to C2. What does C2 contain? Reasoning: A1 is relative, so it shifts one row down to A2. $B$1 is absolute - the dollar signs lock both column and row - so it stays B1. C2 holds =A2+$B$1.
Traps
- Answering 1 KB = 1000 bytes where the traditional 1024 is expected.
- Calling ROM volatile, or confusing it with the hard disk.
- Treating Bcc as a visible recipient.
- Confusing the internet (the network) with the World Wide Web (a service on it).
Governance links worth knowing
E-Prisons, DigiLocker, UMANG, digital signatures and UPI are frequently asked; know the platform's purpose and the agency behind it (UPI operates on the NPCI platform).