MS Office Basics Notes for SSC Exams
Rahul Kumar
SSC Exam Expert & Content Editor
In this note
PDF Notes: MS Office Basics Notes for SSC Exams
Premium PDF · one-time payment of ₹5 · instant access
MS Office is the most asked part of the computer section in SSC exams, and it is also the base of the SSC CHSL typing and skill tests. Questions ask about file extensions, shortcut keys, Excel formulas and the limits of a worksheet. These MS Office basics notes for SSC give all of them in clear tables.
Programs and File Extensions
| Program | Use | File extension |
|---|---|---|
| MS Word | Documents and letters | .docx |
| MS Excel | Spreadsheets and calculations | .xlsx |
| MS PowerPoint | Presentations | .pptx |
| MS Access | Databases | .accdb |
| MS Outlook | Email and calendar | .pst (data file) |
MS Excel Basics
- A file in Excel is called a workbook, and each sheet is a worksheet.
- A worksheet has 1,048,576 rows and 16,384 columns (the last column is XFD).
- A cell address is the column letter and the row number, such as A1.
- Every formula starts with the equals sign (=).
| Function | Use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| SUM | Adds the numbers | =SUM(A1:A5) |
| AVERAGE | Finds the average | =AVERAGE(A1:A5) |
| MAX | Finds the largest number | =MAX(A1:A5) |
| MIN | Finds the smallest number | =MIN(A1:A5) |
| COUNT | Counts the cells with numbers | =COUNT(A1:A5) |
| IF | Gives a result on a condition | =IF(A1>50,"Pass","Fail") |
Common Shortcut Keys
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Ctrl + C | Copy |
| Ctrl + X | Cut |
| Ctrl + V | Paste |
| Ctrl + Z | Undo |
| Ctrl + Y | Redo |
| Ctrl + A | Select all |
| Ctrl + B | Bold |
| Ctrl + I | Italic |
| Ctrl + U | Underline |
| Ctrl + S | Save |
| F12 | Save As |
| Ctrl + P | |
| Ctrl + F | Find |
| Ctrl + H | Replace |
| Ctrl + N | New file |
| Ctrl + O | Open file |
| Ctrl + K | Insert hyperlink |
| Ctrl + E | Centre align |
| Ctrl + L | Left align |
| Ctrl + R | Right align |
| Ctrl + J | Justify |
| Ctrl + Enter | Page break |
| F7 | Spelling and grammar check |
| Alt + F4 | Close the window |
Excel and PowerPoint Shortcuts
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| F2 | Edit the active cell in Excel |
| F4 | Repeat the last action or make a cell reference absolute in Excel |
| Ctrl + ; | Insert the current date in Excel |
| Ctrl + Shift + ; | Insert the current time in Excel |
| F5 | Start the slide show from the first slide in PowerPoint |
| Shift + F5 | Start the slide show from the current slide |
MS Word Facts
- The Home tab has the font, paragraph and clipboard groups.
- The Insert tab is used for tables, pictures, shapes and headers.
- The Layout tab has the margins, orientation and page size.
- The Mail Merge feature is used to send the same letter to many persons.
MS PowerPoint Facts
- A presentation is made of slides.
- A slide transition is the effect when one slide changes to the next one.
- An animation is the effect on the objects within a slide.
- The Slide Master controls the design of all slides.
Quick Tips
- Learn the file extensions: .docx, .xlsx and .pptx.
- Learn the 20 most common shortcut keys by heart.
- Remember that every Excel formula starts with =.
- Remember XFD as the last column and 1,048,576 as the number of rows.
Quick Revision Points
- Word files end with .docx, Excel with .xlsx and PowerPoint with .pptx.
- Ctrl + C is copy, Ctrl + V is paste and Ctrl + Z is undo.
- F12 is Save As.
- F5 starts the slide show.
- A formula in Excel begins with =.
Practice Questions With Answers
- What is the file extension of a Word 2007 or later file?
Answer: .docx - What is the file extension of an Excel 2007 or later file?
Answer: .xlsx - What is the shortcut key for copy?
Answer: Ctrl + C - What is the shortcut key for Save As?
Answer: F12 - What is the last column of an Excel worksheet?
Answer: XFD - Which function adds the numbers in a range?
Answer: SUM - Which key starts the slide show from the first slide in PowerPoint?
Answer: F5 - What is the shortcut key for undo?
Answer: Ctrl + Z - How many rows does an Excel worksheet have?
Answer: 1,048,576 - What is the shortcut key for bold?
Answer: Ctrl + B
How to Practise This Chapter
Revise the tables every week and then test yourself with our practice papers and the previous year papers page. See all topics on the Computer Awareness notes page, and also read the Computer Knowledge notes and General Awareness notes. Read the previous topic, Computer Security and Safe Online Habits, and practise the typing skill for the Stenography notes.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the extension of a Word file?
The extension of a Word file is .docx.
What is the extension of an Excel file?
The extension of an Excel file is .xlsx.
What is the extension of a PowerPoint file?
The extension of a PowerPoint file is .pptx.
What is a workbook in Excel?
A workbook is an Excel file, which holds one or more worksheets.
How many rows and columns does an Excel worksheet have?
It has 1,048,576 rows and 16,384 columns.
Which sign starts a formula in Excel?
The equals sign (=) starts a formula.
What is the shortcut key to save a file?
Ctrl + S saves the file, and F12 opens Save As.
Which key starts a slide show in PowerPoint?
F5 starts the slide show.
What is Mail Merge?
It is a feature of Word to send the same letter to many persons with different names and addresses.
What is a slide transition?
It is the effect when one slide changes to the next slide.
Is this topic asked in SSC exams?
Yes. MS Office questions are asked often in the computer section of SSC exams.
How many questions come from this topic in SSC exams?
Usually one or two questions, but the number changes from year to year.
Previous chapter
Computer Security and Safe Online Habits Notes for SSC Exams
Next chapter
Types of Computers and Generations of Computers: Supercomputer, Mainframe, Microcomputer and Characteristics for SSC
Rahul Kumar
SSC Exam Expert & Content Editor
Rahul is a senior SSC exam strategist with 8+ years of experience helping aspirants crack CGL, CHSL and MTS exams. He writes in-depth notification breakdowns, exam pattern guides and preparation strategies.