Computer Awareness Important Questions with Answers for SSC Exams (100 MCQs)

Computer awareness questions are the quickest way to score in the Computer Knowledge part of SSC exams, because the same facts come again and again. This note gives you the 100 most important computer awareness questions with answers, divided into five sets of 20 questions: computer basics, hardware and memory, software and operating system, MS Office and internet, and networking, security and full forms. Every answer has a short explanation, so that you learn the concept and not only the option. Revise the theory from the Computer Knowledge Notes for SSC, Computer Fundamentals Notes and MS Office Notes notes and then solve these questions with a timer.

How to Use These 100 Questions

• Solve one set of 20 questions in 10 minutes without looking at the answers.
• Mark the questions that you got wrong and read the explanation twice.
• Revise the marked questions again after two days and after one week.
• If a topic is weak, read its detailed note: Computer Memory Notes, Operating System Notes, Computer Network Notes or Cyber Security and Cyber Crime Notes.
• In the real exam, one computer question should take not more than 30 seconds.

Set 1: Computer Basics (20 Questions)

1. What is the full form of CPU?
   Answer: Central Processing Unit - It is the brain of the computer.
2. Who is known as the father of the computer?
   Answer: Charles Babbage - He designed the Analytical Engine.
3. Which was the first general-purpose electronic digital computer?
   Answer: ENIAC - Built in 1946.
4. Which technology was used in the first generation of computers?
   Answer: Vacuum tubes - The second generation used transistors.
5. Which generation of computers used integrated circuits (IC)?
   Answer: Third generation - The IC was invented by Jack Kilby.
6. Who is called the first computer programmer?
   Answer: Ada Lovelace - She wrote the notes for the Analytical Engine.
7. Which is the fastest type of computer?
   Answer: Supercomputer - Its speed is measured in FLOPS.
8. Which type of computer works on continuous data?
   Answer: Analog computer - A speedometer is an example.
9. Which unit of the CPU performs arithmetic and logical operations?
   Answer: ALU - Arithmetic Logic Unit.
10. Which unit of the CPU controls all the other parts?
    Answer: Control Unit (CU) - It directs the flow of data.
11. What is the raw form of information called?
    Answer: Data - Processed data is information.
12. What does GIGO stand for?
    Answer: Garbage In, Garbage Out - Wrong input gives wrong output.
13. What is the physical part of a computer called?
    Answer: Hardware - Software is the set of programs.
14. What is the smallest unit of data in a computer?
    Answer: Bit - It is 0 or 1.
15. How many bits are there in a byte?
    Answer: 8 - A nibble is 4 bits.
16. Which number system does a computer understand?
    Answer: Binary - Base 2 with the digits 0 and 1.
17. What is the speed of a CPU measured in?
    Answer: Hertz (GHz) - Clock speed.
18. Which was the first microprocessor?
    Answer: Intel 4004 - Launched in 1971.
19. What is the process of starting a computer called?
    Answer: Booting - Cold boot and warm boot.
20. Which is India's first supercomputer?
    Answer: PARAM 8000 - Developed by C-DAC in 1991.

Set 2: Hardware, Memory and Storage (20 Questions)

1. Which memory is volatile?
   Answer: RAM - It loses its data when the power is off.
2. Which memory stores the start-up instructions (BIOS)?
   Answer: ROM - It is non-volatile.
3. Which is the fastest memory of a computer?
   Answer: Registers - Then cache, then RAM.
4. Which memory is placed between the CPU and the RAM?
   Answer: Cache memory - It makes the CPU faster.
5. Which RAM is used in the cache memory?
   Answer: SRAM - DRAM is used as the main memory.
6. Which ROM is erased by ultraviolet light?
   Answer: EPROM - EEPROM is erased electrically.
7. How many bytes are there in 1 KB?
   Answer: 1024 - 1 MB = 1024 KB.
8. What is the capacity of a standard CD?
   Answer: About 700 MB - A single-layer DVD holds 4.7 GB.
9. Which disc uses a blue-violet laser?
   Answer: Blu-ray disc - 25 GB per layer.
10. Which storage device has no moving parts?
    Answer: SSD - It uses flash memory.
11. What is the main circuit board of a computer called?
    Answer: Motherboard - All parts are connected to it.
12. Which device is used to enter the data by moving the pointer?
    Answer: Mouse - Invented by Douglas Engelbart.
13. Which device reads the marks on the answer sheets?
    Answer: OMR - Optical Mark Reader.
14. Which device reads the characters on a bank cheque?
    Answer: MICR - Magnetic Ink Character Recognition.
15. Which printer is an impact printer?
    Answer: Dot matrix printer - Laser and inkjet are non-impact.
16. Which device is used to print large drawings?
    Answer: Plotter - Used with CAD.
17. What is the smallest dot on a computer screen called?
    Answer: Pixel - Picture element.
18. Which port is used to connect a pen drive?
    Answer: USB port - Universal Serial Bus.
19. Which cable port is used to connect a LAN cable?
    Answer: RJ-45 (Ethernet) - Network cable.
20. What does UPS stand for?
    Answer: Uninterruptible Power Supply - It gives battery backup.

Set 3: Software, Operating System and Languages (20 Questions)

1. What is system software?
   Answer: Software that manages the computer, such as the operating system - Application software does the user's work.
2. Which of these is an operating system: Linux, MS Word, Tally or Chrome?
   Answer: Linux - The others are application software.
3. Who created the Linux kernel?
   Answer: Linus Torvalds - In 1991.
4. Which company developed the Windows operating system?
   Answer: Microsoft - GUI based.
5. Which OS is made by Google for mobile phones?
   Answer: Android - Based on the Linux kernel.
6. What does GUI stand for?
   Answer: Graphical User Interface - Uses icons and windows.
7. Which part of the OS interacts directly with the hardware?
   Answer: Kernel - The shell takes the user commands.
8. What is the language that a computer understands directly?
   Answer: Machine language - Only 0s and 1s.
9. Which translator converts the whole program at once?
   Answer: Compiler - The interpreter works line by line.
10. Which translator converts assembly language into machine language?
    Answer: Assembler - Assembly uses mnemonics.
11. Who developed the C language?
    Answer: Dennis Ritchie - At Bell Labs in 1972.
12. Who developed Java?
    Answer: James Gosling - Sun Microsystems, 1995.
13. Which was the first high-level language?
    Answer: FORTRAN - Developed in 1957.
14. What is finding and removing errors in a program called?
    Answer: Debugging - Bugs are the errors.
15. What is the extension of a batch file?
    Answer: .BAT - A text file of commands.
16. Which software is used to protect a computer from viruses?
    Answer: Antivirus - It is utility software.
17. What is software stored permanently in ROM called?
    Answer: Firmware - Example: BIOS.
18. Which type of software has an open source code?
    Answer: Open-source software - Example: Linux.
19. Which command shows the files and the directories in DOS?
    Answer: DIR - Internal command.
20. Which is an external DOS command?
    Answer: FORMAT - Also CHKDSK and XCOPY.

Set 4: MS Office and Internet (20 Questions)

1. What is the extension of an MS Word 2016 file?
   Answer: .docx - Older: .doc.
2. What is the extension of an MS Excel 2016 file?
   Answer: .xlsx - Older: .xls.
3. What is the extension of a PowerPoint 2016 file?
   Answer: .pptx - Older: .ppt.
4. Which tab has the mail merge option in MS Word?
   Answer: Mailings - Used for bulk letters.
5. Which key is used for the spelling and grammar check in Word?
   Answer: F7 - Shift + F7 is the thesaurus.
6. Which shortcut makes the selected text bold?
   Answer: Ctrl + B - Italic is Ctrl + I.
7. Which shortcut saves a file with a new name?
   Answer: F12 (Save As) - Ctrl + S saves.
8. What is the address of the cell in column C and row 5 of Excel?
   Answer: C5 - Column letter first.
9. Which symbol must a formula in Excel start with?
   Answer: = - The equal sign.
10. Which function adds a range of cells in Excel?
    Answer: SUM - =SUM(A1:A5).
11. Which error is shown when a number is divided by zero?
    Answer: #DIV/0! - A formula error.
12. Which key starts a PowerPoint slide show from the first slide?
    Answer: F5 - Shift + F5 starts from the current slide.
13. What is the effect between two slides called in PowerPoint?
    Answer: Transition - The effect on an object is animation.
14. What is the full form of URL?
    Answer: Uniform Resource Locator - The web address.
15. What is the full form of HTTP?
    Answer: HyperText Transfer Protocol - Used for web pages.
16. Who invented the World Wide Web?
    Answer: Tim Berners-Lee - In 1989.
17. Who invented email?
    Answer: Ray Tomlinson - In 1971; he introduced the @ sign.
18. Which field of an email hides the recipients from the others?
    Answer: BCC - Blind Carbon Copy.
19. Which of these is a search engine: Chrome, Google, Safari or Firefox?
    Answer: Google - The others are browsers.
20. What is the unwanted bulk email called?
    Answer: Spam - Junk mail.

Set 5: Networking, Security and Full Forms (20 Questions)

1. Which network covers a school or an office building?
   Answer: LAN - Local Area Network.
2. Which is the largest network in the world?
   Answer: The internet (a WAN) - Wide Area Network.
3. Which device connects different networks and finds the best path?
   Answer: Router - Works at the Network layer.
4. Which device converts digital signals to analog and back?
   Answer: Modem - Modulator-demodulator.
5. Which topology uses a central hub or switch?
   Answer: Star topology - The most common in LANs.
6. Which transmission medium is the fastest?
   Answer: Optical fibre - It uses light.
7. How many layers are there in the OSI model?
   Answer: 7 - The TCP/IP model has 4.
8. Which protocol is used to send emails?
   Answer: SMTP - POP3 and IMAP receive the mail.
9. Which system converts a domain name to an IP address?
   Answer: DNS - Domain Name System.
10. How many bits are there in an IPv4 address?
    Answer: 32 - IPv6 has 128 bits.
11. What is a self-replicating malware that spreads over a network called?
    Answer: Worm - It does not need a host file.
12. Which malware locks the files and asks for money?
    Answer: Ransomware - WannaCry (2017) is an example.
13. Which fraud uses fake emails to steal passwords?
    Answer: Phishing - Vishing is by voice and smishing by SMS.
14. Which Indian law deals with cyber crime?
    Answer: The IT Act, 2000 - Amended in 2008.
15. What is the full form of RAM?
    Answer: Random Access Memory - Volatile memory.
16. What is the full form of ROM?
    Answer: Read Only Memory - Non-volatile memory.
17. What is the full form of USB?
    Answer: Universal Serial Bus - Plug and play.
18. What is the full form of ASCII?
    Answer: American Standard Code for Information Interchange - A 7-bit code.
19. What is the full form of UPI?
    Answer: Unified Payments Interface - Run by NPCI.
20. What is the full form of AI?
    Answer: Artificial Intelligence - Term coined by John McCarthy.

Quick Tips to Remember

• Do not spend more than 30 seconds on a computer question; the answer is either known or not.
• Learn the full forms in groups: hardware, internet and security.
• Revise the facts that come in pairs: person with invention, command with its type and extension with its software.
• After every set, write the five questions that you got wrong and revise them the next day.
• Link every question with its theory note so that you remember the reason, not only the answer.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Mixing the extensions of Word, Excel and PowerPoint.
• Confusing RAM (volatile) and ROM (non-volatile).
• Confusing a virus, a worm and a Trojan.
• Writing the wrong inventor for email, the WWW or the mouse.
• Not reading the question carefully: "internal" and "external" or "input" and "output" changes the answer.

Quick Revision Points

• CPU = ALU + CU + registers; brain of the computer.
• RAM is volatile; ROM is non-volatile; cache is the fastest after the registers.
• Compiler is the whole program; interpreter is line by line.
• Word .docx, Excel .xlsx, PowerPoint .pptx.
• LAN is small; WAN is large; router connects the networks.
• Virus needs a host; worm spreads alone; ransomware asks for money.
• IT Act 2000; UPI by NPCI; AI by John McCarthy.

Practice Questions With Answers

1. Who invented the mouse?
   Answer: Douglas Engelbart (Input device).
2. Which part of the CPU stores the data temporarily?
   Answer: Registers (Fastest memory).
3. What is the full form of BIOS?
   Answer: Basic Input Output System (Firmware in ROM).
4. What is the full form of HTML?
   Answer: HyperText Markup Language (Web pages).
5. What is the full form of SMTP?
   Answer: Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (Sends email).
6. What is the full form of PDF?
   Answer: Portable Document Format (Adobe).
7. What is the full form of GPS?
   Answer: Global Positioning System (Satellite navigation).
8. What is the full form of SIM?
   Answer: Subscriber Identity Module (Mobile phones).
9. What is the full form of DVD?
   Answer: Digital Versatile Disc (Optical disc).
10. What is the full form of LCD?
    Answer: Liquid Crystal Display (Monitor).
11. What is the full form of ATM?
    Answer: Automated Teller Machine (Banking).
12. What is the full form of ISP?
    Answer: Internet Service Provider (Gives internet access).
13. What is the full form of VPN?
    Answer: Virtual Private Network (Secure network).
14. What is the full form of IP?
    Answer: Internet Protocol (Address of a device).
15. What is the full form of MAC (in networking)?
    Answer: Media Access Control (Hardware address).
16. What is the full form of CD-ROM?
    Answer: Compact Disc Read Only Memory (Optical disc).
17. What is the full form of OCR?
    Answer: Optical Character Recognition (Reads text).
18. What is the full form of CAD?
    Answer: Computer-Aided Design (Drawing software).
19. What is the full form of WWW?
    Answer: World Wide Web (Web pages).
20. What is the full form of FTP?
    Answer: File Transfer Protocol (Uploads and downloads files).

How to Practise This Topic

1. Solve one set of 20 questions every day for five days with a timer of 10 minutes.
2. Write the wrong answers in a notebook and read their explanations.
3. Read the detailed theory note of the topic in which you made the most mistakes.
4. Attempt the 20 extra questions below the revision points as a test.
5. Solve the SSC practice papers and the previous year papers to practise in the exam pattern.

Related Notes and Practice

• Computer Knowledge Notes for SSC
• Computer Fundamentals Notes
• Computer Full Forms
• Computer Shortcut Keys
• MS Office Notes
• SSC practice papers

Frequently Asked Questions

How many computer awareness questions come in SSC exams?

Usually 2 to 5 questions come from computer awareness in SSC CGL Tier 1 and the General Awareness section of CHSL, MTS and GD, and a separate computer section is there in CGL Tier 2.

Which topics are the most important for computer awareness?

Computer fundamentals, memory, input and output devices, operating system, MS Office, internet, networking, security and full forms are the most important topics.

How can I prepare computer awareness quickly?

Read the short notes, learn the full forms and shortcut keys, and solve 20 questions daily with a timer.

Are the questions repeated in SSC exams?

Yes. The facts such as the generations, the memory types, the extensions and the full forms are repeated in many papers.

What are the best notes for SSC Computer Knowledge?

The topic-wise notes of this website, along with these 100 questions and the previous year papers, are enough for the SSC computer questions.

How much time should I give to computer awareness?

About 20 to 30 minutes a day for two to three weeks is enough to cover the whole syllabus and revise it.

Do I need to know programming for SSC?

No. You only need the basic ideas of the languages, the translators and the generations; there is no coding in the exam.

Is there a negative marking for computer questions?

Yes, in most SSC computer-based tests there is negative marking, so attempt the questions only when you are reasonably sure.

Where can I get the full forms for the computer section?

You can read the computer full forms note and the computer shortcut keys note of this website.

How many questions of this note should I solve every day?

Solve 20 questions a day, which means one set, and revise the wrong ones the next day.