Shortcuts Questions for IBPS PO

Universal Windows Shortcuts

These shortcuts work across almost all Windows applications — MS Office, browsers, file explorer. IBPS PO frequently tests these because they are application-neutral and every bank employee uses them daily. Questions are usually of the format: 'Which shortcut is used to select all text?' or 'What does Ctrl+Z do?'

• Ctrl+C = Copy, Ctrl+X = Cut, Ctrl+V = Paste — the three brothers of editing
• Ctrl+Z = Undo (go back), Ctrl+Y = Redo (go forward)
• Ctrl+A = Select All, Ctrl+S = Save, Ctrl+P = Print
• Ctrl+F = Find, Ctrl+H = Find and Replace
• Alt+F4 = Close current window, Alt+Tab = Switch between open windows
• Windows key + D = Show Desktop, Windows key + E = Open File Explorer

MS Word Shortcuts

MS Word shortcuts are the most tested sub-topic within shortcuts for IBPS PO Computer section. Formatting shortcuts and navigation shortcuts are the two most common question types. Remember: Bold, Italic, Underline are B, I, U — always paired with Ctrl.

• Ctrl+B = Bold, Ctrl+I = Italic, Ctrl+U = Underline
• Ctrl+E = Center align, Ctrl+L = Left align, Ctrl+R = Right align, Ctrl+J = Justify
• Ctrl+Home = Go to beginning of document, Ctrl+End = Go to end
• Ctrl+Enter = Insert page break
• F7 = Spelling and Grammar check
• Ctrl+K = Insert Hyperlink

MS Excel Shortcuts

Excel shortcuts appear slightly less often than Word but are still tested. Focus on cell formatting, navigation, and function-related shortcuts. A tricky one that often appears: F2 opens a cell for editing, and F4 repeats the last action.

• Ctrl+Home = Go to cell A1 (first cell), Ctrl+End = Go to last used cell
• F2 = Edit active cell, F4 = Repeat last action or toggle absolute reference
• Ctrl+Shift+L = Apply or remove AutoFilter
• Alt+Enter = Start a new line within the same cell
• Ctrl+; = Insert today's date, Ctrl+Shift+; = Insert current time
• Ctrl+` (backtick) = Toggle between showing formulas and values

Browser and Internet Shortcuts

With digital banking expanding, IBPS PO has started including internet/browser shortcuts. These are easy marks. Most questions focus on tab management and navigation shortcuts that are common across Chrome, Firefox, and Edge.

• Ctrl+T = Open new tab, Ctrl+W = Close current tab
• Ctrl+N = Open new window, Ctrl+Shift+N = Open new incognito/private window
• F5 = Refresh page, Ctrl+F5 = Hard refresh (clear cache and reload)
• Ctrl+D = Bookmark/Favourite the current page
• Ctrl+L = Jump to address bar, Ctrl+Shift+T = Reopen last closed tab
• Alt+Left Arrow = Go back, Alt+Right Arrow = Go forward

Special Function Keys (F1 to F12)

Function keys are a favourite trap area in IBPS PO. Examiners pick F-key questions because many aspirants skip them. Remember F1 is always Help, F5 is always Refresh or Run dialog — these two are universal across software.

• F1 = Help in almost every application
• F2 = Rename selected file (in File Explorer) or Edit cell (in Excel)
• F5 = Refresh (browser/desktop) or Go To dialog (in Word/Excel)
• F7 = Spell check in MS Office
• F11 = Toggle Full Screen in browsers
• F12 = Save As in MS Office applications, also opens Dev Tools in browsers

• Confusing Ctrl+H (Find and Replace) with Ctrl+F (Find only) — remember H comes after F, Replace comes after Find
• Mixing up Ctrl+Z (Undo) and Ctrl+Y (Redo) — Z is the last alphabet so think of it as going back to the last action
• Forgetting that F12 is Save As in MS Office but opens Developer Tools in browsers — context matters, and exam usually specifies the application
• Assuming Ctrl+Shift+N opens a new normal window — it opens Incognito/Private window; Ctrl+N opens a normal new window
• Confusing alignment shortcuts: many aspirants mark Ctrl+M for Middle align which does NOT exist — only L, R, E, J work for alignment in Word

• BIU = Bold Italic Underline = Think of a pen that writes in three styles — Ctrl B I U in order
• SCPA = Save, Copy, Print, All = Ctrl S, C, P, A — remember as a bank officer SCans Papers Always
• F1 HELPS, F5 REFRESHES, F7 CHECKS SPELLING, F12 SAVES AS NEW — build a story: You need Help (F1), you Refresh your memory (F5), you Check your work (F7), and finally Save with a new name (F12)
• For alignment remember LERJ = Left, cEnter, Right, Justify = Ctrl L, E, R, J — think of four corners of a page

• IBPS PO Mains Computer section asks 1-2 shortcut questions almost every year — they are usually direct and take under 10 seconds each, so never skip this topic
• Questions are typically framed as 'Which of the following shortcut keys is used to...' — always eliminate options by ruling out wrong keys, not just identifying the right one
• MS Word shortcuts dominate shortcut questions in recent years (2019-2023 papers) — prioritise Word over Excel and browser shortcuts if time is short
• Watch for negative framing: 'Which of the following is NOT a valid shortcut?' — these appear occasionally and catch aspirants who memorise only correct shortcuts without context
• Function key questions (F1-F12) appear in Prelims Computer section of some associated exams — revise them as a bonus because they take only 2 minutes to memorise and never come with complex options