MS Office Questions for SBI PO

MS Word — Core Concepts

MS Word is a word processing application. The exam tests ribbon tabs, shortcut keys, view modes, and file formats. The default file format for Word 2007 and later is .docx. Word 97-2003 used .doc. Mail Merge is a favourite PYQ topic — it lets you send personalised letters to many people using a data source.

• Default save format: .docx (Word 2007 onwards), .doc (older versions)
• Mail Merge: combines a template document with a data source (like Excel sheet or Outlook contacts)
• Views: Print Layout, Read Mode, Web Layout, Outline, Draft
• Ctrl+Z = Undo, Ctrl+Y = Redo, Ctrl+S = Save, Ctrl+P = Print
• Find and Replace: Ctrl+H | Find only: Ctrl+F
• Word count tool is under Review tab

MS Excel — Formulas and Functions

Excel is the most tested Office application in SBI PO. You must know built-in functions, their syntax, and what they return. A cell address is Column-then-Row (e.g., B3). Formulas always start with = sign. VLOOKUP, IF, COUNTIF, SUMIF, and basic statistical functions are PYQ regulars.

• SUM(range): adds all values in a range — e.g., =SUM(A1:A10)
• AVERAGE(range): arithmetic mean of values
• COUNT(range): counts cells with numbers only; COUNTA counts non-empty cells
• IF(condition, value_if_true, value_if_false): logical test
• VLOOKUP(lookup_value, table_array, col_index, [range_lookup]): searches first column of table
• Default Excel file format: .xlsx; older .xls

MS Excel — Navigation and Shortcuts

SBI PO often asks what a specific shortcut does or which key reaches a particular location. Memorise these as a small table in your mind. The Name Box (top-left) shows current cell address. The formula bar shows the content of the selected cell.

• Ctrl+Home: go to cell A1 (beginning of sheet)
• Ctrl+End: go to last used cell
• Ctrl+Arrow key: jump to last filled cell in that direction
• F2: edit selected cell directly
• Alt+Enter: insert line break within a cell
• Maximum rows in Excel 2016: 1,048,576 — Maximum columns: 16,384 (column XFD)

MS PowerPoint — Key Facts

PowerPoint creates slide-based presentations. The exam tests view types, file formats, and slide features. Default format is .pptx. A presentation file is called a deck. Slide Show view is what the audience sees in full screen. Normal view is the editing view with slide panel on left.

• Default file format: .pptx (2007 onwards), .ppt (older)
• Views: Normal, Slide Sorter, Notes Page, Reading View, Slide Show
• Slide Show starts from beginning: F5 | From current slide: Shift+F5
• Animations: effects applied to objects on a single slide
• Transitions: effects applied when moving from one slide to the next
• Handout Master controls how printed handouts look

Common Keyboard Shortcuts Across MS Office

These shortcuts work across Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. SBI PO frequently presents a shortcut and asks what it does, or describes an action and asks which shortcut performs it. Treat this as pure memory work.

• Ctrl+C = Copy, Ctrl+X = Cut, Ctrl+V = Paste
• Ctrl+A = Select All, Ctrl+B = Bold, Ctrl+I = Italic, Ctrl+U = Underline
• Ctrl+N = New file, Ctrl+O = Open, Ctrl+W = Close current document
• Ctrl+Z = Undo (up to limited steps), Ctrl+Y = Redo/Repeat
• F7 = Spell Check (Word and PowerPoint)
• Alt+F4 = Close application entirely

File Formats to Remember

File extension questions are simple one-mark gifts. The exam sometimes gives a scenario like 'a file to be opened in older Word versions' and asks which format to use. Keep this table sharp.

• Word: .docx (current), .doc (legacy), .pdf (read-only export), .txt (plain text)
• Excel: .xlsx (current), .xls (legacy), .csv (comma-separated, no formatting)
• PowerPoint: .pptx (current), .ppt (legacy), .pdf, .ppsx (auto-starts slide show)
• Template files: .dotx (Word), .xltx (Excel), .potx (PowerPoint)
• CSV files lose all formatting and formulas — only raw data is saved

• Confusing Transitions with Animations in PowerPoint — Transitions are between slides, Animations are on objects within a slide.
• Writing VLOOKUP col_index as column letter (like B) instead of a number — it must be a number (1, 2, 3...).
• Thinking COUNT and COUNTA are the same — COUNT only counts numeric cells, COUNTA counts all non-empty cells including text.
• Confusing Ctrl+W (close document) with Alt+F4 (close application) — both end something but different levels.
• Assuming .csv saves formulas and formatting — it saves only plain text values, no formulas, no colours, no merged cells.

• VTIC for VLOOKUP arguments: Value, Table, Index, Criteria (range_lookup). Remember VTIC like a ticket to find data.
• For file formats remember the X rule: all modern Office formats end in X — docx, xlsx, pptx. Older ones without X are legacy.
• Animations are for Actors (objects on a slide), Transitions are for Travel (moving between slides). A for Actor, T for Travel.
• COUNT is for Counting Cash (numbers only), COUNTA counts All (including text) — the A in COUNTA stands for All.

• SBI PO Computer section usually has 2-3 direct MS Excel questions — at least one on VLOOKUP or IF function syntax. Read options carefully as they differ by just one argument.
• Shortcut key questions are one of the fastest to solve — if you have memorised them, each takes under 15 seconds. Do not skip this sub-topic.
• File format questions appear as scenario-based MCQs: 'Which format should Raj use to ensure his Excel file opens in Office 2003?' — answer is .xls.
• Mail Merge in Word is a recurring PYQ — know that it needs two components: a main document and a data source. The result is a merged document.
• PowerPoint view questions often confuse Slide Sorter (arranging/reordering slides) with Normal view (editing). Know what each view is used for.