MS Office Questions for SSC CGL

MS Word Basics

MS Word is a word processing software. SSC CGL tests shortcuts, default file extensions, and specific features like mail merge, page layout options, and formatting tools. The default file format for Word 2007 and above is .docx, while older versions used .doc. Word processing means creating, editing, formatting, and printing text documents.

• Default extension: .docx (Word 2007+), .doc (older versions)
• Ctrl+S = Save, Ctrl+Z = Undo, Ctrl+Y = Redo, Ctrl+P = Print
• Ctrl+B = Bold, Ctrl+I = Italic, Ctrl+U = Underline
• Mail Merge is used to send same letter to multiple recipients with different names/addresses
• Find and Replace: Ctrl+H — frequently asked in exams
• Word Count is found under the Review tab

MS Excel Basics

MS Excel is a spreadsheet software used for data calculation, analysis, and charts. SSC CGL heavily tests Excel functions, shortcuts, and cell referencing. A workbook contains multiple worksheets. The default extension is .xlsx. Each cell is identified by a column letter and row number like A1, B2. Excel can have up to 1,048,576 rows and 16,384 columns (XFD) in modern versions.

• Default extension: .xlsx (Excel 2007+), .xls (older)
• SUM function: =SUM(A1:A10), AVERAGE: =AVERAGE(A1:A10)
• Ctrl+Home = go to cell A1, Ctrl+End = go to last used cell
• F2 = edit active cell, F4 = repeat last action or lock cell reference
• AutoFill: drag the fill handle at bottom-right of a cell to fill series
• Charts are inserted from the Insert tab — pie, bar, line are common types

MS PowerPoint Basics

MS PowerPoint is a presentation software. Slides are the individual pages of a presentation. SSC CGL asks about slide views, transitions, animations, and file formats. The default extension is .pptx. A presentation can be saved as .pdf or even as a video. The Slide Show view is used to present to an audience and is triggered by pressing F5.

• Default extension: .pptx (PowerPoint 2007+), .ppt (older)
• F5 = Start slide show from beginning, Shift+F5 = from current slide
• Normal View = editing, Slide Sorter View = rearranging slides
• Transition = animation between slides, Animation = effect on objects within a slide
• Ctrl+M = insert new slide, Ctrl+D = duplicate slide
• A presentation template has the extension .potx

MS Access Basics

MS Access is a Database Management System (DBMS) that is part of MS Office. It stores data in tables, and uses queries to retrieve data. SSC CGL occasionally asks about Access objects and file extensions. The default file extension is .accdb. Access uses SQL-like queries to manage data. Key objects are: Tables, Queries, Forms, Reports — remember this as TQFR.

• Default extension: .accdb (Access 2007+), .mdb (older)
• Four main objects: Tables, Queries, Forms, Reports
• Primary Key uniquely identifies each record in a table
• A Query is used to extract specific data from one or more tables
• Forms are used for data entry, Reports are for printing summaries
• Access is a relational database — data is stored in related tables

Common Keyboard Shortcuts Across MS Office

SSC CGL loves testing shortcuts that work across all Office applications. These are universal and appear in almost every paper. Memorize these as a group rather than application by application.

• Ctrl+C = Copy, Ctrl+X = Cut, Ctrl+V = Paste
• Ctrl+A = Select All, Ctrl+F = Find, Ctrl+H = Find and Replace
• Ctrl+N = New file, Ctrl+O = Open file, Ctrl+W = Close file
• Ctrl+Z = Undo, Ctrl+Y = Redo
• Alt+F4 = Close application, F1 = Help in all Office apps
• Ctrl+Home = beginning of document, Ctrl+End = end of document

File Extensions Quick Reference

File extensions are one of the most tested areas in SSC CGL Computer sections. Confusing Word and Excel extensions or old vs new formats is a common trap. Learn the pattern: all modern Office formats end in x (docx, xlsx, pptx, accdb is the exception).

• MS Word: .docx (new), .doc (old), template = .dotx
• MS Excel: .xlsx (new), .xls (old), template = .xltx
• MS PowerPoint: .pptx (new), .ppt (old), template = .potx
• MS Access: .accdb (new), .mdb (old)
• PDF = Portable Document Format — Office files can be exported to PDF
• CSV = Comma Separated Values — Excel can open and save as .csv

• Confusing Transition (between slides) with Animation (within a slide) in PowerPoint — both are different features tested separately
• Mixing up .doc with .docx — remember .docx is Word 2007 and above, the x means XML format
• Thinking COUNT in Excel counts all cells — it only counts cells with numbers; COUNTA counts non-empty cells
• Confusing Ctrl+H (Find and Replace) with Ctrl+F (Find only) — both are asked and one wrong letter costs marks
• Assuming MS Access is not part of MS Office — it is, and its TQFR objects (Tables, Queries, Forms, Reports) are frequently asked

• TQFR for MS Access objects: Think Tables Query Forms Reports = Tum Quicker Find Records
• File extension pattern: All new Office formats end in X — docX, xlsX, pptX — the X stands for XML
• For shortcuts, think SCAVF: Save, Copy, Undo, Vert-all (Select All), Find — Ctrl+S, C, Z, A, F
• PowerPoint views: NSR = Normal, Slide Sorter, Reading — like News, Sports, Reading in a newspaper

• SSC CGL Tier 1 typically has 2-4 questions on MS Office out of 25 Computer Awareness questions — never skip this topic as it is direct scoring
• Shortcut keys are the most repeated question type — especially Ctrl+H, F5, F2, and F4 appear across multiple years
• File extensions are asked in matching format — which software uses which extension — learn all 4 applications together
• PowerPoint questions in recent papers have focused on Slide Show shortcuts (F5 vs Shift+F5) and the difference between Transition and Animation
• MS Excel function questions are getting more common — SUM, AVERAGE, COUNT, IF and their syntax are asked; make sure you know the = sign starts every formula