Computer Aptitude at Bank Level
Hardware, Memory and Devices
The CPU has an ALU that does arithmetic and logic and a control unit that directs the work. Input devices send data in (keyboard, mouse, scanner, microphone, webcam, barcode reader, MICR reader, touch screen); output devices bring results out (monitor, printer, plotter, speaker, projector). A touch screen is both. Printers are impact (dot-matrix, line printer, which strike the paper and can print carbon copies, useful for passbooks and multi-part forms) or non-impact (laser, inkjet, thermal).
| Level | Nature |
|---|---|
| Registers (inside the CPU) | Smallest and fastest, hold the data being processed now |
| Cache | Small, very fast, sits between the CPU and RAM and holds frequently used data |
| RAM (primary memory) | Volatile: contents are lost when power goes off; holds running programs |
| ROM | Non-volatile: keeps its contents without power; holds the start-up program (BIOS) |
| Secondary storage: hard disk, SSD, flash drive, CD, DVD | Large and permanent but slower; an SSD has no moving parts |
Memory units. A bit is a 0 or 1; a nibble is 4 bits; a byte is 8 bits. In examination convention 1 KB = 1024 bytes, 1 MB = 1024 KB, 1 GB = 1024 MB, 1 TB = 1024 GB. Example: a 3 MB file is 3 × 1024 = 3072 KB; a 2 GB file is 2 × 1024 = 2048 MB.
Number Systems and Conversions
Computers store everything in binary (base 2, digits 0 and 1). Related systems are octal (base 8, digits 0 to 7) and hexadecimal (base 16, digits 0 to 9 and A to F, where A = 10, B = 11, C = 12, D = 13, E = 14, F = 15).
| Task | Method | Worked example |
|---|---|---|
| Binary to decimal | Add place values 1, 2, 4, 8, … where there is a 1 | 101101 = 32 + 8 + 4 + 1 = 45 |
| Decimal to binary | Divide by 2 repeatedly, read the remainders from the last to the first | 75: remainders 1, 1, 0, 1, 0, 0, 1, read backwards 1001011 (64 + 8 + 2 + 1 = 75) |
| Hexadecimal to binary | Replace each hex digit by 4 bits | 3C: 3 = 0011, C = 1100, so 00111100 = 60 |
| Binary to hexadecimal or octal | Group bits from the right in 4s (hex) or 3s (octal) | 11010110 = 1101 0110 = D6; decimal 100 in octal is 144 |
Binary addition follows 0 + 0 = 0, 0 + 1 = 1, 1 + 1 = 10 (write 0, carry 1). Example: 1010 + 0111 = 10001 (10 + 7 = 17). For a mixed sum, convert first: (1010)₂ + (13)₁₀ = 10 + 13 = 23 = 10111.
MS Word and Excel: Features and Shortcuts
| Keys | Action |
|---|---|
| Ctrl+C, Ctrl+X, Ctrl+V | Copy, cut, paste |
| Ctrl+Z, Ctrl+Y | Undo, redo |
| Ctrl+A, Ctrl+F, Ctrl+H | Select all, find, replace |
| Ctrl+B, Ctrl+I, Ctrl+U | Bold, italic, underline |
| Ctrl+S, F12, Ctrl+P | Save, Save As, print |
| Ctrl+Home, Ctrl+End | Start, end (of the document in Word; of the sheet or last used cell in Excel) |
| Alt+F4 | Close the active window or program |
| Keys | Word | Excel |
|---|---|---|
| Ctrl+E, Ctrl+L, Ctrl+R, Ctrl+J | Centre, left, right, justify | - |
| Ctrl+Enter | Page break | - |
| Shift+F3 | Cycle UPPER, lower, Title case | - |
| Ctrl+K | Insert hyperlink | Insert hyperlink |
| F2 | - | Edit the active cell |
| F4 | - | Repeat last action; on a cell reference in a formula, cycles relative and absolute forms |
| Ctrl+; and Ctrl+Shift+: | - | Insert the current date; the current time |
| Alt+Enter | - | New line inside the same cell |
| Alt+= | - | AutoSum |
| Ctrl+Space, Shift+Space | - | Select the whole column; the whole row |
Excel facts. A formula starts with =. A sheet has 1,048,576 rows and 16,384 columns (the last column is XFD). COUNT counts cells with numbers, COUNTA counts non-empty cells (text included), COUNTBLANK counts empty cells; SUM, AVERAGE, MAX, MIN, ROUND, IF, SUMIF, COUNTIF and VLOOKUP (looks up down the first column of a table) are the usual functions. TODAY() gives today's date. Error values: #DIV/0! division by zero, #NAME? unknown function name, #REF! deleted reference, #VALUE! wrong data type.
Copying formulas. A relative reference shifts with the copy; a dollar sign locks the part after it. Example: =$A2+B$1 in C2, copied to D4 (one column right, two rows down): $A stays locked on column A but its row moves 2, giving $A4; B moves one column to C but row 1 is locked, giving C$1. The result is =$A4+C$1. Another example: over the cells 12, "Cash", empty, 8, 20, empty, COUNT gives 3 (the numbers) while COUNTA gives 4 (the filled cells).
Networks, Internet and Security
| Device | Job |
|---|---|
| Hub | Sends incoming data to every connected port; no intelligence |
| Switch | Forwards data only to the port of the destination device, using its MAC address |
| Router | Connects different networks and chooses the path using IP addresses |
| Modem | Modulates and demodulates, turning digital signals into a form the line carries and back |
| Repeater, bridge, gateway | Repeater regenerates a weak signal; bridge joins two LAN segments; gateway links networks that use different protocols |
Topologies. Bus (one shared cable), star (every device to a central hub or switch; the failure of the centre stops everything, the failure of one cable stops one device), ring (each device to two neighbours) and mesh (devices linked directly). A full mesh of n devices has n(n − 1)/2 links: for 6 devices, 6 × 5 ÷ 2 = 15. An IPv4 address has 32 bits and an IPv6 address 128 bits, four times as long. A MAC address has 48 bits. DNS converts a name such as a website address into an IP address.
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Virus, worm | A virus attaches to a file and spreads when it is run; a worm copies itself across a network on its own |
| Trojan, ransomware, spyware | A useful-looking program hiding harm; software that locks files for payment; software that secretly watches activity |
| Phishing, vishing, smishing | Fraud by fake e-mail or website; by voice call; by SMS |
| Firewall, encryption, digital signature | Filters network traffic by rules; scrambles data so only the key holder reads it; proves who sent a message and that it was not altered |
Core Banking and Banking IT
Core Banking Solution (CBS) links all branches of a bank to a central database, so the customer belongs to the bank, not to one branch. The Reserve Bank of India describes it as letting customers operate accounts and use banking services from any branch on the CBS network, whatever branch holds the account, a step towards any-where, any-time banking. The banking servers sit in a data centre, usually backed by a disaster-recovery site, and the same central system serves the ATM, net banking, mobile banking and payment channels.
| Channel | How it works | Security element |
|---|---|---|
| ATM | Card in the machine; the request goes over the network to the bank's CBS; cash is dispensed against the balance | Card plus PIN |
| POS | Merchant terminal reads the card (chip, stripe or contactless) and sends the payment request to the bank | PIN for the chip card; EMV chip |
| Net banking | The customer logs in to the bank's secure website and gives instructions | User ID and password, plus OTP for transactions; the padlock and HTTPS show an encrypted link |
| UPI and IMPS | Instant, round-the-clock mobile transfers by virtual address or number | Registered mobile number and a PIN (UPI PIN) |
MICR and the IFSC complete the picture. The MICR band at the foot of a cheque carries numbers in magnetic ink that a machine reads quickly and reliably, even on a worn cheque. The IFSC is an 11-character code that identifies a bank branch for electronic transfers such as NEFT, RTGS and IMPS.
Key takeaways
- Learn full forms in families and note the one-word traps: OCR, OMR and MICR; NEFT, RTGS and IMPS; POS is Point of Sale.
- Memory runs registers, cache, RAM, secondary storage from fast to slow; RAM is volatile and ROM is not; 1 KB = 1024 bytes and 1 byte = 8 bits.
- Convert binary to decimal by place values, decimal to binary by repeated halving read backwards, hex by groups of 4 bits.
- Excel: relative references move, dollar signs lock; COUNT counts numbers, COUNTA counts all non-empty cells; know F2, F4, Alt+Enter, Ctrl+; and the four error values.
- Hub broadcasts, switch uses MAC addresses, router uses IP addresses; a full mesh of n devices has n(n − 1)/2 links; IPv6 has 128 bits against 32.
- CBS makes the customer the bank's, not the branch's; banks never ask for PIN, OTP or CVV, and phone-call fraud is vishing.
Practice questions (18)
Attempt each one before opening the answer. Every explanation names the tempting wrong option as well as the right one, because that is where marks are lost.
In banking technology, MICR stands for which of the following?
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Answer: B — Magnetic Ink Character Recognition
MICR is Magnetic Ink Character Recognition: the numbers at the foot of a cheque are printed in magnetic ink and read by machine. OCR, not MICR, reads ordinary printed characters by light, and Magnetic Image Code Reader is not a standard term.Which of the following gives the correct full form of UPI?
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Answer: D — Unified Payments Interface
UPI is the Unified Payments Interface, the instant mobile payment system run by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI). Personal Identification is the expansion of PIN, which is a different item, and the other two are not used.In MS Excel, which keyboard shortcut inserts the current date into the active cell?
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Answer: C — Ctrl + ;
Ctrl + ; (semicolon) inserts the current date. Ctrl + Shift + : inserts the current time, which is the tempting swap. Alt + = inserts AutoSum, and Ctrl + T creates a table.What is the decimal value of the binary number 101101?
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Answer: A — 45
From the right the place values are 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32. The ones are at 32, 8, 4 and 1, which sum to 45. The values 43 and 53 come from misplacing one place value (32 + 8 + 2 + 1 and 32 + 16 + 4 + 1).What is the binary equivalent of the decimal number 75?
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Answer: C — 1001011
Dividing by 2 repeatedly gives remainders 1, 1, 0, 1, 0, 0, 1; read from the last to the first they form 1001011, and 64 + 8 + 2 + 1 = 75. The string 1101001 would be the remainders read in the wrong order, and 1001101 equals 77.Which binary number is equal to the hexadecimal number 3C?
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Answer: B — 111100
Write each hexadecimal digit as 4 bits: 3 is 0011 and C (12) is 1100, so 3C is 00111100, that is 111100 (decimal 60). The string 11000011 comes from writing the two groups in the wrong order, and 110011 is decimal 51.What is the sum of the binary number 1010 and the decimal number 13, written in binary?
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Answer: D — 10111
1010 is 10 in decimal, and 10 + 13 = 23. In binary 23 = 16 + 4 + 2 + 1 = 10111. The value 10101 is 21, and 11011 is 27, which would come from mixing up the place values.Taking 1 KB = 1024 bytes and 1 MB = 1024 KB, how many kilobytes are there in a file of 3 MB?
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Answer: B — 3072
Each MB is 1024 KB, so 3 MB = 3 × 1024 = 3072 KB. The value 3000 uses a decimal 1000, which the stem rules out, and 1024 is the size of 1 MB, not 3 MB.In an Excel sheet, cells A1 to A6 hold 12, the text Cash, an empty cell, 8, 20 and an empty cell, in that order. What is the value of COUNT(A1:A6) + COUNTA(A1:A6)?
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Answer: C — 7
COUNT counts only numeric cells: 12, 8 and 20, so 3. COUNTA counts non-empty cells: 12, Cash, 8 and 20, so 4. The sum is 7. The value 8 would come from counting the text in COUNT as well.In Excel, cell C2 holds the formula =$A2+B$1. It is copied to cell D4, one column to the right and two rows down. What formula does D4 hold?
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Answer: A — =$A4+C$1
The $ locks the column of A, so only the row moves by 2: $A4. In B$1 the row is locked and the column moves by 1: C$1. So D4 holds =$A4+C$1. The formula =$A4+B$3 moves the wrong part of the second reference.Consider these statements. P: RAM loses its contents when power is switched off. Q: Cache memory is slower than RAM. R: ROM loses its contents when power is switched off. S: An SSD has no moving parts. Which statements are correct?
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Answer: B — P and S only
RAM is volatile, so P is right. Cache is faster than RAM, so Q is wrong. ROM is non-volatile and keeps its contents, so R is wrong. An SSD stores data in flash chips with no moving parts, so S is right. Hence P and S only.Which network device forwards data only to the port of the destination device by using its MAC address?
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Answer: D — Switch
A switch learns which MAC address sits on which port and sends the frame only there. A hub, the tempting alternative, copies incoming data to every port, a repeater only regenerates the signal, and a modem converts signals for the line.Which of the following is NOT an input device?
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Answer: A — Plotter
A plotter draws large drawings on paper, so it is an output device. A barcode reader, a MICR reader and a webcam all feed data into the computer. The MICR reader is the tempting wrong choice because it sounds like specialised bank equipment.Which of the following is a direct result of a bank implementing a Core Banking Solution (CBS)?
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Answer: B — A customer can deposit or withdraw at any branch on the network, whichever branch holds the account
Under CBS all branches share one central database, so the customer is the bank's and can use any CBS branch. Separate branch ledgers and single-branch operation describe the older branch-based computerisation, and CBS does not remove signature or account checks on cheques.Which of the following is NOT a safe practice for net banking?
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Answer: C — Reading out the OTP to a caller who says he is from the bank's support team
A bank never asks for an OTP, PIN, CVV or password by call, SMS or e-mail, so sharing an OTP with any caller is unsafe even if the caller sounds genuine. The other three practices reduce risk, and none of them is a mistake.A fraudster telephones a customer, claims to be from the bank and persuades the customer to reveal the card details and OTP. Which term names this voice-call form of phishing specifically?
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Answer: B — Vishing
Vishing is voice phishing, fraud carried out over a telephone call. Smishing uses SMS, pharming redirects a user to a fake website without any call, and a spoofed web page is a different technique again.Six computers in a network are to be connected so that every computer has a direct link to every other computer. How many links are needed?
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Answer: C — 15
A full mesh of n devices needs n(n − 1)/2 links: 6 × 5 ÷ 2 = 15. The value 30 counts each pair twice, and 12 or 36 do not follow from the rule.In MS Word, which shortcut is used to insert a page break at the cursor position?
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Answer: D — Ctrl + Enter
Ctrl + Enter inserts a page break in Word. Alt + Enter starts a new line inside an Excel cell, Shift + F3 changes the case of the selected text, and Ctrl + J justifies the paragraph.