Which of the following is NOT system software?

A linker that joins object code

Which of the following statements about MS PowerPoint is INCORRECT?

A .ppsx file opens by default in the normal editing view, not as a show

A transition is the effect used when one slide changes to the next

An animation can be applied to an individual object such as a picture

A change made in the Slide Master is inherited by the slides built on its layouts

A .ppsx file opens by default in the normal editing view, not as a show

Rohit sends Meena a message that only she can read and that she can verify came from him. In the standard public-key scheme, which keys does Rohit use to encrypt and then to sign, in that order?

Meena's public key, then Rohit's private key

Rohit's public key, then Meena's private key

Meena's private key, then Rohit's public key

Meena's public key, then Rohit's private key

Rohit's private key, then Meena's public key

Which statement best describes card tokenisation as used under the RBI framework for card-on-file payments?

The actual card number is replaced by an alternate code specific to the card, the requesting app and the device

The merchant keeps the full card number in an encrypted file on its own server for use at every later purchase

The card's PIN is converted into a one-time password that the customer must enter for each purchase

The card number is printed on the card in magnetic ink for machine reading

A customer of Bank X withdraws cash from an ATM owned and run by Bank Y, and the request is routed through a switch. In the usual card-network terminology, which statement is correct?

Bank Y is the acquirer and Bank X is the issuer

Bank X is the acquirer and Bank Y is the issuer

Bank Y is the acquirer and Bank X is the issuer

Both banks are issuers, since both hold accounts

Both banks are acquirers, since both handle the cash

Which feature chiefly makes an EMV chip card harder to clone for fraud than a magnetic-stripe card?

The chip creates a unique cryptogram for each transaction, so captured data cannot simply be replayed

The chip stores the cardholder's PIN in readable form so that every terminal can compare it

The chip keeps a larger copy of the stripe's static data in plain form for each terminal to read

The chip lets the card complete a payment without any terminal, reader or network connection

The chip creates a unique cryptogram for each transaction, so captured data cannot simply be replayed

Computer Knowledge II: Software, MS Office, the Internet, Security and Banking IT

This chapter answers the Computer Knowledge test of IBPS RRB Mains and the computer-aptitude part of the reasoning-and-computer tests in SBI Clerk Mains and SBI PO Mains, whose notifications name the tests but list no topics. It continues from the earlier banking computer chapter without repeating it and teaches the next layer: system and application software, language levels and translators; Word and PowerPoint features and shortcuts; Excel functions and errors worked to the answer; the internet, e-mail protocols, browser terms and cloud; malware, authentication and encryption; and the information technology behind cards, chips, payment gateways and tokens. Only stable mechanisms are taught.

System and Application Software, Language Levels and Translators

System software manages the machine and gives other programs a platform: the operating system, device drivers, utility programs and the translators. Application software does the user's own job. The test question is nearly always a sort: a disk defragmenter, a backup tool and a linker are system software; a payroll package, a loan-processing screen and a spreadsheet are applications. The operating system schedules processes, allocates memory, manages files and devices and enforces access rights. A device driver is the small program that lets the operating system talk to one particular device such as a printer.

The four levels of programming language
Level	What the programmer writes	Needs a translator?
Machine language (first generation)	Binary 0s and 1s tied to one processor type	No: the CPU executes it directly
Assembly language (second)	Short mnemonics such as ADD or MOV, still processor-specific	Yes: an assembler
High-level language (third)	English-like statements, portable across machines: C, Java, Python, COBOL	Yes: a compiler or an interpreter
Fourth-generation language (4GL)	Declarative requests saying what is wanted, such as an SQL query	Yes: the database engine or tool processes it

A compiler translates the whole source program into object code before it runs and lists its errors together; an interpreter translates and runs one statement at a time and stops at the first error; an assembler handles only assembly language. After compiling, a linker joins the object code with library routines into one executable file, and a loader places that file in memory for execution. Worked order for a compiled program: write source, compile, link, load, run.

⚠️ Source code and object code

The program the human writes is the source code; what the compiler produces is the object code. Also, an interpreter does not leave behind a separate object file for the whole program, which is why an interpreted program needs the interpreter every time it runs.

MS Word and PowerPoint Beyond the Basics

Word questions go past bold and italic to the features a bank office uses daily. Mail Merge joins one main document (the letter) with a data source (a list of names and addresses) to produce one personalised copy per record. Styles apply a saved set of formatting to headings or body text, and a Table of Contents is built from heading styles. Track Changes records every edit so a reviewer can accept or reject it, and Comments attach remarks without altering the text. Header and Footer repeat on every page, and the Format Painter copies formatting from one selection to another.

Further shortcuts (Windows)
Keys	Programme	Action
Ctrl+1, Ctrl+5, Ctrl+2	Word	Single, 1.5 and double line spacing
Ctrl+D	Word	Open the Font dialog box
Ctrl+Shift+C, Ctrl+Shift+V	Word	Copy formatting, paste formatting
Ctrl+G or F5	Word, Excel	Go To a page, line or cell
F5, Shift+F5	PowerPoint	Start the slide show from the first slide; from the current slide
Ctrl+M, Esc	PowerPoint	Insert a new slide; end the slide show

PowerPoint has a vocabulary of its own. A transition is the effect when one slide changes to the next; an animation moves or reveals an object (a text box, a picture) within a slide. The Slide Master holds the layouts, fonts and background that every slide based on it inherits, so one edit there changes the whole deck. File types: Word .docx and template .dotx; PowerPoint .pptx, show .ppsx (opens straight into slide show) and template .potx; Excel .xlsx and macro-enabled .xlsm.

⚠️ Ctrl+2 is not Ctrl+5

In Word the number keys set line spacing: 1 single, 5 one-and-a-half, 2 double. In PowerPoint, F5 starts from the beginning and Shift+F5 from the slide you are on; a presenter who presses F5 mid-talk restarts the show.

Excel Functions and Errors at Exam Depth

Functions that carry the questions
Function	What it does	Worked example
LEFT, RIGHT, MID	Cut characters from the left, right, or from a start position	=MID("BR-4521-X",4,4) gives 4521
LEN, TRIM	Count characters; remove extra spaces	=LEN("Bank") gives 4
INT, MOD	INT rounds down to the next lower integer; MOD gives the remainder	=INT(-3.2) gives -4; =MOD(17,5) gives 2
ROUND	A negative digit count rounds to tens, hundreds…	=ROUND(1234.567,-2) gives 1200
SUMIF, COUNTIF	Add or count only the cells meeting one condition	=COUNTIF(B2:B9,">50") counts values above 50
VLOOKUP, HLOOKUP	Search the first column (V) or first row (H) of a table and return a value from a chosen column or row	Last argument FALSE means exact match

Reading a VLOOKUP. =VLOOKUP(value, table, column number, FALSE): the value is searched in the table's first column, and the answer is taken from the numbered column of the matching row, counting the first column as 1. Example: for a table in A2:C5 with codes 201 to 204 in column A, if code 203 sits in row 4, =VLOOKUP(203,A2:C5,3,FALSE) returns the third-column entry of that row. The & operator joins text, so ="Q"&2 gives Q2.

Error values
Shown	Cause
#N/A	A lookup found no match
#NUM!	An impossible number, such as the square root of a negative
#NULL!	A wrongly written range intersection
#####	The column is too narrow to show the value; widen it

🎯 Pivot table, filter, validation

A PivotTable summarises a long list by dragging fields into rows, columns and values, without writing a formula. Data Validation limits what may be typed in a cell (for example a whole number from 1 to 12). Conditional Formatting colours cells by a rule, and Freeze Panes keeps headings in view while scrolling. Errors from the earlier chapter (#DIV/0!, #NAME?, #REF!, #VALUE!) plus the four above are the classic set tested in exams (newer Excel versions add a few more, such as #SPILL!).

The Internet, E-mail, Browsers and the Cloud

The internet runs on the TCP/IP suite: IP addresses and routes packets, TCP delivers them reliably and in order. DHCP hands a device its IP address automatically when it joins a network, and DNS turns a name into an IP address. In a web address such as https://www.example.co.in/loans/home, https is the protocol, www.example.co.in is the domain name, and /loans/home is the path. An intranet is a private network of one organisation using internet technology; an extranet extends it to chosen outsiders such as partners; the internet is open to all.

Protocols and their default ports
Protocol	Job	Port
HTTP / HTTPS	Web pages; HTTPS adds encryption (TLS)	80 / 443
FTP	File transfer	21
SMTP	Sending e-mail to and between servers	25
POP3	Retrieving mail; usually downloads it to one device	110
IMAP	Retrieving mail while keeping it on the server, in step across devices	143

E-mail. In To the recipients see each other; in Cc (carbon copy) the copy-holders are visible to all; in Bcc (blind carbon copy) the addressees are hidden from the other recipients. Cloud computing supplies computing over the network on demand. In SaaS the provider runs the whole application (web mail); in PaaS the customer gets a platform on which to build and run its own applications; in IaaS the customer rents raw servers, storage and networks. Separately, a cloud may be public, private (one organisation only) or hybrid.

⚠️ Browser words that get swapped

A cookie is a small piece of data a site asks the browser to store, to remember a session or preference. The cache stores copies of pages and images so they load faster. Private (incognito) browsing stops the browser keeping history and cookies after the window closes; it does not hide your activity from the website, your employer's network or the internet service provider. A bookmark is a saved address, and clearing the cache does not delete bookmarks.

Malware, Attacks, Authentication and Encryption

Threat terms beyond virus, worm and phishing
Term	Meaning
Keylogger	Records keystrokes to steal passwords
Botnet, DDoS	Many infected machines flood a service so legitimate users are denied it
Pharming	Redirects a correctly typed address to a fake site by tampering with name resolution
Skimming, shoulder surfing	A hidden reader copies card data; someone watches a PIN being typed
Man-in-the-middle	An attacker secretly sits between two parties and reads or alters their messages
Zero-day	A flaw unknown to the vendor, or not yet patched, that attackers can exploit before a fix exists

Authentication proves who you are, using one or more factors: something you know (password, PIN), something you have (phone, card, token) and something you are (fingerprint, face, iris). A password plus a fingerprint uses two different factors; a password plus a security question uses the same factor twice and is not two-factor. Authorisation is a separate step: what an authenticated person is allowed to do.

Symmetric and asymmetric encryption
Aspect	Symmetric	Asymmetric (public-key)
Keys	One shared secret key locks and unlocks	A pair: a public key shared openly and a private key kept secret
Speed	Fast, suited to bulk data	Slower, used for key exchange and signatures
Weak point	Getting the key safely to the other party	Protecting the private key

The public-key rule. To keep a message confidential, encrypt it with the receiver's public key; only the receiver's private key opens it. To sign, the sender signs (in practice, a hash of the message) with the sender's private key, and anyone checks it with the sender's public key. A hash is a one-way fingerprint of data: a changed message gives a different hash, which is how tampering is detected. TLS (the successor of SSL) uses both kinds of encryption to secure a browser's connection, and a certificate issued by a certification authority ties a public key to a named website.

🧠 Lock for the receiver, stamp from the sender

Confidentiality uses the receiver's public key; a signature uses the sender's private key. If the choice feels confusing, ask who must be the only one able to do the final step: only the receiver should open the message, and only the sender should be able to sign.

Banking IT: Cards, Chips, Gateways and Tokens

When a card is used at another bank's ATM or at a merchant's POS terminal, two roles appear. The acquirer is the bank or entity that owns or serves the terminal and captures the transaction; the issuer is the bank that issued the card and holds the account. The request travels through a switch (a routing network) from acquirer to issuer, which approves or declines it, and the answer returns the same way. Cash withdrawn from a rival bank's ATM is therefore an acquirer's service to an issuer's customer.

Card technology in one view
Term	Meaning and why it matters
Magnetic stripe	Stores the same static data on every swipe, so a copied stripe can be reused
EMV chip	A microprocessor that creates a unique cryptogram for each transaction, so captured data cannot simply be replayed; RBI directed banks to move debit and credit cards to EMV chip and PIN
Contactless (NFC)	The card or phone is tapped near the reader over a very short range
Card not present	Online or app payments with no physical card; an additional factor such as an OTP is used for authentication

Payment gateway and aggregator. A payment gateway is the technology that securely carries the card or bank details from the merchant's checkout to the banks and returns the result, in the way a POS terminal does in a shop. A payment aggregator is a regulated entity that collects money from customers on behalf of many merchants and then settles it to them; RBI authorises such aggregators. The gateway moves the data, while the aggregator handles the funds.

Tokenisation. Under the RBI framework for card-on-file tokenisation, the actual card number is replaced by an alternate code, the token, which is specific to the card, the requesting app or merchant and the device. A merchant stores the token, not the card number, so a leaked merchant database does not expose usable card details. A token cannot be used elsewhere. Mobile banking may use an app, SMS or the USSD service of NPCI; UPI is run by NPCI.

⚠️ Gateway is not the aggregator, token is not encryption

Encryption scrambles the real number and can be reversed with a key; a token is a substitute value with no mathematical route back to the card number outside the token service. In exam stems, the word to watch is who holds the money (aggregator) versus who carries the data (gateway).

Key takeaways

Utilities, drivers, translators and linkers are system software; payroll and loan screens are applications. Compiled programs go source, compile, link, load, run.
Word: Ctrl+1, 5, 2 for single, 1.5, double spacing; PowerPoint: F5 from the start, Shift+F5 from the current slide; transitions move between slides, animations move objects.
Excel: INT rounds down (INT(-3.2) is -4); a negative ROUND digit count rounds to tens or hundreds; VLOOKUP counts the first column as 1; a missing exact match gives #N/A.
Ports: HTTP 80, HTTPS 443, FTP 21, SMTP 25, POP3 110, IMAP 143. IMAP keeps mail on the server in step across devices; SaaS is a whole application run by the provider.
Pharming redirects a correct address; two-factor means two different factors; encrypt with the receiver's public key, sign with your own private key.
The acquirer owns the terminal, the issuer issued the card; an EMV chip makes a fresh cryptogram each time; a token replaces the card number and is not encryption.

Practice questions (20)

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.

Which of the following is NOT system software?
1. A device driver for a printer
2. A disk defragmenter utility
3. A payroll processing package
4. A linker that joins object code
Show answer
Answer: C — A payroll processing package
A payroll package does a user's own job, so it is application software. Drivers, utilities such as a defragmenter and translators or linkers all serve the machine itself and are system software; the defragmenter is the tempting distractor because it looks like a tool but is a utility.
Consider these statements. P: An assembler converts assembly language into machine code. Q: A compiler translates the whole source program into object code before it is run. R: An interpreter produces a separate object file of the whole program that runs without the interpreter. S: Machine language is the only language a CPU can execute directly. Which statements are correct?
1. P, Q and S only
2. P and R only
3. Q, R and S only
4. P, Q, R and S
Show answer
Answer: A — P, Q and S only
P, Q and S are standard definitions. R is wrong: an interpreter translates and runs statement by statement and leaves no standalone object file, which is the compiler's output; that is why the all-four option fails.
Put the usual stages of building a compiled program in order. P: The linker combines the object code with library routines into an executable file. Q: The programmer writes the source code. R: The loader places the executable file in memory. S: The compiler translates the source code into object code.
1. Q, P, S, R
2. S, Q, P, R
3. Q, S, R, P
4. Q, S, P, R
Show answer
Answer: D — Q, S, P, R
Source is written (Q), compiled to object code (S), linked into an executable (P) and finally loaded for execution (R). Linking before compiling is impossible, since there is no object code yet to link, and loading comes last.
A branch wants to send the same letter to 500 customers, each copy carrying that customer's own name and address from a list. Which MS Word feature is designed for this?
1. Track Changes
2. Mail Merge
3. Table of Contents
4. Format Painter
Show answer
Answer: B — Mail Merge
Mail Merge joins a main document with a data source and prints one personalised copy per record. Track Changes records edits for review, so it is the wrong tool, and Format Painter only copies formatting.
In MS Word on Windows, which keyboard shortcut applies one-and-a-half line spacing to the selected paragraph?
1. Ctrl + 1
2. Ctrl + 2
3. Ctrl + 5
4. Ctrl + E
Show answer
Answer: C — Ctrl + 5
Ctrl + 5 gives 1.5 spacing. Ctrl + 1 is single spacing and Ctrl + 2 is double spacing, the tempting swaps, while Ctrl + E centres the text.
A presenter is on slide 7 of a deck in MS PowerPoint on Windows and wants the slide show to begin from this very slide. Which shortcut does this?
1. Shift + F5
2. F5
3. Ctrl + M
4. Esc
Show answer
Answer: A — Shift + F5
Shift + F5 starts the show from the current slide. F5 starts from the first slide, which is the tempting answer; Ctrl + M inserts a new slide and Esc ends a running show.
Which of the following statements about MS PowerPoint is INCORRECT?
1. A transition is the effect used when one slide changes to the next
2. An animation can be applied to an individual object such as a picture
3. A change made in the Slide Master is inherited by the slides built on its layouts
4. A .ppsx file opens by default in the normal editing view, not as a show
Show answer
Answer: D — A .ppsx file opens by default in the normal editing view, not as a show
A .ppsx file is a PowerPoint Show and opens directly in slide show view, so the statement about .ppsx is false. The other three describe transitions, animations and the Slide Master correctly; confusing transition with animation is the usual error.
In MS Excel, what does the formula =MID("RRB-2026-KOL",5,4) return?
1. -202
2. 2026
3. 2026-
4. 026-
Show answer
Answer: B — 2026
MID starts at character 5 and takes 4 characters. The characters are R(1) R(2) B(3) -(4) 2(5) 0(6) 2(7) 6(8), so the result is 2026. Starting at 4 would give -202, which is the off-by-one slip.
What is the value of =INT(-3.2)+MOD(17,5)+ROUND(1234.567,-2)/100 in Excel?
1. 10
2. 11
3. 8
4. 12
Show answer
Answer: A — 10
INT(-3.2) rounds down to -4; MOD(17,5) is 2; ROUND(1234.567,-2) is 1200 and 1200/100 is 12. The total is -4 + 2 + 12 = 10. Taking INT(-3.2) as -3 gives the distractor 11.
In a hypothetical Excel table in A2:C5, column A holds plan codes 101, 102, 103, 104, column B holds the names Basic, Silver, Gold, Prime, and column C holds the fees 150, 300, 450, 600, in that order. What does =VLOOKUP(103,A2:C5,3,FALSE)&"-"&VLOOKUP(101,A2:C5,2,FALSE) return?
1. Gold-150
2. 450-101
3. 450-Basic
4. Gold-Basic
Show answer
Answer: C — 450-Basic
Code 103 is in the third row; column 3 is the fee, 450. Code 101 is in the first row; column 2 is the name, Basic. The & operator joins them as 450-Basic. Gold-150 swaps the column numbers.
An Excel VLOOKUP with exact match cannot find the lookup value in the first column of the table. What does the cell show?
1. #VALUE!
2. #REF!
3. #NAME?
4. #N/A
Show answer
Answer: D — #N/A
A lookup with no match returns #N/A. #REF! means a deleted or invalid reference, #NAME? an unrecognised function name and #VALUE! a wrong data type, none of which describes a missing match.
A user wants incoming mail to stay on the server, with folders and read status kept in step on a phone and a laptop. Which mail-retrieval protocol is built for this?
1. SMTP
2. IMAP
3. POP3
4. FTP
Show answer
Answer: B — IMAP
IMAP keeps mail on the server and synchronises it across devices. POP3 typically downloads mail to one device, which is why it is the tempting alternative; SMTP is for sending, and FTP transfers files.
Match the protocols with their standard default ports. P: HTTP, Q: HTTPS, R: FTP, S: POP3. Which option gives the correct ports for P, Q, R and S in that order?
1. 80, 443, 25, 110
2. 443, 80, 21, 143
3. 80, 443, 21, 110
4. 80, 21, 443, 110
Show answer
Answer: C — 80, 443, 21, 110
HTTP uses port 80, HTTPS 443, FTP 21 and POP3 110. Port 25 belongs to SMTP, which is the swap in the option listing 25 for FTP, and 143 belongs to IMAP.
A bank's staff open their e-mail in a web browser, and the provider manages the servers, the platform and the e-mail application itself. Which cloud service model is this?
1. Software as a Service
2. Platform as a Service
3. Infrastructure as a Service
4. Storage as a hardware lease
Show answer
Answer: A — Software as a Service
When the provider runs the entire application and users only use it, the model is SaaS. PaaS would give the customer a platform to build applications, and IaaS would rent raw servers and storage, with the customer managing the software on them.
Consider these statements. P: Private (incognito) browsing stops the browser keeping history and cookies after the window is closed. Q: Private browsing hides the user's activity from the internet service provider. R: A cookie is a small piece of data a website asks the browser to store. S: Clearing the cache deletes all the user's bookmarks. Which statements are correct?
1. P and Q only
2. P and R only
3. Q and S only
4. R and S only
Show answer
Answer: B — P and R only
P and R are accurate. Q is wrong because private browsing only affects what the local browser keeps; the provider and the site can still see the traffic. S is wrong because the cache holds page copies, while bookmarks are stored separately.
A customer correctly types a bank's web address but is silently taken to a fake look-alike site, because the name-resolution records were tampered with. Which attack is this?
1. Skimming
2. Smishing
3. Shoulder surfing
4. Pharming
Show answer
Answer: D — Pharming
Pharming redirects a correctly typed address to a fraudulent site by tampering with name resolution. Smishing lures by SMS, skimming copies card data with a hidden reader and shoulder surfing watches a PIN being entered; none involves redirecting a correctly typed address.
Rohit sends Meena a message that only she can read and that she can verify came from him. In the standard public-key scheme, which keys does Rohit use to encrypt and then to sign, in that order?
1. Rohit's public key, then Meena's private key
2. Meena's private key, then Rohit's public key
3. Meena's public key, then Rohit's private key
4. Rohit's private key, then Meena's public key
Show answer
Answer: C — Meena's public key, then Rohit's private key
For confidentiality he encrypts with the receiver's public key, which only Meena's private key can open; for the signature he uses his own private key, which anyone can check with his public key. The reversed pair fails because Rohit does not hold Meena's private key.
Which statement best describes card tokenisation as used under the RBI framework for card-on-file payments?
1. The actual card number is replaced by an alternate code specific to the card, the requesting app and the device
2. The merchant keeps the full card number in an encrypted file on its own server for use at every later purchase
3. The card's PIN is converted into a one-time password that the customer must enter for each purchase
4. The card number is printed on the card in magnetic ink for machine reading
Show answer
Answer: A — The actual card number is replaced by an alternate code specific to the card, the requesting app and the device
A token replaces the card number with a substitute valid only for that card, requestor and device, so a leaked merchant record exposes no usable card number. Storing the full number even encrypted is exactly what the token approach avoids, and the other options describe different things.
A customer of Bank X withdraws cash from an ATM owned and run by Bank Y, and the request is routed through a switch. In the usual card-network terminology, which statement is correct?
1. Bank X is the acquirer and Bank Y is the issuer
2. Bank Y is the acquirer and Bank X is the issuer
3. Both banks are issuers, since both hold accounts
4. Both banks are acquirers, since both handle the cash
Show answer
Answer: B — Bank Y is the acquirer and Bank X is the issuer
The acquirer is the entity whose terminal captures the transaction (Bank Y); the issuer issued the card and holds the account that is debited (Bank X). Calling the cash-dispensing bank the issuer reverses the two roles.
Which feature chiefly makes an EMV chip card harder to clone for fraud than a magnetic-stripe card?
1. The chip stores the cardholder's PIN in readable form so that every terminal can compare it
2. The chip keeps a larger copy of the stripe's static data in plain form for each terminal to read
3. The chip lets the card complete a payment without any terminal, reader or network connection
4. The chip creates a unique cryptogram for each transaction, so captured data cannot simply be replayed
Show answer
Answer: D — The chip creates a unique cryptogram for each transaction, so captured data cannot simply be replayed
The per-transaction cryptogram is what defeats replay of copied data. A stripe holds the same static data at every swipe, which is why it can be skimmed and reused; a chip that held plain static data or a readable PIN would be no safer.