The computer knowledge module of SSC CGL Tier 2 rewards a very specific kind of preparation: recognising the small set of question patterns that exam setters keep reusing, and locking in the one fact each pattern tests. Most solved sets you will find online list answers without reasoning, which helps nobody two weeks before the exam.
The 12 questions below come from KnowledgeGate's published question bank, from the same practice sets that sit inside the SSC CGL Tier 2 computer module on our learn platform. The exam and year printed with each question come straight from the bank's PYQ tags; several are from other recruitments (UGC NET, DSSSB, BPSC, HTET, REET, GATE) whose computer papers recycle exactly the patterns this module draws on. Every question links to its own solved page inside the course module.
Attempt each question before reading the answer; each explanation names the pattern it belongs to, because the pattern is what repeats, not the wording.
SSC CGL Tier 2 computer knowledge: the module and its repeated patterns
In our course structure, computer knowledge sits as its own section of Paper-I, alongside mathematical abilities, reasoning, English and general awareness. Its question count, marks and whether it is scored or qualifying in the current cycle are official specifics; confirm them in the notification on ssc.gov.in, since the Commission has revised the pattern before.
What we can say confidently, from the question bank behind our practice sets, is which topics keep producing questions and in what shape:
Topic | Recurring pattern | Questions here |
|---|---|---|
Computer basics and keyboard | Name the key: modifier keys, shortcut one-liners, permanent delete | Q1 to Q3 |
MS Office | Which application or feature does what: Word, Excel, Access | Q4 to Q6 |
Internet and protocols | Match the protocol to its layer or its behaviour | Q7 and Q8 |
Cyber security and networking | Identify the threat or the defence: malware, firewall, VPN | Q9 to Q12 |
If you want the full picture of how this module fits against the other Tier 2 areas, our SSC CGL syllabus areas guide maps every section to a preparation approach.
Computer basics and keyboard shortcuts: name-the-key questions
The pattern: a one-line stem asks what a key or key combination does, or which keys belong to a named group. Either you know the fact or you lose the mark in ten seconds.
Q1. Which of the following keys of keyboard are called modifier keys?
(a) Ctrl (b) Shift (c) End (d) Alt
Choose the correct option from those given below: (UGC NET Nov 2020, see the solved page)
(a) a), b) and c)
(b) a), b) and d)
(c) a), c) and d)
(d) b), c) and d)
Answer: (b). A modifier key changes what another key does when both are pressed together, and the standard trio is Ctrl, Shift and Alt. End is a navigation key; it moves the cursor on its own and modifies nothing, which is how examiners catch rote memorisers.
Q2. The key/keys used to delete a file without allowing it to store in recycle bin is/are (BPSC PGT 2023, see the solved page)
(a) Delete
(b) Shift + Delete
(c) Ctrl + Delete
(d) More than one of the above
(e) None of the above
Answer: (b). Delete alone sends a file to the Recycle Bin, from where it can be restored. Shift + Delete bypasses the bin and removes the file permanently, which is exactly what the stem asks; only one combination skips the bin.
Q3. In MS Word, Ctrl + = key is used for (REET 2022, see the solved page)
(a) Font Size
(b) Superscript
(c) All Caps
(d) Subscript
Answer: (d). Ctrl + = toggles subscript, and its partner Ctrl + Shift + = toggles superscript. Learn the pair together; papers test either direction and count on you confusing the two.
MS Office questions: which application or feature does what
The pattern: the stem names a task (accounting, long text storage, inserting one document into another) and asks which application, data type or mechanism handles it. The distractors are real Office terms placed one shelf away.
Q4. Which of the following is an accounting application software? (DSSSB TGT 2023, see the solved page)
(a) Tally
(b) MS-Word
(c) OpenOffice
(d) MS-Access
Answer: (a). Tally is purpose-built accounting software used for ledgers, vouchers and tax work. MS-Word is a word processor, OpenOffice is a general office suite, and MS-Access is a database system; a database can hold accounts data but is not accounting software. Classify each application by its primary job.
Q5. When you insert an Excel file into a Word document, the data are (REET 2022, see the solved page)
(a) placed in a word table
(b) linked
(c) hyperlinked
(d) embedded
Answer: (d). Inserting an Excel file as an object places an independent copy inside the Word document; that is embedding. Linking is the different case where Word only stores a reference and picks up changes made to the original file. The embed-versus-link distinction is the whole point of this question family.
Q6. In Microsoft Access, which data type is used to store long alphanumeric data such as sentences or paragraphs? (HTET 2024, see the solved page)
(a) Text
(b) Hyperlink
(c) Memo
(d) OLE object
Answer: (c). Memo is the Access data type for long free-form text running into thousands of characters; newer Access versions call it Long Text. The plain Text type is capped at a short length, Hyperlink stores addresses, and OLE Object stores embedded files such as images. Papers still use the classic name Memo, so know both labels.
Internet and protocol questions: match the protocol to its layer
The pattern: match protocols to TCP/IP layers, or answer a behavioural one-liner such as which protocol broadcasts. One small table of protocol, layer and job covers this zone.
Q7. Match the following:
(P) SMTP (1) Application layer
(Q) BGP (2) Transport layer
(R) TCP (3) Data link layer
(S) PPP (4) Network layer
(5) Physical layer (GATE 2007, see the solved page)
(a) P - 2, Q - 1, R - 3, S - 5
(b) P - 1, Q - 4, R - 2, S - 3
(c) P - 1, Q - 4, R - 2, S - 5
(d) P - 2, Q - 4, R - 1, S - 3
Answer: (b). SMTP is the mail protocol at the application layer, TCP is the transport-layer workhorse, and PPP is a data link protocol used on point-to-point connections. BGP is the routing protocol of the internet and is classified with the network layer's routing function. Anchor SMTP and TCP first; the two you are sure of eliminate three options here.
Q8. Which one of the following protocols may need to broadcast some of its messages? (GATE CS 2026, see the solved page)
(a) SMTP
(b) FTP
(c) DHCP
(d) HTTP
Answer: (c). A machine that has just joined a network has no IP address yet, so it cannot address a server directly; DHCP therefore broadcasts its discovery message to the whole segment. SMTP, FTP and HTTP all assume addressing is already in place and work over point-to-point connections.
Cyber security and networking: identify the threat, identify the defence
The pattern: definition-matching on both sides of the security fence. On the attack side you distinguish virus, worm, trojan, spyware and spoofing; on the defence side you state what a firewall or a VPN actually does. This is the heaviest zone in the module's practice sets.
Q9. _____ is an act of disguising a communication from an unknown source as being a trusted source. (DSSSB 2021, see the solved page)
(a) Spoofing
(b) Bullying
(c) Stealing
(d) Sandboxing
Answer: (a). Disguising the origin of a communication so it appears to come from someone trusted is spoofing, whether the forged item is an email sender, an IP address or a website. Sandboxing is the opposite side of security: running suspect code in isolation to observe it.
Q10. A .......... does not perform any destructive action directly and instead, only consumes system resources to bring it down. (HTET 2024, see the solved page)
(a) Virus
(b) Worm
(c) Trojan
(d) Spy-ware
Answer: (b). A worm self-replicates across a network on its own, and its copies eat bandwidth, memory and processor time; the damage is resource exhaustion rather than direct file destruction. A virus needs a host file, a trojan hides inside legitimate-looking software, and spyware quietly collects information. Exams separate these four by exactly these behavioural fingerprints.
Q11. The primary function of firewall in network security is (UGC NET Jan 2025, see the solved page)
(a) To monitor network traffic and detect anomalies
(b) To create virtual private networks for secure communication
(c) To filter incoming and outgoing network traffic based on security rules
(d) To encrypt data before transmission
Answer: (c). A firewall filters traffic entering and leaving a network against a set of security rules; filtering is the defining function. Anomaly detection belongs to intrusion detection systems, tunnelling to VPNs, and encryption to cryptographic protocols. This one-fact-per-device mapping is a common security question pattern.
Q12. Which of the following networks extends a private network across public networks? (BPSC 2024, see the solved page)
(a) Virtual private network
(b) Local area network
(c) Enterprise private network
(d) More than one of the above
(e) None of the above
Answer: (a). A virtual private network builds an encrypted tunnel over public infrastructure such as the internet, so a remote user works as if plugged into the private network. A LAN is confined to one site and an enterprise private network uses the organisation's own links. The phrase 'across public networks' is the definitional trigger for VPN.
How to use this set before Tier 2
Score yourself honestly on the 12. Ten or more means the module needs only maintenance revision; below that, the gap is almost always the definitional zones: keyboard facts, the protocol-layer table and the malware-versus-defence distinctions.
Each question above links to its solved page inside the course module, and the surrounding practice sets carry the same topics in depth: MS Word and Excel sets, hardware terms, internet terms and the full security sequence. The SSC CGL Tier 2 course bundles this computer module with the mathematics, reasoning, English and general awareness preparation for the same paper. If you are still deciding between exams, start from the SSC CGL category page instead.
Pattern facts are ours to teach; the module's marks and qualifying rules belong to the Commission. Read the current notification on ssc.gov.in once, then spend your remaining hours on the patterns above.
