MS Office and Computer Basics Interview Questions and Answers: 60 Questions from Easy to Hard
This guide is for freshers and experienced candidates in India applying for office assistant, admin executive, front office, back-office and data entry jobs, where interviewers check computer basics and Microsoft 365 skills, often with a short practical test. It has 60 questions with answers in three levels: computer parts, files and folders, email and safe internet use; then everyday Word, PowerPoint, Outlook and Teams tasks and shortcuts; and finally mail merge, styles, track changes, data entry accuracy and tricky cases. Shortcuts and menu names are for Microsoft 365 on Windows. Try each task on a computer as you read, then take the mock test. Excel beyond the basics has its own Advanced Excel guide.
- 60 questions, 3 levels
- Updated
- CoreHRx Jobs
- 107 open Office and admin jobs
What these interviews cover
- Computer basics: hardware and software, storage units, Windows and file management, file types, and the difference between a browser, a website and a search engine.
- Email and online safety: writing a professional email, using To, CC and BCC, spotting phishing, strong passwords, and never sharing an OTP or UPI PIN.
- Word and PowerPoint: formatting, tables, headers and page numbers, styles, mail merge and track changes in Word; layouts, the slide master, animations and Presenter View in PowerPoint.
- Excel basics, Outlook and Teams: entering, sorting and filtering data, simple formulas such as SUM and AVERAGE, meeting invites and everyday shortcuts.
- Typing and data entry: many admin and data entry roles include a typing test that is judged on both speed (words per minute) and accuracy.
How to prepare (freshers and experienced)
- Freshers: practise on a real computer, not only from notes. Make a letter, a two-page report with page numbers, a five-slide deck and a small Excel list, and save each one with a sensible file name.
- Learn the common shortcuts by using them every day for a week: copy, paste, undo, save, find and replace, and switching windows. Interviewers notice when every action needs the mouse.
- Practise typing for 15 minutes a day on a free typing tutor and aim for accuracy first. Speed comes with practice, but a habit of errors is hard to remove later.
- Experienced candidates: prepare one or two examples from your work, such as a mail merge you ran for 300 letters or a report template you set up with styles, and explain the steps and the result.
- Read about current online frauds in India, such as fake KYC calls, UPI collect requests and fake job offers, so you can answer safety questions with real examples.
Common mistakes and interview-day tips
- Formatting by pressing Enter and the spacebar again and again instead of using page breaks, tabs, tables and styles. A practical test shows this at once.
- Saying you know MS Office without being able to name the steps. Say what you would click, for example Mailings, then Start Mail Merge, then Select Recipients.
- In a typing test, do not race and leave errors behind. Many tests deduct marks for every uncorrected error, so a steady, accurate speed usually scores better.
- Save your work often during a practical test and name the file as asked. A good document that is lost or saved in the wrong place counts for nothing.
MS Office and Computer Basics interview questions: Easy questions (freshers)
20 questions1. What is the difference between hardware and software? Give examples of system software and application software.
Hardware is the physical part of a computer that you can touch: the monitor, keyboard, mouse, processor, RAM, hard disk and printer. Software is the set of programs that tells the hardware what to do. System software runs the computer itself, for example Windows 11, macOS, Linux and device drivers. Application software helps you do a task, for example Word, Excel, a web browser or an accounting package. Neither is useful alone: a laptop without an operating system cannot run Word, and Word cannot run without hardware.
2. What does the CPU do, and what are input, output and storage devices?
The CPU (central processing unit, or processor) carries out the instructions of programs: it does the calculations and controls the other parts. Input devices send data into the computer, such as the keyboard, mouse, scanner, webcam and microphone. Output devices give results, such as the monitor, printer and speakers. Storage devices keep data when the power is off, such as an SSD, a hard disk or a pen drive. A touchscreen is both input and output. A common mistake is calling the whole cabinet the CPU; the CPU is one chip inside it.
3. What is the difference between RAM and storage such as an SSD or hard disk?
RAM is the working memory. It holds the programs and files that are open right now, it is very fast, and it is emptied when the computer shuts down, which is why unsaved work is lost in a power cut. Storage (an SSD or hard disk) keeps files until you delete them; it is much larger but slower. More RAM lets you keep Excel, a browser with many tabs and Teams open together without slowing down, while more storage lets you keep more files. ROM (read-only memory) holds start-up firmware, not your files.
4. How are storage units related, and about how many 4 MB files fit on a 16 GB pen drive?
The smallest unit is a bit (0 or 1), and 8 bits make 1 byte, roughly one character of text. Windows counts in steps of 1,024: 1 KB = 1,024 bytes, 1 MB = 1,024 KB, 1 GB = 1,024 MB and 1 TB = 1,024 GB. So 16 GB is 16 x 1,024 = 16,384 MB, and 16,384 / 4 = 4,096 files of 4 MB. In practice a little fewer fit, because drive makers count 1 GB as 1,000,000,000 bytes, so a "16 GB" drive shows less space in Windows, and the file system needs some space too.
5. What is an operating system, and what does it do?
An operating system (OS) is the main system software that manages the computer and lets you use it. It starts the computer, shares the processor and memory between programs, handles files and folders, controls devices such as printers through drivers, and manages user accounts and security. Examples are Windows 11 and macOS on computers, and Android and iOS on phones. Most office desktops in India run Windows. When you say "I know Windows", expect practical follow-ups such as creating folders, adding a printer or changing a setting.
6. What are files and folders, and how do you keep them organised?
A file is one saved item, such as a letter, a sheet or a photo. A folder holds files and other folders, like a drawer in a cabinet. Every file has a path that shows where it is, for example C:\Users\Priya\Documents\Invoices\2026-03. Keep a clear structure by year, month or client, give files meaningful names such as Invoice_Sharma_Traders_2026-03.pdf, and do not save everything on the Desktop. In File Explorer, F2 renames the selected file and Ctrl+Shift+N creates a new folder. Keep important work in OneDrive or a backed-up shared drive.
7. What happens when you delete a file in Windows, and how can you get it back?
When you press Delete on a file on the computer's own drive, Windows moves it to the Recycle Bin. Open the Recycle Bin, right-click the file and choose Restore to put it back in its original folder. Shift+Delete skips the Recycle Bin and removes the file permanently, so use it with care. Files deleted from a pen drive or a network drive usually do not go to the Recycle Bin at all, and emptying the Recycle Bin removes files for good. Keep work files in OneDrive or a backed-up shared folder so a mistake can still be undone.
8. What do common file extensions such as .docx, .xlsx, .pptx, .pdf, .csv and .zip mean?
The extension is the part after the last dot in a file name, and it tells Windows which program opens the file. .docx is a Word document, .xlsx an Excel workbook and .pptx a PowerPoint presentation. .pdf is a fixed-layout document that looks the same on every device, good for final copies. .csv is plain text with values separated by commas, used to import or export data. .txt is plain text, .jpg and .png are images, .mp4 is video and .zip is a compressed set of files. A file ending in .exe is a program, so never open one that arrives by email.
9. Which basic keyboard shortcuts should every office worker know in Microsoft 365 on Windows?
Ctrl+C copies, Ctrl+X cuts and Ctrl+V pastes. Ctrl+Z undoes the last action and Ctrl+Y redoes it. Ctrl+S saves, F12 opens Save As, Ctrl+P prints, Ctrl+A selects everything and Ctrl+F finds text. These work the same way in Word, Excel and PowerPoint, and copy, cut, paste, undo and select all also work in File Explorer and in browsers. Cut moves the item, while copy leaves the original in place. Using these instead of the mouse saves real time in a practical test, and Ctrl+Z is the first thing to try after a mistake.
10. What is the difference between a web browser, a website and a search engine?
A web browser is the program you use to open web pages, such as Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome or Firefox. A website is a set of pages at one address, such as a bank's or a government department's site. A search engine is a website that finds other pages for you, such as Google or Bing. The address of a page is its URL, for example https://www.example.com/jobs, where https is the protocol and example.com is the domain. A common mix-up is answering "Google" when the interviewer asks which browser you use.
11. What does https (or a padlock icon) in the address bar mean? Does it prove that a website is safe?
It means the connection between your browser and the site is encrypted, so other people on the network cannot read or change what you send, such as a password or card number. It does not mean the site is honest: fraud sites can get https easily too. Always read the domain name itself, because a fake site may use an address like yourbank-kyc-update.example instead of the bank's real domain. Never type passwords, OTPs or card details on a page you reached from an SMS or email link; open the official site or app yourself.
12. What is the difference between To, CC and BCC in an email?
To is for the people who must read the email and act on it. CC (carbon copy) is for people who should be kept informed but need not act, such as your manager. Every recipient can see the To and CC addresses. BCC (blind carbon copy) hides those addresses from all other recipients, so use it when you mail many outside people who should not see each other's addresses, such as 200 candidates invited to a walk-in drive. A common mistake is putting a large outside list in To or CC, which shares everyone's email address with everyone else.
13. How do you write a professional email at work?
Start with a clear subject line that says what the mail is about, for example "Leave request: 12 to 14 March". Use a simple greeting such as Dear Mr Iyer or Hello team, then give the main point in the first two lines and the details in short paragraphs. End with what you need and by when, and a signature with your name, role and phone number. Avoid all capitals, SMS short forms such as pls and u, and rows of exclamation marks. Check the recipients and the attachment before you press Send.
14. What is phishing, and how do you spot a phishing email or message?
Phishing is a fake message that pretends to come from someone you trust, such as a bank, a courier company, the income tax department or your own IT team, to make you click a link, open an attachment or share a password or OTP. Warning signs are urgency ("your account will be blocked today"), a sender address that does not match the real domain, spelling mistakes, unexpected attachments and links whose real address differs from the text. Hover over a link to see where it goes. If in doubt, do not click; contact the sender through a number you already know and report it to IT.
15. What makes a strong password, and what is two-factor authentication?
A strong password is long and hard to guess: aim for at least 12 characters, for example four unrelated words with a number, and never use your name, date of birth, mobile number or something like Password@123. Use a different password for each important account, because when one site leaks, criminals try the same password everywhere; a password manager helps you remember them. Two-factor authentication (2FA) adds a second check, such as an OTP or an authenticator app, so a stolen password alone is not enough. Never share a password, even with someone claiming to be from IT.
16. Why should you never share an OTP or UPI PIN, and what should you do if you are cheated online?
An OTP (one-time password) approves a login, a payment or a change to your account, and a UPI PIN authorises money to leave your account. Banks, payment apps, couriers and the police never ask for them. A common trick is a caller claiming to be from the bank's KYC team, or a "refund" that asks you to enter your UPI PIN; you never need a PIN to receive money. If money is lost, call your bank at once to block the account or card, and report it on the national cyber crime helpline 1930 or at cybercrime.gov.in as soon as possible.
17. What are the basic text formatting options in Microsoft Word?
On the Home tab you can change the font, size and colour, and apply bold (Ctrl+B), italic (Ctrl+I) and underline (Ctrl+U). The paragraph options control alignment (left, centre, right and justified), line spacing, spacing before and after paragraphs, indents, and bullets or numbering. An office letter might use one plain font at 11 or 12 point, justified body text and 1.15 line spacing. Keep formatting consistent, with one or two fonts in a document, not five, and use paragraph spacing instead of pressing Enter twice between paragraphs.
18. What is a slide layout in PowerPoint, and how is it different from a theme?
A layout decides where the placeholders sit on one slide, for example Title Slide, Title and Content, Two Content or Section Header. You choose it from Home, then Layout, or when you add a New Slide. A theme, on the Design tab, controls the overall look of the whole deck: its colours, fonts and backgrounds. So the layout is the arrangement of a slide and the theme is the style of the presentation. Typing into placeholders instead of drawing your own text boxes keeps the slides aligned, and a later change of theme then applies cleanly.
19. What are a workbook, a worksheet and a cell in Excel, and how do you total a column of numbers?
A workbook is the whole Excel file (.xlsx), a worksheet is one sheet or tab inside it, and a cell is the box where a column and a row meet, named by its address such as B3. Columns are letters and rows are numbers, and every formula starts with an equals sign. To total these expenses, click B7 and type =SUM(B2:B6), or press Alt+= for AutoSum and check the range it picks; the result is 9125. Refer to the cells instead of typing the numbers into the formula, so the total updates when an amount changes.
A B
1 Expense Amount
2 Stationery 1850
3 Courier 2400
4 Tea and snacks 760
5 Printer toner 3125
6 Cab 990
7 Total
B7: =SUM(B2:B6) -> 912520. How is typing speed measured, and what does accuracy mean in a typing test?
Typing speed is usually given in words per minute (WPM), where one word is counted as 5 characters, including spaces. If you type 1,250 characters in 5 minutes, that is 1,250 / 5 = 250 words, and 250 words / 5 minutes = 50 WPM. Accuracy is the share of characters typed correctly: with 25 wrong characters out of 1,250, accuracy is 1,225 / 1,250 = 98%. Employers care about both, because fixing errors later costs more time than typing a little slower. Learn touch typing with all ten fingers, keep your eyes on the source text, and build speed after accuracy.
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MS Office and Computer Basics interview questions: Medium questions (1-3 years)
20 questions21. How do you set up the page in Word, and why should you use a page break instead of pressing Enter?
On the Layout tab, Margins sets the space around the text, Orientation switches between portrait and landscape, and Size sets the paper, which is usually A4 in Indian offices; some installations default to Letter, so check it before printing. To start a new page, press Ctrl+Enter or use Insert, then Page Break. If you push text down with many Enter presses, it lands in the wrong place as soon as anything above it changes. Click the Show/Hide button (the paragraph mark) on the Home tab to see stray empty lines and spaces, and remove them.
22. How do you add headers, footers and page numbers such as "Page 1 of 5" in Word?
Use Insert, then Header, Footer or Page Number, or double-click in the top or bottom margin of a page. Whatever is in the header or footer repeats on every page, so it suits the company name, the document title and the date. For page numbers, choose Page Number, then Bottom of Page, and pick a Page X of Y style, which fills in the current page and the total automatically. Tick Different First Page if the cover should have no number. Never type page numbers by hand, because they break as soon as pages are added or removed.
23. How do you work with tables in Word, for example a price list that runs over two pages?
Insert, then Table, creates a grid. Press Tab to move to the next cell; Tab in the last cell adds a new row. The Table Design tab sets borders and shading, and the table Layout tab inserts or deletes rows and columns, merges cells and sorts rows. For a price list that runs over two pages, select the heading row and click Repeat Header Rows on the table Layout tab, so the headings appear at the top of each page. If the data is already typed with tabs or commas, select it and use Insert, then Table, then Convert Text to Table instead of retyping it.
24. What is Format Painter, and how do you remove unwanted formatting in Word?
Format Painter, on the Home tab, copies the formatting of selected text, such as its font, size, colour and bold, to other text. Select the formatted text, click Format Painter once and then select the target; double-click it instead to apply the same formatting in several places, and press Esc to stop. To remove formatting, select the text and click Clear All Formatting (the letter A with an eraser) on the Home tab. This helps when text pasted from a website or an email brings odd fonts and colours; pasting with the Keep Text Only option avoids the problem.
25. How do you use Find and Replace in Word, and what can go wrong?
Press Ctrl+H to open Find and Replace (Ctrl+F opens the Navigation pane, which only searches). Type the old text and the new text, then click Replace to change one match at a time, or Replace All. For example, change Pune office to Nashik office in a 30-page circular. The risk is that Replace All also changes text you did not mean: replacing Ram would also change Ramesh and program. Click More and tick Match case and Find whole words only, or step through with Find Next. Read the count Word reports, and press Ctrl+Z at once if it looks wrong.
26. When should you send a document as a PDF instead of a Word file, and how do you create one?
Send a PDF when the document is final and must look the same everywhere: offer letters, invoices, quotations, certificates and reports. It keeps the fonts and layout on any phone or computer and is harder to change by mistake. Send the Word file (.docx) when the other person needs to edit it or add comments. To create a PDF in Word, use File, then Save As (or F12) and choose PDF as the file type, or File, then Export, then Create PDF/XPS. Open the PDF before sending, because tracked changes, comments or a wrong page size can end up in it.
27. What is the Slide Master in PowerPoint, and when do you use it?
The Slide Master (View, then Slide Master) is the template behind every slide. The top master controls what all slides share, such as the logo, fonts, colours and footer, and the layouts under it control each layout type. If the company logo must appear in the same corner on all 40 slides, put it on the master once instead of pasting it on every slide. Changes to the master update every slide that uses it. A common mistake is fixing fonts slide by slide, so the deck stops matching after the next update. Click Close Master View to return to normal editing.
28. What is the difference between an animation and a transition in PowerPoint?
A transition is the effect as one slide changes to the next, set on the Transitions tab, such as Fade or Push. An animation moves an object within a slide, such as a bullet point appearing or a chart flying in, set on the Animations tab. The Animation Pane shows the order, and each effect can start On Click, With Previous or After Previous. Use them sparingly: a simple Fade, or points appearing one at a time, holds attention, while spinning text looks unprofessional. In Microsoft 365, the Morph transition smoothly moves objects that appear on two slides in a row.
29. How do you run a slide show in PowerPoint, and what is Presenter View?
Press F5 to start from the first slide or Shift+F5 to start from the current slide, move with the arrow keys or a clicker, and press Esc to end. Pressing B blacks out the screen, and pressing it again brings the slide back. Presenter View, turned on from the Slide Show tab, shows you the current slide, the next slide, your speaker notes and a timer on the laptop, while the projector shows only the slide. It needs the display set to Extend, which you can choose with Win+P. Put your talking points in the notes pane under each slide, not on the slides.
30. What makes a good slide in a business presentation?
One main idea per slide, a title that states the message (for example "Pune branch sales up 12% in Q2" rather than just "Sales"), and only a few short points. Use a font size that can be read from the back of the room, strong contrast such as dark text on a light background, and the same fonts and colours throughout. Show numbers as a simple chart instead of a crowded table, and use clear images rather than clip art. Do not paste full paragraphs and read them aloud. Check the spelling and run the deck in Slide Show mode before the meeting.
31. Which Windows 11 keyboard shortcuts help in everyday office work?
Win+E opens File Explorer and Win+D shows the desktop. Alt+Tab switches between open windows. Win+L locks the computer, which you should do every time you leave your desk. Win+Shift+S takes a screenshot of a selected area with the Snipping Tool, and Win+V opens clipboard history so you can paste something copied earlier (it asks you to turn it on the first time). Win+P chooses how to use a projector or second screen, and Ctrl+Shift+Esc opens Task Manager when a program stops responding. These are Windows shortcuts, so they work whichever program is open.
32. Which keyboard shortcuts speed up editing in Word for Microsoft 365 on Windows?
Ctrl+B, Ctrl+I and Ctrl+U apply bold, italic and underline. Ctrl+L, Ctrl+E, Ctrl+R and Ctrl+J align a paragraph left, centre, right or justified. Ctrl+Home and Ctrl+End jump to the start and end of the document, and Ctrl with the left or right arrow moves one word at a time. Hold Shift with any of these movement keys to select as you move; for example, Ctrl+Shift+Right Arrow selects to the end of the word. Ctrl+Enter inserts a page break and Ctrl+H opens Replace. Keeping your hands on the keyboard is faster than reaching for the mouse.
33. How do you keep a busy Outlook inbox organised?
Use folders for projects or clients, and create rules (in classic Outlook, Home, then Rules) that move mail automatically, for example everything from the payroll vendor into a Payroll folder. Flag emails that need action so they appear in your task list, and use categories (colour labels) for clients or priority. Search by sender, subject or date instead of scrolling. Answer at once any mail that takes under two minutes, and file the rest after acting on it. When you are on leave, an automatic reply (out of office) tells senders when you will be back and whom to contact.
34. How do you schedule a Teams or Outlook meeting properly, and what is good online meeting etiquette?
In the Outlook or Teams calendar, create a new meeting with a clear title, the attendees, the date and time, and make it a Teams meeting so a join link is added. Use the Scheduling Assistant to find a time when everyone is free, and put the agenda and any files in the invite. Send it early, not ten minutes before. In the call, join on time, keep your microphone muted when you are not speaking, use the camera if the team does, and blur your background in a busy room. Use the chat for links and questions, and send short minutes with action points afterwards.
35. What are OneDrive, AutoSave and version history, and why share a link instead of attaching a file?
OneDrive is Microsoft's cloud storage. Files saved there sync to your other devices, and Word, Excel and PowerPoint turn on AutoSave, which saves changes as you work. Version history (File, then Info, then Version History) lets you open or restore an earlier copy, which saves the day when someone overwrites a sheet. Sharing a link instead of attaching a file means everyone works on one copy, so nobody wonders which version is the latest. Choose the right permission, view or edit, and share only with the people who need it, never with anyone who has the link for sensitive files.
36. What do SUM, AVERAGE, COUNT, COUNTA, MAX and MIN return in this Excel example?
SUM adds the numbers, AVERAGE divides that total by how many numbers there are, COUNT counts cells that contain numbers, COUNTA counts cells that are not empty, and MAX and MIN give the largest and smallest values. Inside a range these functions ignore blank cells and text, so the blank B4 and the text On leave in B5 are skipped: COUNT gives 4 but COUNTA gives 5, and AVERAGE is 177000 / 4 = 44250. This matters: if B4 held 0 instead of being blank, the zero would be counted and AVERAGE would fall to 35400.
A B
1 Name Sales
2 Anil 42000
3 Bhavna 38500
4 Chetan
5 Divya On leave
6 Farhan 51000
7 Gauri 45500
=SUM(B2:B7) -> 177000
=AVERAGE(B2:B7) -> 44250
=COUNT(B2:B7) -> 4
=COUNTA(B2:B7) -> 5
=MAX(B2:B7) -> 51000
=MIN(B2:B7) -> 3850037. How do you sort and filter data in Excel without mixing up the rows?
Click one cell inside the data and use Data, then Sort, so Excel picks up the whole table and keeps each row together; tick My data has headers. Do not select just one column and sort it, because the names and the numbers beside them separate, and the damage is hard to spot later. If Excel shows a Sort Warning, choose Expand the selection. Filters (Ctrl+Shift+L, or Data, then Filter) show only matching rows, such as one city. Keep the data free of blank rows and merged cells, and use View, then Freeze Panes, then Freeze Top Row so the headings stay visible.
38. Your office internet plan is 100 Mbps. How long should a 2 GB file take to download?
Internet speeds are given in megabits per second (Mbps), while file sizes are in megabytes (MB), and 1 byte is 8 bits. So 100 Mbps is at most 100 / 8 = 12.5 MB per second. Taking 2 GB as 2,000 MB for a quick estimate, the file is 2,000 x 8 = 16,000 megabits, and 16,000 / 100 = 160 seconds, about 2 minutes 40 seconds. Real downloads are slower because of Wi-Fi, other users and the server: at a real 40 Mbps it takes 400 seconds, about 6 minutes 40 seconds. The common mistake is reading Mbps as megabytes and expecting 20 seconds.
39. What security habits should you follow on an office computer?
Lock the screen with Win+L whenever you leave your desk, and never share your login. Install Windows and Office updates when IT asks, because they fix security holes. Do not plug in a pen drive you found or were handed by a stranger, and do not install software or browser extensions without approval. Avoid logging in to office or bank accounts on public Wi-Fi without the company VPN. Keep customer documents such as Aadhaar or PAN copies only in approved folders, never on WhatsApp or personal email. Report a lost laptop, a suspicious mail or a mistake to IT at once.
40. How do you enter data from 500 paper forms quickly and accurately?
First study the form and the sheet so every field has a fixed column, and set up dropdowns or checks for fixed values. Work in batches of, say, 50 forms, and count the forms and the rows after each batch. Use the numeric keypad for numbers and Tab or Enter to move between cells, and keep your eyes on the paper. Never guess an unclear entry; mark it and ask. Total an amount column on paper and on screen: if they differ by a multiple of 9, such as 4,567 typed as 4,657 (a difference of 90), two digits were probably swapped. Save after every batch.
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MS Office and Computer Basics interview questions: Hard questions (experienced)
20 questions41. Explain the steps of a mail merge in Word to create 300 offer letters from an Excel list.
Prepare the Excel list first: one header row with simple names, one row per person, and no merged cells or blank rows. In Word, choose Mailings, then Start Mail Merge, then Letters, and write the letter. Click Select Recipients, then Use an Existing List, and pick the workbook and the sheet. Place the cursor where each value belongs and use Insert Merge Field, for example Name and Designation. Click Preview Results and check several records, including long names. Finally click Finish and Merge, then Edit Individual Documents to get one file of 300 letters to check, or Print Documents.
A B C D
1 EmpCode Name Designation JoinDate
2 TN1041 Kavya R Executive 05-01-2026
3 TN1042 Sameer K Analyst 12-01-2026
4 TN1043 Neha J Associate 19-01-2026
Row 1 = field names; one row per letter; no merged cells.42. In a mail merge, amounts from Excel come out as 45000 and dates appear in the wrong format. How do you fix it?
Word reads the stored value of each Excel cell, not the formatting you see, so 45,000.00 arrives as 45000, a date may arrive in month/day order, and 18% arrives as 0.18. Fix it in the field: press Alt+F9 to show the field codes and add a picture switch, \# for numbers and \@ for dates, as shown, then press Alt+F9 again to hide the codes. For a percentage, the simplest fix is a text column in Excel such as =TEXT(C2,"0%"), which gives 18%, and merging that column instead. Preview a few records before finishing, because a format error repeats in all 300 letters.
Alt+F9 shows the field codes; edit inside the braces:
{ MERGEFIELD Amount \# "#,##0.00" } 45000 -> 45,000.00
{ MERGEFIELD JoinDate \@ "dd MMMM yyyy" } date -> 05 January 2026
Excel helper column for a rate: E2: =TEXT(C2,"0%") 0.18 -> 18%43. How do you show different text to different people in one mail merge, for example fee pending or fee paid?
Use a rule: on the Mailings tab click Rules, then If...Then...Else, choose the field, the comparison and the two texts, and Word inserts an IF field like the one shown, so each letter gets the text that fits its record. Rules also offers Skip Record If, but it is usually cleaner to filter in Edit Recipient List, for example only students with a balance above 0. A common mistake is typing the curly braces by hand; Word treats them as a field only when they are inserted with Ctrl+F9 or by the Rules button. Check both cases in Preview Results before you merge.
{ IF { MERGEFIELD Balance } > 0 "Please pay Rs { MERGEFIELD Balance } by 15 March." "Thank you, your fees are fully paid." }
Insert each pair of braces with Ctrl+F9; typed { } are plain text.44. How do you send a mail merge as individual emails, and what are the risks?
Start the merge with the email messages type and make sure the Excel list has an email column. After inserting the fields and previewing, click Finish and Merge, then Send Email Messages, pick the email column in To, type the subject line and choose HTML as the mail format. Word sends one separate email per person through your desktop email program, normally classic Outlook, so it must be set up with the right account. It cannot attach other files, such as a separate PDF for each person. Send a test to yourself first and filter the list carefully, because sent emails cannot be taken back.
45. Why should you use styles in Word instead of formatting each heading by hand?
A style is a saved set of formatting, such as Heading 1 or Normal, applied with one click from the Home tab. When every heading uses Heading 1 or Heading 2, you can change all of them at once by right-clicking the style and choosing Modify, instead of fixing 40 headings by hand. Headings with styles also appear in the Navigation pane, where you can jump to a section or drag it to a new place, and they feed the automatic table of contents. Manual formatting looks the same on screen, but Word does not know it is a heading. Change the Normal style to set the body font of the whole document.
46. How do you create a table of contents and numbered headings (1, 1.1, 1.2) that update themselves?
First apply the Heading 1, Heading 2 and Heading 3 styles to the headings. Then place the cursor where the contents should go and choose References, then Table of Contents, then an automatic style; Word lists the headings with page numbers. After editing, click Update Table and choose to update the entire table, or press F9 inside it. For numbering, select a Heading 1 and pick a list from Home, then Multilevel List, that shows Heading 1 and Heading 2 linked to its levels. The numbers then follow the headings and renumber themselves when a section is added or moved; typed numbers never do.
47. How do you put one landscape page in a portrait Word document, with its own header?
Use section breaks. Place the cursor before the wide table and choose Layout, then Breaks, then Next Page under Section Breaks, and add another Next Page section break after the table. The table is now in its own section: click inside it and set Layout, then Orientation, then Landscape, and only that section turns. Headers, footers and page numbering can also differ by section. Open the header of the new section and turn off Link to Previous before editing it, otherwise the change copies to the other sections. A plain page break cannot do this, because orientation applies to a whole section.
48. What is Track Changes in Word, and how do you review a document with it?
Track Changes records every insertion, deletion and formatting change with the reviewer's name, so the author can decide what to keep. Turn it on with Review, then Track Changes, or Ctrl+Shift+E. All Markup shows every change, Simple Markup shows a clean view with red lines in the margin, and No Markup shows the edited text. Use Next, then Accept or Reject on each change, and Accept All Changes and Stop Tracking at the end. Comments are separate and must be deleted on their own. Lock Tracking, with a password, stops reviewers from switching tracking off.
49. You sent a Word file to a client, and they can see your internal comments and deleted text. How did this happen, and how do you prevent it?
The document still held tracked changes and comments. Views such as Simple Markup or No Markup only hide them on your screen; they stay in the file, and the client can show them with one click. Before sending outside, accept or reject every change, delete all comments, and then run File, then Info, then Check for Issues, then Inspect Document, which finds and removes comments, revisions, hidden text and personal information such as the author name. Then save the final copy, ideally as a PDF. Keep the working version with comments separately, under a clear name.
50. A colleague edited your contract without Track Changes. How do you find what changed, and how do you control edits next time?
Use Review, then Compare, then Compare, and pick your original and the edited copy. Word makes a third document that shows every difference as tracked changes, which you can accept or reject. Combine, on the same menu, merges the edits of several reviewers into one file. Next time, use Review, then Restrict Editing, allow only Tracked changes, and click Yes, Start Enforcing Protection, with a password if needed, so every edit is recorded. This is a control, not real security: to stop unauthorised people opening the file, use File, then Info, then Protect Document, then Encrypt with Password.
51. In a 10-minute typing test you typed 2,400 characters and left 30 errors. What are your gross WPM, net WPM, accuracy and key depressions per hour?
Gross speed counts every 5 characters as a word: 2,400 / 5 = 480 words in 10 minutes, so 48 WPM. A common net formula subtracts uncorrected errors per minute: 30 / 10 = 3, so net speed is 45 WPM. Accuracy is 2,370 correct out of 2,400, which is 98.75%. Some data entry tests use key depressions per hour (KDPH): 2,400 in 10 minutes is 14,400 an hour. Tests differ, and some count whole wrong words or set a minimum accuracy, so read the rules first. Under this formula a left error costs a full word, so fixing it at once is usually worth it.
Characters typed (with spaces) 2,400
Time 10 minutes
Uncorrected errors 30
Gross WPM = 2,400 / 5 / 10 = 48
Net WPM = 48 - 30 / 10 = 45
Accuracy = (2,400 - 30) / 2,400 = 98.75%
KDPH = 2,400 x 60 / 10 = 14,40052. Your data entry accuracy is 99.5% per field. Is that good enough for 2,000 forms with 12 fields each?
99.5% sounds high, but 2,000 forms x 12 fields = 24,000 fields, and 0.5% of that is 120 wrong entries. If errors fall at random, the chance that a form has at least one error is 1 - 0.995 to the power 12, about 5.8%, so roughly 117 of the 2,000 forms would be wrong somewhere. For bank, payroll or KYC data that is too many. Raise accuracy with format checks (a PAN has 10 characters, an IFSC code 11 and a PIN code 6 digits), dropdowns for fixed values, control totals per batch, and double entry, where two people key the same batch and every mismatch is checked.
53. Why does SUM give 1600 here when the three amounts look as if they add up to 2450?
B3 holds the number as text, often because it was imported from other software or a CSV, typed after an apostrophe, or typed into a cell formatted as Text. Signs are left alignment and a small green triangle. SUM ignores text inside a range, so it adds only 1200 and 400. The + operator converts numeric text, so =B2+B3+B4 gives 2450, and COUNT finds only 2 numbers. Fix the data, not the formula: select the cells and use the warning icon, then Convert to Number, or Data, then Text to Columns, then Finish. Then check that COUNT matches the number of rows.
A B
1 Invoice Amount
2 INV-201 1200
3 INV-202 850 (text: left-aligned, green triangle)
4 INV-203 400
=SUM(B2:B4) -> 1600
=B2+B3+B4 -> 2450
=COUNT(B2:B4) -> 254. How do you stop wrong entries, such as a 9-digit mobile number or a misspelt status, in an Excel data entry sheet?
Set up Data Validation (Data, then Data Validation) before entry starts. The custom rule shown accepts only whole numbers from 6000000000 to 9999999999, which are exactly the 10-digit numbers starting with 6 to 9 that Indian mobile numbers use, and rejects 9 or 11 digits, decimals and text. A List rule gives a dropdown, so nobody types Presnt or Abesnt. Add an Input Message to guide the operator. Two catches: validation checks only what is typed, so pasted data slips past it, and it does not check entries already there. Use Circle Invalid Data on the same menu to find both.
Mobile column, select C2:C2000, Data > Data Validation:
Allow: Custom
Formula: =AND(ISNUMBER(C2),C2=INT(C2),C2>=6000000000,C2<=9999999999)
Error Alert: Stop, "Enter a 10-digit mobile number"
Status column, select D2:D2000:
Allow: List
Source: Present,Absent,Leave55. Your manager seems to message you urgently, asking for a payment or gift cards while travelling. What do you do?
Treat it as a likely fraud, often called business email compromise or CEO fraud. Criminals copy a senior person's name and photo, use a look-alike email address or a new WhatsApp number, and push urgency and secrecy ("I am in a meeting, do it now, do not call"). Check the actual sender address, not just the display name, and never use a phone number or reply address given in that message. Call the manager on the number you already have, and follow the company's payment approval process however urgent it sounds. Report the message to IT and finance so others are warned.
56. How can a file named Increment_Letter.pdf.exe, or an Office file with macros, harm you, and how do you protect yourself?
Windows hides the extensions of known file types by default, so Increment_Letter.pdf.exe can look like a PDF while it is really a program that runs when opened. In Windows 11, turn on View, then Show, then File name extensions in File Explorer to see the real type. Files such as .docm and .xlsm can contain macros, small programs that can install malware. If an Office file from outside asks you to click Enable Content to see it, stop and check with the sender by phone or with IT. Be careful with .zip files from unknown senders too, because they often hide such programs.
57. Why does a new 1 TB hard disk show about 931 GB in Windows, and how much space do 25,000 scanned pages need?
Disk makers count in powers of 10, so 1 TB is 1,000,000,000,000 bytes, while Windows divides by 1,024 three times to show GB: 10 to the power 12 divided by 1,073,741,824 is about 931.32 GB. No space is missing; the units differ. For a scanning project, 25,000 pages at about 350 KB each is 8,750,000 KB, which is about 8,545 MB or 8.34 GB in Windows units. Keep a backup copy too, so plan for about 17 GB, and more if the scans are in colour or at a higher resolution. Saving scans as compressed PDFs keeps the size under control.
58. A 120 MB PowerPoint deck is too big to email, and its Excel chart shows old numbers. How do you fix both?
Size usually comes from photos pasted at full camera resolution. Select a picture and use Picture Format, then Compress Pictures, untick Apply only to this picture, choose a lower resolution such as the one for email, and tick Delete cropped areas of pictures. Remove unused slides and videos, and share the deck as a OneDrive link or a PDF. If the chart was pasted as a link to a workbook, open that workbook and use Chart Design, then Refresh Data, or fix the path in File, then Info, then Edit Links to Files. Or paste it as an embedded chart so the data travels with the deck.
59. You emailed a client the wrong attachment. What can you do, and how do you avoid it next time?
Act fast and be honest. Recall in Outlook works only for recipients inside your own organisation's Microsoft 365 or Exchange mail, so it will not pull the mail back from an outside client. Send a short follow-up saying the wrong file went out, ask them to delete it, and attach the right one. If the wrong file held personal or confidential data, tell your manager at once, because it may need to be reported. To avoid repeats, check attachments, add recipients last, and use a send delay: classic Outlook can delay delivery with a rule, and the new Outlook offers undo send for a few seconds.
60. A computer in the office has become very slow. How do you find the cause before calling IT?
Press Ctrl+Shift+Esc to open Task Manager and sort the Processes tab by CPU, Memory and Disk to see which program uses the most. Close programs and browser tabs you do not need, because many open tabs can take several GB of RAM. Check free space on the C: drive in File Explorer; a nearly full drive slows Windows down, so clear Downloads and empty the Recycle Bin. Restart the computer, which also finishes pending updates, and turn off unneeded apps on the Startup apps page of Task Manager. If it is still slow, or you see pop-ups or strange programs, report it to IT, as it may be malware.
Practice questions for November 2026
New every month3 questions from the MS Office and Computer Basics mock test, the way they appear in it. A new set comes on the 1st of every month. Pick your answer, then open it.
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What is the main job of a device driver?
- It removes viruses from files stored on the hard disk
- It speeds up the internet connection of the whole computer
- It lets the operating system work with a device such as a printer
- It changes a Word file into a PDF before the file prints
Show the answer
Answer: It lets the operating system work with a device such as a printer. Every printer, scanner or webcam needs its own instructions. A driver is a small program that turns requests from the operating system into commands that device understands. Without the right driver a device may not work.
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A caller claiming to be customer support asks Manoj to install a remote access app so he can "fix" a refund. What should Manoj do?
- Refuse: a remote access app gives the caller control of his phone or PC
- Install it, but keep it running for only ten minutes or so
- Install it, because support teams always fix refunds in exactly this way
- Install it, then share the OTP so that the refund comes faster
Show the answer
Answer: Refuse: a remote access app gives the caller control of his phone or PC. Remote access apps let the other person see the screen and type, including OTPs and banking apps. Fraudsters use fake support numbers to get them installed. Real refunds never need remote control or an OTP from you.
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A 256 GB phone has 18% free. Taking 1 GB = 1,000 MB, how many 25 MB videos fit in the free space?
- 184
- 1,887
- 10,240
- 1,843
Show the answer
Answer: 1,843. Free space = 256 x 0.18 = 46.08 GB = 46,080 MB. Then 46,080 / 25 = 1843.2, so 1,843 whole videos fit. Using 1,024 gives 1,887; forgetting the 18% counts the whole phone.
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