MS Office
Key Concepts & Formulas
Provide 5-7 essential concepts for MS Office:
| # | Concept | Quick Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cell Reference in Excel | Relative (A1), Absolute ($A$1), Mixed (A$1 or $A1) references for copying formulas |
| 2 | SUM Function | =SUM(range) adds values; most used Excel function for calculations |
| 3 | PowerPoint Views | Normal, Slide Sorter, Reading View, Slide Show - each serves different editing purposes |
| 4 | Word Formatting | Ctrl+B (Bold), Ctrl+I (Italic), Ctrl+U (Underline) - basic text formatting shortcuts |
| 5 | AutoFill Handle | Drag corner of cell to copy formula or pattern automatically |
| 6 | VLOOKUP Function | =VLOOKUP(lookup_value, table_array, col_index_num, [range_lookup]) searches vertically |
| 7 | Mail Merge | Combines Word document with Excel data to create multiple personalized documents |
10 Practice MCQs
Q1. Which key combination is used to save a document in MS Word? A) Ctrl+S B) Ctrl+X C) Ctrl+V D) Ctrl+Z
Answer: A) Ctrl+S
Solution: Ctrl+S is the universal shortcut for saving documents across MS Office applications.
Shortcut: Ctrl+S = Save (Remember: S for Save)
Concept: MS Office - Basic keyboard shortcuts
Q2. In Excel, what does the formula =AVERAGE(A1:A5) calculate? A) Total sum B) Mean value C) Maximum value D) Minimum value
Answer: B) Mean value
Solution: AVERAGE function calculates the arithmetic mean by summing all values and dividing by count. If A1:A5 contains 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 → Sum=150, Count=5 → Mean=150/5=30
Shortcut: AutoSum dropdown shows Σ has AVERAGE option
Concept: MS Office - Excel statistical functions
Q3. Which extension is used for PowerPoint 2019 files? A) .docx B) .xlsx C) .pptx D) .pdf
Answer: C) .pptx
Solution:
- Word files: .docx
- Excel files: .xlsx
- PowerPoint files: .pptx
- PDF is a different format
Shortcut: P in .pptx = PowerPoint
Concept: MS Office - File extensions
Q4. A railway station manager needs to calculate total ticket sales for 7 days (₹15000, ₹18000, ₹22000, ₹19000, ₹25000, ₹21000, ₹24000). Which Excel formula is correct? A) =TOTAL(15000:24000) B) =SUM(B2:B8) C) =ADD(15000+24000) D) =COUNT(B2:B8)
Answer: B) =SUM(B2:B8)
Solution: Assuming data is in cells B2 to B8, SUM function adds all values. Total = 15000+18000+22000+19000+25000+21000+24000 = ₹1,44,000
Shortcut: Alt+= (AutoSum) automatically creates SUM formula
Concept: MS Office - Excel SUM function
Q5. In Word, to repeat the last formatting action, which shortcut works? A) Ctrl+R B) F4 C) Ctrl+Y D) Both B and C
Answer: D) Both B and C
Solution: Both F4 and Ctrl+Y repeat the last action in Word. Example: If you just made text bold, pressing F4 or Ctrl+Y applies bold to selected text.
Shortcut: F4 = Repeat (Function key 4)
Concept: MS Office - Word formatting shortcuts
Q6. If cell A1 has "Platform" and B1 has "Number", what does =CONCATENATE(A1," ",B1) produce? A) PlatformNumber B) Platform Number C) Platform_Number D) Error
Answer: B) Platform Number
Solution: CONCATENATE joins text with specified separator. Here: “Platform” + " " + “Number” = “Platform Number”
Shortcut: & operator does same: =A1&" “&B1
Concept: MS Office - Excel text functions
Q7. A train schedule presentation has 15 slides. Which view shows all slides as thumbnails for easy reordering? A) Normal View B) Slide Sorter C) Reading View D) Outline View
Answer: B) Slide Sorter
Solution: Slide Sorter displays all slides as thumbnails, allowing drag-and-drop reordering. Best for organizing presentation flow.
Shortcut: View tab → Slide Sorter or status bar icon
Concept: MS Office - PowerPoint views
Q8. In Excel, if =VLOOKUP(12000,A2:C10,3,FALSE) searches for ticket price ₹12000, what does it return? A) Value from column A B) Value from column B C) Value from column C D) Error
Answer: C) Value from column C
Solution: VLOOKUP(12000,A2:C10,3,FALSE) means:
- Search 12000 in first column (A)
- Return value from 3rd column (C) of same row
- FALSE = exact match required
Shortcut: Remember: Col_index_num counts from lookup column
Concept: MS Office - Excel VLOOKUP function
Q9. Railway data shows trains in column A, departure times in B. To find Howrah Mail departure, which formula works? A) =HLOOKUP("Howrah Mail",A:B,2,0) B) =VLOOKUP("Howrah Mail",A:B,2,0) C) =MATCH("Howrah Mail",A:A,0) D) =INDEX(B:B,MATCH("Howrah Mail",A:A,0))
Answer: D) =INDEX(B:B,MATCH(“Howrah Mail”,A:A,0))
Solution: MATCH finds row position of “Howrah Mail” in column A. INDEX returns corresponding value from column B. More flexible than VLOOKUP for left-to-right lookups.
Shortcut: INDEX+MATCH combo beats VLOOKUP limitations
Concept: MS Office - Advanced Excel lookup functions
Q10. In Word mail merge, if Excel has 500 passenger records but only 400 have confirmed tickets (marked "YES" in column D), how to merge only confirmed passengers? A) Manually delete 100 rows B) Use filter: D column = "YES" C) Sort by column D D) Cannot be done
Answer: B) Use filter: D column = “YES”
Solution: Mail Merge allows filtering data source. Set filter: Column D equals “YES” to include only confirmed passengers. This merges exactly 400 records without altering source data.
Shortcut: Mailings → Edit Recipient List → Filter
Concept: MS Office - Word mail merge with conditions
5 Previous Year Questions
PYQ 1. What is the default extension of MS Excel 2016 workbook? [RRB NTPC 2021 CBT-1]
Answer: .xlsx
Solution: Excel 2007 onwards uses .xlsx (XML-based format) Earlier versions used .xls
Exam Tip: Remember: xlsx = Excel, docx = Word, pptx = PowerPoint
PYQ 2. Which function calculates compound interest in Excel? [RRB Group D 2022]
Answer: FV function
Solution: FV(rate,nper,pmt,[pv],[type]) calculates future value including compound interest. Example: =FV(10%/12,12,-1000,,1) for monthly compounding
Exam Tip: FV = Future Value, PV = Present Value, know the difference
PYQ 3. Ctrl+K shortcut in MS Word is used for: [RRB ALP 2018]
Answer: Insert Hyperlink
Solution: Ctrl+K opens Insert Hyperlink dialog box K for Link (mnemonic)
Exam Tip: Ctrl shortcuts: B=Bold, I=Italic, U=Underline, K=Hyperlink
PYQ 4. In PowerPoint, which view is used for presenting slides to audience? [RRB JE 2019]
Answer: Slide Show View
Solution: F5 starts slideshow from beginning Shift+F5 starts from current slide
Exam Tip: Know all PowerPoint views: Normal, Slide Sorter, Notes Page, Reading View, Slide Show
PYQ 5. What does $ symbol represent in Excel cell reference $A$1? [RPF SI 2019]
Answer: Absolute reference
Solution: $A$1 = Absolute reference (won’t change when copied) A$1 = Row absolute, column relative $A1 = Column absolute, row relative
Exam Tip: $ locks the reference - remember “dollar sign = locked sign”
Speed Tricks & Shortcuts
| Situation | Shortcut | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Quick sum of column | Alt+= | Select cell below data → Alt+= → Auto-sums entire column |
| Repeat last action | F4 | Apply bold → select new text → F4 applies bold again |
| Switch between open docs | Ctrl+F6 | Toggle between Word, Excel, PowerPoint files quickly |
| Insert current date | Ctrl+; (Excel) | In A1 press Ctrl+; inserts today’s date 15/12/2023 |
| Create chart instantly | F11 | Select data → F11 creates default chart on new sheet |
Common Mistakes to Avoid
| Mistake | Why Students Make It | Correct Approach |
|---|---|---|
| Forgetting $ in VLOOKUP | Assuming relative references | Always lock table_array: =VLOOKUP(A2,$D$2:$F$100,3,0) |
| Using SUM for counting | Confusing sum with count | Use COUNT for numbers, COUNTA for any data |
| Merging cells in Excel | For formatting convenience | Use Center Across Selection instead (preserves data structure) |
| Not saving with version | Relying on AutoSave | Press Ctrl+S every 10 minutes, enable AutoSave for cloud files |
| Hardcoding values | Typing numbers in formulas | Always reference cells: =B2C2 not =45025 |
Quick Revision Flashcards
| Front (Question/Term) | Back (Answer) |
|---|---|
| Ctrl+N | New document/workbook/slide |
| .xlsx | Excel 2007+ workbook extension |
| =SUMIF() | Sums based on single condition |
| F5 in PowerPoint | Start slideshow from beginning |
| VLOOKUP limitation | Cannot look left (use INDEX+MATCH) |
| Ctrl+Home | Go to beginning of document |
| #DIV/0! | Division by zero error in Excel |
| Ctrl+Z | Undo last action |
| Mail merge data source | Usually Excel spreadsheet |
| =NOW() | Current date and time (updates) |
Topic Connections
How MS Office connects to other RRB exam topics:
- Direct Link: Computer Fundamentals - MS Office is application software running on Windows OS
- Combined Questions: MS Office + Internet (saving to cloud, online collaboration), MS Office + Number System (binary data storage)
- Foundation For: Database concepts (Excel as flat database), Data Analysis (pivot tables, advanced Excel), Programming (VBA macros in Office)
BETA
