Computer Knowledge: Microsoft Excel and Its Components for Banking and Other Competitive Exams

Microsoft Excel and Its Components

Microsoft Excel

An electronic spreadsheet is used for analysing, sharing and managing information for accounting purpose performing mathematical calculations, budgeting, building, etc. A spreadsheet is a matrix of rows and columns similar to an accounting ledger. The spreadsheet program also  provides tools for creating graphs, inserting pictures and chart, analysing the data etc.

Basics of Spreadsheet

MS-Excel allows creation of spreadsheets. The basic terms of spreadsheet are:

A spreadsheet is a software tool that lets one enter, calculate, manipulate and analyse set of numbers. The intersection of each row and column is called cell. A cell is an individual container for data. It may hold Microsoft-Excel (MS-Excel), Coral Quattro Pro, Snowball, Lotus-1-2-3, Apple Numbers are some of the spreadsheet software.

To Start MS-Excel

MS-Excel is a full menu-driven software and the commands are available as icons in various tabs and groups. To start MS-Excel software, we need to Click

Start → All Programs → Microsoft Office → Microsoft Office Excel

Important Point to Remember in Microsoft Excel

• Number (Constants)
• Formulas (Mathematical equation)
• Text ( Labels)
  
• An array of cells is called a sheet or worksheet. A worksheet holds information presented in tabular row and column format with text that labels the data. 
• A workbook is a document that contains one or more worksheet.
• A row is given a number that identifies it, starts from 1,2,3,4,5............
• A column is given a letter that identifies it, starts from A......Z, AA............AZ, BA, BB...........BZ.
• A cell pointer is a cell-boundary that specifies which cell is active at that moment.
• A formula is an equation that calculates the value to be displayed. A formula must begin with equal to (=) sign.
• A cell address is used to specified the interesting of row and column of the letter and number on worksheet.

Components of Microsoft Excel

The Office Logo Button: It is at the top left corner contains many commands for the document such as New, Open, Save, Save as, Print and Close.

The Ribbon: It consists of panel of commands which are organised into a set of tabs.

Tabs: It contains the commands such as Home, Insert, Page Layout, Formulas, Data, Review, View etc as well as any additional command that you may need.

Status Bar: It displays information about the currently active worksheet. It includes page number, view shortcuts, zoom slider, etc.,

Formula Bar: It is located beneath the Ribbon. It is used to enter and edit worksheet data. It includes

• Name box: It displays the all reference or column and row location of the active cell.
• Functions: These are predefined formulas that perform calculations by using specific values, called arguments.

Clipboard: A clipboard group contains the cut, copy and paste commands.

Alignment: It is used to change alignment of the text in the cells- vertical, horizontal alignment, indentation, wrap the text, shrink it to fit within the cell and merge multiple cells.

Tables: It is used to define a range of cell as a table for easy filtering and storing and create a pivote table or chart to arrange and summarise the data.

Function Library: It contains a library of functions (Ex:- mathematical, logical, trigonometric etc), such as AND, IF, LOOKUP, AVG, DATE etc.

Formula Addressing: The formula can have relative addressing, absolute addressing and mixed addressing.

• Relative Addressing: It repeat the same formula for many difficult cells, use the copy and paste command.
• Absolute Address: to keep a certain position that is not relative to the new cell location use absolute positioning. 
• Mixed Address: It is used to keep some part relative and some absolute.

The Macros: It is used to define a sequence of actions to perform on a document or multiple documents that can be executed again and again.

English: Practical Techniques for Solving Reading Comprehension Passages in Competitive Exams

Practical Techniques to Improve Your Reading Speed:

First let us try to answer one question. Why does the reading speed differ for person to person ? Let us take a statement.

" If you ask me to pin point one important quality that led me to success I will choose Patience."

A person whose reading habits are not honed, reads the above sentence, one word at a time, i.e., his span of vision allows him to read only one word for each eye movement he makes. This span of vision can be improved with conscious effort and can cover/ read three to five or more words at once i.e., in one eye movement. So, the span of vision is one main reason for the difference in reading speeds. Naturally, you should be interested in increasing you span of vision. Let's take the same statement considered above.

Try to focus your sight on the set of words and make an attempt to read one complete set of words at one time with out having to move your eye from left to right. Initially you might find it difficult to work on this technique. Regular practice will make you comfortable. Hold a pen or pencil in your hand when you are reading so that it helps you concentrate better on the passage. This habit also helps you to underline important points in the passage while you are reading.

Another simple technique which will develop your ability to absorb written words is reading a page by inverting it. You will not be able to understand anything that is written but this exercise helps you mind to pick up words faster than it is used to, as it develops acquaintance with words from different angle. You will experience it when you start reading the page in the ordinary reading position after such an exercise.

When you are learning some good reading habits you should unlearn certain bad reading habits also. Over a long period of time you might have acquired the habit of reading and re-reading the same set of words in the passage thinking that it helps you understand the passage better. This approach eats up yours precious time in the exams. Unless you make a conscious attempt to unlearn it you will not be able to perform at your best. You should also keep in mind the fact that the examiner is not going to ask you each and every details in the passage which implies that you need not have to read it " THOROUGHLY" to answer the questions in this section. So, even if you do not understand a part of the passage, you should continue reading the passage but not stop there or go back to read the sentence again.

While you should certainly adopt ways that improve your speed and reduce the "blocks" for improving your speed, regularly reading practice still remains to be the most important factor in improving your performance in reading comprehension.

More Tips for Solving Reading Comprehension Passage

Sample Comprehension Passages for Practice 

• Practice Comprehension Passage 3
• Practice Comprehension Passage 2
• Practice Comprehension Passage 1

Marketing Knowledge: Importance of Marketing and Characteristics of Marketing for Competitive Exams

Importance of Marketing

( i ) Importance of Marketing to the Consumers:

• Provides different information about the product and services. 
• Helps to know the different benefits and techniques of products.
• Provides satisfaction by providing different products to meet their demand and tastes when they need.
• Facilitates customers to select the best one according to their demand and capability.

(  ii ) Importance of Marketing to the Firms:

• Easily distribute the products.
• Suggest to manage the transportation and wire-housing systems which help the firm to delivery the product.
• Provides valuable information to make effective plan for future and right decision.
• Suggest to reduce unnecessary costs and utilise the revenue in proper way.
• Accumulates the opinion and ideas of different customers and supplies to the management.

( iii ) Importance of Marketing to the Society:

• An important source for the creation of employment opportunities.
• Helps in developing the living standard.
• Helps to utilise the different resources such as natural, financial, physical and human resources.

Characteristics of Marketing Environment:

Marketing environment refers to the factors and forces that affects a firm's ability to build and maintain successful relationship with customers. Some of the factors are controllable, while some others are uncontrollable. It is the responsibility of the marketing manager to change the company's policies along with the changing environment.

 

• Marketing environment plays a vital role while taking decision related to marketing.
• Its limit is decided on the basis of geographical factors.
• There are some non-controllable variable included in marketing environment which effect the potentiality of a company and provide new direction to the market.
• New opportunities and risks always rise in the marketing environment which reinforces marketing experiments and research.
• Consumers are divided in homogeneous sections for marketing of a product on the basis of marketing environment.

Mathematics: Tips for Solving Calender and Clock Problems for Competitive Exams

Tips for Solving Calender and Clock Problems

To solve the problems based on Calendar, we should keep these informations in mind.

• ( i ) Normally an year contains 365 days i.e., 52 weeks and a day. 
• ( ii ) But a leap year contains 366 days i.e., 52 weeks and two days because February of a leap year contains 29 days.
• ( iii ) If an year is exactly divided by 4, it is a leap year. 
• ( iv ) In an year, January, March, May, July, August, October and December contains 31 days. 
• ( v ) While, April, June, September and November contains 30 days.
• ( vi ) February contains 28 days but in a leap year, it contains 29 days.
• ( vii ) A calender year starts with January and ends with December.
• ( viii ) A financial year starts with 1st April and ends with 31st March.
• ( ix ) Generally, Sunday is the first day of a week.
• ( x ) After 7 days i.e., after a week a day repeats itself. Example, if 11th July is Thursday, then 18th July will also be Thursday.

To Solve the Problems Based on Time(Clock) , we Should keep these information in mind.

• ( i ) In each hour, only once both hands of a clock (minute and hour hand) face same direction and also only one time they face opposite directions. When both hands are opposite to each other the gap is of 30 min between them.

• ( ii ) In a minute, the hour hand moves by 0.5° and the minute hand moves by 6°.

• ( iii ) In each hour, the minute hand covers more distance of 55 min in comparison to the hour hand.

• ( iv ) In 12 hour, both hands of a clock (minute and hour hand) face same direction in 11 times and 24 hours they face same direction in 24 times.

• ( v ) In 12 hour, both hands of a clock (minute and hour hand) face opposite direction in 11 times and 24 hour they face same direction in 24 times.

• ( vi ) In each hour, 2 times both hands (minute and hour hand) makes right angle when both hands make right angle the gap is of 15 minute between them.

• ( vii )In 12 hour, both hands of a clock (minute and hour hand) means right angle in 22 times and 24 hours they make right angle in 44 times.

Sample Problems:

1) If 3rd January 2010 was Thursday, what day will be 3rd February 2010 ?

Solution:
As, we know a day repeats itself after a week. Hence, after 3rd January 2010, again on 10th, 17th, 24th and 31st January, it will be Thursday.

• 1st February will be Friday.
• 2nd February will be a Saturday.
• 3rd February will be Sunday.

Ans:- Sunday

2) In 40 min, what angle will the hour hand move at ?

Solution: In a min, hour hand moves at 0.5°. In 40 min, hour hand moves at 0.5 x 40 = 20°

Ans:- 20°

3) If 4th July 2010 was Sunday, what day will be 5th July 2011 ?

Solution: 
As, we know an year contains 52 weeks and a day repeats itself 7 days.
4th July 2010 was Sunday.
4th July 2010 - 4th July 2011 is a period of 365 days.

i.e., 52 weeks and a day.

3rd July 2011 will also be Sunday.

5th July 2011 will be Tuesday.

English: Tips for Solving Reading Comprehension Passages in Competitive Exams

Tips for Solving Reading Comprehension Passages

Practical Techniques to Improve your Reading Comprehension

After reading the passage once, write down the time you have taken to complete the passage at the top of the page. (keep a separate page for each passage you read). Now count the number of words in the passage. Number of words divided by the number of minutes taken to read the passage given you your speed of reading in "Words per Minute". After this calculation, enter the same in a table. A formate of this table is given below. Maintaining a record of your reading speeds will give you a clear picture of how you are progressing in your reading practice over a period of time.

Table to Enter Reading speeds (in words per minute)
 

Topic (Enter your speed in WPM under the type of topic you have read)
SL.No	Date	Economic	Political	Social Science	Pure Science	Others
1	1-12-2014	5	3	8	6	8
2	2-12-2014	3	2	8	2	2
3	3-12-2014	2	1	3	1	1

     Make a conscious attempt to read a wide range of topics to develop your reading speed. You will note that your speeds will be higher in areas/topics with which you are familiar. Keep a copy of this table at the back of your exercise note book and observe the gradual improvement.

Make an entry of at least two passages in this table daily. A sample entry of speeds of three passages read on two days is shown in the table. After you read each passage and enter your speed in the table above, you should write down a few points about the passage just read. We already mentioned that you should use a separate page for each passage you read. You have already written down the number of words the passage has on this page. Your speed in WPM that you entered in the table should also be entered on this page because it pertains to this passage.

Now, write the following details on that page:

• Title of the passage
• Main idea of the passage in one sentence
• Important points from the passage (as a summary of the passage)
• Words given in the passage whose meanings you do not know.

These Important points can range from 10 to 20 depending on the length of the passage. After the important points are written down, check back with the passage and see whether all important points have been covered.

Check below Links for: 

Reading Comprehension Passages for Practice

• Reading Comprehension Practice Paper Set 1
• Reading Comprehension Practice Paper Set 2
• Reading Comprehension Practice Paper Set 3

Computer Knowledge: Microsoft Word and Its Components for Bank and Other Competitive Exams

Microsoft Word and Its Components

Introduction to Microsoft Word:

MS-Word is a word processing application and is one of the most important and widely used application found on computer. Word processing software is mainly used for the creation of text based documents. It provides tools for composing, editing, formatting and printing of documents smaller than 45k. The document can be a poster, report, letter, brochure, web page, newsletters, etc.,

Ex:- Wordstar, Easy Word, Note Pad for Windows.

Start MS-Word:

To start MS-Word software: We need to Click Start→ All Program → Microsoft Office → Microsoft Office Word.

Components of Microsoft Word:

Title Bar: It is shows the name of the application and name of the file. It consists of three buttons that is

• Minimise (reduces the window but word still active)
• Restore (bring word window to the maximum original size)
• Close button (bring us out of word)

Standard Tool Bar: It displays the symbol for the common operation like open, print, save etc.

Formatting Tool Bar: It displays the options which can be used to format our document like font type, size of the font, bold/underline, italicised, bullets, alingment of the text etc.

Ribbon: It is a set of tools and commands across the top of the screen. It consists of a panel of commands which are organised into a set of tabs.

Tabs: On the ribbon, it contains the buttons needed to edit characters, text and layout.

• Home Tab: It consists of :

                                     Clipboard: (cut, copy, paste)

                                     Font: (size, colour, bold, italic/underline)

                                     Paragraph: (bullets/numbering, indent)

                                     Style, Editing: (find and replace)

Insert Tab: IT consists of Pages (cover page, bland page, page break), illustrations (picture, clip art, shapes, small art, chart), links (hyper link), head and footer, page number, text (text box, data and time, object).

• Page Layout Tab: It consists of themes, page set-up, page background, paragraph.
• Review Tab: It consists of spelling and grammar, thesaurus, translate, compare and protect document.
• View Tab: IT consists of print layout, full screen layout, macros, split etc.

Ruler: It appears on the top of the document window. It allows to format the horizontal or vertical alignment of text in a document.

There are two types of rulers

• Horizontal Ruler: It indicates the width of the document and is used to set left and right margin.
• Vertical Ruler: It indicates the height of the document and is used to set top and bottom margins.

Status Bar: It displays the information such as page number, current page, current template, column number and line number etc.

Work Area: It is the rectangular area of the document window, you use to type the text. It is also called as workspace.

Cursor: It is also called insertion pointer. It denotes the place where text, graphics or any other item would be placed when you type, overwrite or insert them.

Computer Knowledge: Computer Codes and Data Representation in Computers for Bank and Other Competitive Exams

Data Representation in Computers & Computer Codes

As we know that computer understand the binary language (o's and 1's) for the data representation. All kinds of data, i.e., alphabets, numbers, symbols, sound data or video are represented in terms of 0's and 1's. There are two basic types of data, which are stored and proceed by computers, namely characters and numbers. The characters include letters and special symbols while numbers include digits from 0 to 9.

Number System: A number system defines a set of values that is used to represent quantity. Digital computers internally use the binary number system to represent data and perform arithmetic calculations.

Types of Number System:

The number systems generally used by a computer are as follows

1. Binary Number System: The binary system is very efficient for computers, but not for humans. It contains two unique digits 0's and 1's. It is also known as Base 2 system. The binary numbers 0 and 1 called a bit. The computer always calculates input in binary form. Ex:- 1010101

2. Decimal Number System: It consists of ten digits from 0 to 9. These digits can be used to represent any numeric value. It is also known as Base 10 system or positional number system.

3. Octal Number System: It consists of 8 digits from 0 to 7. It is also known as Base 8 system. Each position of the octal number represents a successive power of eight.

4. Hexadecimal Number System: It provides us with a shorthand method of working with binary numbers. There are 16 unique digits available in this system. These are 0 to 9 and A to F, where A denotes 10, B denotes 11.............F denotes 15. It is also known as Base 16 system or simply Hex. So, each position of the hexadecimal number represents a successive power of 16.

Computer Codes

In computer, any characters like alphabet, digit or any special character is represented by collection of 1 and 0 in a unique coded pattern. In computers, the code is made up of fixed size groups of binary positions.

1. Binary Coded Decimal (BCD):

Binary coded decimal is a number system where four bits are used to represent each decimal digits. BCD is a method of using binary digits to represent the decimal digits (0-9). In Binary Coded Decimal system, there is no limit on size of a number. This system was developed by IBM corporation.

2. American Standard Code for Information Interchange (ASCII):

ASCII characters are represented by seven bits. There are standard character codes used to store data so that it may be used by other software programs. The standards ASCII codes defines 128 character codes (from 0 to 127). Basically, ASCII codes are of two types-ASCII-7 and ASCII-8.

ASCII-7, is a 7-bit standards ASCII code. It allows 2⁷ = 128 unique symbols.

ASCII-8, is a extended version of ASCII-7, it is an 8-bit code, allows 2⁸ = 256 unique symbols or characters.

3. Extended Binary Coded Decimal Interchange Code (EBCDIC):

In EBCDIC, characters are represented by eight bits. These codes store information which is readable by other computers. It allows 2⁸ = 256 combinations of bits.