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How do I prepare Computer Aptitude for SBI Clerk Mains?

Section strategyUpdated 2026-10-23
Short answer

Computer questions come inside the Mains Reasoning and Computer Aptitude section. Cover fundamentals, MS Office, networking, security, memory and DBMS basics in about 3-4 weeks at 45 minutes a day, and revise shortcuts weekly.

Computer Aptitude is tested only in Mains, combined with Reasoning in one section of 50 questions for 60 marks in 45 minutes. The notification does not fix how many of the 50 are computer questions, so prepare it fully. Computer questions are short and factual, so they are a good way to save time for reasoning puzzles.

Topics by priority

PriorityTopics
HighComputer fundamentals, MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), networking and internet, computer security
MediumMemory and storage, input and output devices, operating systems, shortcut keys, DBMS basics
LowHistory and generations, programming languages, new technology (AI, cloud, IoT)

A 3-week plan (45 minutes a day)

  • Week 1: fundamentals, hardware, memory units (bit, byte, KB, MB, GB, TB), input/output devices, operating systems.
  • Week 2: MS Office features and shortcuts, file extensions, DBMS terms (primary key, table, query, SQL basics).
  • Week 3: networking (LAN, MAN, WAN, topologies, IP address, protocols like HTTP, FTP, SMTP), internet terms, security (virus, worm, trojan, phishing, firewall, encryption).

Shortcuts that come up often

  • Ctrl+C copy, Ctrl+X cut, Ctrl+V paste, Ctrl+Z undo, Ctrl+Y redo
  • Ctrl+S save, Ctrl+P print, Ctrl+F find, Ctrl+A select all
  • F7 spelling check in Word, F2 edit cell in Excel, F5 start slideshow in PowerPoint
  • Ctrl+K insert hyperlink, Alt+F4 close the active window

Small facts that are easy marks

  • Memory units: 1 KB = 1024 bytes, 1 MB = 1024 KB, and so on.
  • RAM is volatile (loses data when power goes off); ROM is non-volatile.
  • Common extensions: .docx (Word), .xlsx (Excel), .pptx (PowerPoint), .pdf, .jpg, .exe.
  • Know what LAN, URL, HTTP/HTTPS, IP address and DNS stand for and do.
Make a single sheet of shortcuts and file extensions and revise it every Sunday. These are pure memory questions and are easy to lose by forgetting.
Sources

Rules can change with each notification. Confirm on sbi.bank.in/web/careers.

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