1
In MS Word, Ctrl + B is used to:
Correct answer: C. Bold the selected text
Ctrl + B switches bold on or off for the selected text.
easy
PPSC Junior Computer Operator (BS-12) Practice Paper 1
Practice paper100 MCQs90 minutesPublished 27 October 2026
A full 100-MCQ practice paper for the PPSC Junior Computer Operator (BS-12) test: 80 questions on MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, internet, email and basic IT, and 20 on general ability, as in the official pattern.
Written by our editorial team in the official pattern of the PPSC Junior Computer Operator (BS-12) written test. This is not a past paper: the questions are our own, and every answer was checked against reliable sources.
MS Word
- 2
In MS Word, which shortcut underlines the selected text?
Correct answer: D. Ctrl + U
Ctrl + U underlines; Ctrl + I makes text italic and Ctrl + D opens the Font dialog.
easy - 3
In MS Word, Ctrl + E aligns the selected paragraph to the:
Correct answer: C. Centre
Ctrl + E centres text; Ctrl + L aligns left, Ctrl + R right and Ctrl + J justifies.
easy - 4
Which shortcut justifies a paragraph in MS Word so that both edges are even?
Correct answer: A. Ctrl + J
Ctrl + J spreads text evenly between the left and right margins.
medium - 5
In MS Word, Ctrl + H opens the Find and Replace dialog on which tab?
Correct answer: D. Replace
Ctrl + H opens the Replace tab; Ctrl + G opens Go To.
medium - 6
Pressing Ctrl + Enter in MS Word inserts a:
Correct answer: A. Page break
Ctrl + Enter starts a new page at the cursor; Shift + Enter inserts a line break.
medium - 7
Which function key runs the spelling and grammar check in MS Word?
Correct answer: C. F7
F7 starts the spelling and grammar check. F1 opens Help and F12 opens Save As.
easy - 8
In MS Word, a red wavy line under a word usually means:
Correct answer: A. A possible spelling mistake
Red wavy lines flag possible spelling errors; blue or green lines flag grammar and style issues.
easy - 9
In MS Word, the Header and Footer options are found on the:
Correct answer: D. Insert tab
Insert → Header & Footer group holds Header, Footer and Page Number.
easy - 10
Mail Merge in MS Word is found on the:
Correct answer: D. Mailings tab
The Mailings tab is used to merge one letter with a list of names and addresses.
easy - 11
In MS Word, Ctrl + ] (right square bracket) is used to:
Correct answer: B. Increase font size by 1 point
Ctrl + ] increases the font size by one point and Ctrl + [ decreases it.
hard - 12
Which shortcut applies subscript formatting in MS Word (as in H₂O)?
Correct answer: B. Ctrl + =
Ctrl + = gives subscript; Ctrl + Shift + = gives superscript (as in x²).
hard - 13
In MS Word, Track Changes is turned on from the:
Correct answer: C. Review tab
Review → Track Changes records every edit so another person can accept or reject it.
medium - 14
In MS Word 2013 and later, page orientation (portrait or landscape) is set from the:
Correct answer: C. Layout tab
Layout → Orientation. In Word 2007 and 2010 the same tab was called Page Layout.
medium - 15
The Format Painter tool in MS Word is used to:
Correct answer: A. Copy formatting from one place to another
Select formatted text, click Format Painter, then select other text to give it the same look.
easy - 16
In MS Word, Ctrl + Home moves the cursor to the:
Correct answer: C. Start of the document
Ctrl + Home jumps to the beginning of the document; Ctrl + End goes to the end. Home alone goes to the start of the line.
medium - 17
The Drop Cap option in MS Word is found on the:
Correct answer: D. Insert tab
Insert → Text group → Drop Cap makes the first letter of a paragraph large.
medium - 18
In MS Word, Shift + F3 is used to:
Correct answer: B. Change the case of selected text
Shift + F3 cycles the selection between lowercase, UPPERCASE and Capitalise Each Word.
hard
MS Excel
- 19
In an Excel worksheet, columns are identified by:
Correct answer: B. Letters
Columns are labelled A, B, C… and rows 1, 2, 3…, so a cell address is like C5.
easy - 20
In Excel 2007 and later, the last column of a worksheet is:
Correct answer: A. XFD
There are 16,384 columns, ending at XFD. Excel 2003 stopped at column IV (256 columns).
hard - 21
How many rows does a worksheet have in Excel 2007 and later?
Correct answer: D. 1,048,576
There are 1,048,576 rows (2²⁰). Excel 2003 had 65,536 rows.
hard - 22
Which Excel function returns the largest value in a range?
Correct answer: D. MAX
=MAX(A1:A10) gives the largest number. LARGE needs a second argument for the nth largest.
easy - 23
In Excel, the COUNTA function counts cells that:
Correct answer: D. Are not empty
COUNTA counts any non-blank cell; COUNT counts numbers and COUNTBLANK counts empty cells.
medium - 24
Which of these is an absolute cell reference in Excel?
Correct answer: D. $A$1
$A$1 stays fixed when a formula is copied. $A1 and A$1 are mixed references.
medium - 25
A cell in Excel shows #DIV/0!. This means the formula:
Correct answer: D. Divides by zero or an empty cell
#DIV/0! means division by zero. A wrong function name gives #NAME? and a deleted reference gives #REF!.
easy - 26
The #NAME? error in Excel usually means:
Correct answer: B. Excel does not recognise text in the formula, such as a misspelled function
For example, =SUMM(A1:A3) shows #NAME? because SUMM is not a function. A narrow column shows ####.
medium - 27
In Excel, pressing F2 will:
Correct answer: B. Edit the active cell
F2 puts the active cell into edit mode with the cursor at the end of its contents.
medium - 28
In Excel, Ctrl + ; (semicolon) enters:
Correct answer: A. The current date
Ctrl + ; types today's date; Ctrl + Shift + ; types the current time.
hard - 29
Which Excel function joins text from two or more cells into one?
Correct answer: A. CONCATENATE
=CONCATENATE(A1," ",B1) joins the cells; newer versions also have CONCAT and TEXTJOIN.
medium - 30
The Excel IF function is used to:
Correct answer: D. Return one value if a condition is true and another if it is false
Example: =IF(B2>=50,"Pass","Fail").
easy - 31
VLOOKUP in Excel searches for a value in the:
Correct answer: D. First column of a table
VLOOKUP looks down the first column of the range and returns a value from a column you choose. HLOOKUP searches the first row.
medium - 32
The keyboard shortcut for AutoSum in Excel is:
Correct answer: D. Alt + =
Alt + = inserts =SUM() for the cells above or to the left.
hard - 33
In Excel, charts are added from the:
Correct answer: A. Insert tab
Insert → Charts group has column, line, pie and other chart types.
easy - 34
What does =ROUND(3.456, 2) return in Excel?
Correct answer: D. 3.46
It rounds to 2 decimal places; the third decimal (6) is 5 or more, so 3.45 rounds up to 3.46.
medium - 35
What does =AVERAGE(4, 8, 12) return in Excel?
Correct answer: A. 8
(4 + 8 + 12) ÷ 3 = 24 ÷ 3 = 8.
easy - 36
In Excel, Freeze Panes is found on the:
Correct answer: B. View tab
View → Freeze Panes keeps header rows or columns visible while you scroll.
medium
MS PowerPoint
- 37
In PowerPoint, pressing F5 will:
Correct answer: A. Start the slide show from the first slide
F5 starts from the beginning; Shift + F5 starts from the slide you are on.
easy - 38
Which shortcut starts a PowerPoint slide show from the current slide?
Correct answer: B. Shift + F5
Shift + F5 is useful when you want to present from the middle of the deck.
medium - 39
In PowerPoint, Ctrl + M is used to:
Correct answer: A. Insert a new slide
Ctrl + M adds a new slide after the current one.
medium - 40
Which PowerPoint view shows all slides as small thumbnails so they can be rearranged easily?
Correct answer: C. Slide Sorter view
Slide Sorter shows every slide as a thumbnail; you can drag them into a new order.
easy - 41
In PowerPoint, the visual effects that play when moving from one slide to the next are called:
Correct answer: B. Transitions
Transitions apply between slides; animations apply to objects such as text or pictures on a slide.
easy - 42
Entrance, emphasis and exit effects given to objects on a PowerPoint slide are called:
Correct answer: D. Animations
The Animations tab sets entrance, emphasis, exit and motion path effects for objects.
easy - 43
The default file extension of a PowerPoint 2007 or later presentation is:
Correct answer: A. .pptx
.pptx is the default since PowerPoint 2007; .ppt was the older format.
easy - 44
In PowerPoint, the Slide Master is used to:
Correct answer: C. Control the design and layout of all slides at once
A change on the Slide Master, such as a logo or font, appears on every slide based on it.
medium - 45
During a PowerPoint slide show, which key stops the show?
Correct answer: C. Esc
Esc stops the show and returns to the editing view; Enter and Space move to the next slide.
easy - 46
In PowerPoint, reminders meant only for the presenter are typed in the:
Correct answer: C. Notes pane
The Notes pane below each slide holds speaker notes, which Presenter View shows to the speaker only.
easy
Internet and Email
- 47
What is the full form of HTTP?
Correct answer: C. HyperText Transfer Protocol
HTTP is the set of rules browsers and web servers use to exchange web pages.
easy - 48
In HTTPS, the letter "S" stands for:
Correct answer: A. Secure
HTTPS encrypts data between the browser and the website, shown by a padlock icon.
easy - 49
In email, BCC stands for:
Correct answer: A. Blind carbon copy
People in BCC receive the email, but other recipients cannot see their addresses.
easy - 50
In an email address such as [email protected], which symbol separates the user name from the domain?
Correct answer: B. @
The @ (at) sign separates the mailbox name from the mail server's domain.
easy - 51
In most email programs, a paper-clip icon means:
Correct answer: D. The message has an attachment
The paper clip shows that a file, such as a PDF or picture, is attached.
easy - 52
The abbreviation ISP means:
Correct answer: A. Internet Service Provider
An ISP is the company that connects you to the internet, such as a broadband or mobile data provider.
easy - 53
The country-code domain ".pk" belongs to:
Correct answer: D. Pakistan
.pk is Pakistan's domain, as in ppsc.gop.pk. Poland uses .pl and Peru .pe.
easy - 54
Which of the following is a search engine?
Correct answer: B. Google
Google finds web pages for your search terms; Bing is another example.
easy - 55
Unwanted bulk email, usually advertising, is called:
Correct answer: B. Spam
Spam is junk email sent to many people at once; most services filter it into a Spam folder.
easy - 56
Which protocol is used to send email from one server to another?
Correct answer: A. SMTP
SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) sends email; POP3 and IMAP are used to receive it.
medium - 57
Saving a file from a website onto your own computer is known as:
Correct answer: D. Downloading
Downloading brings files to your device; uploading sends files from your device to the internet.
easy - 58
A fake email or message that tries to trick you into giving passwords or bank details is called:
Correct answer: B. Phishing
Phishing messages imitate banks or companies. Never share passwords or codes through such links.
easy - 59
A network that connects computers within one office or building is a:
Correct answer: B. LAN
LAN means Local Area Network. A WAN covers large areas, and the internet is the largest WAN.
easy - 60
Web pages are mainly written in:
Correct answer: C. HTML
HTML (HyperText Markup Language) structures web pages; CSS styles them.
easy
Basic IT
- 61
Which inventor is called the father of the computer?
Correct answer: A. Charles Babbage
Charles Babbage designed the Analytical Engine in the 1830s, the plan for a general-purpose computer.
easy - 62
The binary number system uses only the digits:
Correct answer: C. 0 and 1
Computers store everything as 0s and 1s (off and on). Octal uses 0–7 and decimal 0–9.
easy - 63
How many megabytes make one gigabyte?
Correct answer: C. 1,024 MB
1 GB = 1,024 MB, and 1 TB = 1,024 GB.
easy - 64
Which of the following is application software?
Correct answer: C. MS Word
MS Word does a user task. Windows and Linux are operating systems, and BIOS is start-up firmware.
easy - 65
A mouse is an example of a:
Correct answer: B. Pointing (input) device
A mouse moves the pointer and sends clicks to the computer, so it is an input device.
easy - 66
The part of the CPU that performs calculations and comparisons is the:
Correct answer: C. ALU
The Arithmetic Logic Unit does maths and logical tests; the Control Unit directs operations.
easy - 67
Which of these is the fastest to access?
Correct answer: C. Cache memory
Cache sits on or next to the CPU and is faster than RAM, which is much faster than disks.
medium - 68
What is the full form of USB?
Correct answer: A. Universal Serial Bus
USB is the standard port for connecting devices such as flash drives, keyboards and phones.
easy - 69
In computing, "booting" means:
Correct answer: D. Starting the computer and loading the operating system
When you switch on, the BIOS/UEFI checks the hardware and then loads the operating system.
easy - 70
The main job of a firewall is to:
Correct answer: A. Block unauthorised access to or from a network
A firewall checks network traffic against rules and blocks what is not allowed.
easy - 71
The full form of GUI is:
Correct answer: C. Graphical User Interface
A GUI lets you use windows, icons and menus with a mouse instead of typing commands.
easy - 72
Which type of printer prints by striking pins against an ink ribbon?
Correct answer: D. Dot matrix printer
Dot matrix is an impact printer, still used for multi-part forms. Laser and inkjet are non-impact.
medium - 73
In a computer, SSD stands for:
Correct answer: D. Solid State Drive
An SSD stores data on flash chips with no moving parts, so it is faster than a hard disk.
easy - 74
In Windows, which shortcut opens Task Manager directly?
Correct answer: D. Ctrl + Shift + Esc
Ctrl + Shift + Esc opens Task Manager; Windows + E opens File Explorer.
medium - 75
In Windows, files deleted normally are first moved to the:
Correct answer: C. Recycle Bin
Files in the Recycle Bin can be restored until the bin is emptied.
easy - 76
In Windows, Shift + Delete is used to:
Correct answer: B. Delete a file permanently without the Recycle Bin
Shift + Delete skips the Recycle Bin, so the file cannot be restored from there.
medium - 77
What does Alt + F4 do in Windows?
Correct answer: C. Close the active window or program
Alt + F4 closes the current window; Alt + Tab switches between open windows.
easy - 78
In Windows, pressing the Windows key + D will:
Correct answer: B. Show the desktop
Windows + D minimises all windows to show the desktop; pressing it again restores them.
medium - 79
The speed of a processor is measured in:
Correct answer: A. Hertz (e.g. GHz)
Clock speed is given in hertz; a 3 GHz processor runs about 3 billion cycles a second.
easy - 80
Which of the following is an output device?
Correct answer: D. Projector
A projector shows output from the computer. Keyboards, microphones and webcams send input.
easy
General Ability
- 81
Tehran is the capital of:
Correct answer: C. Iran
Tehran is Iran's capital and largest city. Baghdad is the capital of Iraq.
easy - 82
The SAARC Secretariat is located in:
Correct answer: C. Kathmandu
The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation has its secretariat in Kathmandu, Nepal.
medium - 83
The dirham is the currency of:
Correct answer: B. United Arab Emirates
The UAE uses the dirham. Saudi Arabia and Qatar use the riyal and Oman the rial.
easy - 84
Among the planets of the solar system, the biggest is:
Correct answer: B. Jupiter
Jupiter is a gas giant more than 11 times wider than Earth.
easy - 85
Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah was born on:
Correct answer: C. 25 December 1876
He was born in Karachi on 25 December 1876. 9 November 1877 is Allama Iqbal's birthday.
easy - 86
The Faisal Mosque is located in:
Correct answer: B. Islamabad
The Faisal Mosque stands at the foot of the Margalla Hills in Islamabad and was completed in 1986.
easy - 87
Quetta is the capital of which province?
Correct answer: C. Balochistan
Quetta is Balochistan's capital. Peshawar is the capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
easy - 88
Minar-e-Pakistan stands in:
Correct answer: A. Lahore
It was built in Iqbal Park, Lahore, where the Lahore Resolution was passed in 1940.
easy - 89
Choose the word closest in meaning to RAPID:
Correct answer: B. Fast
Rapid means happening quickly, the same as fast.
easy - 90
Choose the word opposite in meaning to EXPAND:
Correct answer: B. Contract
Expand means become larger; contract means become smaller.
easy - 91
Fill in the blank: She ___ to school every day.
Correct answer: A. goes
A singular subject (she) in the simple present takes the -s/-es form: goes.
easy - 92
Pick the correct spelling:
Correct answer: B. Committee
Committee has double m, double t and double e.
medium - 93
لفظ "شمس" کا مطلب کیا ہے؟
درست جواب: ج. سورج
شمس عربی لفظ ہے جس کے معنی سورج ہیں؛ چاند کو قمر کہتے ہیں۔
easy - 94
لفظ "نیک" کا متضاد کیا ہے؟
درست جواب: ج. بد
نیک اور بد ایک دوسرے کے متضاد ہیں۔
easy - 95
The chemical formula of water is:
Correct answer: C. H₂O
Each water molecule has two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom.
easy - 96
Which organ pumps blood around the human body?
Correct answer: A. Heart
The heart pumps blood through arteries and veins; the lungs add oxygen to it.
easy - 97
The Moon reflects light from the:
Correct answer: B. Sun
The Moon has no light of its own; it shines by reflecting sunlight.
easy - 98
12 × 15 equals:
Correct answer: C. 180
12 × 15 = 12 × 10 + 12 × 5 = 120 + 60 = 180.
easy - 99
What is 40% of 250?
Correct answer: A. 100
40% of 250 = 0.4 × 250 = 100.
easy - 100
If 5 pens cost Rs. 75, how much do 8 pens cost?
Correct answer: C. Rs. 120
One pen costs 75 ÷ 5 = Rs. 15, so 8 pens cost 8 × 15 = Rs. 120.
easy