MS Office - Introduction, Applications, Notes & Questions

Microsoft Office is a software which was developed by Microsoft in 1988. This Office suite comprises various applications which form the core of computer usage in today’s world.

From the examination point of view, questions from MS Office and its applications are frequently asked in all the major Government Exams conducted in the country.

In this article, we shall discuss at length Microsoft Office, its applications, important notes to prepare for the upcoming examinations and some sample questions and answers for the reference of candidates. 

Competitive exams including Bank, SSC, Railways, Insurance, etc. have Computer Knowledge as an integral part of their exam syllabus and candidates must note that it can be the most scoring too.

No lengthy calculations or solutions are required to answer Computer knowledge-based questions and instead of complex questions, straightforward and direct questions are asked which makes answering them even easier.

Thus, candidates must focus on this section to improve their overall performance and improve their mark sheet. Given below are a few important links which may help candidates with their preparation for competitive exams:

MS Office Notes PDF:-Download PDF Here

MS Office Applications & its Functions

Currently, MS Office 2016 version is being used across the world and all its applications are widely used for personal and professional purposes.

Discussed below are the applications of Microsoft Office along with each of their functions.

1. MS Word

• First released on October 25, 1983 
• Extension for Doc files is “.doc”
• It is useful in creating text documents
• Templates can be created for Professional use with the help of MS Word
• Work Art, colours, images, animations can be added along with the text in the same file which is downloadable in the form of a document
• Authors can use for writing/ editing their work

To read in detail about Microsoft Word, its features, uses and to get some sample questions based on this program of Office suite, visit the linked article.

2. MS Excel

• Majorly used for making spreadsheets
• A spreadsheet consists of grids in the form of rows and columns which is easy to manage and can be used as a replacement for paper
• It is a data processing application
• Large data can easily be managed and saved in tabular format using MS Excel
• Calculations can be done based on the large amount of data entered into the cells of a spreadsheet within seconds
• File extension, when saved in the computer, is “.xls”

Also, visit the Microsoft Excel page to get more information regarding this spreadsheet software and its components.

3. MS PowerPoint

• It was released on April 20, 1987
• Used to create audiovisual presentations
• Each presentation is made up of various slides displaying data/ information
• Each slide may contain audio, video, graphics, text, bullet numbering, tables etc.
• The extension for PowerPoint presentations is “.ppt”
• Used majorly for professional usage
• Using PowerPoint, presentations can be made more interactive

In terms of Graphical user interface, using MS PowerPoint,  interesting and appealing presentation and documents can be created. To read more about its features and usage, candidates can visit the linked article.

4. MS Access

• It was released on November 13, 1992
• It is Database Management Software (DBMS)
• Table, queries, forms and reports can be created on MS Access
• Import and export of data into other formats can be done
• The file extension is “.accdb”

5. MS Outlook

• It was released on January 16, 1997
• It is a personal information management system
• It can be used both as a single-user application or multi-user software
• Its functions also include task managing, calendaring, contact managing, journal logging and web browsing
• It is the email client of the Office Suite
• The file extension for an Outlook file is “.pst”

6. MS OneNote

• It was released on November 19, 2003
• It is a note-taking application
• When introduced, it was a part of the Office suite only. Later, the developers made it free, standalone and easily available at play store for android devices
• The notes may include images, text, tables, etc.
• The extension for OneNote files is “.one”
• It can be used both online and offline and is a multi-user application

Apart from the applications mentioned above, various other applications are included in the MS Office suite but these are most commonly used ones and questions based on the same may be asked in the upcoming exams as well.

Aspirants can also learn more about Microsoft Office through the video given below, specially curated for candidates assistance:

Microsoft Office Versions

When the Office suite was first released, it was entirely devoted for usage in computer systems but later with time the Office suite was modified for use in Laptops, Tablets and Mobile phones.

Given below are the various versions of Microsoft Office along with the years in which the version was released:

All the above-mentioned dates are for the Office suite released for Windows. Apart from these, the versions Online, for Mac and for Mobile Phones were released separately.

Aspirants must note that the level of competition for the Government exams is quite high and to excel in the competitive exams it is important that candidates stay a step ahead with their preparation. Given below are the links to mock tests and previous year question papers for candidate’s reference and to assist them with their preparation with free solutions:

Microsoft Office – Sample Questions and Answers

Given below are a few sample questions based on the pattern in which they may be asked in the competitive exams from the topic of MS Office. 

Q 1. To create a new paragraph in MS Word document, which of the following keyboard keys can be used?

1. Tab
2. Enter
3. Alt
4. alt+@
5. Shift

Answer: (2) Enter

Q 2. Which of the following is not a version of MS Office?

1. Microsoft Office 3.0
2. Microsoft Office XP
3. Microsoft Office 2007
4. Microsoft Office 1995
5. Microsoft Office 2009

Answer: (5) Microsoft Office 2009

Solution: No version named Microsoft Office 2009 was ever released by Microsoft for the Office suite

Q 3. What is the name of the file created on MS Excel to manage data in tabular form by managing them into various cells?

1. Document
2. Docsheet
3. Workspace
4. Worksheet
5. Spreadsheet

Answer: (5) Spreadsheet

Solution: The data in MS Excel is managed on sheets called spreadsheets which comprise rows and columns called cells

Q 4. Which of these is the file extension for Microsoft PowerPoint presentation?

1. .ppp
2. .ppt
3. .mpp
4. .mp3
5. .mpt

Answer: (2) .ppt

Q 5.  Which of the given type of software is similar to that of an Accountant’s worksheet?

1. Spreadsheet
2. Database
3. Graphics
4. Document
5. PowerPoint Presentation

Answer: (1) Spreadsheet

Apart from the Computer Knowledge section, the links to the syllabus page for the other sections have been given below in the table. Candidates are advised to check the detailed section-wise syllabus below:

Q 6. Which keyboard keys can be used to align the text to the left side of the document in MS Word?

1. Alt+L
2. Alt+Spacebar
3. Ctrl+L
4. Ctrl+Spacebar
5. Tab+L

Answer: (3) Ctrl+L

Q 7. The block in an MS Excel spreadsheet where a column and row intersects each other is called _______. What shall come in place of the blank?

1. Key block
2. Cell
3. Square
4. Box
5. None of the above

Answer: (2) Cell

Q 8. Which of the given combinations of keyboard keys can be used as a shortcut to paste the text without removing its formatting?

1. Ctrl+C
2. Ctrl+Alt+V
3. Alt+Shift+V
4. Shift+Enter+V
5. Shift+Ctrl+V

Answer: (5) Shift+Ctrl+V

Q 9. Which of the given combinations of File type and its extension is incorrect?

1. MS Word – .doc
2. MS Excel – .xls
3. MS PowerPoint – .ppt
4. MS Outlook – .out
5. All of the above are correct

Answer: (4) MS Outlook – .out

Solution: The correct extension for MS Outlook file is .pst

Q 10. The cell reference for a range of cells that starts in cell D2 and goes over to column F and down to row 12 is?

1. D2:F12
2. D-2:F-12
3. F12:D2
4. F-12:D-2
5. None of the above

Answer: (1) D2:F12

Based on the Computer Knowledge syllabus for the various competitive exams, there are multiple programs and terms, including few from the MS Office suite which tends to be the same but are different from each other. To know the difference between such topics, visit the articles given below:

• Difference Between Search Engine and Web Browser
• Difference Between RAM and ROM
• Difference Between Hardware and Software
• Difference Between MS Excel and MS Word
• Difference Between IPV4 and IPV 6
• Difference Between Firewall and Antivirus
• Difference Between Notepad and WordPad
• Difference Between WWW and Internet
• Difference Between Virus and Malware

Q 11. Which of the following is not a view format for a PowerPoint presentation?

1. Slide View
2. Outline View
3. Slide Show View
4. Presentation View
5. All of the above are a view format

Answer: (2) Outline View

Q 12. MS Access is considered to be DBMS. What does S stand for in DBMS?

1. System
2. Solution
3. Software
4. Settings
5. None of the above

Answer: (3) Software

Q 13. Which keyboard shortcut key can be used to save a document directly?

1. Ctrl+S
2. Ctrl+D
3. Ctrl+F
4. Alt+S
5. Shift+S

Answer: (1) Ctrl+S

Q 14. Which of the following MS Office applications be used to show the development data of a company with pictorial and audio/visual format, where each page gives different information?

1. MS Word
2. MS Excel
3. MS Outlook
4. MS PowerPoint
5. MS Access

Answer: (4) MS PowerPoint

Q 15. What is the command “Ctrl + PageUp” used for? 

1. Moves the cursor one Page Up 
2. Moves the cursor one Paragraph Up
3. Moves the cursor one Screen Up
4. Moves the cursor one Line Up 
5. None of these 

Answer: (1) Moves the cursor one Page Up

With the help of these sample questions based on MS Office, candidates shall be able to apprehend the type and format in which questions may be asked in the final exam. 

MS Office Notes PDF:-Download PDF Here

For any aspirant to ace the Government exams, it has become must that they put in a lot of hard work and dedication towards their preparation and for that, they can get tips and study material at the Preparation Strategy for Competitive Exams page. 

Turn to BYJU’S for any further information or assistance for the upcoming examinations.