Computer & Information Technology

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Q292. Which generation of computers employed microprocessors as its defining hardware technology?

[UPSC CDS 2026 (General Knowledge)]

1. Second generation
2. Third generation
3. Fourth generation
4. Fifth generation

Answer: C. Fourth generation

Explanation: Fourth-generation systems brought an entire central processing unit onto a microprocessor chip, making computers substantially smaller and cheaper. Earlier generations were characterised chiefly by vacuum tubes, transistors and integrated circuits respectively. The microprocessor became central from the early 1970s.

Q291. Which application-layer protocol is used by browsers to request and receive web pages?

[RRB JE, 2 July 2026]

1. FTP
2. SMTP
3. HTTP
4. ARP

Answer: C. HTTP

Explanation: Hypertext Transfer Protocol governs the request-and-response exchange between a web browser and a web server. FTP transfers files, SMTP sends email, and ARP resolves network-layer addresses to hardware addresses on local networks. HTTPS adds encryption through TLS.

Q290. Which Excel function counts cells in a range that satisfy a specified criterion?

[SSC CGL Tier-II 2025 (held 19 January 2026)]

1. COUNTIF(A1:A10, “>10”)
2. COUNTBLANK(A1:A10)
3. COUNT(A1:A10)
4. SUMIF(A1:A10, “>10”)

Answer: A. COUNTIF(A1:A10, “>10”)

Explanation: COUNTIF tests the cells of a specified range against one criterion and returns the number of matches. COUNT counts numeric values without the stated condition, COUNTBLANK counts empty cells, and SUMIF adds values meeting a condition rather than counting them.

Q289. A text box shifts unexpectedly during PowerPoint editing. Which slide-design omission most directly explains a failure to anchor content to the layout?

[SSC CGL Tier-II 2025 (held 19 January 2026)]

1. Using a default layout
2. Not using placeholders
3. Using placeholders instead of text boxes
4. Modifying the slide master

Answer: B. Not using placeholders

Explanation: PowerPoint placeholders belong to slide layouts and provide designated positions for titles and other content. Free-floating text boxes do not automatically inherit all layout placement constraints. Using appropriate placeholders helps maintain consistent alignment when slide content changes.

Q288. A teacher wants to show only Excel rows where students scored more than 75, without deleting other rows. Which tool should be used?

[SSC CGL Tier-II 2025 (held 19 January 2026)]

1. Remove Duplicates
2. Freeze Panes
3. Sort
4. Filter

Answer: D. Filter

Explanation: Excel’s Filter feature temporarily hides rows that fail selected conditions while preserving the underlying data. Sorting changes their display order, Freeze Panes fixes headings on screen, and Remove Duplicates can permanently remove records. Filtering is appropriate for selective viewing.

Q287. While editing a cell in Excel, which shortcut inserts a line break inside that same cell?

[SSC CGL Tier-II 2025 (held 19 January 2026)]

1. Ctrl + Enter
2. Shift + Enter
3. Alt + Enter
4. Tab + Enter

Answer: C. Alt + Enter

Explanation: Alt + Enter places a manual line break within a cell being edited on Windows Excel. It is useful for addresses, multi-line labels and notes. Simply pressing Enter usually commits the cell entry and moves to another cell.

Q286. After inserting a Next Page section break in Word, which settings can be made different for the following section?

[SSC CGL Tier-II 2025 (held 19 January 2026)]

1. AutoCorrect substitutions
2. Page orientation and margins
3. Normal-style font throughout the document
4. Document metadata

Answer: B. Page orientation and margins

Explanation: Section breaks divide a Word document into regions with separately configurable page layouts. Different sections can have distinct margins, paper orientation, headers or page numbering. Document-wide metadata and the shared AutoCorrect dictionary are not section-specific page-layout properties.

Q285. If altering a Word heading style changes all headings, what should be used to format only the selected heading?

[SSC CGL Tier-II 2025 (held 19 January 2026)]

1. Direct formatting
2. Format Painter
3. Modify Style
4. Change Theme

Answer: A. Direct formatting

Explanation: Applying direct formatting to one selected paragraph can override the shared style for that paragraph alone. Editing the style definition can update every paragraph based on it. Themes also affect document-wide appearance; the distinction is important in long formatted documents.

Q284. During the instruction cycle, which register contains the instruction currently being decoded by the processor?

[SSC CGL Tier-II 2025 cycle (held 19 January 2026)]

1. Memory Address Register
2. Program Counter
3. Instruction Register
4. Accumulator

Answer: C. Instruction Register

Explanation: The Instruction Register retains the fetched instruction while control circuitry interprets and executes it. The Program Counter identifies the next instruction address; the Memory Address Register identifies a memory location. An accumulator usually holds arithmetic results, not the instruction being decoded.

Q283. Compared with hardwired control, what advantage is most associated with a microprogrammed control unit?

[SSC CGL Tier-II 2025 cycle (held 19 January 2026)]

1. Lower power consumption
2. Easier modification of the instruction set
3. Higher operating speed
4. Fewer physical logic gates in every case

Answer: B. Easier modification of the instruction set

Explanation: A microprogrammed control unit generates control signals from stored microinstructions. This approach can simplify implementation and changes to instruction behaviour. Hardwired control often achieves greater speed but is generally less flexible when the control sequence must be changed.

Q282. Why are RTS and CTS lines used for hardware handshaking in asynchronous serial communication?

[SSC CGL Tier-II 2025 cycle (held 19 January 2026)]

1. To synchronise processor clocks
2. To encrypt transmitted bytes
3. To calculate parity automatically
4. To regulate data flow and avoid receive-buffer overflow

Answer: D. To regulate data flow and avoid receive-buffer overflow

Explanation: Request to Send and Clear to Send are flow-control signals. A receiver can indicate whether it has space for additional data, helping a sender avoid overrunning the receiving buffer. They do not themselves encrypt data or perform error detection.

Q281. Which capability is particularly associated with DisplayPort rather than conventional HDMI connections?

[SSC CGL Tier-II 2025 cycle (held 19 January 2026)]

1. Daisy-chaining displays through Multi-Stream Transport
2. Sending any digital audio
3. Displaying uncompressed images
4. Using a digital video cable

Answer: A. Daisy-chaining displays through Multi-Stream Transport

Explanation: DisplayPort Multi-Stream Transport can carry separate video streams for several monitors through a compatible hub or daisy-chain arrangement. HDMI also transports digital video and audio, so those features do not distinguish DisplayPort. Support depends on device hardware and versions.