SSC CGL · Computer Knowledge

Keyboard Shortcuts

Frequently asked keyboard shortcut keys across Windows and MS Office applications.

Seven concepts. RRB and banking computer awareness treat keyboard shortcuts as confusable pairs — close the window versus close the document, Delete versus Shift+Delete, Task Manager via Ctrl+Shift+Esc versus the Ctrl+Alt+Del menu — so each concept here is a mapping you can revise from a table, not a ledger.

SSC CGL
Easy level
7 concepts
40 practice questions

1Clipboard trio and undo / redo

Across nearly every Windows application the clipboard keys sit together on the bottom-left letter row: Ctrl+C copies the selection, Ctrl+X cuts it (copy then remove), and Ctrl+V pastes whatever is on the clipboard. Undo is Ctrl+Z and redo is Ctrl+Y. Z sits immediately left of the X–C–V cluster, so the left hand can reach undo without leaving the home row of editing keys.

Figure. Clipboard and history chords sit on one letter-row cluster: Ctrl+C/X/V and Ctrl+Z/Y.

Clipboard and history keys
Shortcut	Action
Ctrl+C	Copy selection to clipboard
Ctrl+X	Cut — copy then remove from the document
Ctrl+V	Paste from clipboard
Ctrl+Z	Undo last action
Ctrl+Y	Redo last undone action

A clerk highlights a paragraph, presses Ctrl+X, then clicks elsewhere and presses Ctrl+V. What happened to the original paragraph?

It stayed in place and a second copy appeared at the new location
It was removed from its original place and inserted at the new location
It was permanently deleted and nothing could be pasted

Ctrl+X cuts: the selection moves to the clipboard and leaves the original spot empty. Ctrl+V then inserts that clipboard content. Ctrl+C would have left the original in place; Delete alone would not place the text on the clipboard for paste.

2Formatting keys map to the first letter

In Word and most Office apps the common character-format shortcuts reuse the first letter of the effect: Ctrl+B bold, Ctrl+I italic, Ctrl+U underline. The same pattern covers whole-document selection and printing: Ctrl+A selects all content, Ctrl+P opens print. Once the first-letter rule is clear, the cluster is one mnemonic rather than five separate facts.

Figure. Formatting and select-all chords reuse the first letter of the effect: B bold, I italic, U underline, A all, P print.

First-letter formatting and select-all
Shortcut	Letter cue	Effect
Ctrl+B	B	Bold
Ctrl+I	I	Italic
Ctrl+U	U	Underline
Ctrl+A	A	Select all
Ctrl+P	P	Print

A trainee wants every word in a short Word memo selected before applying bold. The shortcut that selects the whole document is

Ctrl+B, because bold applies to the whole file once pressed
Ctrl+A, because A stands for select all
Ctrl+U, because underline first highlights the text

Ctrl+A selects all content. Ctrl+B and Ctrl+U change character format on whatever is already selected; they do not expand the selection to the whole document.

3Save, Save As, Find and Replace

File and search chords sit outside the clipboard cluster. Ctrl+S saves the current document under its existing name and location. Save As — choosing a new name or folder — is F12 on the Windows Office shortcut set. Ctrl+P prints, Ctrl+F opens Find, and Ctrl+H opens Replace. Ctrl+S does not prompt for a new filename.

Figure. Ctrl+S keeps the same name and folder. F12 Save As chooses a new name or location. Ctrl+F finds; Ctrl+H replaces; Ctrl+P prints.

Save, search and print
Shortcut	Action
Ctrl+S	Save (same name and location)
F12	Save As (new name or folder)
Ctrl+P	Print
Ctrl+F	Find
Ctrl+H	Replace

You finished editing Report.docx and must keep the original file untouched while storing your changes under a new name on a USB drive. The shortcut that opens that dialog is

Ctrl+S, which always asks where to put the file
F12, which opens Save As for a new name or location
Ctrl+H, which replaces the old filename in the folder

F12 is Save As — new name or folder. Ctrl+S overwrites the existing Report.docx in place. Ctrl+H is Find and Replace inside the document text, not a file-save dialog.

4Windows shell keys: desktop, Explorer, lock, switch

Windows adds a set of system chords that are not Office-specific. Win+D shows the desktop (minimise or restore windows in one stroke). Win+E opens File Explorer. Win+L locks the PC so the sign-in screen appears without shutting applications down. Alt+Tab cycles among open application windows.

Figure. Windows shell chords: Win+D desktop, Win+E Explorer, Win+L lock. Alt+Tab switches among open windows.

Windows shell shortcuts
Shortcut	Action
Win+D	Show / restore the desktop
Win+E	Open File Explorer
Win+L	Lock the PC
Alt+Tab	Switch between open windows

You step away from a shared office PC with several documents still open. You need the sign-in screen immediately without closing those documents. The shortcut is

Win+D, which locks the session and ends every open app
Win+L, which locks the PC while applications keep running
Alt+Tab, which locks the screen after switching windows

Win+L locks without shutting apps. Win+D only shows the desktop; it does not lock. Alt+Tab switches windows and does not present the sign-in screen.

5Close the window, close the document, open Task Manager

Closing has two levels. Alt+F4 closes the active application window entirely. Ctrl+W — and in many Office builds Ctrl+F4 — closes only the inner document or browser tab while the application itself stays open. Switching among apps is Alt+Tab, not a close key. Task Manager opens directly with Ctrl+Shift+Esc, which skips the intermediate Ctrl+Alt+Del security-options screen.

Figure. Alt+F4 closes the application window. Ctrl+W closes only the inner document or tab. Ctrl+Shift+Esc opens Task Manager.

Which close or switch you want

Leave the appAlt+F4 closes the whole application window.
Leave one documentCtrl+W (or Ctrl+F4 in many Office apps) closes only the current document or tab.
Switch appsAlt+Tab cycles open windows without closing them.
Task ManagerCtrl+Shift+Esc opens Task Manager directly.

Close, switch and Task Manager
Shortcut	Scope
Alt+F4	Close the active application window
Ctrl+W / Ctrl+F4	Close the inner document or tab only
Alt+Tab	Switch between open applications
Ctrl+Shift+Esc	Open Task Manager directly

Excel is open with three workbooks. You want to close only the active workbook and keep Excel running with the other two. The correct chord is

Alt+F4, which closes one sheet and leaves Excel open
Ctrl+W (or Ctrl+F4), which closes the current workbook only
Ctrl+Shift+Esc, which closes the workbook from Task Manager

Ctrl+W / Ctrl+F4 closes the inner document. Alt+F4 would close the Excel application window. Ctrl+Shift+Esc opens Task Manager; it is not a document-close shortcut.

6Function keys, rename and permanent delete

F1 opens Help. F2 renames a selected file in File Explorer — and in Excel the same key enters cell-edit mode. F5 refreshes the current view (Explorer folder, browser page). Normal Delete sends a selected file to the Recycle Bin; Shift+Delete removes it permanently without that stop. Combining Shift with a delete operation is the usual cue that the action is permanent rather than reversible through the Bin.

Figure. F1 help, F2 rename, F5 refresh. Delete sends to the Recycle Bin; Shift+Delete skips the Bin and removes permanently.

Function keys and delete strength
Key / chord	Action
F1	Help
F2	Rename selected file (Excel: edit cell)
F5	Refresh
Delete	Send file to Recycle Bin
Shift+Delete	Delete permanently — skip Recycle Bin

In File Explorer you select a draft file that must leave the disk immediately with no Recycle Bin copy. The chord to use is

Delete, because every delete is permanent on Windows
Shift+Delete, which bypasses the Recycle Bin
F2, which clears the file name and erases the file

Shift+Delete permanently removes the file. Plain Delete only moves it to the Recycle Bin. F2 renames; it does not delete.

7Screenshots, document ends and move-by-word

Navigation and capture shortcuts finish the standard set. PrtSc copies the full screen to the clipboard. Win+Shift+S opens the snipping tool (Snip & Sketch) for a region capture. In a document, Ctrl+Home jumps to the start and Ctrl+End to the end. Holding Ctrl with Left or Right Arrow moves the cursor by whole words; add Shift as well — Ctrl+Shift+Left/Right — to select by word instead of merely moving.

Figure. Ctrl+Home/End jump to document ends; Ctrl+arrows move by word. PrtSc copies the full screen; Win+Shift+S opens region snip.

Capture and navigation
Shortcut	Action
PrtSc	Copy full screen to clipboard
Win+Shift+S	Open snip / region capture
Ctrl+Home	Jump to start of document
Ctrl+End	Jump to end of document
Ctrl+Left / Right	Move cursor by word
Ctrl+Shift+Left / Right	Select by word

You need a region of the screen — not the whole desktop — copied for pasting into a report. The shortcut that opens that capture tool is

PrtSc, which always opens a region selector
Win+Shift+S, which opens the snip / region capture tool
Ctrl+Home, which copies from the top of the screen downward

Win+Shift+S opens Snip & Sketch (region capture). PrtSc copies the full screen to the clipboard. Ctrl+Home jumps to the start of a document; it does not capture pixels.

Notes

Universal editing shortcuts: Ctrl+C copies, Ctrl+X cuts, Ctrl+V pastes, Ctrl+Z undoes and Ctrl+Y redoes the last action across almost all Windows apps.
Windows system keys: Win+D shows the desktop, Win+E opens File Explorer, Win+L locks the PC, and Alt+Tab switches between open windows.
Function keys: F1 opens Help, F2 renames a selected file, F5 refreshes, and Alt+F4 closes the active application window.
Word/Office specifics: Ctrl+B bold, Ctrl+I italic, Ctrl+U underline, Ctrl+P print, Ctrl+S save, and Ctrl+A selects all content.
Screenshot/navigation: PrtSc copies the full screen, Win+Shift+S opens Snip & Sketch, and Ctrl+Home/Ctrl+End jump to the start/end of a document.

Formulas

Copy = Ctrl+C, Cut = Ctrl+X, Paste = Ctrl+V (the classic 'CXV' trio sits together on the keyboard).
Undo = Ctrl+Z, Redo = Ctrl+Y (Z is left of X-C-V, easy to reach with the left hand).
Save = Ctrl+S, Save As = F12, Print = Ctrl+P, Find = Ctrl+F, Replace = Ctrl+H.
Close window = Alt+F4, Close tab/document = Ctrl+W, Switch apps = Alt+Tab, Task Manager = Ctrl+Shift+Esc.
Move by word = Ctrl + Left/Right arrow; select by word = Ctrl+Shift + Left/Right arrow.

Exam traps & shortcuts

The formatting keys map to their first letter: B=Bold, I=Italic, U=Underline, P=Print, S=Save.
Ctrl+Shift+Esc opens Task Manager directly, skipping the Ctrl+Alt+Del menu asked in exams.
Remember 'Alt+F4 closes, Ctrl+F4 (or Ctrl+W) closes only the inner document/tab'.

Reference tables

Clipboard, formatting, file ops, Windows shell, close scope, function keys and navigation in one revision grid.

Night-before keyboard shortcut sheet
Cluster	Hold this
Clipboard	Ctrl+C copy; Ctrl+X cut; Ctrl+V paste; Ctrl+Z undo; Ctrl+Y redo
Formatting	Ctrl+B/I/U bold/italic/underline; Ctrl+A select all; Ctrl+P print
Save / search	Ctrl+S save; F12 Save As; Ctrl+F find; Ctrl+H replace
Windows shell	Win+D desktop; Win+E Explorer; Win+L lock; Alt+Tab switch
Close / Task Manager	Alt+F4 app window; Ctrl+W / Ctrl+F4 document or tab; Ctrl+Shift+Esc Task Manager
Function / delete	F1 Help; F2 rename; F5 refresh; Delete → Bin; Shift+Delete permanent
Capture / nav	PrtSc full screen; Win+Shift+S snip; Ctrl+Home/End ends; Ctrl±Shift+arrows word move/select

Recap

If you keep only pegs, keep these.

CXV cluster: Ctrl+C copy, Ctrl+X cut, Ctrl+V paste — keys sit together; Ctrl+Z undo, Ctrl+Y redo.
First letter: Ctrl+B/I/U/P/S map to Bold, Italic, Underline, Print, Save; Ctrl+A selects all.
Save vs Save As: Ctrl+S saves in place; F12 is Save As.
Find / Replace: Ctrl+F find; Ctrl+H replace.
Close scope: Alt+F4 closes the application window; Ctrl+W or Ctrl+F4 closes only the document or tab.
Task Manager: Ctrl+Shift+Esc opens Task Manager directly (skips the Ctrl+Alt+Del menu).
Shell keys: Win+D desktop; Win+E Explorer; Win+L lock; Alt+Tab switch apps.
F2 and Shift+Delete: F2 renames (Excel: edit cell); Shift+Delete deletes permanently past the Recycle Bin.
Capture: PrtSc = full screen; Win+Shift+S = region snip.
Word move / select: Ctrl+arrows move by word; Ctrl+Shift+arrows select by word; Ctrl+Home / Ctrl+End jump to ends.

Practise Keyboard Shortcuts

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