Keyboard Shortcuts
About 6 min · Computer Knowledge · English
Time worked out from the lesson's 350 words at 150 words a minute, plus a minute for each question.
Keyboard shortcuts are combinations of keys that perform specific commands quickly, eliminating the need to navigate through menus. For the HSSC CET, this topic matters in the Computer Knowledge section because it tests practical, everyday computer skills that every government employee must possess.
Key ideas
- Modifier keys are the foundation of shortcuts: Ctrl (Control), Alt (Alternate), Shift, and the Windows key. Most shortcuts combine one modifier with a letter or function key.
- Ctrl-based shortcuts are the most common and typically relate to editing and file operations (Copy, Paste, Save, Undo).
- Alt-based shortcuts usually access menus and dialog boxes. Alt+F4 closes programs; Alt+Tab switches between open windows.
- Function keys (F1–F12) perform standalone actions: F1 for Help, F2 for Rename, F5 for Refresh, F11 for Full Screen.
- Shift key often modifies another shortcut to do the opposite action: Ctrl+Z (Undo) vs Ctrl+Y or Ctrl+Shift+Z (Redo).
Watch out for
- Confusing Ctrl+C (Copy) with Ctrl+X (Cut): Copy leaves the original intact; Cut removes it. If asked about moving text, the answer involves Cut (Ctrl+X), not Copy.
- Mixing up Ctrl+Z (Undo) and Ctrl+Y (Redo): Undo reverses your last action; Redo reverses the Undo. If you press Undo by mistake, Redo brings back what you undid.
- Forgetting that F2 has different meanings: In Windows Explorer, F2 renames a file. In Excel, F2 edits the active cell. Context matters—read the question carefully.
Quick reference
- C-X-V-Z: Copy, Cut, Paste, Undo — the four basic editing shortcuts.
- Win+L locks, Win+D shows desktop, Win+E opens Explorer.
- F1 = Help, F2 = Rename, F5 = Refresh — memorise these three function keys.
- Ctrl+B/I/U = Bold/Italic/Underline — works in Word, Excel, PowerPoint.
- Excel dates: Ctrl+; for date, add Shift for time (Ctrl+Shift+;).
Check yourself: 3 questions
1. Which keyboard shortcut is used to save a document in MS Word?
2. In Windows operating system, which keyboard shortcut is used to switch between open applications?
3. What is the keyboard shortcut to insert a hyperlink in MS Word or MS Excel?
This lesson is cut from the topic's note, not rewritten. Fact-checked on 18 Oct 2026: an AI-assisted check of this note against cited sources; the errors it found were corrected that day. Some errors may remain. The questions are from Shishya's validated question bank.
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