MS Word
🔒 Log in to trackWord-processing features, formatting defaults, mail merge, references and the Word shortcut set. Shift analyses regularly put 2-4 CKT questions on Word - mostly shortcut keys and default settings.
One page per subtopic: detailed notes, every question type, formulas, tricks and practice sets.
Every formula on one printable page, grouped by subtopic.
5 exam-level questions worked step by step.
65 questions — untimed practice or a timed test with analysis.
Track record in the exam
Test difficulty mix (65 questions)
Question patterns exams keep repeating
Taken from previous-year papers. If a pattern is marked "very common", expect to see it in your exam.
Shortcut-key recall
very commonThe stem names a Word action (bold, case change, footnote, thesaurus, page break) and asks its shortcut, or gives a shortcut and asks the action. Wrong-pair variants shift one key to a neighbouring action.
How to solve: Hold the shortcut families: B/I/U formatting trio, Ctrl+= / Ctrl+Shift+= subscript-superscript, Shift+F3 case, Ctrl+Alt+F / Ctrl+Alt+D footnote-endnote, F7 spelling and Shift+F7 thesaurus, Ctrl+Enter page break. When two options look alike, the odd Shift/Alt is usually the truth-teller.
Example: The keyboard shortcut to change the case of selected text in MS Word is:
Shift+F3 — it cycles lowercase, UPPERCASE and Capitalise Each Word. F7 alone runs the spelling check.
Default settings
very commonQuestions on factory defaults: default font and size (Calibri 11 in Word 2007-2021), default view (Print Layout), default alignment (left), default orientation (Portrait), default margins (1 inch).
How to solve: Keep one default card: Calibri 11, Print Layout, left-aligned, Portrait, 1-inch margins, .docx. Beware the version trap — the newest Microsoft 365 builds moved to Aptos 12, so answer Calibri for 2007-2019 stems.
Example: The default font size in Word 2007 to Word 2019 is:
11 point Calibri — Times New Roman 12 belonged to Word 97-2003.
Mail merge scenario
very commonA scenario: 'send the same letter to 400 customers with each name filled in' or 'print address labels for invitations' — the feature, its components or its tab is asked.
How to solve: Spot the shape: one fixed document + a list of receivers = mail merge (Mailings tab). Its three parts are the main document, the data source (Excel/Access/Outlook) and the merged output, and the slots in the letter are merge fields like <<Name>>.
Example: To print 500 admission letters with each student's name and address, the best Word feature is:
Mail merge — one main letter joined to a data-source list; Word generates a personalised copy per record.
Feature-tab matching
common'On which tab is Track Changes / Page Number / Table of Contents / Margins?' or a matched pair where one feature sits on the wrong tab.
How to solve: Recite the tab map: Home formatting, Insert objects, Design themes, Layout page setup, References TOC-notes-citations, Mailings merge, Review proofing and changes, View views and zoom. The planted traps: Track Changes (Review, not Insert), page numbers (Insert, not Layout), TOC (References, not Insert).
Example: In MS Word, the Table of Contents option is available on which tab?
References — together with footnotes, endnotes and citations.
Odd-one-out among Office apps
common'Which one is not a word processor?' or 'which pairing is wrong' with MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access, Outlook in the options.
How to solve: Fix the family: Word = word processor, Excel = spreadsheet, PowerPoint = presentation, Access = database, Outlook = e-mail and personal organiser. The odd option is usually a famous program pushed into the wrong job (e.g. Excel called a word processor).
Example: Which of the following is NOT a word processor?
MS Excel — it is a spreadsheet program; Word, WordPad and LibreOffice Writer are word processors.
View and window-parts matching
commonThe stem names a view (Print Layout, Draft, Read Mode, Outline, Web Layout) or a window part (status bar, Quick Access Toolbar, Backstage view) and asks its purpose or default status.
How to solve: Views: Print Layout is the default and print-true; Draft is plain and fast; Read Mode is distraction-free; Outline restructures headings; Web Layout mimics a browser. Window parts: status bar = page number, word count, zoom; File tab = Backstage (New, Open, Print, Options).
Example: Which window part of MS Word shows 'Page 3 of 12' and the word count?
The status bar at the bottom — the title bar only names the file.
Extension family (X = XML)
common'Default extension of a Word 2007 document', 'which is the 97-2003 format', or mixed extensions (.docx, .xlsx, .pptx, .docm) where the family rule decides.
How to solve: The X rule: from Office 2007 every default file gained an X — .docx, .xlsx, .pptx (Office Open XML); the X-less forms (.doc, .xls, .ppt) are the 97-2003 formats; an m (.docm, .xlsm, .pptm) always means macro-enabled; t (.dotx) means template.
Example: A file named report.docm is best described as:
A Word 2007+ document that contains macros — m = macro-enabled.