Syllabus for the Post of Tradesman – Computer Hardware Maintenance
Kerala Public Service Commission
Total Marks: 100
Module 1: Basic Electronics (12 Marks)
Basic principles of electricity:
- Voltage
- Current
- Resistance
- Power
- Energy
- Ohm’s law
- Kirchhoff’s law
Resistors:
- Types
- Colour coding
- Power rating
- Series/parallel combinations
- Applications
Capacitors:
- Principles
- Dielectric materials
- Types
- Series/parallel circuits
Inductors & Transformers:
- Inductance
- Mutual inductance
- Magnetic cores
- Inductive reactance
- Transformer action
- Turns ratio
- Impedance matching
Semiconductor fundamentals:
- Intrinsic and extrinsic semiconductors
- p-type and n-type doping
- Majority/minority carriers
- PN junction formation
PN junction diode:
- Forward and reverse bias characteristics
- Barrier potential
- Breakdown mechanisms
- Diode applications
- Specialised diodes
Power semiconductor devices:
- SCR: Structure, triggering methods, latching and holding current, phase control circuits
- DIAC: Construction, bidirectional switching characteristics, triggering applications
- TRIAC: Operations, power control
Transistor operation:
- NPN and PNP structures
- Biasing conditions
Configurations:
- BJT as a switch & amplifier
- FET
- JFET
- MOSFET
- Applications
- Amplifiers
Power Supplies & voltage regulation:
- Linear Regulators: Zener regulators, current limiting, and thermal protection
- Fixed & adjustable 3-Pin IC Regulators
- Power fluctuation hazards and protection devices
- Switched-Mode Power Supplies: Linear, Switching regulation
Digital Electronics:
- Number systems
- Logic gates
Module 2: Computer Fundamentals (8 Marks)
Computer Fundamentals:
- Characteristics of digital computers
- Generations
- Classification
- Applications
- Hardware and software concepts
- Functional blocks
- Internal architecture
- Instruction cycle
- Motherboard components
- Cabinet form factors
- Motherboard form factors
- Expansion slots
- Bus architecture
- Add-on cards
- Chipset architecture
- Processor families
- Socket types
- Memory hierarchy
- Memory units
- Primary memory
- RAM
- ROM
- Cache memory
Module 3: Advanced Hardware & Storage (10 Marks)
CPU Technology:
- Internal organization
- Modern CPU architectures
- Multicore processing
- Thermal cooling mechanisms
- Overclocking
Storage Devices:
- Magnetic storage devices
- Hard disk drive
- Internal architecture
- Hard drive controller electronics
- Solid state devices
- Storage interfaces
- Optical storage devices
- Redundant array of independent disks concepts and levels
- Network attached storage
Module 4: Operating Systems and Deployment (10 Marks)
Software Classification:
- System software
- Application software
- Utility programs
- High level language
- Low level language
OS Setup & Recovery:
- OS functions
- Open source and proprietary software
- Disk operating system
- GUI environments
- OS deployment methods
- Recovery partitions
- System image creation
- Backup and restore
- Registry fundamentals
- Linux OS features and structure
- File system and process architecture
- Basic commands
Partition Schemes:
- Master boot record
- Partition tables
- Primary, extended, logical partitions
Boot Management:
- Boot loaders
- Windows boot manager and alternative boot managers
- Multi-boot configuration
Module 5: System Utilities & Maintenance (10 Marks)
System Files & Commands:
- Windows Explorer
- File system properties
- 32-bit, 64-bit architecture
- Critical System32 directory files
- Command-line operations and PowerShell basics
- Task Manager
- Windows services
- Process priorities
- Event Viewer
- System monitor
- Safe mode functionality
User Account Security:
- Account types
- User account control
- User access levels
- Permissions
- Group policies
- Time-based permission expiration
Malware & System Maintenance:
- Antivirus configuration
- Definitions update
- Port blocking
- Hosts file modification
- Junk file cleanup
- Defragmentation
- Software licensing compliance
Module 6: Office Applications (10 Marks)
Word Processing & Spreadsheets:
- Document creation
- Editing
- Formatting
- Page setup
- Mail merge
- Spreadsheet creation
- Cell formulas
- Chart generation
- Data sorting/filtering
Presentations:
- Slide creation
- Themes
- Formatting
- Animation
- Multimedia integration
Module 7: I/O Devices & Maintenance (10 Marks)
I/O Devices:
- Keyboards
- Mice
- Audio & visual input
- Biometric & commercial input output peripherals
- Display technologies
- Video interfacing
- Audio i/o systems
- Impact and non-impact printers
- Scanners & MFDs
- Other i/o devices
- Peripheral bus standards
- Installation
- Configuration
- Driver deployment
- Diagnostics
- Maintenance & repair
Module 8: Networking Fundamentals (10 Marks)
Network Architectures & Topologies:
- Peer-to-Peer, Client-Server models
- Topologies
- LAN, MAN, PAN, WAN structures
- IEEE standards
- Wireless networking
Transmission Media & Standards:
- Twisted-pair, coaxial, and fibre-optic cables
- RJ-45, RJ-11, and BNC connectors
- CAT6 wiring conventions
- Simplex, half-duplex, and full-duplex data transmission
Reference Models:
- Layered architectures and functions of the OSI Layer model and TCP/IP protocol suite
Hardware:
- Hubs
- Switches
- Routers
- Gateways
- Repeaters
- Transceivers
- Wireless access points
- Firewalls
IP Addressing & Network Services:
- IPv4, IPv6
- Subnetting
- TCP/IP utilities
Module 9: Application Protocols and Server Administration (10 Marks)
Application Protocols:
- DHCP, DNS, FTP, Telnet, SSH, HTTP, HTTPS, SMTP
- Virtual LAN concepts
- Packet simulators
Server Systems:
- Hardware
- Windows and Linux Server deployment
- Network management utilities
- Remote administration
Module 10: Network Security, Cloud Computing & IT Law (10 Marks)
Network Security Fundamentals:
- Security concepts
- Types of network attacks
- Identification and prevention strategies
- Cyber threats
- Data breaches
- Safe browsing practices
- Email security
- Cryptography & authentication
Virtualization & Cloud Computing:
- Server virtualization
- Virtual machine requirements
- Cloud infrastructure
- Models
- Public cloud services
The IT Act & Cyber Laws:
- Introduction to the Information Technology (IT) Act
- Legal provisions regarding cybercrime
- Digital signatures
- Legal frameworks for electronic governance
- Data privacy regulations
Note: It may be noted that apart from the topics detailed above, questions from other topics prescribed for the educational qualification of the post may also appear in the question paper. There is no undertaking that all the topics above may be covered in the question paper.
