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Basic Computer Skills Self-Assessment
 
To complete this self-assessment, select what you feel is the correct answer(s) to the following questions.
Your responses are just for you and will not be shared with anyone at Miami University.


After you complete this self-assessment, click the "Submit" button. A new browser window will appear displaying your results and provide you with suggestions for acquiring additional training, if needed, and other useful information.


Using the Internet

Please check ALL that apply for each question.
  1. In the Internet context, a browser is:
    A master program that sorts through applications on a computer and selects the right one
    A computer program that allows you to search and retrieve web pages from the Internet
    A means of detecting a computer virus

  2. A URL is:
    An acronym for Uniform Resource Locator
    The global address of documents and other resources on the World Wide Web
    Usually in the format http://www. followed by the site name

  3. Which of the following software products might you use to view web pages?
    Microsoft Internet Explorer ("IE")
    Outlook Express
    Netscape ("Netscape Navigator" or "Netscape Communicator")
    Adobe Acrobat Reader
    Safari

  4. Miami's URL is www.muohio.edu. What is the preferred method to access Miami's web site?
    Open a web browser, type muohio.com in the address bar and press Enter
    Open a web browser, click the "Search" icon, and then type www.muohio.edu
    Open a web browser, type www.muohio.edu in the address bar and press Enter
    Open your e-mail application, create a new e-mail message, and type www.muohio.edu in the To: field

  5. You've gone to the Miami web site and clicked on the "About Miami" link on the home page. You now want to return to Miami's home page. What button do you click to do this?
    Home button image
    Back button image
    Refresh button image
    Forward button image

  6. Which of the following are examples of major Internet search services?
    MSN Hotmail
    Google
    Yahoo
    CNN
    Lycos
    Ask Jeeves

  7. If you did not know the URL for Miami, you could use a search service to locate the Miami University web site. You would want to look for the words Miami University together as one phrase. Which of the following would you enter in the search box to do this?
    Miami AND University
    Miami University
    "Miami University"

  8. Using the search option within your browser, please locate the URL for the city of Oxford, Ohio, home of Miami University, web site. The URL is:
    www.oxfordohio.com
    www.cityofoxfordohio.net
    www.oxfordohio.org
    www.cityofoxford.org

Electronic Mail

Please check ALL that apply for each question.

  1. Which of the following is an example of an e-mail address?
    www.yahoo.com
    doejobq@muohio.edu
    Jon Q. Doe
    doejobq

  2. A word processing file can be attached to an e-mail message?
    True
    False

  3. After receiving an e-mail you can:
    Reply to the sender
    Forward it to others
    Edit it
    Read it
    Delete it
    Save it

  4. Common problems with electronic mail include:
    Attachments can often contain viruses designed to alter system files
    It is not a completely confidential form of communication
    Messages can be shared and forwarded without the consent of the author

  5. Please choose the correct definition for the "Reply to All" e-mail function:
    Will send a reply message for the selected message to every entry in the address book
    Generates a forward message from a current incoming message
    Generates a reply message addressed only to the sender of the selected message
    Generates a reply message addressed to all of the recipients of the selected message

Microsoft Word

Please check ALL that apply for each question.

  1. What method would you use to begin a new Microsoft Word document?
    Launch the Microsoft Word application and then open the File menu and click on "New"; or click on the "New Document" button on the Tool Bar
    Open the Window menu and click on "New Window"; or click on the "New" button on the Tool Bar

  2. Including a table in your Microsoft Word document can be done by either opening the Table menu and then clicking on "Insert"; or by clicking on the "Insert Table" button on the Tool Bar.
    True
    False

  3. You can save a Microsoft Word document in which of the following formats:
    Word Document
    Web Page
    Document Template
    Rich Text Format
    Text only

  4. Microsoft Word offers pre-developed designs for different types of documents such as resumes and letters. What are these pre-developed designs called?
    Web pages
    Layout wizards
    Document templates
    Tables

  5. Landscape is the default page orientation for a Microsoft Word document.
    True
    False

  6. Which of the following formatting options are available in Microsoft Word?
    Change font style
    Change font size
    Change font type
    Change text alignment

  7. Which of these icons would you use to delete text from a page and store it on the clipboard?

Computer Operating Systems

Please check ALL that apply for each question.

  1. When you are instructed to "point and click," it means you:
    Use the mouse to move the pointer around the screen and then click the mouse button once or twice to select the object
    Use the mouse to move the pointer around the screen and then press the spacebar to select the object
    Double-click the mouse

  2. "Desktop" is a computer term that refers to:
    The initial screen showing icons for folders, files, and applications
    The part of your work area where the computer monitor sits
    Something that can and should be ignored by most users
    The list of all the contents on a particular computer

  3. The "Control Panel" is:
    A system tool that allows a user to set certain settings
    A computer network that spans a relatively small area
    Another term for a display screen
    A disk on which data can be stored

  4. To move or copy files to a floppy disk, hard disk, or zip disk:
    Browse to locate the file, copy the file, paste the file
    Drag and drop the file to the appropriate icon

  5. Select one of the following to determine the proper procedure for shutting down your computer. Choose either the PC or Macintosh question depending on which computer you use most often.

      On a PC

        Go to the Start menu and click "Shut Down"
        Whenever you're ready to quit, simply push the lighted button on your processor
        It's best never to turn off your computer

    On a Macintosh

    Close all programs. Open the Apple menu and click "Shut Down"
    Whenever you're ready to quit, simply push the lighted button on your processor
    It's best never to turn off your computer

  6. Choose the proper method below for conducting a search for files or folders. Choose either the PC or Macintosh question depending on which computer you use most often.

      On a PC

        Click the "Control" key and the letter "R" simultaneously
        Click "Start", then click "Search", and then choose the appropriate subsearch
        Searches are highly specialized procedures and can only be done on certain applications

    On a Macintosh

    Click the "Command" (Apple key) and the letter "F" simultaneously
    Click the File menu, then click "Search", and then choose the appropriate subsearch
    Searches are highly specialized procedures and can only be done on certain applications

  7. Creating a subdirectory requires you to:
    Create a new folder for specific items
    Place a file on your Desktop
    Save all items on your Hard Drive