Computer basics, internet and email, Word, Excel, PowerPoint and a practical office project.
What you will cover
Computer basics
internet
email
Word
Excel
PowerPoint
a practical office project
Topic list from the institute's programme record.
Certification
Certificate terms for this programme are confirmed by the institute at admission. Any ADIVAS course-completion certificate is an institute certificate; it is not a university degree, an externally accredited qualification or a vendor certification (such as AWS or Microsoft) unless the institute states so in writing.
Curriculum 0.1 · Draft: written for ADIVAS and awaiting academic review and approval. Topics and weeks may change before your batch starts.
Your skill trail
You move through 6 stations. Each week builds one skill you can show, not just a topic you have heard.
1
Computer basics
Understand the parts of a computer and manage files with confidence.
Week 1 Meet the computer
Week 2 Files, folders and backups
2
Internet, email and safety
Use the web and email professionally and keep accounts safe.
Week 3 Web search and email
Week 4 Staying safe online
3
Word documents
Create professional documents, tables and mail-merged letters.
Week 5 Word: write and format
Week 6 Word: tables, pictures and mail merge
4
Excel for everyday work
Calculate, summarise and chart data in a spreadsheet.
Week 7 Excel: cells, data and basic formulas
Week 8 Excel: functions, references and logic
Week 9 Excel: sorting, filtering and charts
5
PowerPoint presentations
Plan, design and deliver a clear presentation.
Week 10 PowerPoint: plan and design
6
AI help and office project
Use AI tools carefully and complete an office project.
Week 11 Using AI tools carefully
Week 12 Office project and review
★
Small Shop Office Pack
Your project, reviewed by a trainer.
The ADIVAS mastery ladder: how each skill is recognised
Explored You have seen the idea and tried a first example.
Practising You can do it with hints and keep improving.
Proficient You complete the weekly practical task correctly on your own.
Proven You apply it in a project reviewed by your trainer.
Skill-level tracking is being added to the learner workspace. Your trainer already reviews weekly practical work.
What you will be able to do
Explain how a computer works and use the keyboard, mouse and operating system comfortably.
Organise files and folders, take backups and recover deleted work.
Search the web, judge sources and send professional email with attachments.
Protect accounts with strong passwords and two-step verification, and recognise common scams.
Create, format and print a multi-page Word document with a table and a mail merge.
Build an Excel sheet with formulas, absolute references, simple functions and a chart.
Design a clear PowerPoint presentation and present it with confidence.
Use an AI assistant with care by checking its answers and protecting private data.
Combine all skills in a practical office project for a small business or class.
Who it suits
School Students in Classes 8-12 who want a complete, practical start with office tools before college.
College First-year college students and fresh graduates who need reliable Word, Excel and PowerPoint skills for assignments and internships.
Professional Homemakers, shop owners, job seekers and working adults who have never had formal computer training.
Prerequisites: None. Ability to read simple Tamil or English is enough. No earlier computer experience needed. Tools: Windows or Linux desktop, Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint or LibreOffice Writer, Calc and Impress (free), A web browser, A practice email account provided by the institute, A pen drive or cloud drive for backups.
Weekly plan
Computer basics Weeks 1–2
Week 1: Meet the computer
Theory
Input, processing, output and storage
Hardware, software and operating system
Keyboard layout and mouse actions
Lab
Identify the parts of the lab computer, start and shut it down correctly, and type a ten-line paragraph about yourself with correct capital letters and full stops.
Homework
List three devices at home (phone, TV, ATM) and write the input and output of each.
Deliverable
A typed About-me note saved with a clear file name.
Weekly checkpoint
Five questions on hardware/software plus a timed typing task.
You will be able to
Explain how a computer works and use the keyboard, mouse and operating system comfortably. Organise files and folders, take backups and recover deleted work.
Week 2: Files, folders and backups
Theory
File names, extensions and folder trees
Copy, move, rename, delete and recover
Backup on a pen drive and cloud drive
Lab
Build a Course folder with Week folders and Projects, move twelve sample files into the right folders, delete one by mistake and restore it, then back up the folder to a pen drive.
Homework
Rename ten messy files (New-final-2) with descriptive names and sort them into folders.
Deliverable
Screenshot of a tidy folder tree plus a backup copy.
Weekly checkpoint
Sequence the backup steps; practical task: find a file using search by name and type.
You will be able to
Explain how a computer works and use the keyboard, mouse and operating system comfortably. Organise files and folders, take backups and recover deleted work.
Internet, email and safety Weeks 3–4
Week 3: Web search and email
Theory
How a browser and search engine work
Judging a source: author, date, official site
Writing email: To, Cc, Subject, attachment
Lab
Find the official site of a government scheme or exam board, note address and date, then send a practice email with an attachment to your trainer with a clear subject line.
Homework
Compare two sites on the same topic and write three lines on which is more trustworthy.
Deliverable
A sent practice email with attachment and a source note.
Weekly checkpoint
Short email-writing task and two source-judging questions.
You will be able to
Search the web, judge sources and send professional email with attachments. Protect accounts with strong passwords and two-step verification, and recognise common scams.
Week 4: Staying safe online
Theory
Strong passwords and password managers
OTP, two-step verification and UPI safety
Phishing, fake job offers and lottery scams
Lab
Create a strong passphrase for the practice account, switch on two-step verification, and review five sample messages to mark which are scams and why.
Homework
Ask a family member which scam calls they received and write the warning signs.
Deliverable
A scam-signs checklist and a password plan (no real passwords written down).
Weekly checkpoint
Scenario questions on OTP and fake links; match scam type to the right response.
You will be able to
Search the web, judge sources and send professional email with attachments. Protect accounts with strong passwords and two-step verification, and recognise common scams.
Word documents Weeks 5–6
Week 5: Word: write and format
Theory
Fonts, paragraphs, spacing and alignment
Bullets, numbering and headings
Page setup, margins and printing
Lab
Type a one-page notice for a school or shop event, apply a heading style, bullets, 1.5 spacing and justified text, set A4 margins and save as DOCX and PDF.
Homework
Reformat a poorly formatted sample page to look professional.
Deliverable
A one-page formatted notice in DOCX and PDF.
Weekly checkpoint
Formatting checklist task done on the learner's own document.
You will be able to
Create, format and print a multi-page Word document with a table and a mail merge.
Week 6: Word: tables, pictures and mail merge
Theory
Tables, borders and cell alignment
Inserting and wrapping pictures
Mail merge letters from a list
Lab
Make a fee-reminder letter, build a ten-row student list in Excel or a table and run a mail merge to produce personalised letters; preview and print two.
Homework
Create a visiting card or invitation with a table layout and one picture.
Deliverable
A mail-merged set of letters and the data source.
Weekly checkpoint
Sequence the mail merge steps; practical merge of a supplied list.
You will be able to
Create, format and print a multi-page Word document with a table and a mail merge.
Excel for everyday work Weeks 7–9
Week 7: Excel: cells, data and basic formulas
Theory
Rows, columns, cell addresses
Entering data, number formats and rupees
Formulas: + - * / and SUM, AVERAGE
Lab
Create a monthly household budget with income and six expenses, total them with SUM, find the average and format amounts as rupees.
Homework
Make a marks sheet for five subjects and calculate total and average for three students.
Deliverable
A budget workbook with correct totals.
Weekly checkpoint
Formula questions and a quick build task on a supplied table.
You will be able to
Build an Excel sheet with formulas, absolute references, simple functions and a chart.
Week 8: Excel: functions, references and logic
Theory
Relative and absolute references
MIN, MAX, COUNT, IF
Percentages, GST and discount calculations
Lab
Build a shop bill: item, quantity, rate, amount, GST at a rate in a single cell with an absolute reference, and a grand total; add IF to show Pass or Fail on a marks sheet.
Homework
Change the GST rate cell and note which cells update.
Deliverable
A bill sheet where one cell change recalculates everything.
Weekly checkpoint
Debug a sheet where copying a formula gave wrong results (missing $).
You will be able to
Build an Excel sheet with formulas, absolute references, simple functions and a chart.
Week 9: Excel: sorting, filtering and charts
Theory
Sort and filter a list
Column, bar, line and pie charts
Choosing the right chart; titles and labels
Lab
Take a sales table of twelve rows, sort by amount, filter one product, and create a column chart and a pie chart with titles and labels.
Homework
Find a chart in a newspaper and say whether the chart type suits the data.
Deliverable
A workbook with a clean table and two readable charts.
Weekly checkpoint
Choose the right chart for four data stories; one chart-fixing task.
You will be able to
Build an Excel sheet with formulas, absolute references, simple functions and a chart.
PowerPoint presentations Weeks 10
Week 10: PowerPoint: plan and design
Theory
Storyline: title, content, summary
Layouts, fonts, colours and contrast
Images, simple animation and presenting
Lab
Build a six-slide presentation on a topic of your choice with one idea per slide, readable text and one chart pasted from Excel; rehearse it twice and present for three minutes.
Homework
Give feedback to a classmate: one thing clear, one thing to improve.
Deliverable
A six-slide deck and a three-minute talk.
Weekly checkpoint
Slide-critique task and trainer rating of the talk.
You will be able to
Design a clear PowerPoint presentation and present it with confidence.
AI help and office project Weeks 11–12
Week 11: Using AI tools carefully
Theory
Writing a clear prompt
Checking facts and spotting made-up answers
Never sharing private or financial data
Lab
Ask an AI assistant to draft a leave letter and to explain a spreadsheet formula, then verify each answer yourself and mark what you corrected; compare two different prompts.
Homework
Write a short rule list for yourself: what I will and will not paste into an AI tool.
Deliverable
An AI check sheet showing the prompt, the answer, your corrections and a verdict.
Weekly checkpoint
Scenario questions on checking AI answers and privacy.
You will be able to
Use an AI assistant with care by checking its answers and protecting private data. Combine all skills in a practical office project for a small business or class.
Week 12: Office project and review
Theory
Planning a small-business or class project
Combining Word, Excel and PowerPoint
Final checks: names, backups, printing
Lab
Complete the office project: a document, a workbook and a presentation for one small business or class, then back up the folder and present the results in five minutes.
Homework
Fix feedback points from the trainer and resubmit.
Deliverable
The completed project folder, backed up, and the final presentation.
Weekly checkpoint
Project demo scored on the rubric plus a short viva.
You will be able to
Use an AI assistant with care by checking its answers and protecting private data. Combine all skills in a practical office project for a small business or class.
Sample lessons
Week 8
Absolute and relative references in a bill
When you copy a formula in Excel, the cell addresses change with the new position. This is called a relative reference and is usually what you want. Sometimes one cell, such as a GST rate, must stay fixed. Putting dollar signs in front of the column and row (for example $F$1) makes it an absolute reference that does not move when copied. Mixing them lets you build a whole bill from a single formula.
Cell
Formula
Result
D4
=B4*C4
620
E4
=D4*$F$1
31
E5
=D5*$F$1
35
F1
5%
fixed rate
Step by step
Type item names in A, quantity in B and rate in C from row 4 downwards.
In D4 enter =B4*C4 and drag it down to fill the amount column.
Put the GST rate (for example 5%) in cell F1.
In E4 enter =D4*$F$1 and drag it down; each row uses its own amount but always the same rate.
Total the amounts and GST with SUM and change F1 to see the bill update.
In real life
A shopkeeper changes GST from one rate to another on a product line; instead of editing fifty formulas the shopkeeper edits one cell and every bill row updates correctly.
Worked example
Problem. Row 4 has amount 620 in D4 and the GST rate 5% in F1. Write the GST formula for E4 so it can be copied to E5 and E6.
Solution. =D4*$F$1. The D4 changes to D5, D6 as you copy down, while $F$1 stays fixed. E4 shows 31.
Common mistakes
Writing =D4*F1 and finding that F2, F3 are blank in the copied rows.
Typing 5 instead of 5% in the rate cell, so the GST becomes five times the amount.
Try it yourself
Add a discount percentage cell and apply it to every row using an absolute reference.
Explain in your own words why $F$1 does not change when copied.
Week 6
Mail merge: one letter, many names
Mail merge joins a letter template with a list of names and details so you can create many personalised letters without retyping. You prepare two parts: the main document with fixed text and placeholders, and the data source such as an Excel sheet where each row is one person. Word replaces each placeholder with the data from one row and produces one letter per row. Always preview before printing.
1Data list in Excel
2Letter template in Word
3Insert merge fields
4Preview each letter
5Print or save letters
Step by step
Prepare the data in Excel with a header row: Name, Address, Fee Due.
Write the letter in Word and leave the places for the personal details.
Choose Mailings, select recipients and connect the Excel file.
Insert merge fields for Name, Address and Fee Due where they belong.
Preview the results, check two or three letters and finish the merge.
In real life
A coaching centre sends fee reminders to 120 parents. Instead of typing 120 letters, the staff run one merge and print or email them in minutes.
Worked example
Problem. The data sheet has the heading Parent Name in column A. Where do you place the merge field for it?
Solution. After connecting the sheet, insert the field Parent Name after the word Dear in the greeting, so every letter reads Dear followed by the parent name.
Common mistakes
Leaving blank rows or merged cells in the data sheet, which creates blank letters.
Not previewing, and printing letters with the wrong field or names in capital letters.
Try it yourself
Merge a list of five classmates into a birthday invitation.
Add a second field for the date and update the template.
Try the questions
The same skills are asked at three levels: School (Classes 6–12), College and Professional. Switch the level and the language (English or Tamil), and say how sure you are before you check: knowing what you are unsure about is part of learning.
Classes 6–12: everyday examples, no prior knowledge. Practice only. Nothing here is graded or saved.
Question 1 / 4 · Choose a safe backup
Your project report is on one pen drive only. What is the best way to protect it?
Projects
Small Shop Office Pack
A small shop in Madurai wants a simple set of office files: a customer letter template that can be mail-merged, a monthly sales and GST workbook with charts, and a short presentation for the owner. Create the pack from scratch and keep every file organised and backed up.
Tasks
Create the folder structure Shop/Letters, Sales, Slides and Backup.
Write an offer letter in Word with a heading, a table of three offers and merge fields for the customer name and address; merge ten customers.
Build a sales workbook with item, quantity, rate, amount, GST using an absolute reference and a total; add a column chart and a pie chart.
Make a five-slide presentation summarising sales, with one chart and a recommendation.
Check one AI-drafted paragraph for facts and note what you corrected, then back up the whole folder.
Sample input
Items: Rice 10 kg at 62, Oil 5 L at 140, Sugar 8 kg at 44; GST rate 5%
Expected output
Amounts 620, 700, 352; subtotal 1672; GST 83.60; grand total 1755.60; merged letters carry each customer name; charts have titles and labels.
How it is assessed
Criterion
Weight
Correct formulas and totals
25%
Mail merge result
20%
Document and slide design
20%
Chart clarity
15%
File organisation and backup
10%
AI check note
10%
Stretch challenge: Add an IF-based discount rule for bills above 2000 and show it in the sales sheet.
How you are assessed
Each week: five short questions including one scenario or diagram item, one timed hands-on task on the lab computer, and a two-line reflection. Marks are recorded against the week outcomes.
Practical work. File, document and spreadsheet tasks are assessed on the learner's own saved files using a checklist: correct result, formatting, file names and a working backup. The final project is demonstrated live and reviewed by a trainer.
What trainers look for
Weight
Correct, working result
35%
Formatting and clarity
20%
File names, folders and backup
15%
Safe digital and AI habits
15%
Explanation and reflection
15%
Where this can lead
Prepares you for data-entry, front-office and office-assistant tasks.
Builds the office skills needed for further courses such as DCA or DMO and for everyday work in small businesses.
These describe skills you will build. ADIVAS does not guarantee jobs, placement or salary.
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