Keyboard Shortcuts
🔒 Log in to trackFunction keys F1-F12
🔒 Log in to track| Key | Windows / Explorer | MS Office | Browser |
|---|---|---|---|
| F1 | Help | Help | Help |
| F2 | Rename selected item | Edit active cell (Excel) | - |
| F3 | Search in Explorer | Shift+F3: change case (Word), Insert Function (Excel) | Find next |
| F4 | Alt+F4 closes window; address-bar list in Explorer | Repeat last action; cycle absolute/relative references (Excel) | - |
| F5 | Refresh | Go To (Word/Excel); start slide show (PowerPoint) | Reload |
| F6 | Cycle through screen elements | Move between panes/ribbon | Focus address bar |
| F7 | - | Spelling and grammar; Shift+F7 thesaurus | Caret browsing |
| F8 | Boot options on older PCs | Extend selection (Word/Excel) | - |
| F9 | - | Recalculate (Excel); update field (Word) | - |
| F10 | Activate menu bar; Shift+F10 = right-click menu | Show KeyTips | Menu |
| F11 | Full screen | New chart sheet (Excel); Shift+F11 new worksheet | Full screen |
| F12 | - | Save As | Developer tools |
Exam favourites: F1 Help, F2 Rename/Edit, F5 Refresh/Slide show, F7 Spell check, F12 Save As, Shift+F10 context menu, Alt+F4 close.
The F1–F12 row, one by one
| Key | Everywhere / Windows | In Office | Elsewhere |
|---|---|---|---|
| F1 | Help | Help | — |
| F2 | Rename file (Explorer) | Edit cell (Excel) | — |
| F3 | Search (Explorer) | Insert Function (Shift+F3) | — |
| F4 | Address-bar dropdown | Repeat last action; cycles absolute refs in formulas | Alt+F4 closes the program |
| F5 | Refresh | Slideshow (PPT) / Go To (Word) | Hard reload Ctrl+F5 |
| F6 | Cycle screen elements/panes | — | — |
| F7 | — | Spelling & grammar | Caret browsing in browsers |
| F8 | Safe Mode at start-up (older Windows) | Extend selection | — |
| F9 | Update fields (Word) | Recalculate | Send/Receive (Outlook) |
| F10 | Activate the menu bar | — | Shift+F10 = right-click |
| F11 | Full screen (browsers) | Chart sheet (Excel) | — |
| F12 | Developer tools (browsers) | Save As | — |
Memory hooks:
- One = on-demand help. Two = second name (rename). Five = fresh (refresh). Seven = spellcheck's number. Twelve = twelve dollars — Save As your work.
- The Shift+F10 = right-click rule: F10 summons the menu bar, Shift makes it act where your cursor is — the keyboard's right-click.
- Alt+F4 closes the program; Ctrl+F4 closes only the document/tab inside it.
Same key, different apps (the exam's favourite twist)
| Key | Windows | Word | Excel | PowerPoint | Browser |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| F5 | Refresh | Go To | Go To | Slideshow | Reload |
| F2 | Rename | — | Edit cell | — | — |
| F7 | — | Spellcheck | Spellcheck | Spellcheck | Caret browsing |
| F12 | Dev tools | Save As | Save As | Save As | Dev tools |
| F11 | — | Full screen (Alt) | Chart sheet | — | Full screen |
The stem names the app — F5 in PowerPoint is the show, F5 on the desktop is refresh.
Everyday anchors and worked pairs
| You want to… | Press |
|---|---|
| Understand a button you have never clicked | F1 |
| Give a file a better name | F2 |
| Search a folder full of files | F3 |
| Reload a page that misbehaves | F5 |
| Fix every red squiggle at once | F7 |
| Send the file with a different name | F12 |
| Open the menu without the mouse | F10 (Shift+F10 = right-click menu) |
Ten-second method: the stem gives an action → say the ladder out loud ("help, rename, search, refresh, …") and stop at the match → then check the app named, because F5 and F12 change jobs between Office and the browser.
Question types you will see
Each type: how to recognise it, the method step by step, and one question to try.
Core F-key identification
'F1 is used for…', 'which function key refreshes the page?', 'which key is pressed to rename a file?', 'save-as key'.
Ladder recall: F1 help → F2 rename/edit → F3 search → F5 refresh → F7 spelling → F12 save-as.
Anchor each with a hook: one = on-demand help, five = fresh, twelve = save.
Check the app named in the stem before locking F5 or F12.
Which function key refreshes the active window or web page?
Show solutionHide solution
F5 — the refresh/reload key everywhere on Windows.
F-keys inside Office apps
'Which key runs the spell check?', 'which key starts the slideshow?', 'Shift+F3 does what in Word?', 'Shift+F11 inserts…'.
Office ladder: F2 edit cell (Excel), F4 repeat/absolute refs, F5 show (PPT)/Go To (Word), F7 spelling, F12 Save As.
Shift variants: Shift+F3 case (Word), Shift+F5 show from current slide, Shift+F11 new worksheet (Excel), Shift+F10 right-click.
The app decides: F5 in PowerPoint = show, F5 in Word = Go To.
Which function key runs Spelling & Grammar check in MS Word?
Show solutionHide solution
F7 — the spellchecker's key in Word, Excel and PowerPoint alike.
Modifier + F-key combinations
'Alt+F4 does what?', 'which combination works like right-click?', 'Ctrl+F4 vs Alt+F4', 'Shift+F10 opens'.
Alt+F4 closes the whole program; Ctrl+F4 closes only the open document/tab inside it.
Shift+F10 = the context (right-click) menu; F10 alone activates the menu bar.
Alt+Enter = properties of a file; Alt+Tab = switch windows.
Which key combination works like a right-click (opens the shortcut menu)?
Show solutionHide solution
Shift+F10 — it opens the context menu at the current selection, no mouse needed.
One key, many apps (application-dependent F-keys)
'In PowerPoint F5 does what but on the desktop?', 'F12 in a browser vs in Word', 'F11 in Excel vs in a browser', 'which is NOT true about F-keys'.
Build the cross-table: F5 = refresh (Windows/browser) vs slideshow (PPT) vs Go To (Word/Excel).
F12 = Save As (Office) vs developer tools (browsers). F11 = full screen (browser) vs chart sheet (Excel).
Statement questions: verify each clause against the right app before judging true/false.
Which statement about the function keys is correct?
Show solutionHide solution
F12 has two lives: Save As in Office apps, developer tools in browsers. F5 shows slides in PowerPoint and refreshes elsewhere; F11 is full screen in browsers, a chart sheet in Excel.
Shortcuts that save time
F1 = help (first thing you need), F2 = rename (give it a 2nd name), F5 = refresh/show (5 = S for Show), F7 = spell check (7 letters in 'SPELLER'), F12 = Save As (end of the row, you save at the end).
Which key opens Save As in Word?
Show solutionHide solution
F12.
Shift+F10 opens the context menu, the same one you get with a right mouse click. The Menu key next to right Ctrl does the same.
Keyboard equivalent of a right-click?
Show solutionHide solution
Shift+F10.
Mistakes to avoid
Where most students lose marks on this subtopic.
Answering F2 for 'refresh' - refresh is F5; F2 renames.
Saying F12 saves normally - F12 is Save As; plain save is Ctrl+S.
Treating F11 the same in every app - full screen in browsers, chart sheet in Excel.
Quick revision
Read this the night before the exam.
F1 help, F2 rename/edit, F3 search, F5 refresh/show, F7 spelling, F12 save-as/dev-tools.
Alt+F4 close program; Ctrl+F4 close document; Shift+F10 = right-click; F10 = menu bar.
F4 repeats the last action (Office) and cycles absolute/relative references (Excel); F8 = Safe Mode at boot (older Windows).
Shift+F3 toggles case in Word; Shift+F11 adds a worksheet; Ctrl+F5 = reload without cache.
Practice: 18 questions
Sets of 10, mixed across the question types above. Every answer has a step-by-step explanation.
Topic test · 10 questions
Suggested time 4 min · wrong answers go to your mistake notebook automatically.