How to prepare for the IGNOU MLIL 001 Practical, step by step
The IGNOU MLIL 001 Practical is the computer lab course that sits beside MLI-001 Introduction to Computers in PGDLAN, and this guide shows how to practise each task, test your own commands and walk into the two-hour paper ready. It follows the lab manual, the 2026 assignment booklet and the June and December 2025 papers.
The practical in four sentences
For the IGNOU MLIL 001 Practical you practise DOS, Windows, Unix and MS Office tasks, then do a 50-mark practical assignment at your Study Centre or TLC with every answer saved as a screen capture in one file. The term-end paper runs two hours: 40 marks of practical work and a 10-mark viva. You need at least 40% in practicals.
Across practical courses, learners who handle theory papers well often freeze at the keyboard. That is why this page puts the typing first: every command below is meant to be run, not memorised.
In our records, 70 to 80 percent of learners start only in the final month before a due date. For this course that leaves little room, because the assignment can only be done on a lab day at your centre, before 30 September 2026 (January 2026 session) or 31 March 2027 (July 2026 session).
Some learners only notice a practical half late in the session. Check your course list now: the prospectus prints MLIL 1 on the line below MLI 1, and the two are marked separately.
Step 1: four questions for your first PGDLAN counselling session
The IGNOU MLIL 001 Practical depends on your centre, because the PGDLAN Programme Guide attaches each learner to a Tele Learning Centre or Study Centre and makes computer practical compulsory. Ask these four things and write the answers down.
Counselling-day questions to ask
- On which dates will the 40 lab hours run, and how is attendance recorded?
- Which day is set aside for the practical assignment, and who evaluates it?
- Which assignment code should go on the header? The 2026 booklet prints TMA-T against MLIL-001, where a practical code would be expected.
- Which Windows, Office and Unix or Linux versions does the lab run?
We often meet learners holding three sets of instructions at once. For MLIL-001, the booklet sets the tasks, the counsellor supplies the data, and the manual explains commands.
A friend at another centre may work to different rules. The booklet sends MLIL-001 work to your own Study Centre or TLC, so follow your own counsellor.
Working learners can often miss a theory class; a missed practical session can cost a cycle. The guide prints no attendance percentage, so ask question 1 early. The PGDLAN programme overview lists the other courses you are juggling.
Step 2: turn the lab manual into a practice routine
For the IGNOU MLIL 001 Practical, the PGDLAN Lab Manual allots 40 hours, tied to MLI-001 Block 2, across MS-DOS, Windows 98 and Unix, each ending in lab-session exercises done under an instructor.
A weekly practice routine (our suggested pace)
| Week | Practise | Proof you have it |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | DOS Session 3: build Country.txt, sort it, search it with FIND | You can type every command without the manual |
| 2 | Batch files: ECHO, SET /A, IF, CALL, REM | Calc.bat below runs first time |
| 3 | Unix: ls, cd, mkdir, mv, rm, who, sort, grep, pipes | Both scripts below print the right output |
| 4 | Windows: folders, shortcuts, taskbar, date and time, PDF export, screenshot | Each done in under two minutes |
| 5 | Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access | The marks sheet matches the checker below |
The manual’s screens show floppy drives and Windows 98, and its MLIL-001 part has no Office lessons; MLI-001 Unit 6 covers those. Practise on the lab’s current system.
Lab dates are fixed, and learners who skip the notices miss their batch. The prospectus says practical schedules come from the Learner Support Centre; check weekly.
We often see attendance sheets never countersigned. No MLIL-001 document we read asks for one, so keep your own dated note of each lab day.
Technical English is often the hard part for learners schooled in Hindi. PGDLAN teaches only in English, so say each command’s purpose aloud in English.
Step 3: work the TMA-P tasks one block at a time
The IGNOU MLIL 001 Practical assignment for the 2026 sessions carries 50 marks and every question is compulsory. It is done at the centre on the counsellor’s data, with each answer captured into a single file. Work the blocks in this order:
- DOS: rename a directory (
ren olddir newdir), combine two text files (copy a.txt+b.txt c.txt) and hide a file (attrib +h c.txt). - Windows: a desktop folder holding four or more files, icons sorted by name, three Office shortcuts, two Word files exported to PDF.
- Unix: a new user and password, plus a name-sorting script.
- Word: a WordArt paragraph and a 4 by 10 table in several fonts.
- PowerPoint: a ten-slide deck of text and images, each slide with its own transition, and two or more chart types.
- Excel: three years of term-end marks for 20 learners, charted.
- Access: roughly fifteen of the counsellor’s titles, described to AACR2R.
Many learners wait for an extension. Here that is a poor bet: a completed assignment is a condition for the term-end exam, and the work needs a lab day.
Some learners carry work to the Regional Centre or headquarters and are turned away. The booklet names one place: your own Study Centre or TLC.
Emailing the file is a route we see tried. This booklet expects the work shown at the centre, so keep a pen-drive copy too.
Writing an MLIL 001 batch file: a worked Calc.bat
The June 2025 paper asked for Calc.bat: set a and b, do arithmetic, store the answer in c. Type it in Notepad, save as Calc.bat, run calc.
Worked Calc.bat, line by line
@echo off
rem Calc.bat: two values, one result
set /a a=25
set /a b=7
set /a c=a+b
echo The sum of %a% and %b% is %c%
set /a c=a*b
echo The product of %a% and %b% is %c%Output: sum 32, product 175 (our values). @echo off hides commands, rem is a remark, set /a does integer arithmetic.
For the December 2025 sorted listing of C:\, one line works: dir C:\ /o:n. Run each MLIL 001 batch file and read the screen before showing it.
Across computer practicals we see three faults: no output, output unrelated to the code, and code that fails to run. The examiner reads your saved MLIL-001 output, so test first.
MLIL 001 shell script examples you can type and test
The 2026 assignment wants names sorted; the June 2025 paper wanted the smallest digit of a number. Save each as .sh, run chmod +x, then run it.
Two scripts to type and test
# sortnames.sh: names typed in, sorted out
echo "Type names, one per line, then press Ctrl+D"
sort > sorted.txt
cat sorted.txt
# smalldigit.sh: run as ./smalldigit.sh 59273
n=$1
min=9
while [ $n -gt 0 ]
do
d=$((n % 10))
if [ $d -lt $min ]; then min=$d; fi
n=$((n / 10))
done
echo "Smallest digit: $min"For 59273 the loop takes off 3, 7, 2, 9 and 5 in turn, so it prints 2. Creating a user needs administrator rights (sudo useradd -m pgdlan1, then sudo passwd pgdlan1), so ask the lab instructor before you try it.
Many learners lift code from websites unchecked. A copied MLIL 001 shell script may need a shell feature your lab lacks; type it yourself and test three inputs.
MLIL 001 Excel formulas for the marks-sheet task
The December 2025 paper set five students in three subjects: totals in F, averages in G, highest marks in C7 to E7, counts in C8 to E8. With students in rows 2 to 6:
- F2:
=SUM(C2:E2)and G2:=AVERAGE(C2:E2), filled down to row 6 - C7:
=MAX(C2:C6)and C8:=COUNT(C2:C6), filled right to column E
COUNT skips blank cells, so an absent student is not counted.
Marks-sheet formula checker
Type the marks from one row (three subjects) or one column (five students), separated by commas, and compare with your sheet.
SUM 185, AVERAGE 61.67, MAX 75, COUNT 3
Access and PowerPoint: build them from the counsellor’s data
The June 2025 paper set a Membership table (Student_ID as AutoNumber primary key, name, course, year, Yes/No status, joining date), a report grouped by course and a count query. Order: Design View table, sample rows, Report Wizard grouped on Course, then a Totals query counting Student_ID by Course. For the 2026 book catalogue, give each AACR2R element (title, responsibility, edition, place, publisher, date, pages, ISBN) its own field.
For PowerPoint (2025 topics: IT and AI in libraries), write your own slide text first, then add design, table, chart and the effects named.
Ready-made files circulate with just a new name typed in, and matching work from one centre stands out. A borrowed Access file will not match your counsellor’s titles, and the viva asks why each field type was chosen.
Common IGNOU MLIL 001 Practical slips and how to fix them
Slips that cost IGNOU MLIL 001 Practical marks in rehearsal, with repairs:
Slip and repair table
| Slip | Repair |
|---|---|
| Batch file saved as Calc.bat.txt by Notepad | Choose “All files” in Save As and type the name in quotes |
| Script gives “Permission denied” | Run chmod +x first, then ./name.sh |
| Totals typed in by hand | Use formulas, so the examiner sees them in the cell |
| Capture missing the command line | Capture the whole window: command and output together |
| Wrong enrolment number or centre code on the first page, a slip we see often | Copy the booklet header exactly: enrolment number, name, address, course, assignment number, Study Centre or TLC code |
| Pages left unsigned, which we meet across practicals | In the exam, print only on the sheet signed and stamped as the December 2025 paper directs, with roll number, centre and date |
| Chatbot output pasted in unchanged, a pattern we see | The paper bars manuals and handbooks, so retype and rerun until you can rebuild it alone |
Screen-capture checklist for the TMA-P file
Tick each line on your IGNOU MLIL 001 Practical lab day before the file is evaluated.
TMA-P capture checklist
The learners who finish well begin early, check rules with their own centre, date each lab day and can explain any capture unprompted; each tick is one such habit.
PGDLAN practical exam: spending the 120 minutes
The PGDLAN practical exam for the IGNOU MLIL 001 Practical gives two hours for 50 marks; both 2025 papers set four 10-mark questions. Show output to the examiner, save it on the system, and bring no manual.
Minute plan for the two-hour paper
- 0 to 5: read all four questions; start with the one you have rehearsed most.
- 5 to 105: about 25 minutes a question; save after every sub-part.
- 105 to 115: rerun each batch file and script, check every formula cell.
- 115 to 120: name files clearly and call the examiner to see the output.
Check your slot on the December 2026 exam date sheet and download the hall ticket, which IGNOU uploads 7 to 10 days before the exams; bring your IGNOU ID card, and read the venue printed on the ticket.
Learners often confuse the Rs 300 and Rs 500 fees. The prospectus prints 4 credits on the MLI 1 line, MLIL 1 beneath, so the up-to-4-credit Rs 300 slab applies, paid with the exam form, non-refundable; confirm on the form.
MLIL 001 viva questions to rehearse
In the IGNOU MLIL 001 Practical exam, 10 of 50 marks are viva voce. Practise these MLIL 001 viva questions aloud:
Viva prompts with the reasoning to give
- Why does a batch file start with @echo off? (it hides each command as it runs)
- What is the difference between internal and external DOS commands? (FORMAT is external, a separate program)
- What does a pipe do in Unix? (sends one command’s output into the next)
- Why chmod +x before running a script? (it gives execute permission)
- Why use COUNT and not COUNTA for students appearing? (COUNT counts only numbers)
- Why is Student_ID an AutoNumber primary key? (each record gets a unique value)
Many learners cannot say whether a viva applies. Here it does: both 2025 MLIL-001 papers print it at 10 marks.
A neat screen alone does not carry a viva; learners who did the work explain it easily. Know why each script line gives its output.
Have your own scripts, sheets and capture file looked at
If you have drafted your own batch files, scripts, Excel sheet or capture file for the IGNOU MLIL 001 Practical and want a second reading, send them on WhatsApp. We mark errors and explain fixes; you make the changes and stay the author, and the counsellor and examiner decide marks. This check is quoted on WhatsApp; see our services and charges page.
The MSEL 32 lab record guide applies the same method to a science lab.
Questions learners ask before the IGNOU MLIL 001 Practical
Questions PGDLAN learners ask
Can I practise the IGNOU MLIL 001 Practical tasks on my home computer?
Yes, for practice: Command Prompt runs batch files and a free Linux system runs scripts. The assignment and exam are done on centre machines.
Do the TMA-P marks and exam marks come from the same place?
No. The assignment is evaluated at your centre; the term-end practical is a separate 50-mark exam. The booklet gives assignments a 20 percent weightage and term-end exams 80 percent.
Whom do I contact if my practical marks do not show?
Practical marks often post later than theory, which can delay a job or admission. For practical marks, the prospectus contact table gives practicalsed@ignou.ac.in, phone 011-29572212. Keep your hall ticket and acknowledgement meanwhile.
Is this the same as the MLIS lab work?
No. MLIS has its own courses; see the MLIS handwritten assignment guide and MLII 105 internship report guide.
Finishing the IGNOU MLIL 001 Practical with your own work
Run every command yourself, keep one capture file, collect a dated acknowledgement and rehearse the six viva prompts, and the IGNOU MLIL 001 Practical becomes a set of tasks you have already done once. The theory behind Block 2 is in the course units; our eGyanKosh study material guide explains where to find them, and printed reference material for this course on our publication site is a separate option. When PGDLAN reaches the final stage, the PGDLAN MLIP 008 project guide picks up from here.
Across programmes we see three roots: late, uneven information from centres; practicals that demand time on site; and work handled as layout rather than skill. For MLIL-001 the answer is typed, tested, explained.
Papers and manuals this guide follows
- PGDLAN Lab Manual, MLIL-001 Introduction to Computers part, IGNOU School of Social Sciences, 2005, June 2010 reprint (copy supplied to us)
- PGDLAN Programme Guide
- MLI-001 and MLIL-001 assignments, January and July 2026 sessions
- MLIL-001 term-end practical paper, June 2025
- MLIL-001 term-end practical paper, December 2025
- IGNOU Common Prospectus, July 2026 (PGDLAN programme details, practical fee, hall ticket and contact table)
ignouproject.com, a service of Shri Chakradhar Publication Pvt. Ltd., is not affiliated with IGNOU, nor authorised or endorsed by it. We check and explain the learner’s own work; the learner remains the author of every script, sheet and capture file.
BK Sahni iD 0009-0005-8092-459X
Founder, Shri Chakradhar Publication Pvt. Ltd. & ignouproject.com — helping IGNOU distance-learning students since 2010 (5,00,000+ students supported across MBA, MCom, MA & more). Author of IGNOU exam guides, solved assignments & project reference books.
Disclosure: Shri Chakradhar Publication Pvt. Ltd. and ignouproject.com are independent third-party study-help services — not the official IGNOU website. Always verify final dates and rules on ignou.ac.in.
