ICT IGCSE May/June 2003
Paper 2
Ring two output devices.
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CD ROM drive
Keyboard
Scanner
Speaker
Plotter
Touchpad
2 Ring two items which can store large
amounts of data.
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Bar code
CD ROM
Graphics tablet
Magnetic strip
Magnetic tape
Sensor
3
Ring one item which allows musical instruments to be
connected to a computer.
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Floppy disc
Keyboard
MIDI
ROM
A very large gas bill is received because the customer’s meter reading has been typed
incorrectly into the customer database. Complete the sentence by ringing the correct
answer.
This mistake is caused by a .....
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computer breakdown
computer error
human error
virus
Complete each sentence below using one item
from the list.
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Maintaining the temperature of a room using a
computer is an example of control
Space in a data file can be saved using coding
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Analysis of an existing system can be done carrying
out an interview.......
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Illegal accessing of data is called hacking
Tick two benefits of using computers in the office of a company
which designs buildings. The company has a large number of
customers
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The employees know the names of the customers
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It is quick to find a customer’s record.
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Employees can produce the correct drawing.
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It is easier to edit drawings.
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Employees have more information about a customer.
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Employees can produce more drawings.
A car showroom buys a computer with database software. The employees in the office will use
it to keep records of the showroom’s customers and cars.
(a) In the customer database, records can be searched to find particular customers. Give two
other features which would be included in the database software.
Two from:
 Can sort records
 Can insert records
 Can produce graphs
 Can save file
 Can print file/records
 Can edit records
 Can delete records
 Can encrypt records
 Can password protect the file
 Can create input forms
 Can create reports
The customer database is stored on a hard disc. State the type of
access needed to retrieve a single record quickly
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Direct / random
An employee has to type a car’s details into the
car database. State two ways the data can be
verified
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Visual verification
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Double entry - copies typed by separate
secretaries and compared
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Two different versions of double entry are
acceptable
Name a device which could be used to input a
photograph of a car into the database.
Either
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Scanner
or
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Digital camera
Some customers of the car showroom are worried that their
personal data might be misused.
State two ways in which the law prevents this data being misused?
Two from:
 You can be fined for:
 You can go to prison for:
 Gaining unauthorised access to any program or data held in a computer
 Committing computer fraud/blackmail
 Writing programs designed to change or impair the performance of a
computer or data stored on a computer (viruses)
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It must be the actions of the law and must not be Data Protection Act
Give two ways in which office employees have
been affected by the introduction of
computers.
Two from:
 Have had to re-train
 Computer-related health problems
 Less noise/more pleasant environment
 Greater job satisfaction/easier to make
corrections/do not have to type it all again
 Unemployment/redundancy/change job
State two reasons why it is easier to steal
data when it is stored on computer rather
than on paper.
Two from:
 Can copy data without leaving a trace
 Can delete data without leaving a trace
 Do not need to physically break in to a
building
 Can spend as much time as it takes to break
password security without being detected
Complete the sentences.
(a)
(b)
(c)
Bank cheques are read using MICR
Many items can be accessed from a
magnetic tape one after the other. This is
called serial / sequential access.
A software package which allows a
computer to automatically manufacture
goods from drawings is called CAD/CAM
Each item in a supermarket has a code number. State two ways in
which this number may be entered into a point of sales (POS)
terminal.
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Keyed in
Read bar code
Write down a validation check which would be used to make sure
the number had been entered correctly keyed in
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Check digit,
length check
existency check
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no alternatives to these three
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Customers can pay for their shopping using credit or debit cards. Name two
items of information stored on the magnetic strip of these cards.
Two from:
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Account number
Expiry date
Start date
Issue number
Sort code
State two checks that the computer would
perform on the credit card
Two from:
 Valid issue number/account number/sort
code
 Sufficient funds
 Expiry date not past
 Checks that there are no unusual
spending patterns
 Pin number is checked
 Not been reported stolen
Every day a school makes a back-up of all
students’ files. Give two reasons why a
back-up is made
Two from:
 Work might have been accidentally
deleted
 Work might have been deleted/changed
by hacker
 System malfunction may have corrupted
work
Which articles use batch processing?
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On-line theatre reservation systems.
Producing gas bills.
Sending out reminders for overdue books.
Controlling the temperature in a greenhouse.
Air traffic control.
Monitoring a patient’s heartbeat.
State one field where the currency data
type would be most appropriate.
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Price
State one field where the Boolean/logical
data type would be most appropriate.
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Paperback or hardback
Write down which field would be best for
use as the key field and give a reason for
your choice
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ISBN
Because this field is unique for each book
After the system is designed it will be
implemented. Describe two ways that the
system could be implemented
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Two from:
Parallel running
Direct changeover
Phased implementation
Pilot running
The systems analyst will provide the shop owner with
technical documentation. List two items which will be
contained in the documentation
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Technical documentation
Two from:
Program listing List of variables
File structure
Purpose of the system Screen layouts Print formats
Purpose of the program
Hardware requirements
Software requirements Sample runs
Systems flowchart/program flowchart/algorithm
How to install software
The systems analyst will provide the shop owner with user
documentation. List two items, other than those above, which
will be contained in the documentation.
Two from:
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How to load software
How to run software
How to save a file
Screen layouts
Print formats
How to search
How to sort
How to print
Hardware requirements (only if not mentioned in technical documentation)
Software requirements (only if not mentioned in technical documentation)
Sample runs (only if not mentioned in technical documentation)
Troubleshooting guide
How to install software (only if not mentioned in technical documentation)
Describe what is meant by video conferencing.
Include in your answer a list of the additional hardware the
company will have to buy for each workstation.
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Three marks are available for description from:
Employees are connected on-line
Images of the employees appear on the screen
Software is needed in each computer to operate the conference
Employees who speak can be heard by all the other employees in
the conference
Two marks are available for hardware. Company will need to buy:
Webcams/small video cameras
Microphones
Speakers
Modem
Describe two advantages to the company
of such a system.
Four from:
 Do not have to pay for conference room
 Do not have to pay employee travelling
expenses
 Do not have to pay for hotel rooms/
overnight stays
 Conferences can be called at short notice
A computer company has decided to develop an expert system
to help doctors with their diagnoses of patient illnesses.
Describe the steps it will need to go through in order to create
this system.
Four from:
 Doctors interviewed for requirements
 Data is collected from experts
 Knowledge base is designed/created
 Rule base is designed/created
 Inference engine is designed/created
 Input Screen is designed/created
 Output format is designed/created
 Interview a sample of patients
Name two other applications which
involve the use of expert systems.
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Mineral prospecting
Car engine fault diagnosis
Tax
Chess games
Any other suitable answer
Describe how the bookshop’s computer and the
customer’s bank computer deals with the transaction
Include in your answer descriptions of the input data
and the checks which are performed.
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Six from:
The bar code of the ISBN is read
Check digit calculated to validate ISBN
ISBN is matched with number on file of books/on hard disk
Information from the books computer database is read ready
for printing
Details from customer's credit/debit card read
Sort code allows shop computer to contact bank's computer
Details checked for validity
Account checked for sufficient funds
If invalid/insufficient funds then transaction is rejected
Amount deducted from customer's bank account
Amount credited to shop's bank account
Itemised receipt printed out
More and more people are using home banking services for organising
their finances. Apart from security, describe one advantage and one
disadvantage to the bank and the customer arising from these
developments.
Bank advantage: one from:
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Fewer employees/lower wage bill
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Fewer branches to maintain
Bank disadvantage: one from:
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Large initial capital expenditure
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Customer mistrust of such systems
Customer advantage: one from:
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Easier to see state of finances
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Can transfer funds more easily in emergency/at any time of day/holidays
Customer disadvantage: one from:
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Miss the personal touch
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Have to be computer literate
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Still have to travel to withdraw cash
A company makes toys and then delivers them to
shops. Describe possible methods of collecting
information about the current system.
Methods of collecting information:
Three from:
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Interviewing workers
Questionnaires to workers
Observation of working practices
Collecting documents
For each group of employees suggest the most
suitable method of collecting
information and give reasons.
Appropriate methods
Two from:
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Phone operators - questionnaires/observation
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Office employees - interviews/collecting documents/
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questionnaires
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Drivers - questionnaires
Reasons
Two from:
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Phone operators constantly busy - difficult to pin down for interview
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Secretaries - can process orders in a batch so could be available for
interview
Deal with many documents so collecting these would give good insight
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Drivers never available during day and only use one document
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The systems analyst decides that a database would be the best
solution. Apart from the field names describe the other parts
of the structure of the database which will be designed.
Four from:
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Field lengths
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Field types/data types
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Validation checks
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Key field selected
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Relationships