IGCSE ICT 9 - 1 Revision Note – Topic vise

Unit One Digital Devices Page 41

1. State one benefit of using barcodes in a supermarket.

Barcodes save time

Or
Barcodes ensure that fewer errors are made when entering product ID numbers

2. State one reason why small, built in microphones are used in smartphones and laptops.

These devices are designed to be portable

3. Explain why capacitive touch screens do not work when you are wearing woolen gloves.

The charge cannot be reduced on the capacitive layer

Because wool is not a conductive material
(The charge is usually drawn away to touch, thereby reducing the charge held in the capacitive
layer)

4. State three computer systems that do not use monitors.

A burglar alarm, A web server, An engine management system, A home heating system

5. State two benefits of using laser printers rather than inkjet printers.

Laser printers are faster and produce each copy more cheaply than inkjet printers.

6. State two types of business that use plotters.

Architecture, product design, cartography, engineering

7. Explain why some 3 D printers use biodegradable materials to create models.

To reduce the impact on the environment when the finished models are discarded.

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8. List two sensors used in smartphones. For each one, describe one way in which it is used by
the operating system or an app.

Several answers. For example: An accelerometer used to detect ‘tilt’ in a game

A light sensor used to alter the brightness of screen to match the environmental light conditions.

9. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of using sensors in smart cars.

Several answers. For example: Sensors are used in cars for many reasons. Some examples include
detecting whether doors are open, whether seatbelts are secure, whether passengers are in their
seats and whether it is dark outside. This type of feedback on the environment can be useful to
the driver, so that they know what is around the car.

For example, the car could use distance sensors to help drivers to park or avoid collisions.
Similarly, cars could use light sensors under the car to help drivers know if they are moving out
of a lane on a road and the car’s computer could trigger an alarm to alter the driver’s course.

The use of sensors can take some of the need to think away from the drivers, allowing them to
concentrate on the driving.

Sensors can also produce reactions that are quicker than a human’s, therefore increasing road
safety. However, sensors (and the computers to which they are linked) are not good at making
ethical decisions and so, if they sensed a person in the road ahead, they may not be able to decide
whether to steer off the road and maybe crash into a wall (potentially injuring the driver) or crash
into the person crossing the road, potentially injuring the pedestrian.

In summary sensors can be very useful, but humans will always need to take responsibility for
their actions and should not become complacent when in charge of a vehicle.

10. Explain one reason why Blu-ray disks are used to store modern console games.

Console games use detailed graphics which use a lot of data and therefore data storage
OR:
Optical media is required because download sizes would be too big and Blu- ray media has the
greatest capacity of all optical formats.

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Unit One Software Page 58

1. State what is meant by the term ‘application software’.

A piece of software you can use to carry out specific tasks that are not related to the
operating system

2. State three types of utility software.

Backup, antivirus, defragmentation, compression, disk management

3. Describe the role of the operating system

The operating system allows the user to control and manage the computer’s hardware

4. Explain why utility software allows the user to schedule backup processes.

So that backup processes can be completed when the system is not in use to avoid file
conflicts

5. Explain the benefit of using compression utilities to archive files.

Compression utilities can free up storage space by reducing the amount of data needed
to store a file.

6. Describe how presentation software can help a presenter to give a talk.

By allowing the user to create slides that contain content that support their talk

7. Describe one use of control software in a relevant industry.

Several answers. For example: Control software could be used in manufacturing factories
to control robot on a production line.

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8. Discuss why a building company might use project management software

Several answers. For example: Building companies must adhere to scheduled timelines
because multiple resources such as materials and personnel such as electricians need to
be coordinated in sequential phases which are dependent upon each other. This ensures
that the project hits targets, and forecasts for the completion can be provided, with
progression monitored so that stakeholders (such as homeowners) can be updated with
progress of the project.

9. State three types of services provided by communication software

Web browser, social media, SMS, email, MMS, instant messaging

10. State two reasons for updating software

Fixing security vulnerabilities or bugs

Increasing compatibility with newer operating systems
Improving performance and efficiency
Introducing new features
Improving usability

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Unit One Memory and processors Page 63

1. State what is meant by ‘ ROM’

Read only memory

2. State what is meant by ‘RAM’

Random Access memory

3. Explain why increasing the amount of RAM in a system improves the user experience.

Increasing the amount of RAM means that more programs can be open at the same time
without needing to use virtual memory from storage, which has slower access times than
RAM

4. Describe what virtual memory is and why it is used.

Virtual memory is an area of secondary storage used to store data when the computer
system does not have enough space in RAM

5. List three characteristics of RAM that make it different to ROM.

Volatile, instructions can be swapped in and out or temporarily stored, used for
temporary storage, upgradable.

6. Explain two reasons why the characteristics of flash memory make it suitable for use as
secondary storage in smartphones.

Flash memory does not have any moving parts so it has low power consumption. It also
means that is less susceptible to data loss if the device is knocked or shaken

7. Which one of these describes the term ‘clock cycle’.

A. The number of times per second that a processor can carry out instructions
B. The number of instructions that a processor can carry out each second
C. The number of times that a processor can load instructions for processing

D. The number of times that each process repeat in a processor

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Unit Two Digital Communication Page 78

1. a. Explain one reason why some games console controllers use Bluetooth rather than
infra-red to connect to the console.

Infra-red signals cannot travel as far as Bluetooth signals and the console is sometimes
not in range.
Or
Infra-red require line of sight and the controller is often pointed away from the console
when in use.

b. State one way in which using infra-red in games console controllers could affect the
experience of the person playing the game.

Loss of connection would give the user a bad experience

2. Describe how video streaming works.

Parts of a video file are downloaded to a buffer which is then topped up as the video plays

3. Explain why streaming is more convenient for the user than downloading.

The user does not have to wait for the full file to be downloaded before it can be played.

4. State three types of wired connection.

USB, Ethernet, HDMI

5. Which one of these best describes the internet?

A. LAN
B. WAN
C. PAN
D. VLAN

6. Explain why global games companies use games servers in multiple countries to ensure
that the experience of users in not negatively affected when playing online games.

People play games with others from all round the world and they want to avoid lag caused
by latency

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Unit Two Networks Page 93

1. Which one of these connects a LAN to A WAN?

A. Switch
B. Gateway
C. Modem
D. Server

2. Explain why public key encryption is more secure than symmetric key encryption.

Public key encryption does not use the same key to encrypt and decrypt the data.

3. State which security device controls the traffic entering a network.

Firewall

4. State two methods by which devices are identifies to each other on a network.

IP address and MAC address

5. Explain why IPv6 was used to replace IPv4.

IPv4 did not provide enough unique addresses to service the number of devices being
connected to the internet.

6. State two uses for VPN

Working from home, avoiding geolocation rights management, making secure payments.

7. State the reason why a booster is used in a network.

A booster is used if the network signal has a limited range.

8. Describe how encryption secure data.

Data is scrambled using a key , meaning that is can only accessed by other users with the
key

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9. List three methods of securing data on networks.

Login passwords, firewalls, encryption/ VPN, file access rights

10. State three benefits of users of using a local area network.

Access to shared peripheral, access to shared storage and data, ability to use any device
on the network, streaming media such as movies, music and games, ability to send
messages and files to others on the network, shared access to the internet

11. Draw and label a network diagram for a home that include :

 Two smartphones
 One tablet device
 Two desktop PCs
 Internet access

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Unit Three Risks to data and personal information Page 108

1. Which one to these is used to control internet traffic entering a network?

A. Server
B. Backup
C. Firewall
D. Encryption

2. Explain why CAPTCHA tests work.

Characters cannot be read or interpreted by an automated computer program

3. State the purpose of pharming and phishing.

To gain users’ personal information without their permission

4. List three pieces of data from a bank card that a user is asked to enter when making
an online payment.

Card number, expiry date, start date, name of the cardholder, CSC

5. Describe one way in which incremental backup differ from differential backup.

A differential backup saves a copy of all files that have changed since the last full
backup. An incremental backup saves a copy of only the files that have changed since
the last full or incremental backup.

6. Describe how encryption secures data on a network.

Encryption ensures that unauthorized users cannot read data without the key

7. State two methods used by an online system to authenticate a user.

Password, PINs, biometrics

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8. State two methods used by criminals to get users to visit fake sites.

Domain name spoofing and redirecting traffic (for example, using malware)

9. Explain one disadvantage of using online storage for backups rather than local
storage.

It can be slower to backup because the connection to the internet provides less
bandwidth than a local data connection.

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Unit Three Impact of the internet Page 131

1. Which one of these activities is only possible when using the internet.
A. Television
B. Radio
C. Streaming
D. Mobile telephone calls

2. State two benefits to employees of working from home.

No need to travel to work, no stress caused by traffic or public transport delays and
overcrowding, saves money, reduces impact on the environment, employees can spend more
time working because they spend less time travelling to work, no need to wear uniform or
business cloths, reducing employees’ cost. Employees can work at a time that suits them.
Employees can work on tasks for longer periods of time without distractions from colleagues or
scheduled meetings. Employees can work in a comfortable environment. Employees can organize
their work around social or family commitment.

3. State two drawbacks to organizations of employees working from home.

There may be concerns about data security. It can be more difficult to manage and support
employees who are not in the office. Employees working at home might not work as hard as
employees in an office. It can be complicated to organize payments and permissions for
employees in different countries.

4. Explain one reason why the use of the internet may affect the ability of individuals to interact
with other people face to face.

Body language is not always visible online so people do not practice using and reading body
language and other social an emotional cues.

5. Explain one reason why cyberbullying can be more distressing than in-person bullying.

Bullies can remain anonymous, making the bully feel as though they can behave more
inappropriately.
OR :
Bullies can remain anonymous which removes victims’ ability to control the situation.

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6. State what is meant by the term ‘collaborative working ‘.

Working together

7. State three factors that affect unequal access to ICT.

Economy and infrastructure, location, politics, religion, disability, social factors such as age,
gender, education and income.

8. State three examples of services that are not available to those with limited or no access to
digital technologies.

Entertainment and leisure, shopping, education, banking, tax, applications for driving licenses.

9. Describe two ways in which greater access to networks has affected society.

It has helped build strong communities using social media. It has increased access to the global
society at the expense of their local societies.

10. Describe the effects of the internet on the information gap.

The gap has been made wider because the internet has increased the amount of information
available to the information rich

11. Discuss the impact of the internet on how individuals socialise.

Several answers. For example: The internet provides more opportunities for us to socialize by
allowing us to connect with each other using global communication services such as instant
messaging and social networks. We can communicate at any time of the day with friends from
around the world and make use of the ability to connect data from different account profiles to
create new connections with people we have never met. We use social features in many services,
such as when we are watching television, using television as a ‘back channel’ line to
communication to comment upon, rate and discuss live television programs and news. This
allows us to access more than one point of view about the issues being shown on the news. We
also use social features of the internet when shopping and learning in order to get more than one
perspective, keep informed of new development and gain a wider perspective on the world.
However, some people’s use of the internet means that they are not in touch with the real world
communities in their local geographical area, leading to the disintegration of those communities.

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Some people become so engrossed in online communication that they lose the skills that they
need to communicate with people in the real world.
Some people also argue that, despite the wide variety of social groups available to individuals,
the ones you tend to join are those which share your views, as that is often how suggestions are
made based on users’ profiles.
This means that individuals who think they are joining in with a wider community are simply
reaffirming their own opinions, so they do not actually come to understand and integrate with
the wider social communities available to them via the internet. In conclusion, there is a wide
variety of social interaction available thanks to the internet, but people need to understand the
way in which they are connected to others to truly understand how to make the most of the
opportunities that are available to them.

12. Describe two ways in which individuals can stay safe online.

Keep personal information private by being careful what is shared and by using privacy setting to
control access to personal profiles, block people, especially strangers who, who are offensive or
whose behavior is concerning, report inappropriate behaviors to relevant authorities.

13. Explain why organizations’ use of the internet increases the risk to data security.

The use of internet provides another method of unauthorized access to the data held by the
organization.

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Unit Three Online communities Page 146

1. Which one of these is used to set the rules for an online community?

A. User rating
B. Analytics
C. Features that allow commenting and sharing
D. Acceptable use policies

2. Describe the use of tags in online communities.

Tags are used to categorize information so that it can be located more easily.

3. Describe how social networking services benefit from members sharing content.

Sharing increases the reach of content and encourages members to be more active users of the
service. This means that they provide the service with more information which the service can
then use to sell marketing opportunities to advertisers.

4. Explain why some online communities have administrators and moderators.

Different levels of user responsibility can be set so that people can be responsible for quality
checking members and their posts to ensure that the policies are being followed, block posts or
enforce sanctions such as banning members from the community.

5. State three ways in which a user can personalize their online profile.

Biographical details such as name, gender, date of birth, location and language, an ‘ about you’
or short description of the user; details about the user’s work and education, travel history, family
details such as relationship status, family members and pets, contact information such as
telephone numbers, email address and website, profile and background images, color schemes
and designs.

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6. State the function of social bookmarking.

To allow user to share URLS

7. Explain why online work spaces could benefit a large international organization.

Because the orgnisation’s workers will be located in different countries which would make
communicating and collaborating on work more difficult or expensive to organize and time
consuming due to differences in time zones and the costs and time associated with traveling.
They would benefit from having centralize resources such as virtual meeting spaces, shared
documents and shared online calendars.

8. Describe how social networking sites are able to make suggestions to members about people
that they may want to connect with.

By matching information shared by members

9. Describe how some social networking sites are able to decide which advertisements to show
to different members.

By matching information shared by members

10. State four ways in which students can use the features of VLEs to support their learning.

Students can access resources, student can interact with teachers, students can get notification
of assignments and grades. Students can chat with classmates and share ideas and research.
Student can get immediate feedback from automatically marked quizzes. Student can collaborate
on assignments with other students and teachers.

11. State three examples of interactions that social network users can have with a members’
post.

Rate/ like/ up-vote, share/ reposts, comment/ quote

12. Discuss the factors that users of social networking sites should consider when sharing
personal information.

Answers should discuss: Cost of and need to protect their safety, companies sharing users
personnel information, targeted marketing, cost of user’s privacy.

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Unit Three Implications of digital technologies Page 158

1. Which one of these is used to reduce the risk to health and safety?

A. Using a small monitor

B. Increasing the amount of blue light emitted by a screen
C. Using an RCD
D. Working in a room with low-level lighting

2. Explain why free software licenses have helped to reduce the digital divide.

They have reduced the cost of technology so that more people can afford digital devices.

3. Explain why users should be able to give their consent before an app shares their location.

Location sharing has an impact upon their privacy because their location could be shared with
other people with whom they do not actually want to share their location.

4. State three types of digital information that can be protected by copyright.

Music, e-books, video, apps

5. State one method of monitoring an individual’s movements and describe how it’s used.

Several answers. For example: CCTV can be used to watch people, ANPR can trigger alerts for
police, ID, travel or bank cards can be tracked when scanned at terminals or used in transactions,
IP or MAC addresses can be identified on networks, GPS position can be broadcast to apps

6. Explain why owners of digital information may decide to use copyright.

To make them the only people who can legally use and distribute their work and to prevent
people from making a profit by using their work

7. State one benefit to individual of having their location monitored.

Several answers. For example: It can help parents to keep their children safe. It can help friends
to find each other

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8. State one benefit to individual of having their communication monitored.

Several answers. For example: It can help parents see what their children are saying online to
keep them safe, it can help governments protect individuals by identifying potential criminals.

9. State one drawback to individuals of monitoring their commutation and location.

It reduces their privacy

10. State three ways in which organization should act responsibly to make sure that they
protect the data they hold about individuals.

Ask people for consent, use data appropriately, use data only for the specified purpose, use data
fairly and lawfully, use data for limit, specifically stated purposes, use data in a way that is
adequate, relevant and not excessive, ensure the data is accurate, keep data for no longer than
is absolutely necessary, handle data according to people’s data protection rights, keep data safe
and secure, if in the EU, not transferring data outside the European Economic Area without
adequate protection.

11. Explain why the large-scale use of online storage and applications can have a negative effect
on the environment.

Several answers. Should include up to four linked points from: Online storage and apps are based
in large data centers which use lots of energy to cool the severs and power the servers. This
energy could be created by using non-renewable energy, in order to avoid depleting the planet’s
natural resources and contributing to climate change.

12. Describe one way in which individuals can reduce the effect of their use of digital devices
on the environment.
Serval answers. For example: Recycle their devices so they do not leak toxins which can cause
health risks to plants, wildlife and people.

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Unit Three Online information Page 165

1. State two ways in which an image search can be refined.

Colour. Type, time and date, usage rights

2. State one reason why you should check whether information is biased before using it.

It might not represent the issue in full

3. Describe how a search engine works.

A search engine compares words or phrases entered by a user against a database of pages and
returns the URLs or descriptions of those that match

4. Explain why it is important to check whether information is protected by copyright before

using it in your own work.

You might infringe others’ rights leading to ethical and legal issues

5. State one benefit to students of rewriting information rather than copying it word – for –
word.

It shows that the student understands the meaning of the information.

7. Complete the table by stating whether each source is primary or secondary.

Source Primary or Secondary

A product that you have created Primary
A video of a discussion that you have with an expert Primary
Your own copy of a film Secondary
Notes that you take while visiting a museum Primary
A book that you borrow from someone Secondary
An image that you download from the internet Secondary
Your own recording of a radio broadcast Secondary

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Unit Four Online services Page 175

1. Which one of these is not provided by banks as an online service?

A Paying in cheques

B Transferring money

C Viewing an account’s balance

D Applying for a loan

2. State two ways in which education providers can use online services to help learners.

VLEs, online support, remote access to journals and books.

3. State three features of shopping sites.

Several answers. For example: Basket, product catalogue, checkout

4. Explain why auction sites provide ratings for buyers.

Either: It helps sellers know which buyers they can trust to pay for the items

Or: It stops sellers having to relist, unpaid –for bids because they can restrict access to bidders
with good ratings who are more likely to completed the purchase.

5. Explain why bank use HTTPS for their online services.

It uses encryption which stops data, such as people’s financial information, being read by
unauthorized users.

6. Explain the benefit of e-ticketing for airline flights.

There is no need to check in at a check-in desk at the airport, which saves passengers time

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7. State one drawback of the use of third party cookies.

Either: Their use affects users’ privacy

Or: user’s experience is based on decisions made by computer code rather than on choices that
they make.

8. State three examples of data that can be stored in cookies.

Time and date of the transaction, IP addresses referring website, the products and services
previously viewed or bought, categories of products and services previously viewed or bought,
items added to online shopping basket, buttons pressed, data entered into web forms, such as
name and address

9. State the difference between session cookies and persistent cookies.

Session cookies are only stored while the browser has the site open or until the browser closes
the site. Persistent cookies are stored after the browser closes the site

10. State the ways in which news services can use a feature of smartphone apps to keep users
up to date.

The use of notifications or alerts.

11. Discuss how the use of cookies by organizations impacts on the individuals.

Several answers. Relevant points include: Organizations use cookies to track the transactions
that individuals carry out online, such as the websites that they visit. This browsing history can
then be used by organizations to target their marketing and create a personalized experience
for users. Although some people find this useful, other people do not like the fact that their
online activity is tracked and monitored, as they believe this to be intrusive and to have a
negative effect on their privacy. They do not like the ways in which these systems are used to
decide the content people are shown and say that they would prefer to decide this themselves
as it may limit or narrow their experience.

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Unit Four Cloud Page 179

1. Which one of these is used to store hosted applications?

A Laptop
B Smartwatch
C Server
D Tablet

2. State three benefits of using online data storage.

Automatic backup, greater scalability, enables sharing data, cheaper than local storage or even
free, makes collaboration possible, reduces use of local storage making more space for locally
installed software.

3. State three online services provided by cloud-based services.

Shopping or auction sites, booking systems, banking services, education services such as VLEs
and MOOCs, gaming, news and information, entertainment services such as on-demand
television.

4. State what is meant by the term ‘Cloud’

Online storage and/or applications that are hosted on online servers.

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