INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

Marks: 100

November 2014

Time: 1 hour and 30 minutes

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Instructions
Please answer the following questions on a piece of foolscap paper. Please write your name on top of
each piece of paper that you may use. Good luck!
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QUESTION 1
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Define hardware and give one example of hardware.

Define software and give one example of software.
What is systems software?
What is application software?
What does CPU stand for? And what is the purpose of this component?

6. By constructing a table Similar to the one shown below, write down the differences
between RAM and ROM.
RAM

[2]
[2]
[1]
[1]
[2]
[3]

ROM

7. What is backing storage?

8. Give two differences between GUI and CLI.

[1]
[2]

QUESTION 2
1. Write down two differences between a PC and a laptop.
2. Write down one difference between a Palmtop Computer and a PDA.

[2]
[1]

Pretend you are a customer consultant for an IT company which sells computer hardware. Answer the
following in this regard.
3. A customer is interested in purchasing a monitor. He/She is interested in purchasing either
a CRT or LCD monitor. Which monitor would you suggest to the customer and give
two reasons why you would suggest it.
[3]
4. A customer is interested in purchasing a printer. He/She has not given too much
Information on whether it is for home or business use. Write down what you would say
to contrast the Laser and Inkjet printer.
[4]
5. You receive a telephone call from a new bank. They recently received a delivery

which contained a OMR and MICR reader. They know there is a slight mix up and
would like to know which is the correct reader which they purchased.
[2]
6. Name three types of backing storage media.
[3]
7. What are optical storage devices?
[1]
QUESTION 3
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

What is Logical/Boolean data?

What is alphanumeric and text data?
What is the primary key or key field?
What is a flat file?
What is a database?
What are relational databases?
What are three advantages of using a relational database?
What is a foreign key?
What is the use of an ADC?
What is the use of a DAC?

[1]
[1]
[1]
[1]
[1]
[1]
[3]
[1]
[2]
[1]

QUESTION 4:
1. Name three occupations which have been created due to the introduction of ICT in the work
area.
[3]
2. Name five software copyright rules.
[5]
3. What can be said about the reliability of information on the internet?
[5]
4. What is hacking?
[1]
5. How can one minimise the risk of hacking?
[2]
6. What is phising?
[1]
7. Explain how phising works.
[3]
8. What is pharming?
[1]
9. Explain how pharming works.
[2]
10. In what ways can a virus infect a computer?
[3]
11. How can one prevent/stop pharming?
[1]
12. What is spam?
[1]
13. What is spyware?
[1]
14. What are wikis?
[1]
QUESTION 5
1. What are five advantages of using webistes for communication and advertisements as
opposed to other methods?
[4]
2. What is a simulation?
[1]
3. Why are simulations used?
[4]

ANSWERS
QUESTION 1
1. Physical components that make up a computer.
2. Programs that control the computer system.
3. Systems software: programs that allow the hardware to run properly, e.g.operating systems
(such as Windows). Applications software: programs that allow the user to do specific tasks,
e.g. spreadsheets.
4. Central Processing Unit
5. RAM: This memory can be written to and read from. Contents are lost when power to the
computer is turned off . Stores data temporarily. ROM: These chips cannot be altered and
can only be read from (hencetheir name). Information stored on the ROM chip is not lost even
when power is turned off.ROM also contains some coding known as the boot file. Data is
stored permanently.
6. Five functions:
a. Controlling the operation of the input, output and backing storage devices, supervising
the loading, running and storage of applications programs.
b. Dealing with errors that occur in applications programs.
c. Maintaining security of the whole computer system.
d. Maintaining a computer log (which contains details of computer usage).
e. Allowing communication between user and the computer system (user interface).
7. CLI: CLIs require a user to type in instructions in order to choose options. Slow having to key
in these commands every time. GUI: GUIs allow the user to interact with a computer using
pictures or symbols. Uses windows icons menu and pointing device (WIMP).
8. Since they are portable, they are easy to steal! They have limited battery life so the user may
need to carry a heavy adaptor. The keyboards and pointing devices can sometimes be awkward
to use. Heat dissipation is more difficult due to the structure of the laptop computers.
QUESTION 2
1. Hardware devices that allow data to be input into a computer.
2. Advantages: Trackerballs do not need the same fine control as a mouse. People with limited
hand/wrist movement find it easier to use than a mouse. The pointer can be positioned more
accurately on the screen than with a mouse. They take up less desk space than mice since they
are stationary. Disadvantages: Trackerballs are not supplied with the computer as standard, so
they are more expensive. User may need training since they are not standard equipment.
3. Data could be lost due to failure of the original storage device. This could be due to hardware
failure (e.g. head crash on a hard drive unit), problems caused by files being over-written
accidentally (or otherwise) or possible corruption of files e.g. caused by power surges). Hackers
could be responsible for the corruption or even loss of data. This may not be their intention
(they may only want to gain access to the information for other purposes, e.g. to find personal
information such as bank account details). However, the very act of hacking into files could cause
problems such as corruption or data loss. Backups are also made in case the files need to be used
elsewhere. The original files are then protected against possible corruption or loss.

4. Optical mark recognition (OMR) is a system which can read marks written in pen or pencil.
5. It is primarily used to process cheques in banking operations. When a cheque is presented its
value is then printed on the cheque in the special ink. The cheques are all gathered together
(either at the end of the day or after some specified period) and then read using a batch processing
method.
6. Magnetic, Optical and Solid state.
7. Optical storage devices, such as CD and DVD, all use optical (i.e. light) read/write methods,
unlike tapes and floppy/hard drive disks which are magnetic media. A laser beam is used to write
to and read from the optical media.
QUESTION 3
1. Boolean data (or logic data type) can have only two values: true or false. Examples: i.e. (Yes
or No), (True or False) or (1 or 0) .
2. The letters A to Z are referred to as text and the letters A to Z plus the digits 0 to 9 are referred to
as alphanumeric.
3. It is the field which provides a unique ID for each record.
4. A file which contains only one table with all the information it requires.
5. A database is a collection of information which is structured in some way to permit manipulation
and searching of data.
6. Relational databases consist of a number of separate tables which are related (a table is made up
of rows and columns in much the same way as a spreadsheet is structured). Each table contains a
primary (key) field that is also a field in at least one other table.
7. Faster data retrieval (because of links between tables), easy expansion of the database by
adding extra data or new tables, the need to change data in only one table all other references
to this data will then also be up to date, resulting in what is known as data integrity, do not need
to repeat data.
8. Foreign keys relate tables in the database to one another. A foreign key in one table is a primary
key in another.
9. Analogue data would not make any sense to the computer and may even cause some damage.
To enable data in analogue form (often the input from a sensor) to be processed by a computer, it
needs to be changed into a digital form. This is done using an analogue to digital converter
(ADC).
10. If a computer is being used to control a device, such as a motor or a valve, the device may need to
be controlled by continuously variable voltages.There would be no use sending out a digital
signal. It would first need to be changed into an analogue signal, requiring another device,
known as a digital to analogue converter (DAC).
QUESTION 4
1. Writing software, maintenance of robots, internet work (web design,etc) .
2. It is not legal to make a software copy and then sell it or give it away to a friend or colleague.
Software cannot be used on a network or used in multiple computers unless a licence has been
acquired to allow this to happen. It is not legal to use coding from the copyright software in
your own software and then pass this software on or sell it as your own without the permission of
the copyright holders. Renting out a software package without permission to do so is illegal.
It is illegal to use the name of copyrighted software on other software without agreement to do
so.
3. Information is more likely to be up to date than in books, since websites can be updated very
quickly. It is much easier to get information from websites, as search engines quickly link key

4.
5.
6.
7.

8.
9.

10.
11.
12.
13.
14.

words together and find information that matches the criteria. There is a vast amount of
information on the internet, which is easier to locate than using the indices in several books.
However, information on the internet may be incorrect, inaccurate or even biased since it does not
go through any checking process. There is a risk of information overload even if search engines
are used properly. It is possible to get thousands of hits, which may make it difficult to find the
information relevant to the users search.
Hacking is the act of gaining access to a computer system or network without legal
authorisation.
Use of firewalls, use of robust passwords.
Phishing is a fraudulent operation involving the use of emails.
The creator sends out a legitimate-looking email, hoping to gather personal and financial
information from the recipient of the email. To make it more realistic (and therefore even
more dangerous!) the message will appear to have come from some legitimate source (such as
a famous bank). As soon as an unsuspecting user clicks on the link they are sent to a spoof
website where they will be asked for personal information including credit card details, PINs, etc.
which could lead to identity theft.
Pharming is a scam in which malicious code is installed on a computer hard disk or a server.
A hacker/pharmer will first infect the users computer with a virus, either by sending an email or
by installing software on their computer when they first visit their website. It could also be
installed as part of something the user chooses to install from a website (so the user doesnt
necessarily have to open an email to become infected). Once infected, the virus would send the
user to a fake website that looks almost identical to the one they really wanted to visit.
Consequently, personal information from the users computer can picked up by the
pharmer/hacker.
Through email attachments, through illegal software, downloading files that are infected
from the internet.
Using anti-spyware or anti-pharming software.
Spam is electronic junk mail and is a type of advertising from a company sent out to a target
mailing list.
Spyware is software that gathers user information through their network connections without
them being aware that this is happening.
Wikis are software allowing users to easily create and edit web pages using any web browser.A
wiki will support hyperlinks and has very simple syntax (language rules) for creating pages.

QUESTION 5
1. The ability to add sound/video/animation, Links to other websites/hyperlinks. The use of hot
spots. Buttons to navigate/move around the website. Hit counters to see who has visited the
websites.
2. A simulation is the creation of a model of a real system in order to study the behaviour of the
system.
3. They are less expensive than having to build the real thing (e.g. a bridge). On many occasions
it is safer to run a simulation some real situations are hazardous (e.g. chemical processes).
With simulations, various scenarios can be tried out in advance. It is nearly impossible to try out
some tasks in real life because of the high risk involved or the remoteness (e.g. in outer space,
under the sea, in nuclear reactors, crash testing cars, etc.). It is often faster to do a simulation than
the real thing. Some applications could take years before a result was known (e.g. climate
change calculations, population growth, etc.).