ICT IGCSE May/June 2003

Paper 2

Ring two output devices.

CD ROM drive Keyboard Scanner Speaker Plotter Touchpad

2 Ring two items which can store large amounts of data. 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.

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 .....

computer breakdown computer error human error virus

Complete each sentence below using one item from the list.

Maintaining the temperature of a room using a computer is an example of control

Space in a data file can be saved using coding

Analysis of an existing system can be done carrying out an interview.......

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 The employees know the names of the customers

It is quick to find a customer’s record.

Employees can produce the correct drawing.

It is easier to edit drawings.

Employees have more information about a customer.

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

Direct / random

An employee has to type a car’s details into the car database. State two ways the data can be verified Visual verification

Double entry - copies typed by separate secretaries and compared

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 Scanner

or 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)

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) Bank cheques are read using MICR

(b) Many items can be accessed from a magnetic tape one after the other. This is called serial / sequential access.

(c) 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.

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 Check digit, length check existency check

no alternatives to these three

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:

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? 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. Price

State one field where the Boolean/logical data type would be most appropriate. Paperback or hardback

Write down which field would be best for use as the key field and give a reason for your choice 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 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 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: 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.

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. 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. 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: Fewer employees/lower wage bill Fewer branches to maintain Bank disadvantage: one from: Large initial capital expenditure Customer mistrust of such systems Customer advantage: one from: Easier to see state of finances Can transfer funds more easily in emergency/at any time of day/holidays

Customer disadvantage: one from: Miss the personal touch Have to be computer literate 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:

Interviewing workers Questionnaires to workers Observation of working practices Collecting documents

For each group of employees suggest the most suitable method of collectinginformation and give reasons.Appropriate methods Two from: Phone operators - questionnaires/observation Office employees - interviews/collecting documents/ questionnaires Drivers - questionnaires

Reasons Two from: Phone operators constantly busy - difficult to pin down for interview Secretaries - can process orders in a batch so could be available for

interview Deal with many documents so collecting these would give good insight

Drivers never available during day and only use one document

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: Field lengths Field types/data types Validation checks Key field selected Relationships