Information and Communication Technology 0417 | Paper 1 Mock 01 | Theory

(a) When the designer changes the font colour in the external stylesheet:

1. The change is made in one place only, the single external CSS file. [1]
2. All 50 web pages that link to that stylesheet are automatically updated to display the new font colour the next time they are loaded, without any individual page edits. [1]

(b) Comparison of external stylesheet versus inline styles for a 50-page website:

(a) How RFID technology works, as shown in the diagram:

1. An RFID system consists of a tag (containing a microchip and antenna) and a reader that emits radio waves. [1]
2. When the tag comes within range of the reader, the radio waves activate the chip on the tag, which transmits its stored data back to the reader via the antenna. [1]
3. The reader receives the data and passes it via cable to a computer system with a database for processing and recording. [1]

(b) Two applications of RFID:

• Tracking inventory in a warehouse by attaching RFID tags to products and scanning them as they enter or leave storage areas. [1]
• Automatic toll collection on motorways, where a vehicle's RFID tag is read as it passes through the toll gate without needing to stop. [1]

(c) One disadvantage of RFID:

The cost of RFID tags and readers is higher than barcode systems, making initial implementation more expensive for businesses with large numbers of items to track. [1]

(a) Evaluating fitness for purpose means checking whether the website successfully achieves what it was originally designed to do. [1] This includes verifying that it meets the needs of the target audience and satisfies all the requirements set out in the original design brief. [1]

(b) Two criteria the student could use to evaluate the website:

1. Whether the navigation is clear and easy to use, allowing visitors to find the information they need without confusion. [1]
2. Whether the website works correctly on different devices and browsers, ensuring that all users have a consistent experience regardless of how they access the site. [1]

(c) Two methods the student could use to gather feedback:

1. Create a questionnaire or survey for test users to complete after using the website, collecting structured opinions on design, usability and content. [1]
2. Ask test users to complete specific tasks (such as finding a particular page) and observe any difficulties they encounter, which reveals real usability issues. [1]

(a) As you move down the storage hierarchy (from registers at the top, through cache, RAM, and down to secondary storage at the bottom):

• Storage capacity increases. [1] Registers hold only a few bytes, whereas a hard drive can hold terabytes.
• Speed of access decreases. [1] Registers operate at the speed of the CPU clock, while secondary storage involves much slower read/write operations.

This trade-off exists because the fastest memory technologies are extremely expensive to manufacture, so they are only used in small quantities close to the processor.

(b) Cache memory stores copies of frequently accessed data and instructions from RAM. [1] By holding this data in a faster memory layer between the CPU and RAM, the processor can retrieve it much more quickly than if it had to fetch it from the slower main memory every time. [1] This significantly speeds up processing because the CPU spends less time waiting for data.

(c) A computer needs both RAM and secondary storage because they serve complementary roles:

• RAM is needed to temporarily hold the programs and data the processor is currently working with, providing fast access during execution. [1]
• Secondary storage is needed to permanently store the operating system, applications, and user files, because RAM is volatile and loses all its contents when the power is turned off. [1]

(d) Virtual memory is an area of secondary storage (such as part of a hard drive or SSD) that the operating system uses as an extension of RAM when physical RAM becomes full. [1] When all RAM is in use, the operating system moves less frequently used pages of data from RAM to the virtual memory area on disk, freeing up RAM for active tasks. Although this prevents the system from running out of memory, accessing data from virtual memory is considerably slower than accessing real RAM because it involves reading from secondary storage. [1]

(a) For office-based designers, a desktop computer is most suitable. [1]

1. Desktops can be fitted with large, high-resolution monitors (or multiple monitors) which are essential for viewing fine details in graphic design work and working with accurate colours. [1]
2. Desktops can be equipped with powerful processors, large amounts of RAM and dedicated graphics cards needed for running demanding design software such as Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator. [1]

(b) For designers who visit clients, a laptop is most suitable. [1]

1. Laptops are portable and lightweight enough to be carried to client meetings, allowing designers to present work and make changes on the spot. [1]
2. Modern high-specification laptops are powerful enough to run professional graphic design software, so the designer can demonstrate and edit work directly at the client's premises. [1]

(a) Two advantages of an interactive whiteboard over a traditional whiteboard:

1. Lessons and annotations can be saved electronically and shared with students. [1] This means students who missed the lesson, or those who want to revise, can access the exact content that was covered. [1]
2. Teachers can display multimedia content such as videos, animations and interactive simulations. [1] This makes lessons more engaging and helps explain concepts that are difficult to convey with static text and diagrams alone. [1]

(b) Two input devices used with an interactive whiteboard:

1. A stylus or digital pen, used to write, draw and interact with the on-screen content. [1]
2. Finger touch, as many interactive whiteboards have touch-sensitive surfaces that detect direct finger contact. [1]

(a) Why a laser printer is more suitable for the school office:

• The school office will need to print large volumes of text documents such as letters, reports and worksheets. As the table shows, the laser printer has a faster print speed and lower cost per page, making it more economical for high-volume printing. [1]
• The laser printer produces excellent text quality, which is important for official school documents, letters to parents and examination papers. [1]

(b) How a laser printer produces a printed page:

1. A laser beam draws the image of the page onto a rotating photosensitive drum, creating a pattern of electrical charge on the drum's surface. [1]
2. Toner powder (a fine dry ink) is attracted to the charged areas on the drum surface where the laser has written. [1]
3. The paper passes over the drum and the toner is transferred from the drum onto the paper surface. [1]
4. The paper passes through a fuser unit which uses heat and pressure to permanently bond (melt) the toner to the paper, producing the final printed output. [1]

(a) The completed table of database terms:

(b) Two data types for database fields:

• Text/String [1]
• Integer/Number [1]

(a)

(b) Two advantages of a computer-controlled filling system:

1. The fill level is consistent and accurate for every bottle, ensuring uniformity across the entire production run. [1]
2. The process is faster than manual filling and can operate continuously without breaks, increasing production output. [1]

(a) Two methods of data transmission shown in the diagram:

• Serial transmission sends data one bit at a time along a single channel. The bits travel sequentially one after another. This method is used for long-distance communication because it is simpler and cheaper to implement over long cables. [1]
• Parallel transmission sends multiple bits simultaneously along multiple channels (for example, 8 bits at once using 8 separate wires). This is faster but is used for short-distance communication within a device, because over longer distances the signals on different wires can arrive at slightly different times, causing errors. [1]

(b) Advantages of fibre optic cable compared to copper cable:

• Fibre optic cables transmit data using light signals at much higher speeds than the electrical signals used in copper cables, supporting greater bandwidth. [1]
• Fibre optic cables are not affected by electromagnetic interference and can carry data over longer distances without signal degradation, making them more reliable. [1]

(c) Two reasons a business might choose a client-server network over peer-to-peer:

• A client-server network has centralised file storage and management on a dedicated server, making it easier to perform backups and enforce security policies across the entire network. [1]
• User access rights and permissions can be managed centrally by the network administrator, ensuring consistent security rather than relying on each individual user to manage their own machine. [1]

(a) How GPS determines the location of the receiver:

1. A constellation of GPS satellites orbiting the Earth continuously transmits radio signals that contain each satellite's precise position and the exact time the signal was sent. [1]
2. The GPS receiver picks up signals from at least three (ideally four or more) satellites simultaneously. [1]
3. The receiver calculates its distance from each satellite by measuring how long each signal took to arrive (using the speed of light). Using these distances and the known satellite positions, it applies a mathematical process called trilateration to pinpoint its exact location on Earth (latitude, longitude and altitude). [1]

(b) Three uses of GPS technology:

1. Vehicle satellite navigation, providing turn-by-turn driving directions to a destination. [1]
2. Tracking and managing the location of commercial vehicle fleets (delivery vans, taxis, freight trucks) in real time. [1]
3. Surveying and mapping land for construction projects, geographic research or agricultural planning. [1]

(a) The ADC (analogue-to-digital converter) converts the analogue signal produced by the temperature sensor [1] into a digital value that the microprocessor can process. [1] Temperature is a continuous physical quantity, and the sensor produces an analogue electrical signal. Since the microprocessor can only work with digital data (binary numbers), the ADC performs this essential conversion.

(b) Feedback is used so the system can continuously monitor the actual temperature of the room. [1] By feeding the current temperature reading back to the microprocessor, the system can compare it against the desired temperature and automatically adjust the heater or fan output to maintain the correct temperature without human intervention. [1] Without feedback, the system would have no way of knowing whether its actions were having the intended effect.

(c) The heater/fan shown in the diagram is an actuator. [1] Its role is to physically change the environment by heating the air (when the temperature is too low) or cooling it with the fan (when the temperature is too high), in direct response to control signals from the microprocessor. [1]

(a) VoIP stands for Voice over Internet Protocol. It is a technology that allows voice and telephone calls to be made over the internet rather than through traditional telephone lines. [1] The voice signal is converted into digital data packets, transmitted over the internet, and reassembled at the receiving end.

(b) One advantage of using email compared to posting a letter is that email delivery is almost instant, reaching the recipient in seconds regardless of distance, whereas a posted letter can take days. [1]

(c) One advantage of video conferencing compared to VoIP is that video conferencing allows participants to see each other, enabling them to read body language, facial expressions and share visual presentations. [1] This makes communication richer and more effective than voice alone.

(d) Two reasons why a company might choose video conferencing over travelling to a face-to-face meeting:

• It saves significant travel time, allowing employees to attend meetings from their desks. [1]
• It saves money on travel costs such as flights, hotels and fuel. [1]

(e) One disadvantage of video conferencing is that it requires a fast and reliable internet connection; poor connectivity can cause audio and video lag, freezing or disconnections that disrupt the meeting. [1]

(f) Two pieces of hardware needed for video conferencing:

• A webcam or camera to capture the participant's video feed. [1]
• A microphone to capture the participant's voice. [1]

(a) The stages of the systems development life cycle for the charity's donation website:

1. Analysis: Investigate the charity's current situation and needs. Gather requirements by interviewing staff, examining current donation processes and determining what the website must do (accept donations securely, display information, send receipts). [1]
2. Design: Plan the website's structure, layout and features. This includes designing the user interface, the database to store donor information, the payment integration and the page navigation. [1]
3. Development: Build the website using appropriate tools and programming languages. Write the code, create the database, integrate the payment processing system and produce the web pages. [1]
4. Testing: Test the website thoroughly to ensure all features work correctly. Test the donation process end-to-end, verify security measures, check usability across different browsers and devices, and use normal, abnormal and extreme test data. [1]
5. Installation: Launch the website on the live web server. Migrate any existing donor data, configure the domain name and hosting, and train charity staff to manage the site's content and respond to donations. [1]
6. Maintenance: Monitor the live website for bugs, security vulnerabilities and performance issues. Update content regularly, make improvements based on user feedback, and apply software patches as needed. The dashed arrow in the diagram shows that maintenance may loop back to analysis if significant changes are required. [1]