Year 11 · ICT · Autumn 2

Paper 2 practice: documents, databases, presentations · Lesson 2 of 5

Databases under time

Exam practice18.1 Create a database structure18.2 Manipulate data: calculations, sorting and queries18.3 Present data: reports

Year 11 · ICT · Paper 2 practice: documents, databases, presentations · Lesson 2 of 5

You will learn to

  • Import a .csv file into a database and set the correct field type for each field.
  • Create queries with two or more criteria, calculated fields, sorting and wildcards.
  • Produce a report with only the fields asked for, in the order asked for, with titles and formatted numbers.
  • Use the mark scheme to mark your database task and log the lost marks.

Year 11 · ICT · Paper 2 practice: documents, databases, presentations · Lesson 2 of 5

Success criteria

You have got it when you can say:

  • I can show evidence of every field type and every query design.
  • I can write a two-criteria query that returns the right records.
  • I can produce a report where every field and label is fully visible.

Year 11 · ICT · Paper 2 practice: documents, databases, presentations · Lesson 2 of 5

Retrieval starter

Questions from before. Write your answers, then show them.

  1. Last lesson

    Applying a style instead of formatting by hand means…

    A It is slowerB It only works in WordC Changing the style changes every heading at once

    C. Changing the style changes every heading at once

  2. Last unit

    Smishing is…

    A A virusB Phishing by phone callC Phishing by text message

    C. Phishing by text message

  3. Last year

    RAM is…

    A Permanent storageB The hard diskC Volatile working memory

    C. Volatile working memory

Year 11 · ICT · Paper 2 practice: documents, databases, presentations · Lesson 2 of 5

Key words (1 of 5)

Database
An organised store of data that can be searched, sorted and reported on.
Table
A set of records about one kind of thing, such as members or bookings.
Record
One row of a table: all the data about one item.
Field
One column of a table: one piece of data stored for every record.

Year 11 · ICT · Paper 2 practice: documents, databases, presentations · Lesson 2 of 5

Key words (2 of 5)

Field type
The kind of data a field holds: text, numeric, date/time or Boolean.
Boolean
A field type with only two values, such as Yes/No or True/False.
Display format
How a value looks on screen or paper, without changing the stored value.
Primary key
A field whose value is different for every record, used to identify each one.

Year 11 · ICT · Paper 2 practice: documents, databases, presentations · Lesson 2 of 5

Key words (3 of 5)

Foreign key
A field in one table that holds the primary key of another table, to link them.
One-to-many relationship
A link where one record in a table matches many records in another table.
Flat-file database
A database with only one table.
Relational database
A database with two or more tables linked by keys.

Year 11 · ICT · Paper 2 practice: documents, databases, presentations · Lesson 2 of 5

Key words (4 of 5)

.csv file
A plain-text file where each line is a record and commas separate the fields.
Query
A search that shows only the records that meet given criteria.
Criteria
The conditions a record must meet to appear in a query result.
Wildcard
A symbol in a search pattern: * means any number of characters, ? means exactly one.

Year 11 · ICT · Paper 2 practice: documents, databases, presentations · Lesson 2 of 5

Key words (5 of 5)

Calculated field
A field in a query that is worked out from other fields, not typed in.
Calculated control
A box on a report or form that shows a calculation, such as a total.
Tabular layout
A report layout with records in rows under column headings.
Columnar layout
A report layout that shows one record at a time, with each label beside its value.

18.1 Create a database structure · The explanation · step 1 of 24 · part 1 of 2

Tables, records and fields

A database is an organised store of data that a computer can search and sort.

Data sits in tables. A record is one row: all the data about one thing, such as one member.

A field is one column: one piece of data about every record, such as LastName.

Through this topic we use one example: a sports centre in Madrid. It has a Members table and a Bookings table.

18.1 Create a database structure · The explanation · step 1 of 24 · part 2 of 2

Tables, records and fields (continued)

MemberIDFirstNameLastNameCategoryPhoneDiscount
M01LucíaGarcíaJunior612 345 67820%
M02PabloRuizAdult655 210 9870%
M03CarmenLópezSenior699 004 32130%
M04DiegoMartínAdult634 778 1200%
M05SofíaNavarroJunior617 556 04320%
?Why?

Splitting data into fields lets the software search one field at a time. You can ask for every Junior member without reading every row yourself.

18.1 Create a database structure · The explanation · step 2 of 24 · part 1 of 3

Import a .csv or .txt file

In the exam you do not type the data. Cambridge gives you a source file, usually .csv (comma separated values) or .txt.

A .csv file is plain text. Each line is one record. Commas separate the fields.

When you import, tell the software that the first row contains field names. Then the headings become field names, not a record.

18.1 Create a database structure · The explanation · step 2 of 24 · part 2 of 3

Import a .csv or .txt file (continued)

During the import you can set each field's type and choose the primary key. Check the result against the source file after importing.

BookingID,MemberID,Activity,BookDate,Hours,Rate,Paid
101,M02,Padel,06/10/2026,1.5,12.00,Yes
102,M01,Swimming,06/10/2026,1,4.50,Yes
103,M04,Tennis,07/10/2026,2,11.00,No

18.1 Create a database structure · The explanation · step 2 of 24 · part 3 of 3

Import a .csv or .txt file (continued)

!Watch out

If you forget to tick "first row contains field names", the headings become record 1 and every field gets a name like Field1. The examiner cannot see the field names you were asked to use.

18.1 Create a database structure · The explanation · step 3 of 24 · part 1 of 3

Field types and sub-types

A field type (data type) tells the software what kind of data a field holds. It controls how data is stored, checked and sorted.

Cambridge names four main types: text, numeric, date/time and Boolean. Numeric has sub-types: integer, decimal, currency and percentage.

The table shows each type with a field from our sports centre.

18.1 Create a database structure · The explanation · step 3 of 24 · part 2 of 3

Field types and sub-types (continued)

TypeSub-typeWhat it holdsOur fieldExample
TextLetters, symbols, or digits not used for mathsMemberID, LastName, PhoneM04, Martín, 634 778 120
NumericIntegerWhole numbers onlyBookingID103
NumericDecimalNumbers with a fractional partHours1.5
NumericCurrencyMoney, shown with a symbol and 2 decimal placesRate€12.00
NumericPercentageA part of 100, often stored as a decimalDiscount20% (stored as 0.2)
Date/timeA date, a time, or bothBookDate07/10/2026
BooleanOnly two values: Yes/No or True/FalsePaidNo

18.1 Create a database structure · The explanation · step 3 of 24 · part 3 of 3

Field types and sub-types (continued)

!Watch out

Phone numbers are text, not numeric. You never add or average them. A numeric field also drops a leading zero or a "+34" and cannot store spaces.

18.1 Create a database structure · The explanation · step 4 of 24 · part 1 of 2

Why the wrong type loses marks

The examiner checks your table design. Each wrong type usually costs a mark.

If Hours is set to integer, the value 1.5 is stored as a whole number. The cost of booking 101 is then wrong too.

If BookDate is text, sorting goes by characters, not by date. "06/11/2026" (6 November) sorts before "10/10/2026" (10 October), because 0 comes before 1.

If Paid is text, someone can type "yes", "Y" or "paid". A Boolean field only allows two values, so searches work every time.

18.1 Create a database structure · The explanation · step 4 of 24 · part 2 of 2

Why the wrong type loses marks (continued)

?Why?

The type is a promise about the data. Keeping that promise makes searching, sorting and calculating reliable.

!Watch out

Your screenshot of the table design must show every field name in full and its type. Widen the column before you take the screenshot.

18.1 Create a database structure · The explanation · step 5 of 24 · part 1 of 2

Display formats

A display format changes how a value looks, not the value stored.

Dates can show as 07/10/2026 or 7 October 2026. Currency shows a symbol and 2 decimal places, such as €4.50.

Decimal fields can show a set number of places: Hours as 1.0, 1.5, 2.0. A Boolean field can show as Yes/No or as a check box.

Read the task carefully. If it says "currency in euros with 2 decimal places", both parts are marked.

18.1 Create a database structure · The explanation · step 5 of 24 · part 2 of 2

Display formats (continued)

e.g.Example
Rate stored: 4.5 Display format: currency, euro, 2 decimal places Shown on screen: €4.50 Discount stored: 0.3 Display format: percentage, 0 decimal places Shown on screen: 30%
!Watch out

Formatting to 0 decimal places only hides the decimals. The value 1.5 still shows as 2 on screen, which looks wrong. Choose the places the task asks for.

The explanation · 19 more steps

More on the lesson page

The lesson page has the rest of the explanation, step by step:

  • Primary keys and foreign keys
  • One-to-many relationships
  • Flat-file and relational databases
  • Data entry forms
  • Calculated fields and calculated controls
  • Sum, average, maximum, minimum, count
  • Sort on one or more fields
  • Read a query grid: a simple search
  • Comparison operators
  • AND: every condition must be true
  • OR: any condition can be true
  • NOT, LIKE and wildcards
  • Queries across two tables, and evidence
  • Reports: tabular or columnar
  • Field selection, field order and labels
  • Titles, headers and footers
  • Align numbers and format them
  • A finished report with calculated controls
  • How report marks are lost

Open the lesson page

Year 11 · ICT · Paper 2 practice: documents, databases, presentations · Lesson 2 of 5

Try it: Ask the database

Year 11 · ICT · Paper 2 practice: documents, databases, presentations · Lesson 2 of 5

Quick quiz · 1 of 3

A query with Year = 8 AND Score > 60 shows…

  1. A Year 8 pupils with more than 60
  2. B Everyone with more than 60
  3. C All Year 8 pupils

A. Year 8 pupils with more than 60

AND needs both to be true.

Year 11 · ICT · Paper 2 practice: documents, databases, presentations · Lesson 2 of 5

Quick quiz · 2 of 3

A report grouped by Form means…

  1. A The records are in random order
  2. B Each form's records appear together, with a count or total per group
  3. C Only one record shows

B. Each form's records appear together, with a count or total per group

Grouping with run-time calculations is a practical-paper favourite.

Year 11 · ICT · Paper 2 practice: documents, databases, presentations · Lesson 2 of 5

Quick quiz · 3 of 3

A calculated field…

  1. A Works out a value from other fields when the query runs
  2. B Must be typed by hand
  3. C Is a primary key

A. Works out a value from other fields when the query runs

Percentage: [Score] / 80 * 100.

Year 11 · ICT · Paper 2 practice: documents, databases, presentations · Lesson 2 of 5

Exit ticket

Answer on paper before you go. Then check.

  1. Editing the master slide…

    A Deletes the slidesB Changes one slideC Changes every slide at once

    C. Changes every slide at once Logo, colours, footer: set them once.

  2. A transition is…

    A An effect on one objectB A noteC The effect between slides

    C. The effect between slides Animation is the effect on an object within a slide.