Year 11 · ICT · Spring 2
Paper 1 theory revision · Lesson 1 of 5
Topics 1 to 3 under time
Exam practice1.2 The main components of computer systems2.1 Input devices3.4 Solid-state storage and backing up
Year 11 · ICT · Paper 1 theory revision · Lesson 1 of 5
You will learn to
- Answer a timed Paper 1 section on topics 1 to 3, at about a mark a minute.
- Use 'describe', 'explain' and 'compare' answers that match what each command word asks.
- Write advantages and disadvantages as matched pairs, in the context of the question.
- Use the mark scheme to mark your answers and update your tracker.
Year 11 · ICT · Paper 1 theory revision · Lesson 1 of 5
Success criteria
You have got it when you can say:
- I can finish the section in the time given.
- I can rewrite a vague answer so it is specific to the scenario.
- I can show a matched advantage and disadvantage for a device in a given situation.
Year 11 · ICT · Paper 1 theory revision · Lesson 1 of 5
Retrieval starter
Questions from before. Write your answers, then show them.
- Last unit
.csv is…
A Comma-separated values: a generic data formatB A web pageC A picture
A. Comma-separated values: a generic data format
- Last unit
$B$1 in a copied formula…
A Becomes an errorB Stays as B1C Shifts to B2
B. Stays as B1
- Earlier this year
Handouts printed six to a page are for…
A The master slideB The projectorC The audience to take away
C. The audience to take away
Year 11 · ICT · Paper 1 theory revision · Lesson 1 of 5
Key words (1 of 8)
- Hardware
- The physical parts of a computer system that you can touch.
- System software
- Software that runs and maintains the computer, such as the operating system and drivers.
- CPU
- Central processing unit: carries out program instructions.
- RAM
- Random access memory: volatile memory holding the programs and data in use.
Year 11 · ICT · Paper 1 theory revision · Lesson 1 of 5
Key words (2 of 8)
- ROM
- Read-only memory: non-volatile memory holding the start-up instructions.
- Volatile
- Loses its contents when the power is turned off.
- Backing storage
- Non-volatile storage that keeps data long-term.
- Analogue data
- Data that changes smoothly and can take any value, like temperature.
Year 11 · ICT · Paper 1 theory revision · Lesson 1 of 5
Key words (3 of 8)
- Digital data
- Data made of separate values, stored in binary.
- GUI
- Graphical user interface: windows, icons, menus and pointers.
- CLI
- Command line interface: the user types text commands.
- Input device
- Hardware that sends data or instructions into a computer.
Year 11 · ICT · Paper 1 theory revision · Lesson 1 of 5
Key words (4 of 8)
- Output device
- Hardware that shows, prints, plays or does the result of processing.
- Direct data entry (DDE)
- Reading data straight from its source with no manual typing.
- Sensor
- An input device that measures a physical quantity such as temperature.
- Actuator
- An output device, such as a motor or valve, that makes something move or happen.
Year 11 · ICT · Paper 1 theory revision · Lesson 1 of 5
Key words (5 of 8)
- OCR
- Optical character recognition: turns a scanned image of text into editable text.
- Barcode
- A pattern of lines that stands for a number, read by a light beam.
- Chip and PIN
- A bank card chip read by a terminal; the user types a PIN to prove identity.
- Trackerball
- A pointing device where you roll a ball; the device stays still.
Year 11 · ICT · Paper 1 theory revision · Lesson 1 of 5
Key words (6 of 8)
- Storage medium
- The thing data is stored on, such as a disc or a chip.
- Storage device
- The hardware that reads and writes the storage medium.
- Capacity
- How much data a storage device can hold.
- Magnetic storage
- Storing data as magnetised areas on a disk or tape.
Year 11 · ICT · Paper 1 theory revision · Lesson 1 of 5
Key words (7 of 8)
- Optical storage
- Storing data as pits and lands on a disc, read by a laser.
- Solid-state storage
- Storing data in flash memory chips with no moving parts.
- Direct access
- Going straight to any piece of data, as on a disk.
- Serial access
- Reading data in order from the start, as on a tape.
Year 11 · ICT · Paper 1 theory revision · Lesson 1 of 5
Key words (8 of 8)
- R (recordable)
- An optical disc that can be written once.
- ROM disc
- An optical disc written at the factory that cannot be changed.
- Backup
- A copy of data kept separately so it can be restored if lost.
- Flash memory
- Non-volatile memory chips that store data as trapped electric charge.
The explanation · step 1 of 19
The three ICT papers
| Paper | Type | Time | Marks | Share of the grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 Theory | Written | 1 hour 30 minutes | 80 | 40% |
| Paper 2 Document Production, Databases and Presentations | Practical | 2 hours 15 minutes | 70 | 30% |
| Paper 3 Spreadsheets and Website Authoring | Practical | 2 hours 15 minutes | 70 | 30% |
Paper 1 is 80 marks in 90 minutes. That is just over a minute a mark, with about 10 minutes to check.
The glossary words are the mark-scheme words. Use them.
The explanation · step 2 of 19
Describe, explain, compare
| Command word | What it wants | One-mark example |
|---|---|---|
| Describe | A feature, plus how it works | A chip and PIN reader reads the chip on the card, and the customer types a PIN to confirm. |
| Explain | A point, plus why | An SSD has no moving parts, so it is less likely to be damaged if the laptop is dropped. |
| Compare | Both sides in the same point | A laser printer is faster for large print runs, whereas an inkjet printer is slower. |
In 'explain', a point with no 'because' or 'so' often earns nothing.
The explanation · step 3 of 19 · part 1 of 2
Advantages and disadvantages in context
Many questions ask for an advantage and a disadvantage. Always give them as a matched pair.
Always link them to the situation in the question.
Question: give one advantage and one disadvantage of online cinema booking for the customer. Advantage: they can book at any time, from home, without queuing at the cinema. Disadvantage: they need internet access, and their card details could be stolen.
The explanation · step 3 of 19 · part 2 of 2
Advantages and disadvantages in context (continued)
'It is faster' or 'it is cheaper' alone rarely earns a mark. Say what is faster, and faster than what.
1.2 The main components of computer systems · The explanation · step 4 of 19 · part 1 of 2
The CPU
The central processing unit (CPU) carries out the instructions in programs. It is also called the processor.
It fetches an instruction from memory, works out what it means, then does it. This happens billions of times a second.
It contains the control unit (manages the order of instructions) and the arithmetic logic unit (ALU) (does calculations and comparisons).
1.2 The main components of computer systems · The explanation · step 4 of 19 · part 2 of 2
The CPU (continued)
Everything a computer does, from opening a file to adding up a column, is instructions being processed by the CPU.
1.2 The main components of computer systems · The explanation · step 5 of 19 · part 1 of 2
RAM and ROM
RAM (random access memory) holds the data and programs that are in use now. It is volatile: the contents are lost when the power is off. It can be read from and written to.
ROM (read-only memory) holds instructions that must never be lost, such as the start-up instructions (BIOS). It is non-volatile: it keeps its contents with no power. It can be read but not normally changed.
RAM is usually much bigger than ROM. A laptop might have 16 GB of RAM but only a few MB of ROM.
1.2 The main components of computer systems · The explanation · step 5 of 19 · part 2 of 2
RAM and ROM (continued)
| RAM | ROM | |
|---|---|---|
| Volatile? | Yes, lost when power off | No, kept when power off |
| Read / write | Read and write | Read only |
| Holds | Programs and data in use now | Start-up (boot) instructions, BIOS |
| Size | Large (e.g. 8–32 GB) | Small (e.g. a few MB) |
| Changes while working? | Yes, all the time | No |
Do not write "RAM is temporary storage" alone. Say why: it is volatile, so data is lost when the power is turned off.
1.2 The main components of computer systems · The explanation · step 6 of 19
Input and output devices
An input device sends data or instructions into the computer. Examples: keyboard, mouse, microphone, scanner.
An output device shows or does the result from the computer. Examples: monitor, printer, speaker.
A touch screen is both. Touching it is input. The picture it shows is output.
1.2 The main components of computer systems · The explanation · step 7 of 19 · part 1 of 2
Internal memory and backing storage
Internal memory is RAM and ROM. The CPU can reach it directly and fast.
Backing storage keeps data and programs long-term, even with no power. Examples: hard disk drive, solid-state drive, USB pen drive.
Programs live on backing storage. When you open one, it is copied into RAM, because the CPU can only work with what is in memory.
1.2 The main components of computer systems · The explanation · step 7 of 19 · part 2 of 2
Internal memory and backing storage (continued)
| Internal memory (RAM/ROM) | Backing storage | |
|---|---|---|
| Access by CPU | Direct | Not direct; copied into RAM first |
| Speed | Very fast | Slower |
| Capacity | Smaller | Much larger (e.g. 1 TB) |
| Cost per GB | Higher | Lower |
| Volatile? | RAM yes, ROM no | No |
2.1 Input devices · The explanation · step 10 of 19
Pointing devices
A pointing device moves a pointer (cursor) on a screen and selects things.
A mouse is moved on a desk. A touchpad is a flat pad on a laptop: you move a finger on it. A trackerball is like an upside-down mouse: you roll the ball and the device stays still.
| Device | Use | Advantage | Disadvantage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mouse | Selecting icons and menus in a GUI; drawing | Faster to select options than using keyboard shortcuts; easy to use | Needs a flat surface; can cause RSI with long use |
| Touchpad | Pointing on a laptop | Built in, so no extra device to carry; works where there is no desk | Harder to control precisely than a mouse, e.g. for drawing |
| Trackerball | People with limited hand movement; control rooms; some medical equipment | Does not move, so needs less space and less wrist movement; easier for some disabilities | Not as fast as a mouse for most users; costs more |
The explanation · 11 more steps
More on the lesson page
The lesson page has the rest of the explanation, step by step:
- What an input device does
- Keyboards and numeric keypads
- Remote controls, joysticks and driving wheels
- Touch screens and light pens
- Scanners, digital cameras and microphones
- Sensors
- How solid-state storage works
- SSD compared with HDD
- Pen drives and memory cards
- Pick the right storage
- Backing up
Year 11 · ICT · Paper 1 theory revision · Lesson 1 of 5
Quick quiz · 1 of 3
RAM is…
- A Permanent storage
- B The hard disk
- C Volatile working memory
C. Volatile working memory
It holds what is running now and is wiped when the power goes.
Year 11 · ICT · Paper 1 theory revision · Lesson 1 of 5
Quick quiz · 2 of 3
A CLI is…
- A A command line interface: typed commands
- B Clicking icons
- C A touch screen
A. A command line interface: typed commands
Technicians use it for precise control. GUI is the icons and windows.
Year 11 · ICT · Paper 1 theory revision · Lesson 1 of 5
Quick quiz · 3 of 3
Which is application software?
- A The operating system
- B A spreadsheet
- C A device driver
B. A spreadsheet
Applications do jobs for the user. Drivers and the OS are system software.
Year 11 · ICT · Paper 1 theory revision · Lesson 1 of 5
Exit ticket
Answer on paper before you go. Then check.
A phablet is…
A A printerB A serverC Between a phone and a tablet in size
C. Between a phone and a tablet in size A large phone, small tablet.
OMR reads…
A BarcodesB Printed text into editable textC Marks on a form, like an answer sheet
C. Marks on a form, like an answer sheet Optical mark recognition. OCR is the one that reads text.