Cambridge International Examinations

Cambridge International Advanced Subsidiary and Advanced Level

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY 9626/01

*0123456789*

Paper 1 Theory For Examination from 2017

SPECIMEN PAPER
1 hour 45 minutes
Candidates answer on the Question Paper.
No Additional Materials are required.

READ THESE INSTRUCTIONS FIRST

Write your Centre number, candidate number and name in the spaces at the top of this page.
Write in dark blue or black pen.
You may use an HB pencil for any diagrams or graphs.
Do not use staples, paper clips, glue or correction fluid.
DO NOT WRITE IN ANY BARCODES.

Answer all questions.

At the end of the examination, fasten all your work securely together.
The number of marks is given in brackets [ ] at the end of each question or part question.

Any businesses described in this paper are entirely fictitious.

This document consists of 16 printed pages.

© UCLES 2015 [Turn over

 2

1 (a) Describe the difference between data and information.

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

.............................................................................................................................................. [2]

(b) There are different types of data.

Tick four correct statements in the following table.

9
True and false are examples of Boolean data
A field containing the value 253 would be a field containing text data
245.6 is an integer
All numbers are stored as decimals
‘13 cm’ is an example of alphanumeric data
An integer stored in a field is a form of numeric value
Currency is a type of numeric data
A real number is an integer which has already been used in a database
How many times a student has taken an exam would be stored as a Date/time
data type
A percentage value is usually stored as text as it has a percentage sign

[4]

© UCLES 2015 9626/01/SP/17

 3

2 There are many ways of changing data to suit a purpose including coding, encoding and encryption
of data. Coding data in a field containing the gender of a person, for example, would involve
coding ‘male’ as ‘m’ and ‘female’ as ‘f’.

(a) Tick the correct statement regarding the coding of data.

9
A disadvantage of coding data is that it makes the data very difficult to read and
understand
An advantage of coding data is that it saves storage space
A disadvantage of coding data is that it becomes much slower to type in the data
An advantage of coding data is that codes are never complicated

[1]

(b) Tick the correct statement regarding the encoding of data.

9
Encoding data is a form of validation
Text and numbers are the only data types that can be encoded
Converting digital data to analogue data is a form of encoding data
Encoding is done to deliberately conceal the content of the data

[1]

(c) Tick the correct statement regarding the encryption of data.

9
Encrypting data prevents hackers from intercepting it
Encryption is the conversion of data into a form that cannot be easily understood
by unauthorised users
The two main types of encryption are known as public key encryption and open
encryption
Decryption is the process of further converting encrypted data into another more
complicated encrypted form

[1]

© UCLES 2015 9626/01/SP/17 [Turn over

 4

3 Giving examples, explain what is meant by:

(a) application software

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

.............................................................................................................................................. [3]

(b) system software.

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

.............................................................................................................................................. [3]

© UCLES 2015 9626/01/SP/17

 5

4 Describe the characteristics of a gesture based user interface.

..........................................................................................................................................................

..........................................................................................................................................................

..........................................................................................................................................................

..........................................................................................................................................................

..........................................................................................................................................................

..........................................................................................................................................................

..........................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................... [3]

© UCLES 2015 9626/01/SP/17 [Turn over

 6

5 Here is a small section of a spreadsheet used to calculate the weekly wages of the workers in a
company.

A B C D E F
1 First Second Hours worked Hourly rate Weekly wage ($) Full
name name name
2 John Smith 40 8.50 =C2*D2
3 Johann Schmidt 42 9.25 =C3*D3
4 Felix Schnell 38 8.75 =C4*D4
5 Maurice LaPorte 46 11.50 =C5*D5
=SUM(C2:C5) =MAX(D2:D5) =AVERAGE(E2:E5)

(a) Using examples from the spreadsheet, explain what is meant by a cell reference.

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

.............................................................................................................................................. [2]

(b) This spreadsheet uses formulae and functions. Explain the difference between formulae and
functions.

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

.............................................................................................................................................. [4]

© UCLES 2015 9626/01/SP/17

 7

(c) The manager of the company wants the full name of the worker printed on the payslip. In
order to do this a formula will need to be used in cell F2 combining the first name and the
second name separated by a space.

Write down the formula which uses a function to combine this data.

.............................................................................................................................................. [4]

(d) The manager wants to see immediately if a worker earns more than $500 per week, without
reading through the spreadsheet.

Explain what you would do in cells E2 to E5 to make it easier for her to see this.

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

.............................................................................................................................................. [4]

© UCLES 2015 9626/01/SP/17 [Turn over

 8

(e) Relative cell referencing has been used in the spreadsheet. Using examples from this
spreadsheet, explain why the use of absolute referencing would not be suitable.

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

.............................................................................................................................................. [3]

(f) This spreadsheet could be used for modelling purposes. An example of modelling is the use
of simulators for pilot training.

Describe three advantages of using computer simulations for pilot training rather than the
real thing.

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

.............................................................................................................................................. [3]

© UCLES 2015 9626/01/SP/17

 9

6 A shop selling Konia mobile (cell) phones keeps records of all the phones it sells.
The shop only stocks three models but each model has either 32 or 64 GB of memory.
An example of the shop’s database is given below.

Customer Model Price ($) Memory (GB)

K Spencer 1278C3 500 32
J Sandhu 1273C6 400 64
M Akhtar 1273C3 300 32
Te Won 1275C6 450 64
B Perez 1275C3 350 32
Espanita di Stefano 1278C6 600 64
B Smith 1275C6 450 64
J Johannson 1275C3 350 32
Su Li 1278C6 600 64

(a) A validation check is needed to make sure that only valid model numbers can be accepted.
Name this validation check and describe how it would work.

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

.............................................................................................................................................. [4]

© UCLES 2015 9626/01/SP/17 [Turn over

 10

(b) Giving examples, explain how consistency checks could be used to ensure that the data that
is entered in the shop’s database is valid.

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

.............................................................................................................................................. [4]

(c) The shop is sending a standard letter to owners of the 1278C6 model informing them about a
defect.

Using information from the shop’s database, explain how you would set up such a letter to
customers who own that particular model.

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

.............................................................................................................................................. [6]

© UCLES 2015 9626/01/SP/17

 11

(d) The data in the shop’s database is in unnormalised form. Complete the table below as
necessary to make the database in first normal form (1NF).

[4]

(e) Give two advantages of normalising a database.

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

.............................................................................................................................................. [2]

© UCLES 2015 9626/01/SP/17 [Turn over

 12

7 A head teacher wishes to use a computer to create a newsletter which will keep parents up to date
with events at the school.

(a) Name two software types that he could use.

type 1 ........................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

type 2 ........................................................................................................................................

.............................................................................................................................................. [2]

(b) Compare and contrast the use of these software types.

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

.............................................................................................................................................. [6]

© UCLES 2015 9626/01/SP/17

 13

8 The internet is used by many individuals in the world today.

(a) There are a number of malware issues associated with using the internet.
Other than viruses, describe three of these issues.

1 ................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

2 ................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

3 ................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

.............................................................................................................................................. [6]

© UCLES 2015 9626/01/SP/17 [Turn over

 14

(b) Discuss the reasons why many people use the internet for communication, while some people
do not.

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

.............................................................................................................................................. [8]

© UCLES 2015 9626/01/SP/17

 15

(c) Explain what is meant by the internet and the World Wide Web. In your answer include
features of the internet which do not use the World Wide Web.

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

...................................................................................................................................................

.............................................................................................................................................. [6]

© UCLES 2015 9626/01/SP/17 [Turn over

 16

9 Evaluate the differences between compilers and interpreters.

..........................................................................................................................................................

..........................................................................................................................................................

..........................................................................................................................................................

..........................................................................................................................................................

..........................................................................................................................................................

..........................................................................................................................................................

..........................................................................................................................................................

..........................................................................................................................................................

..........................................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................... [4]

Permission to reproduce items where third-party owned material protected by copyright is included has been sought and cleared where possible. Every
reasonable effort has been made by the publisher (UCLES) to trace copyright holders, but if any items requiring clearance have unwittingly been included, the
publisher will be pleased to make amends at the earliest possible opportunity.

Cambridge International Examinations is part of the Cambridge Assessment Group. Cambridge Assessment is the brand name of University of Cambridge Local
Examinations Syndicate (UCLES), which is itself a department of the University of Cambridge.

© UCLES 2015 9626/01/SP/17