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CCEA A-Level Digital Technology: complete guide to the AS and A2 units, the case study and how to study each module

A complete guide to CCEA A-Level Digital Technology (specification 2016). Covers the approaches to systems development, fundamentals of digital technology and information systems units, the application development case study, how the AS and A2 assessment is structured, and how to study each module for top grades.

Browse guides →Syllabus dot points (25)

CCEA A-Level Digital Technology (specification first taught 2016) is a two-year course split into AS and A2, set and marked by CCEA in Northern Ireland. It is a distinctive CCEA qualification about how digital technology systems are developed, how they work, and their impact on individuals, organisations and society. This page is the index: below is a map of the four units, the assessment structure, and how to study each one.

The CCEA Digital Technology units

The specification groups the subject content across four units, studied through the AS and A2 years.

AS 1 Approaches to Systems Development
The process unit. It covers the systems development life cycle, development methodologies (waterfall, iterative and agile), the feasibility study and requirements, system design, implementation and changeover, testing, documentation, fact-finding and maintenance. The unifying idea is the structured, staged development of complex systems.
AS 2 Fundamentals of Digital Technology
The technology unit. It covers data representation in binary and hexadecimal, computer architecture and the fetch-decode-execute cycle, hardware and storage, software and the operating system, the user interface, and data, information, validation and verification. The unifying idea is the fundamentals common to any digital technology system.
A2 1 Information Systems
The largest content unit. It covers computer networks, protocols and transmission, relational databases and normalisation, SQL and query by example, database optimisation and security, artificial intelligence and expert systems, cloud and mobile technologies, data mining and big data, and the legal, moral and ethical issues. The unifying ideas are networked, multi-user information systems and their wider impact.
A2 2 Application Development
The case-study coursework unit. CCEA sets a scenario, and students analyse, design, build, test and evaluate a working application for it under controlled conditions, documenting the process to the assessment criteria. It applies the whole course to one sustained project.

Assessment structure

CCEA A-Level Digital Technology is split between AS and A2, combining written examinations with a case-study coursework unit.

  • AS 1 Approaches to Systems Development - a written examination on the systems development process.
  • AS 2 Fundamentals of Digital Technology - a written examination on data, architecture, hardware, software and the user interface.
  • A2 1 Information Systems - a written examination on networks, databases, emerging technologies and the law.
  • A2 2 Application Development - a case study: a documented, controlled-assessment application development project rather than a written paper.

The exact unit weightings and the case study brief are set by CCEA for each series, and students must take at least 40 percent of the assessment as terminal assessment at the end of the course.

How to study CCEA Digital Technology

Digital Technology rewards precise definitions, applied judgement and a disciplined development process.

  1. Work from the specification statements. Each point is a checklist; questions are written from them.
  2. Learn definitions and processes exactly. State the life-cycle stages, the database normal forms and the legislation precisely.
  3. Practise the technical skills. Drill base conversions, normalisation to third normal form, and writing SQL queries until they are automatic.
  4. Prepare balanced discussions. For emerging technologies and the legal and ethical topics, weigh benefits against drawbacks rather than listing one side.
  5. Apply the process in the case study. Analyse, design, build, test and evaluate, documenting as you go and tracing everything back to the requirements.

The modules, dot point by dot point

Each module has a specification-level overview with worked questions and cross-links, plus dot-point pages and a quiz. Browse the full set at /ccea-a-level/digital-technology/syllabus.

For the official specification

CCEA publishes the full specification, past papers and mark schemes at ccea.org.uk. Always revise from the current CCEA specification and CCEA's own past papers and case study brief, because question style, the set scenario and assessment expectations are board-specific.

Digital Technology guides

In-depth written guides with paired practice quizzes.

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Digital Technology practice quizzes

Multiple-choice drills with worked answer explanations. Your scores stay on this device.

The CCEA-A-LEVEL system, explained

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Common questions about Digital Technology

How is CCEA A-Level Digital Technology structured?
It is a two-year course split into AS and A2. AS has two units: AS 1 Approaches to Systems Development and AS 2 Fundamentals of Digital Technology, both assessed by written examination, and the AS counts towards the full A level. A2 has A2 1 Information Systems, assessed by written examination, and A2 2 Application Development, a case-study coursework unit. Students take at least 40 percent of the assessment as terminal assessment at the end of the course.
What is Digital Technology and how does it differ from Software Systems Development?
CCEA Digital Technology is a broad qualification about digital technology systems, how they are developed, how they work, and their impact, covering systems development, the fundamentals of hardware, software and data, information systems including databases and networks, emerging technologies, and the legal and ethical issues, with a case-study application development unit. CCEA Software Systems Development is a separate, more programming-focused A level. Digital Technology suits students who want both the technical fundamentals and the wider business, data and societal context, rather than concentrating on coding alone.
What topics are in CCEA A-Level Digital Technology?
AS 1 covers the systems development life cycle, development methodologies, feasibility and requirements, system design, implementation and changeover, testing, documentation, fact-finding and maintenance. AS 2 covers data representation, computer architecture, hardware and storage, software and the operating system, the user interface, and data, information, validation and verification. A2 1 covers computer networks, protocols and transmission, relational databases and normalisation, SQL and query by example, database optimisation and security, artificial intelligence and expert systems, cloud and mobile technologies, data mining and big data, and the legal, moral and ethical issues. A2 2 is the application development case study.
How is CCEA A-Level Digital Technology assessed?
AS 1, AS 2 and A2 1 are each assessed by a written examination of structured short-answer, data-response and extended-writing questions. A2 2 Application Development is assessed by a case study: students develop and document a working application under controlled conditions to CCEA's assessment criteria, rather than sitting a written paper. The exact weightings and case study brief are set by CCEA for each series.
Is there coursework in CCEA A-Level Digital Technology?
Yes. The A2 2 Application Development unit is a case-study based piece of controlled-assessment coursework. CCEA sets a scenario and students analyse it, design, build, test and evaluate an application for it, documenting each stage to the assessment criteria. The other three units (AS 1, AS 2 and A2 1) are assessed by written examination. Always follow the current CCEA brief, conditions and criteria for your series for the coursework unit.
How should I revise CCEA A-Level Digital Technology?
Work unit by unit against the specification statements, because questions are written from them. For AS 1, learn the life-cycle stages and outputs, the methodologies, the changeover methods and the maintenance types, and practise scenario questions that ask you to recommend and justify. For AS 2, drill base conversions and learn the architecture, hardware, software and validation definitions. For A2 1, master database theory (keys, normalisation to 3NF, SQL) and prepare balanced discussions of networks, AI, cloud, data mining and the law. For A2 2, follow the systems-development process and document as you go.