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Northern Ireland · CCEASyllabus
Digital Technology syllabus, dot point by dot point
Every dot point in the Northern Ireland Digital Technologysyllabus, with a focused answer for each one. Click any dot point for a worked explainer, past exam questions, and links to related dot points. Written by Claude Opus 4.8, Anthropic's latest AI.
A2 1 Information Systems
Module overview →- What is artificial intelligence, and how do expert systems, natural language and robotics use it?Artificial intelligence and its applications: expert systems and their components, natural language and voice recognition, and robotics, with their uses, benefits and limitations.11 min answer →
- What are cloud computing and mobile technologies, and what are their benefits and risks?Cloud computing and its service and deployment models, mobile technologies and their uses, and the benefits and drawbacks of each for individuals and organisations.10 min answer →
- What are the main types of network, and how are they arranged and connected?Network types (LAN, WAN, PAN), network topologies (bus, star, ring and mesh) and the hardware that connects a network.11 min answer →
- What are data mining and big data, and how are they used and controlled?Data mining and the discovery of patterns in large data sets, the characteristics of big data, and the uses, benefits and ethical concerns of analysing large data sets.10 min answer →
- What laws and ethical issues govern the use of digital technology and data?The impact of legislation on individuals and organisations (data protection, computer misuse, copyright) and the moral, ethical and social issues raised by digital technology.11 min answer →
- What rules govern network communication, how is data carried, and how are errors detected?Network protocols and the role of TCP/IP, transmission media (wired and wireless), and error detection and correction techniques such as parity, checksum and the check digit.11 min answer →
- How is a database made fast, accurate and secure for many users at once?Optimising databases with indexing, maintaining data integrity, and securing databases with access rights, encryption and backup, including concurrency in multi-user systems.11 min answer →
- What makes a database relational, and how is it modelled and normalised?The features of a relational database (tables, primary and foreign keys, relationships), entity relationship modelling, and normalisation to third normal form.12 min answer →
- How are data queried, inserted and updated using SQL and query by example?Using a database through Structured Query Language (SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE) and query by example, including selecting, sorting and joining data.11 min answer →
A2 2 Application Development (Case Study)
Module overview →AS 1 Approaches to Systems Development
Module overview →- How do the waterfall, iterative and agile approaches differ, and when is each suitable?The waterfall, iterative or incremental and agile or rapid application development methodologies, their characteristics, advantages, disadvantages and the situations that suit each.10 min answer →
- What documentation does a system need, and who uses each type?The purpose and contents of technical documentation and user documentation, and the audience each serves during development, use and maintenance.9 min answer →
- How is a project judged feasible, and how are requirements gathered and recorded?The purpose and types of feasibility (technical, economic, legal, operational and schedule), fact-finding techniques for requirements gathering, and functional and non-functional requirements.10 min answer →
- How is a new system installed, and which changeover method should be chosen?Implementation and installation of a system, the changeover methods (direct, parallel, phased and pilot), their advantages, disadvantages and suitability, and data conversion and user training.10 min answer →
- How does an analyst investigate the current system and gather facts?The fact-finding techniques used during investigation: interviews, questionnaires, observation and inspection of documents, with the advantages and disadvantages of each.9 min answer →
- Why is a system maintained after delivery, and what kinds of maintenance are there?The purpose of system maintenance and the three types of maintenance (corrective, adaptive and perfective), with examples of each.9 min answer →
- What is specified during the design stage, and how is it documented?Designing the inputs, outputs, processing, data storage and user interface of a system, and the design tools used: data flow diagrams, system flowcharts, entity relationship diagrams and the data dictionary.10 min answer →
- How is a system tested, and what test data proves it works?Levels of testing (unit, integration, system and acceptance), the purpose of a test plan, and the use of normal, boundary and erroneous test data.10 min answer →
- What are the stages of the systems development life cycle, and what does each stage produce?The stages of the systems development life cycle, the activities carried out in each stage and the documented outputs each stage hands on to the next.10 min answer →
AS 2 Fundamentals of Digital Technology
Module overview →- How does the processor fetch and execute instructions, and what affects its performance?The components of the CPU, the role of memory and buses, the fetch-decode-execute cycle, and the factors that affect processor performance.11 min answer →
- What is the difference between data and information, and how is data quality protected on entry?The distinction between data, information and knowledge, data types, and the validation and verification techniques that protect data quality.10 min answer →
- How are numbers, text, images and sound represented in binary inside a computer?Representing data in binary, hexadecimal and denary, converting between bases, and how characters, images and sound are encoded digitally.11 min answer →
- What are the main types of memory and storage, and when is each used?Primary memory (RAM, ROM, cache), secondary storage (magnetic, optical and solid state) and the characteristics that decide which is appropriate.10 min answer →
- What is the difference between system and application software, and what does an operating system do?System software and application software, the functions of an operating system, and the role of utility software.10 min answer →
- What types of user interface are there, and what makes an interface well designed?Types of user interface (graphical, command-line, menu and natural language), human-computer interaction, and the principles of good interface design including accessibility.10 min answer →