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Northern Ireland · CCEAQ&A
Digital TechnologyQ&A by dot point
A short Q&A bank for every Northern Ireland Digital Technology syllabus dot point. Each question and answer is drawn directly from our worked dot-point page, so you can scan key concepts before opening the long-form answer.
Unit 1: Digital Technology
- Explain what cloud storage and cloud computing are, describe how the cloud is accessed over the internet, and evaluate the advantages and disadvantages for individuals and organisations.0Q&A pairs
- Identify input, output and storage devices, describe the role of the CPU and the different types of memory (RAM, ROM and cache), and compare magnetic, optical and solid-state storage.0Q&A pairs
- Describe how a database organises data into tables, records and fields, explain the role of data types, primary keys, queries, sorting and validation, and outline the benefits of a database over a flat file.0Q&A pairs
- Evaluate the ethical, legal, environmental and social impact of digital technology on society, and describe the purpose of the Data Protection legislation, the Computer Misuse Act and the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act.0Q&A pairs
- Identify cyber threats such as malware, hacking and phishing, describe security measures including firewalls, encryption, passwords and access rights, and explain how data is transferred and kept secure.0Q&A pairs
- Explain what a computer network is and its benefits, distinguish a LAN from a WAN, identify the hardware needed to build a network, compare wired and wireless connections, and describe the internet as a global network.0Q&A pairs
- Explain how computers represent data using the binary and hexadecimal number systems, state the units of digital storage, describe how text, graphics, sound and video are encoded, and compare lossy and lossless compression.0Q&A pairs
- Distinguish systems software from application software, describe the functions of an operating system and common utility programs, and explain the role of the user interface.0Q&A pairs
- Describe how a spreadsheet organises data in cells, rows and columns, explain formulae, functions, cell referencing and modelling, and outline how charts and what-if analysis present and test data.0Q&A pairs
Route A: Multimedia (Units 2 and 3)
- Describe how multimedia elements are integrated into a working product, explain interactivity and navigation links, and outline how a product is tested and evaluated against its requirements.0Q&A pairs
- Describe how a multimedia product is designed to meet the needs of an audience and purpose, and explain the role of storyboards, site maps, navigation structures and user-interface and usability principles.0Q&A pairs
- Identify the multimedia elements of text, graphics, sound, video and animation, explain how each is used in a product, and describe how file formats and optimisation balance quality against file size.0Q&A pairs
- Outline the Unit 3 Digital Authoring Practice controlled assessment for the Multimedia route, including the CCEA-set task, the design, create, test and evaluate stages, and how the work is assessed.0Q&A pairs
Route B: Programming (Units 4 and 5)
- Explain what an algorithm is, describe how a solution is designed and represented using flowcharts, pseudocode and structure diagrams, and explain the role of interface design and decomposition.0Q&A pairs
- Explain how programs store data in variables and constants, describe the common data types (integer, real, Boolean, character and string), and explain why the correct data type is chosen.0Q&A pairs
- Describe the three basic programming constructs, sequence, selection and iteration, explain how each controls the flow of a program, and identify when each is used.0Q&A pairs
- Outline the Unit 5 Digital Development Practice controlled assessment for the Programming route, including the CCEA-set task, the analyse, design, develop, test and evaluate stages, and how the work is assessed.0Q&A pairs
- Describe the stages of the system development life cycle, analysis, design, development, testing, installation and review, explain what happens at each, and explain why development is iterative.0Q&A pairs
- Explain how programs are tested using a test plan and normal, boundary and erroneous test data, describe syntax, logic and runtime errors, and explain how a program is evaluated against its requirements.0Q&A pairs