WJEC GCSE Digital Technology (Wales): complete guide to the spec, Unit 1 content and the exams
A complete guide to WJEC GCSE Digital Technology (specification 3540QS) for Wales. Covers the examined Unit 1 (The Digital World) content - data, digital technology systems, digital communications, cyber security and the impact of digital technology - the two non-exam assessment components, and how to study each area for top grades.
WJEC GCSE Digital Technology (specification 3540QS) is a Qualifications Wales regulated GCSE for learners in Wales, separate from GCSE Computer Science. It is a broad, applied qualification about how digital technology systems are used productively, creatively and safely. This page is the index: below is a map of the examined Unit 1 content, the non-exam assessment, the assessment structure, and how to study each area, with a direct link to every dot point. (Not available to centres in England.)
How the qualification works
The course is assessed by three components: an on-screen examination and two pieces of practical coursework.
- Unit 1 - The Digital World is an on-screen examination that tests the theory across five content areas. It carries a major share of the qualification.
- Unit 2 - Digital Practices is non-exam assessment (NEA): practical coursework creating digital products.
- Unit 3 is also non-exam assessment (NEA): practical digital work under supervised conditions.
The NEA components are completed in your centre, marked against WJEC criteria and moderated. The exact tasks, conditions and deadlines are set by WJEC, so always use the current documents.
The Unit 1 content areas
The examined unit is organised into five areas. Each has specification-statement-level answer pages, an overview guide and a quiz.
- Data
- How everything is stored in binary, representing images and sound, the units of storage and file-size calculations, lossy and lossless compression, and the main storage media (solid-state, magnetic, optical, cloud).
- Digital technology systems
- The input-process-output model and embedded systems, types of network (LAN and WAN, wired and wireless), network hardware, the internet and the World Wide Web, operating systems, utility software, system versus application software, and the systems development life cycle.
- Digital communications
- The main communication methods and how to choose between them, judging the reliability of online sources, and the benefits and risks of social networking.
- Cyber security
- Cyber threats and vulnerabilities, technical and behavioural protection methods, the consequences of attacks and recovery, and the law (data protection, the Computer Misuse Act and copyright).
- The impact of digital technology
- The digital shift in work and business and new monetisation models, emerging technologies (AI, IoT, VR and AR), and the ethical, social and environmental impacts.
Assessment objectives
WJEC's assessment rewards more than recall: it credits applying knowledge to contexts and evaluating digital technology. So learn precise definitions, but practise using them in scenarios, recommend-and-justify questions and balanced benefit-and-drawback answers, which is where many marks sit.
How to study WJEC Digital Technology
- Work from the specification statements. Each statement is a checklist; questions are written from them.
- Learn precise definitions and apply them. The exam rewards applied answers, not just recall.
- Drill the calculations. Image and sound file sizes and unit conversions are reliable marks in the Data area.
- Keep key distinctions clear. Switch versus router, internet versus Web, system versus application software, and the three laws.
- Practise evaluation. Benefits-and-drawbacks and recommend-and-justify questions appear throughout.
- For the NEA, follow the life cycle and your centre's instructions, and finish with WJEC past papers.
Syllabus, area by area
Each area has specification-statement-level answer pages with worked exam questions and cross-links, plus an overview guide and quiz.
Data
- Representing data in binary
- Representing images
- Representing sound
- Measuring and storing data
- Data compression
- Storage devices and media
Digital technology systems
- Interaction and connection
- Types of network
- Network hardware
- The internet
- Operating systems
- Utility software
- System and application software
- The systems development life cycle
Digital communications
Cyber security
- Cyber threats and vulnerabilities
- Cyber security protection methods
- Consequences and recovery
- Data protection and the law
The impact of digital technology
Non-exam assessment
For the official specification
WJEC publishes the full Digital Technology specification (3540QS), the NEA documents, past papers and mark schemes at wjec.co.uk. Always revise from the current specification and WJEC's own past papers, because question style is board-specific.
Digital Technology guides
In-depth written guides with paired practice quizzes.
- WJEC GCSE Digital Technology Communications: methods, reliability of sources and social networking
A deep-dive WJEC GCSE Digital Technology guide to the Digital communications content of Unit 1. Covers the main communication methods and how to choose between them, how to judge the reliability of online sources, and the benefits and risks of social networking for individuals and organisations.
12 min readRead β - WJEC GCSE Digital Technology Cyber security: threats, protection, recovery and the law
A deep-dive WJEC GCSE Digital Technology guide to the Cyber security content of Unit 1. Covers cyber threats and vulnerabilities, technical and behavioural protection methods, the consequences of attacks and recovery through backups and continuity planning, and the main laws: data protection, the Computer Misuse Act and copyright.
14 min readRead β - WJEC GCSE Digital Technology Data: representation, units, compression and storage
A deep-dive WJEC GCSE Digital Technology guide to the Data content of Unit 1. Covers binary representation, images and sound, the units of storage and file-size calculations, lossy and lossless compression, and the main storage media, with the calculation methods the exam repeats.
14 min readRead β - WJEC GCSE Digital Technology Impact: the digital shift, emerging technologies and ethical and environmental effects
A deep-dive WJEC GCSE Digital Technology guide to the impact of digital technology content of Unit 1. Covers the digital shift in work and business and new monetisation models, emerging technologies such as AI, IoT and VR/AR, and the ethical, social and environmental impacts including privacy, the digital divide, e-waste and energy use.
13 min readRead β - WJEC GCSE Digital Technology non-exam assessment (NEA): Units 2 and 3 overview
A concise overview guide to the WJEC GCSE Digital Technology non-exam assessment. Explains how the two NEA components fit the qualification alongside the Unit 1 exam, what practical digital work they involve, and how the systems development life cycle, testing, evaluation and the legal rules apply.
10 min readRead β - WJEC GCSE Digital Technology Systems: devices, networks, the internet, software and the SDLC
A deep-dive WJEC GCSE Digital Technology guide to the Digital technology systems content of Unit 1. Covers input-process-output and embedded systems, LANs and WANs, network hardware, the internet and the Web, operating systems, utility and application software, and the systems development life cycle.
15 min readRead β
Digital Technology practice quizzes
Multiple-choice drills with worked answer explanations. Your scores stay on this device.
- WJEC GCSE Digital Technology Cyber security overview quiz15 questionsStart β
- WJEC GCSE Digital Technology Data overview quiz15 questionsStart β
- WJEC GCSE Digital Technology Communications overview quiz14 questionsStart β
- WJEC GCSE Digital Technology Systems overview quiz16 questionsStart β
- WJEC GCSE Digital Technology Impact overview quiz15 questionsStart β
- WJEC GCSE Digital Technology NEA overview quiz13 questionsStart β
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