™

Cambridge IGCSE

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY 0417/12

*5506029078*

Paper 1 Theory February/March 2021

2 hours

You must answer on the question paper.

No additional materials are needed.

INSTRUCTIONS
• Answer all questions.
• Use a black or dark blue pen.
• Write your name, centre number and candidate number in the boxes at the top of the page.
• Write your answer to each question in the space provided.
• Do not use an erasable pen or correction fluid.
• Do not write on any bar codes.
• You may use an HB pencil for any diagrams, graphs or rough working.

INFORMATION
• The total mark for this paper is 100.
• The number of marks for each question or part question is shown in brackets [ ].
• No marks will be awarded for using brand names of software packages or hardware.

This document has 20 pages. Any blank pages are indicated.

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1 Tick (✓) whether the following are examples of internal or external hardware devices.

internal external
(✓) (✓)

Mouse

Video card

Printer

Actuator

[2]

2 Geeta spends a great deal of time at work entering data into her computer.

State three items of hardware that Geeta should be provided with to help avoid RSI when she
enters data into the computer.

Ergonomic keyboard
1 ................................................................................................................................................
Ergonomic mouse
..................................................................................................................................................

Microphone
2 ................................................................................................................................................

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

Wrist rest
3 ................................................................................................................................................

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

[3]

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Question 3 starts on page 4.

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th
3 Falyaz has created a diary using word processing software. The diary entry for 17 May 2020 is
shown.

(a) Write down four formatting features of the word processing software used to make this diary
entry.

Bold on date
Feature 1...........................................................................................................................
Superscript on the date
...........................................................................................................................................
Left aligned on date
Feature 2...........................................................................................................................
Fully justified
...........................................................................................................................................
Text/word wrap
Feature 3...........................................................................................................................
Highlighted text
...........................................................................................................................................
Italics
Feature 4...........................................................................................................................

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

[4]

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(b) The original diary entry typed into the word processing software did not include an image.

Describe the steps that would be carried out by Falyaz to include in his diary entry an image
taken from his digital camera.

Bluetooth the digital camera to the computer

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

Upload the image to the computer

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

open the word processing software

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

Load the diary entry file

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

Place the cursor where you want the image to be

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

Click insert…image
...........................................................................................................................................

browse the image from the folder

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

Insert the image in the text

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

Click word wrap/text wrap

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

Save the document

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

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

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

(c) Name two other sources of digital images apart from using a digital camera.

Internet
Source 1............................................................................................................................
Images stored on: Smartphone/Mobile phone/PC
...........................................................................................................................................
Screenshot
Source 2............................................................................................................................

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

[2]

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(d) Tick (✓) whether the following statements about generic image files refer to jpg, png or gif
file types.

jpg png gif

(✓) (✓) (✓)

This file type stores still or moving images

This file type uses lossy compression

This file type is used for storing photographs on a digital camera

This file type is limited to 256 colours

[4]

(e) Falyaz wants to add a header in his word processed diary.

Explain what is meant by a header and why it is needed.

Header is an area of a document on every page

...........................................................................................................................................
At the top of a page
...........................................................................................................................................

Needed :
...........................................................................................................................................
To ensure that each page has the same data in the header
...........................................................................................................................................
Saves time for the author typing out the data on each page
...........................................................................................................................................

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

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

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

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4 The table shows a comparison of two different types of fitness tracker. A fitness tracker contains
a microprocessor, is worn around the wrist and monitors physical readings of the wearer.

Name of fitness tracker Flexi-byt 6 FitB 4

Battery life in days 20 days 7 days

Method of internet connection Bluetooth WiFi

Water resistant 100 m 10 m

GPS Y N

Cost INR 22 855 INR 10 700

(a) You have been asked to design a poster to show this data for the two fitness trackers.

Describe how you would use six different design features to enhance the data in this poster.
The poster must be suitable for an audience of adult customers.

Different size/style of font for the title

1.........................................................................................................................................
Clear font colour for the title
...........................................................................................................................................
Use of bold to highlight keywords
2.........................................................................................................................................
Use of italics to highlight keywords
...........................................................................................................................................

Poster fills the page

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

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

Data is shown in the comparison table/chart

4.........................................................................................................................................

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

More text than images

5.........................................................................................................................................

...........................................................................................................................................
Contrasting colours for font and background colour
6.........................................................................................................................................

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

[6]

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(b) Describe the computer processing involved in the use of a microprocessor-controlled fitness
tracker when displaying and monitoring the blood pressure of the user.

The data is sent to/read by the microprocessor

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

The data is stored by the tracker

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

Convert the raw data into blood pressure data

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

Compare the data with pre-set values

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

If out of range send data to an alert system

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

The data is sent to the screen

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

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

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

5 A parent is concerned about his children sending texts. When sending a text, it is important to follow
netiquette.

(a) Explain what is meant by the term netiquette.

Set of social conventions

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

They show common courtesy when communicating online

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

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

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

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(b) The parent is planning to produce a number of rules to ensure that his children follow netiquette
when texting other people.

Write down four rules that he could include in his list.

Do not use capital letters as it relates to shouting

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

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

Do not use abusive language

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

...........................................................................................................................................
Respect other’s privacy
3.........................................................................................................................................
Do not spam
...........................................................................................................................................

Do not send inappropriate links

4.........................................................................................................................................

Do not use slang language

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

[4]

6 Complete the following sentences, using the most appropriate direct data entry device.

a bar code reader a chip reader MICR a magnetic stripe reader

OCR OMR PIN pad RFID reader

(a) The device that reads data from a card in a contactless card system is called

RFID reader
........................................................................................................................................... [1]

(b) The device that reads scanned text and converts it into a readable form is called

OCR
........................................................................................................................................... [1]

(c) The device that reads the data made up of black lines and spaces on household goods is
called

a bar code reader

........................................................................................................................................... [1]

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7 A school is planning to introduce a contactless card system for pupils to pay for school meals. Each
card contains an amount of money which is topped up by parents. Parents transfer amounts of
money into the school system and pupils place the card close to a reader to upload the money onto
the card.

(a) Discuss the benefits and drawbacks, to the pupils, of using a contactless card system rather
than paying by cash.

Benefits:
...........................................................................................................................................

Fast transaction as only the card is presented

...........................................................................................................................................
If the card is stolen it can be blocked
...........................................................................................................................................
One card is less bulky than money
...........................................................................................................................................

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

Drawbacks:
...........................................................................................................................................

Difficult to keep track of your spending as no physical money

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

If the card is damaged/lost the pupil cannot buy

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

Cards will need to be purchased by the pupils and can be expensive

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

Easier to misplace than cash/coins

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

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

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

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(b) The terminals in the school use electronic funds transfer at point of sale (EFTPOS).

Describe the computer processing that takes place to pay for a meal at the EFTPOS terminal
using the card.

The cost of the meal is totalled

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

The reader reads the details from the card

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

The amount of money on the card is checked

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

The total is compared to the amount of money on the card

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

If it is greater the transaction is rejected

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

If it is less than or equal to then the transaction is accepted

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

The amount is credited to the school system

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

The details of the receipt are prepared

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

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

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

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

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8 A computer system is being created to calculate the scores in a diving competition. Every dive by
an athlete is awarded a score out of 10 by each judge.

The system is being tested using live data. An athlete completes his dive with a difficulty of 3.4 and
achieves the following scores, which are displayed in a spreadsheet.

(a) Before the overall score is calculated the judges’ scores need to be sorted into ascending
order.

Describe the steps that would be carried out to sort the data into ascending order.

Highlight cells A4 to B10

...........................................................................................................................................
Click on the down arrow
...........................................................................................................................................
Select smallest to largest/A Z
...........................................................................................................................................

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

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

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(b) Cell B12 contains the formula, ROUND((SUM(B5:B9)*D1),1).

Explain what the formula in cell B12 does.

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

It Totals cells B5 to B9
...........................................................................................................................................

Multiplies by cell D1/3.4

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

Rounds the value to 1 decimal place

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

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

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

(c) The judges’ score column will be tested using normal, abnormal and extreme data.

Explain, giving examples of test data which would be used, what is meant by:

Out of the range

Abnormal test data............................................................................................................
e.g. greather than 10, negative numbers
...........................................................................................................................................

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

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

data that is on the boundary of acceptability

Extreme test data..............................................................................................................

Example: 10
...........................................................................................................................................

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

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

[4]

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9 Tawara school uses an optical mark recognition (OMR) system for its school register. An example
of the register is shown. For each session of the school there are two lozenges to be shaded in.

At the start of the registration period the teacher shades in a lozenge [P] on the register to show
that a pupil is present and shades in a lozenge [A] for each pupil who is absent. If a pupil is late
then the teacher shades in both the [P] and the [A] lozenges. The register sheets are sent to the
school office to be processed and the data from them is stored in the computer’s database.

(a) Describe the inputs and computer processing of the registers when they are sent to the school
office, prior to them being stored on the computer’s database.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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(b) The headteacher of the school is considering modernising the registration system so that pupils
can register using a facial recognition system.

Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of using a facial recognition registration system
rather than the OMR system they currently use.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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(c) Biometric data, like facial recognition, is an example of personal data.

Give two other examples of personal data that could be stored on the school registration
database.

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

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

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

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

[2]

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10 Computer data can be stored on physical storage devices. Data can also be stored in the ‘cloud’.

(a) Explain what is meant by the cloud, giving two advantages of storing data in the cloud compared
with physical storage devices.

Explanation........................................................................................................................

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

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

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

Advantage 1......................................................................................................................

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

Advantage 2......................................................................................................................

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

[4]

(b) Tick (✓) whether the following storage devices are examples of optical, magnetic or solid
state storage.
optical magnetic solid state
(✓) (✓) (✓)

Flash drive

Hard disk drive

Blu-ray disc drive

SSD

[4]

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11 The owner of a bookshop has a database of all the books she has in stock. As some of the data
is being entered into the database it is checked using validation checks.

An example of some of the records in the database is shown.

Field name Example data

Name of book Brotherhood of Wisdom

Name of author Colin Turner

ISBN 471837951

Date of purchase 25/02/2021

Number of copies 10

Type of book E

Name of book The Fourth Man

Name of author Aadha Khatri

ISBN 0718121753

Date of purchase 18/03/2019

Number of copies 53

Type of book H

Name of Book Indian Temples

Name of author Vihaan Laghan

ISBN 978147183215

Date of purchase 12/02/2019

Number of copies 30

Type of book H

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Explain, using a field name and examples of the data stored in that field in the database, why
validation checks must be appropriate to the data that is being checked.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

12 A company has placed a firewall between their Local Area Network (LAN) and their internet
connection. This is used to increase security in their computer systems.

Discuss the effectiveness of using this firewall to increase security.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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www.cambridgeinternational.org after the live examination series.

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

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