Information Technology Flashcards

Flashcards for Cambridge International AS & A Level Information Technology 9626 syllabus for 2025, 2026 and 2027.

What is the difference between data and information?

Data becomes information through context and meaning.

Give examples of direct data sources.

Questionnaires, interviews, data logging, and observation.

Give examples of indirect data sources.

Weather data, census data, electoral register, businesses collecting personal information when used by third parties, and research from textbooks, journals, and websites.

List factors that affect the quality of information.

Accuracy, relevance, age, level of detail, and completeness of information.

Why is encryption needed?

For the protection of data and systems encryption.

Name methods of encryption.

Symmetric (using private key only) and asymmetric (using private and public keys).

Name encryption protocols.

Transport Layer Security (TLS)/Secure Socket Layer (SSL) and Internet Protocol Security (IPsec).

What are methods of validation?

Presence check, range check, type check, length check, format check, check digit, lookup check, consistency check, limit check.

What are methods of verification?

Visual checking and double data entry, parity check, checksum, hash total, control total.

Give examples of batch processing.

Utility bills, credit card and debit card accounts, customer accounts.

Give examples of online processing.

Electronic funds transfer, automatic stock control, electronic data interchange (exchange), business-to-business buying and selling, online shopping.

Give examples of real-time processing systems.

Microprocessor-controlled/computer-controlled systems (greenhouses, central heating, etc.), wireless sensor and actuator networks (smart homes, guidance systems, etc.), autonomous vehicles.

What are characteristics of mainframe computers and supercomputers?

Longevity, reliability, availability and serviceability (RAS), security, performance metrics (MIPS and FLOPS), volume of input/output, fault tolerance, operating system, number of processors, heat maintenance.

Give uses of mainframe computers.

Census, transaction processing, industry statistics, consumer statistics.

Give uses of supercomputers.

Weather forecasting, climate research, quantum mechanics.

Name types of system software.

Compilers, interpreters, linkers, device drivers, operating systems, utilities.

Why is utility software needed?

For anti-virus, back-up, data compression, disk defragmentation, formatting, file copying, and deleting files.

Name types of utility software.

File management systems, disk management systems, data compression utilities.

Name types of User interfaces.

Command line interface, graphical user interface, dialogue interface, gesture-based interface

List some sensors.

Light/UV, temperature, pressure, humidity, pH, gas sensors, sound, infrared, touch sensors, (electro)magnetic field sensors, proximity sensors.

What are examples of uses for monitoring and measurement technologies?

Environmental monitoring and monitoring patients.

Explain calibration.

Calibration is the process of configuring an instrument to provide results for an item.

List common examples of actuators.

Linear, rotary, soft, hydraulic, pneumatic, electric, thermal, magnetic, mechanic

What programming constructs are needed when writing algorithms?

Conditional branching, looping, nested loops, procedures/subroutines

Name components of a data dictionary

text, alphanumeric, numeric (integer, decimal, currency), percentage, date and time, Boolean/logical (yes/no, true/false)

Name types of malware.

Trojan, worms, spyware, adware, rootkit, malicious bots, ransomware.

What is the digital divide?

The gap between people and regions that have access to modern technology and information and those with restricted or no access.

Name the components of an expert system.

User interface, inference engine, knowledge base (as a database of facts and rules base), explanation system, knowledge base editor.

What are examples of spreadsheet functions?

SUM, AVERAGE, MIN, MAX, COUNT, COUNTIF, LOOKUP, VLOOKUP, HLOOKUP, IF, DATE, TIME

Name common database relationships.

one-to-one, one-to-many and many-to-many

Name key fileds in databases.

Primary key, compound key, foreign key, composite key