A mobile phone is used for communications, either for making phone calls or text messaging. 3 Chang is planning an expedition to the Southern Alps in New Zealand. There is often a limited mobile phone signal in these areas. He has set his phone up so that if there is an emergency he can communicate with the rescue teams using text messaging rather than making a phone call. Give two advantages of using text messaging in this way. 1 … … 2 … … [2]

3 Two from: He may be tired/injured therefore text messaging is easier than trying to talk The text message is sent even though the sender’s phone is in limited signal strength Limited signal strength can result in a break of voice A text message is quicker to send 2

Many banks have reduced the number of staff in their branches and replaced them with automatic teller machines (ATMs). These ATMs, which can be located within the bank, can be used by customers to deposit and withdraw money from their bank accounts. 4 ATMs can be used to deposit cheques. Describe the computer processing involved in depositing a cheque at an ATM. (a) … … … … … … … … … … … … [6] Customers can visit these banks or use internet banking. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages to a customer of visiting the bank rather than using internet banking. (b) … … … … … … … … … … … … [6]

4(a) Six from: Customer is asked to enter their debit card in the ATM Customer’s bank computer is contacted The card details are searched in the bank database Card is checked to see if valid/in date/stolen Customer is asked to enter their PIN PIN is compared to the PIN stored on the chip Customer is asked to deposit cheque The system checks whether the cheque is valid The cheque is scanned/read by the ATM Amount is scanned Bank account is checked for sufficient funds The image of the scan is saved The customer is asked to select the account to deposit money Money is deducted from the bank of the cheque Money is added to the account of the payee A receipt is sent to the printer at the ATM 6 4(b) Six from: Advantages Retention of banks therefore all customers could use them Easier for customers to speak to a member of the banking staff Customers do not have to purchase expensive computer equipment Safer than carrying out transactions over the internet Can withdraw cash Do not need the internet Disadvantages Have to pay to travel to the bank to use the service Customers could waste time standing in queues/travelling to the bank More difficult for people who have a condition which affects their mobility Smaller customer base as it is local Potential for physical robberies Cannot keep track of the accounts as easily Not 24/7 To gain full marks there needs to be advantages and disadvantages 6 To earn marks, students need to describe six distinct steps in the computer processing of depositing a cheque at an ATM, such as card insertion, PIN entry, cheque scanning, and account updates.

Complete the sentences using the most appropriate item from the list. 5 fax email cookie blog wiki web browser social media search engine A piece of software that allows a user to display a web page is called a (a) … [1] A personal internet journal is called a (b) … [1] A web application that allows a group of people to edit the content is called a (c) … [1]

5(a) Web browser 1 5(b) Blog 1 5(c) Wiki 1 (a) The mark is earned by writing 'Web browser' as the answer. (b) The mark is earned by writing 'Blog' as the answer. (c) The mark is earned by writing 'Wiki' as the answer.

7 Rockit Motors recently created a new car sales website. The website uses internet shopping features. Customers can ask questions of the virtual salespeople on the website, and then purchase the car on the website. (a) Describe two other features of internet shopping. … … … … [2] (b) Discuss the benefits and drawbacks of using internet shopping for Rockit Motors. … … … … … … … … … … … … [6] (c) Before the website became operational it needed to be tested. The web designer created a test plan including module and whole system testing. Explain the difference between module and whole system testing. … … … … … … … … [4]

7(a) Two from: Menu of different types of cars Shopping basket in which to place bought items Login for username and password Create a customised car Calculates the price Checkout page for creating the order 2 7(b) Six from: Benefits: Fewer staff/fewer shops therefore reduced overheads/lower costs The company can better target customers Updated more often Cheaper to publicise special offers rather than mail shots More special offers can be offered as lower overheads Broader customer base Operates 24/7 The customer can see immediately if the car is available Can be used from any location Saves cost/time of travelling to the showroom Drawbacks: Expensive due to the cost of setting up the website Expensive due to the cost of maintaining the website Expensive due to the need to re-train staff Internet access is needed by the customer Purchasing mistakes can be more easily made Mistakes are more difficult to rectify due to the speed of operation May be difficult to use as help is not as convenient If the system crashes during the purchase the car may not be bought The customer may experience internet/network problems Cannot test drive the car The pictures of the car may not be the same as the actual car To gain full marks there must be at least one benefit and one drawback 6 7(c) Four from: Module testing tests the operation of each module Modules are tested separately Module testing tests the relationships between each module Module testing tests the data passing into and out of the modules Easier to find errors in module testing Whole system testing is carried out after module testing Whole system testing checks that the system works as it is supposed to//matches the user requirements Whole system tests the combined modules 4 (a) To earn marks, you need to describe two distinct features of internet shopping, such as a shopping basket, login, or a checkout page. (b) To earn marks, you need to discuss a range of benefits and drawbacks of internet shopping for a business, providing specific points for each, like reduced overheads or the cost of website maintenance.

Describe two uses of a company intranet. (a) 9 1… … 2… … [2] Social networking is used to communicate with friends; this is one use of the internet. Describe four other uses of the internet. (b) 1… … 2… … 3… … 4… … [4] A major part of the everyday use of the internet is social networking. Currently some social networks are not policed. The owners of a website have full discretion on what material is removed and what is allowed to be kept. Discuss the benefits and drawbacks of policing social networking sites. (c) … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … [8]

9(a) Two from: Send/receiving emails Send/receive attachments/files Internal file transfer within the company Allows the creation of extranets Surf internal information/webpages Sharing/use of applications/resources 2 9(b) Four from, with descriptions: Email Use of the web Newsgroups Online chat Streaming Internet telephone Online conferencing Gaming File transfer 4 9(c) Benefits Max four: Can reduce cyber bullying/hate speech/sexual harassment Can reduce social media from being used for illegal activities Can reduce the ability to incite violence/trolling Could prevent people from being subjected to inappropriate messages Can reduce illegal/inappropriate images Drawbacks Freedom of speech is reduced Would be very difficult to police as there is a massive amount of information Different rules in different countries and social media crosses borders Very costly to create an effective deterrent Could force individuals to use other un-policed methods of communication Who decides what is acceptable and what is not acceptable Privacy issues as people checking could read messages Difficult to police as users can be anonymous To gain full marks there needs to be benefits and drawbacks 8 (a) To earn marks, you must describe two distinct uses of a company intranet, such as sending/receiving internal emails or sharing applications/resources. (b) To earn marks, you need to describe four other distinct uses of the internet beyond social networking, such as email, online chat, streaming, or file transfer. (c) To earn full marks, you must describe both benefits and drawbacks of social media regulation, with examples like reducing cyberbullying (benefit) and limiting freedom of speech (drawback).

Cambridge IGCSE ICT · 0417

IGCSE ICT (0417) Communication past paper questions

Revise IGCSE ICT (0417) — Communication with real Cambridge past-paper questions grouped by topic, each shown with its marking scheme. Working one topic at a time targets exactly the skill each question tests.

53 free questions from 2016–2021, each with its marking scheme. Open the full topical bank to filter by subtopic, paper, and year.