ATD Level I

Information Communication Technology flashcards

Read the question, say the answer to yourself, then turn the card to check. The first 10 of 50 cards are free; the rest come with the subject.

Card 1 of 50

Jump to a card

Complete Flashcard Reference

Review every card in this deck. Open any card to reveal its answer. The first 10 are free; the other 40 come with the subject.

What is the difference between data and information?

Data: raw, unprocessed facts and figures, such as a list of numbers or names, that carry no meaning on their own. Information: data that has been processed, organised or structured so that it is meaningful and useful to the person receiving it, such as a payroll report produced from raw attendance figures.

What are the five elements of a computer system?

Hardware: the physical components. Software: the programs that instruct the hardware. Data: the raw facts processed. Procedures: the documented steps and rules for using the system correctly. People (users): the individuals who operate it. Remove any one and the system stops doing useful work.

What is the difference between RAM and ROM?

RAM (Random Access Memory) holds data and running programs temporarily and is cleared when the power is off, so it is volatile. ROM (Read Only Memory) permanently holds the instructions needed to start the computer, and keeps them without power.

What are the two working parts of the CPU, and what does each do?

Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU): performs calculations and logical comparisons. Control Unit (CU): fetches, decodes and directs the execution of each instruction in turn.

What is the difference between system software and application software?

System software manages the computer's own hardware and resources and provides the platform applications run on: chiefly the operating system, plus device drivers. Application software performs a specific task for the end user, such as a word processor, spreadsheet or accounting package, and runs on top of system software.

A shop gives a 10% discount on any invoice line of KES 50,000 or more. The line total in D4 is KES 64,000. What does =IF(D4>=50000,D4*10%,0) return?

KES 6,400. 64,000 is at least 50,000, so the condition is true and the formula returns 64,000 x 10% = 6,400. IF reads: IF(condition, value if true, value if false). A line below 50,000 would return 0.

Rank the four network types by coverage, from smallest to largest, with an example of each.

PAN (Personal Area Network): a few metres around one person, such as a phone and a Bluetooth headset. LAN (Local Area Network): one building, office or room, such as a branch office sharing a printer. MAN (Metropolitan Area Network): a city or town, linking several LANs. WAN (Wide Area Network): a country or the world, such as the internet.

How do a hub, a switch and a router differ?

Hub: receives data on one port and broadcasts it to every other port, wasting bandwidth. Switch: reads each device's MAC address and forwards data only to the port the destination device is on. Router: connects separate networks, such as an office LAN and the internet, and directs data between them using IP addresses. It is the only one of the three that joins two networks.

How long does a 150 MB file take to transfer over a 10 Mbps connection?

120 seconds. Convert bytes to bits: 150 x 8 = 1,200 Mb. Transfer time = size in megabits / speed in Mbps = 1,200 / 10 = 120 seconds. Skipping the conversion gives 15 seconds, eight times too small.

What is the principle of least privilege for user accounts?

Every user receives the access their job requires and nothing more. Accounts should also be individual rather than shared, so actions can be traced to a person, protected by strong passwords, and disabled promptly when someone leaves.

What is a computer?