Information Communication Technology (Theory)

Information Communication Technology (Theory) — 2022

KNEC Diploma in Supply Chain Management, Module I. Original examination questions with explained model answers for revision.

---

July 2022

Paper codes: 2903/103A (shared paper)
Time: Not shown in supplied scan
Instructions: Not shown in supplied scan

Question 1(a) — 3 marks

Outline three ways of classifying computers according to the type of data they handle.

Model answer

1. Analogue computers handle continuously varying quantities.
2. Digital computers handle discrete data represented by digits/binary values.
3. Hybrid computers combine analogue and digital processing.

Question 1(b) — 4 marks

Explain two aspects in computers that have made them develop tremendously.

Model answer

1. Miniaturisation of electronic hardware: transistors and increasingly dense integrated circuits allow smaller, more powerful, more reliable machines at lower unit cost.
2. Improved processing and storage capability: faster processors, greater memory capacity and higher-capacity storage allow computers to perform more complex tasks and support a wider range of applications.

Question 1(c) — 4 marks

Distinguish between a Web page and a Web site as used in the Internet.

Model answer

1. A web page is an individual document/resource displayed by a browser at a particular address.
2. A website is a related collection of web pages and resources organised under a common site identity/address.

Question 1(d) — 4 marks

Manguti Company incorporated the use of Uninterruptible Power Supply devices in the computer system. Explain two uses of these devices.

Model answer

1. Temporary backup power: a UPS keeps equipment running briefly during a mains failure, allowing work to be saved and systems shut down safely.
2. Power conditioning/protection: suitable UPS units suppress surges and regulate or bridge certain supply variations, reducing disruption and equipment damage.

Question 2(a) — 3 marks

Merchy Company intends to connect its computers to the Internet. Outline three ways the company would achieve this.

Model answer

1. A fixed fibre-optic Internet service through an ISP.
2. A mobile broadband service using a cellular modem/router.
3. A satellite Internet service using suitable terminal equipment.

Question 2(b)(i) — 4 marks

Explain two hardware devices in each case that could be used to perform the following tasks in a supermarket: inputting item details into computers.

Model answer

1. Barcode scanner: reads an item’s barcode and supplies its product identifier to the sales system.
2. Keyboard: allows an attendant to enter product codes, descriptions or quantities manually.

Question 2(b)(ii) — 4 marks

Explain two hardware devices in each case that could be used to perform the following tasks in a supermarket: displaying the cost of purchased goods.

Model answer

1. Monitor/customer display: shows the selected items, their prices and the running bill electronically.
2. Printer: produces a receipt giving a permanent printed record of item costs and the total payable.

Question 2(c) — 4 marks

Distinguish between Min() and Max() as applied in spreadsheet applications.

Model answer

1. MIN returns the smallest numeric value in the supplied values/range.
2. MAX returns the largest numeric value in the supplied values/range.

Question 3(a) — 4 marks

Describe each of the following operating systems features:

(i) device management; (2 marks)

(ii) security. (2 marks)

Model answer

1. Device management controls input/output devices through drivers, allocates access and coordinates their use by applications.
2. Security protects system resources using identification/authentication, access permissions and related controls.

Question 3(b) — 4 marks

Explain the function of each of the following word-processing menus giving two examples in each case:

(i) editing menu; (2 marks)

(ii) font menu. (2 marks)

Model answer

1. Editing menu/group supplies commands for manipulating or locating document content; examples are Copy and Find/Replace.
2. Font menu/group changes the appearance of characters; examples are font typeface and font size (also bold or italic).

Question 3(c) — 3 marks

Joy intends to create slides in a presentation program. Outline three ways she could use to create the slides.

Model answer

1. Insert new slides and choose their layouts.
2. Duplicate existing slides and modify the copies.
3. Import/reuse slides from another presentation.

Question 3(d) — 4 marks

Explain two reasons that may necessitate the use of a bus network topology in a computer network design.

Model answer

1. Low installation cost for a small simple network: devices share a single backbone and no central switch is required in the traditional bus arrangement.
2. Reduced cable requirement: connecting devices along a common cable can need less cabling than running a separate connection from every device to a central point.

Question 4(a) — 3 marks

Outline three file organization methods that may be used in computers.

Model answer

1. Serial organisation.
2. Sequential organisation.
3. Direct/random organisation.

Question 4(b) — 6 marks

Explain each of the following elements of data security in computers:

(i) confidentiality; (2 marks)

(ii) availability; (2 marks)

(iii) integrity. (2 marks)

Model answer

1. Confidentiality ensures data is disclosed only to authorised people or processes.
2. Availability ensures authorised users can access needed information and services when required.
3. Integrity protects data from unauthorised or accidental alteration so that it remains complete and correct.

Question 4(c)(i) — 2 marks

Figure 1 shows categories of computer software. Use it to answer the questions that follow. Identify each of the categories labelled I and II.

Model answer

1. I: System software.
2. II: Application software.

Question 4(c)(ii) — 4 marks

Explain one function of each of the categories mentioned in (i).

Model answer

1. System software manages hardware and basic computer resources and provides a platform on which applications run.
2. Application software performs users’ specific tasks, such as maintaining and querying business records in a database.

Question 5(a) — 3 marks

Outline three options of Table AutoFit feature in a word processing program.

Model answer

1. AutoFit to Contents.
2. AutoFit to Window.
3. Fixed Column Width.

Question 5(b)(i) — 2 marks

Peter has been tasked to proofread a document created using a word processing program. Explain the feature that he could use to perform each of the following: look for the occurrence of the word “Church” and change it to “Company”.

Model answer

1. Find and Replace searches for Church and substitutes Company. Use Replace to review each occurrence or Replace All after checking that every occurrence should change.

Question 5(b)(ii) — 2 marks

Peter has been tasked to proofread a document created using a word processing program. Explain the feature that he could use to correct misspelt words.

Model answer

1. Spelling checker identifies suspected spelling errors and offers suggested replacements. Review the suggestions and accept the correct spelling rather than changing valid names blindly.

Question 5(c) — 4 marks

Distinguish between the terms widow and orphan as applied in a word processing document.

Model answer

1. A widow is a paragraph’s final line left alone at the top of the following page or column.
2. An orphan is a paragraph’s opening line left alone at the bottom of a page or column, separated from the rest of the paragraph.

Question 5(d) — 4 marks

With the aid of an illustration in each case, describe each of the following vertical alignments of text in a worksheet cell:

(i) Centre; (2 marks)

(ii) Justify. (2 marks)

Model answer

1. Centre positions the text block halfway between the cell’s top and bottom.
2. Justify spreads the lines of wrapped text vertically between the top and bottom of the cell.

Question 6(a)(i) — 1 marks

State one function of a router as used in data communication.

Model answer

1. A router forwards packets between different networks using destination addresses and routing information.

Question 6(a)(ii) — 4 marks

Outline four reasons that would necessitate an organization to connect its computers to a Local Area Network.

Model answer

1. Share files and data.
2. Share peripherals such as printers.
3. Enable communication/collaboration among staff.
4. Centralise administration, backups and access controls.

Question 6(b)(i) — 2 marks

Figure 2 shows a spreadsheet extract from the books of Upevu Enterprises. Use it to answer the questions that follow. Using a function and cell addresses only, write a formula that would be used to compute total sales for the shirts in cell D2.

	A	B	C	D
1	Items	Price Per Item	Items Sold	Total Sales
2	Shirt	1000	18
3	Trousers	2000	30
4	Coat	3000	20
5		Total number of items sold

Figure 2

Model answer

In D2: =PRODUCT(B2:C2)

Step	Working	Result
Multiply shirt price by quantity	1,000 × 18	18,000

Question 6(b)(ii) — 4 marks

Use the Sumif function to compute total number of items sold where the items sold is more than 20 items.

Model answer

=SUMIF(C2:C4,">20",C2:C4)

Items sold	Meets >20?	Included
18	No	0
30	Yes	30
20	No — equal to 20	0
Total		30

Question 6(c) — 4 marks

Distinguish between Slide Sorter View and Slide Show View features in a presentation program.

Model answer

1. Slide Sorter displays slide thumbnails for organising, copying, deleting or rearranging slides.
2. Slide Show displays the presentation to an audience, normally full-screen, with its effects, timings and navigation.

---

November 2022

Paper codes: 2903/103A (shared paper)
Time: Not shown in supplied scan
Instructions: Not shown in supplied scan

Question 1(a) — 3 marks

Outline three application areas of computers in a hospital environment.

Model answer

1. Maintaining patient records and appointments.
2. Processing laboratory or diagnostic results.
3. Managing pharmacy stock and billing.

Question 1(b) — 4 marks

Explain each of the following types of storage media used in a computer system:

(i) magnetic media;

(ii) optical media.

Model answer

1. Magnetic media store bits through magnetised regions on a surface, as in a magnetic hard disk or tape.
2. Optical media store data in an optically readable surface pattern and use a laser for reading/writing, as in CDs or DVDs.

Question 1(c) — 4 marks

Distinguish between auto content wizard and slide design as used in a presentation program.

Model answer

1. AutoContent Wizard in older presentation software guides the user through creating a presentation with suggested structure and sample content.
2. Slide design controls visual appearance, such as colours, fonts and background/theme, without providing the same content-planning wizard.

Question 1(d) — 4 marks

Justus intends to print a word processing document. Outline four print options he could set in the print dialog box.

Model answer

1. Printer to use.
2. Page range.
3. Number of copies.
4. One-sided or two-sided printing, where supported.

Question 2(a) — 3 marks

Outline three items that could be displayed on the title bar of a word processing program window.

Model answer

1. Document/file name.
2. Application name.
3. Window control buttons such as minimise, maximise/restore and close.

Question 2(b) — 4 marks

Distinguish between a dedicated computer and a general-purpose computer.

Model answer

1. A dedicated computer is assigned or designed for one particular task, such as controlling a specific machine.
2. A general-purpose computer can perform many different tasks by running different programs, such as word processing and accounting.

Question 2(c) — 4 marks

The management of XYZ college received a system audit report indicating that their information system requires protection from malware. Explain two examples of malware that the system should be protected from.

Model answer

1. Virus: malicious code that attaches to a host program/file and spreads when the infected host is executed, potentially corrupting data.
2. Worm: a self-replicating program that spreads between computers, commonly through network vulnerabilities, without needing to attach itself to a host file.

Question 2(d)(i) — 2 marks

Figure 1 is a spreadsheet extract showing examination results for a class. Use it to answer the questions that follow. Using a function and cell addresses only, write a formula that was used in the spreadsheet to compute the total for Kennedy.

	A	B	C	D		E
1	EXAM RESULTS
2	STUDENT’S NAME	CAT 1	CAT2	CAT3	TOTAL	COMMENT
3	Pauline	15	10	49	74	Fail
4	Kennedy	13	16	48	77	Fail
5	Sheila	14	14	53	81	Pass

Figure 1. The five column-letter headings over six data columns are reproduced from the scan.

Model answer

The printed column headings are misaligned. For usable spreadsheet formulas, treat the six data columns in order as A: name, B: CAT1, C: CAT2, D: CAT3, E: TOTAL, F: COMMENT. The figures themselves are unchanged.

In E4: =SUM(B4:D4)

Working	Total
13 + 16 + 48	77

Question 2(d)(ii) — 2 marks

Using a function and cell addresses only, write a formula that was used in the spreadsheet to insert the comment “Pass” for Sheila if the TOTAL exceeded 80, otherwise “Fail”.

Model answer

Use the six-column reference convention explained above.

In F5: =IF(E5>80,"Pass","Fail")

Test	Result	Displayed comment
81 > 80	TRUE	Pass

Question 3(a) — 3 marks

Outline the function of each of the following utility programs in a computer system:

(i) disk defragmenter;

(ii) disk clean-up;

(iii) file management.

Model answer

1. Disk defragmenter rearranges fragmented file blocks on a magnetic disk into more contiguous locations to reduce mechanical seeking. It is not a routine requirement for SSDs.
2. Disk clean-up removes unnecessary files, such as temporary files, to free storage space.
3. File management provides operations for organising files and folders, including copying, moving, renaming and deleting.

Question 3(b) — 2 marks

Peter entered value 25 in cell A1 in a spreadsheet program. Write a formula that could be used to increase this value by 20%.

Model answer

In another cell: =A1*(1+20%)

Step	Working	Result
Increase	25 × 0.20	5
New value	25 + 5	30

Question 3(c) — 6 marks

With the aid of an example in each case, describe the function of the following categories of computer keyboard keys:

(i) Function keys;

(ii) Navigation keys.

Model answer

1. Function keys invoke commands defined by an application or system; for example F1 commonly opens Help. Their exact action can depend on software and keyboard settings.
2. Navigation keys move the insertion point or selection through content; for example the Right Arrow moves one position to the right and Home commonly moves to the start of a line.

Question 3(d) — 4 marks

Explain the function of each of the following email features.

Model answer

1. (i) Send: the paper-plane icon submits the composed message for delivery to its recipients.
2. (ii) Insert picture: adds an image to the email message body.

Question 4(a) — 3 marks

The following functions are used in a spreadsheet program: AND, Average, OR, TRUE, IF, AverageIF. Classify them as either Statistical or Logical functions.

Model answer

Statistical	Logical
AVERAGE, AVERAGEIF	AND, OR, TRUE, IF

Question 4(b) — 4 marks

Describe each of the following data processing modes used in computer systems:

(i) Real time;

(ii) Time sharing.

Model answer

1. Real-time processing produces a response within the deadline needed by the operation being monitored or controlled.
2. Time sharing allocates short processor-time intervals among multiple users/tasks, giving each frequent access to the computer.

Question 4(c) — 4 marks

Right clicking while pointing to a folder provides various operation options that could be performed on the folder. Outline four such operations.

Model answer

1. Open.
2. Copy.
3. Rename.
4. Delete.

Question 4(d) — 4 marks

Some Technical colleges have embraced online learning. Explain two challenges the students are likely to face from using this mode of learning.

Model answer

1. Connectivity and cost: weak Internet coverage or unaffordable data can interrupt classes and prevent downloading materials.
2. Limited suitable equipment or power: lack of a reliable device/electricity can restrict participation and completion of online tasks.

Question 5(a) — 2 marks

State two differences between a workbook and a worksheet as used in a spreadsheet program.

Model answer

1. A workbook is the spreadsheet file/container; a worksheet is an individual tabbed grid within it.
2. One workbook can contain several worksheets; each worksheet contains its own rows, columns and cells for data and calculations.

Question 5(b) — 5 marks

A microfinance company intends to computerize its operations. Outline five computer devices that the company requires to relay the output from computer transactions.

Model answer

1. Monitor.
2. Receipt/document printer.
3. Projector.
4. Speakers for audio output.
5. Plotter for large-format graphical output where required.

Question 5(c) — 4 marks

Salome, a data entry clerk, complained of body aches and pains. Outline four possible work-related causes that may have led to the pains.

Model answer

1. Poor sitting posture.
2. A poorly adjusted chair or desk.
3. Prolonged work without breaks or changes of position.
4. Repetitive keyboard/mouse work with unsuitable wrist or arm positioning.

Question 5(d) — 4 marks

A college intends to improve its operations by connecting all their computers. Outline four benefits the college will gain from this move.

Model answer

1. Sharing files and learning resources.
2. Sharing printers and other peripherals.
3. Faster communication and collaboration.
4. Centralised backup and management of users/resources.

Question 6(a) — 2 marks

Outline two ways of changing the column width in a spreadsheet worksheet.

Model answer

1. Drag the boundary on the right of the column heading.
2. Use the Column Width command and enter a width (or use AutoFit to fit contents).

Question 6(b) — 4 marks

A company intends to acquire application software to support their operations. Outline four factors, other than cost, they should consider when selecting the software.

Model answer

1. Fit to required functions.
2. Compatibility with existing hardware, operating systems and data formats.
3. Ease of use and staff training requirements.
4. Vendor support, maintenance and upgrade arrangements.

Question 6(c) — 3 marks

Table 1 shows the details of a table to be designed in a database to store records of employees. State six field properties that could be set for this field.

Field Name	Data Type	Field Properties
EmployeeName	Text

Table 1

Model answer

1. Field Size.
2. Format.
3. Input Mask.
4. Caption.
5. Default Value.
6. Validation Rule.

Question 6(d)(i) — 2 marks

Figure 2 shows a type of networking topology used to design a computer network. Use it to answer the questions that follow. Describe this type of network topology.

Model answer

1. This is a bus topology. All devices attach to a shared backbone cable; in a traditional coaxial bus the two ends are terminated to prevent signal reflection.

Question 6(d)(ii) — 4 marks

Outline four advantages of this topology.

Model answer

1. Requires relatively little cabling for a small network.
2. Does not require a central hub/switch in the traditional bus design.
3. Can be inexpensive to install for a small number of nearby devices.
4. Failure of an individual computer need not stop other devices, provided its connection and the backbone remain intact.