Students should:
- refer to the scenario in the question when completing their response
- use appropriate industry specific terminology
- include relevant annotations when using a diagram to justify or explain their response
- identify the key words in the question and answer in an appropriate format.
Section II - Mandatory focus area
Question 21
In better responses, students were able to:
- correctly outline types of direct and indirect discrimination such as discrimination based on gender, race or disability with an example of each.
Areas for students to improve include:
- provide relevant examples corresponding to the type of discrimination, such as gender, unequal pay, racial.
Question 22
In better responses, students were able to:
- use relevant industry terminology in their response, for example, Graphical User Interface (GUI) in (a) and control panel or display settings in (b)
- describe more than one way of optimising an operating system (b), for example, software or system upgrades, new hardware.
Areas for students to improve include identifying:
- relevant functions of operating system (a)
- and providing features of optimising an operating system (b).
Question 23
In better responses, students were able to:
- justify maintenance strategies for example, scheduling a virus scan and cleaning of hardware in order to maintain the reliability of desktop computers (b).
Areas for students to improve include:
- outlining causes for a tablet shutting down or running slowly (a).
Section II - Digital Animation Stream
Question 24 - Digital Animation Stream
In better responses, students were able to:
- name a relevant platform that is popular with teenagers, such as various forms of social media, and justify the choice (a)
- outline relevant motion paths such as storyboarding (b)
- provide the benefits of collaboration in the planning process, for example, sharing of ideas from a wide range of backgrounds and show how this could lead to benefits such as increased productivity (c).
Areas for students to improve include:
- justifying a suitable publishing platform (a)
- developing their understanding of morphing in animation (b)
- describing the benefits of collaboration in the planning process (c).
Question 25 - Digital Animation Stream
In better responses, students were able to:
- identify and justify the chosen hardware component, for example, graphics card, RAM (a)
- outline considerations for an output format with appropriate reasoning (b).
Areas for students to improve include:
- demonstrating an understanding of various hardware components and how they impact on the performance of software (a)
- outlining output formats using industry terminology, for example, by outlining the output file formats AVI, MP4 and GIF (b).
Question 26 - Digital Animation Stream
In better responses, students were able to:
- describe multiple scene layouts and how they are used by animators using industry specific terminology.
Areas for students to improve include:
- understanding how scene layouts relate to digital animation, for example, adding depth or background image layers.
Section II – Web and Software Applications Stream
Question 24 - Web and Software Applications Stream
In better responses, students were able to:
- demonstrate their understanding of how both text editors and word processors are used to create a webpage (a)
- outline common issues found when testing a variety of browsers (b)
- describe the benefits and provide justifications of using external cascading style sheets (c).
Areas for students to improve include:
- using relevant software terminology rather than providing generalised information (a)
- providing relevant issues (b)
- understanding the benefits of using external cascading style sheets and their impact on webpages (c).
Question 25 - Web and Software Applications Stream
In better responses, students were able to:
- provide justification for using two different form components, such as radio buttons and drop down boxes, relevant to the scenario (a)
- recommend an appropriate chart, for example pie chart or bar graph, and justify its use (b).
Areas for students to improve include:
- using the correct terminology for the form components, for example, radio buttons, drop down boxes (a)
- avoiding general comments such as a pie chart is easier to read, instead provide a more technical reason such as pie charts show the percentages of choices (b).
Question 26 - Web and Software Applications Stream
In better responses, students were able to:
- provide more than one clear explanation, for example of speed and/or ease of access, and not just naming advantages
- refer to the new software features as specified in the question and relate them to the scenario.
Areas for students to improve include:
- responding to the given scenario rather than using generalised answers
- justifying advantages by providing reasons such as online help being more up to date.
Section II – Networking and Hardware Stream
Question 24 - Networking and Hardware Stream
In better responses, students were able to:
- explain the purpose of an expansion slot with a relevant example such as a graphics card (a)
- identify relevant technical factors such as the number and type of RAM already installed (b)
- list the required steps to safely perform installation, justifying why these steps are being recommended (c).
Areas for students to improve include:
- referring to relevant technology rather than providing generalised information (a)
- providing relevant factors for compatibility (b)
- providing technical justifications for recommendations (c).
Question 25 - Networking and Hardware Stream
In better responses, students were able to:
- use precise technical terminology when conveying their answers
- clearly identify item(s) that should be included in a service agreement, such as the types of equipment covered (a)
- clearly identify two benefits of documenting the initial setup (b).
Areas for students to improve include:
- ensuring that items are identified distinctly and not providing similar or repeated areas of a service agreement (a)
- providing more varied benefits of documenting the initial setup (b).
Question 26 - Networking and Hardware Stream
In better responses, students were able to:
- provide details and examples of the causes of data loss and how to minimise its possibility in a SOHO network, for example, backups, uninterrupted power supplies
- relate explanation back to the scenario in the question
- use industry terminology to support their explanations.
Areas for students to improve include:
- clearly explaining, with examples, how the possibility of data loss can be minimised in a SOHO network.
Section III
Question 27 - Digital Animation Stream
In better responses, students were able to:
- identify and describe the features and differences of 2D and 3D digital animations (a)
- use correct industry terminology to describe character animation techniques (b)
- describe a variety of character animation techniques (b)
- draw and label four storyboard layouts - title screen, character selection and stand-alone sequences such as player interaction and or cut scenes (c)
- identify and describe creative principles (c)
- relate the creative principles to the designs of each storyboard (c)
- justify the choice of creative principles used in their design (c).
Areas for students to improve include:
- using relevant industry terminology to describe the features (a)
- explaining how the identified features of 2D and 3D digital animations differ (a)
- describing a variety of techniques used in character animation, rather than general animation techniques (b)
- using industry terminology to describe character animation techniques (b)
- identifying creative principles (c)
- justifying the use of each of the identified principles used in the storyboard design (c).
Section III
Question 27 - Web and Software Applications Stream
In better responses, students were able to:
- outline the benefits of both templates and version control in the production of reports (a)
- describe how to transfer the file to a server in San Francisco and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the method chosen (b)
- justify at least two strategies for both the security and protection of data relating to the scenario (c).
Areas for students to improve include:
- understanding the benefits of version control during the production of reports (a)
- referring to the scenario in their response (b)
- justifying one good strategy for both security of data and the protection of data rather listing lots of strategies with no justification (c).
Section III
Question 27 – Networking and Hardware Stream
In better responses, students were able to:
- provide a range of strategies to gather information (a)
- comment on a range of installation issues, clearly referring to the requirements and timelines (b)
- justify both the selection and placement of required equipment in the context of the questions and provide clear diagrams (c).
Areas for students to improve include:
- providing strategies relevant to the collection of information regarding network requirements (a)
- relating responses to real world considerations, for example, minimal disruption to normal business activities (b)
- providing sufficient information in diagrams and justifying the placement of required equipment (c).
Section IV - Mandatory focus area
Question 28
In better responses, students were able to:
- provide a wide variety of recommended strategies using relevant industry examples
- clearly demonstrate the link between the strategies, showing cause and effect
- write in a structured and organised format, with specific industry terminology and knowledge
- dissect the question to address all of the components
- identify collaborative and cloud computing tools to minimise the impact on a project
- identify document management/file management/time management/project management tools that could be recommended to avoid delays in the project
- identify work practices such as contract employment and outsourcing
- structure the response to address the scenario
- link the scenario to Work Health and Safety/ergonomic in the workplace resulting in recommendations for injury avoidance and preventative measures
- demonstrate rich contextual knowledge of the Information and Digital Technology industry.
Areas for students to improve include:
- not including answers that were in breach of Anti-Discrimination and Industrial Laws
- ensuring ideas are developed in a structured answer
- including relevant industry terminology
- providing detailed strategies, rather than a list
- responding to the given scenario rather than generalised answers
- providing subject specific industry standards or knowledge relevant to the question.
