Frequently asked questions

At what point in the delivery of the course should I introduce practice for paper 2 to my students?

It is possible for a variety of approaches to be adopted. Some teachers may wish to allow their students to gain experience of different aspects of the course before introducing paper 2 examples to them. Others may wish to introduce brief examples after a shorter period of the course, so that students get an idea of what to look out for as the course unfolds. It is entirely up to teachers which approach they adopt.

How often should I offer practice examples to my students?

As often as you consider appropriate, but it is strongly recommended that students analyse news articles similar to that expected in the examination throughout the duration of the course.

How much time in the course should I assign to preparing for paper 2?

No fixed time has been assigned to the preparation of students for it. This is because while preparing students for the various parts of the course, aspects relevant to paper 2 will simultaneously be covered.

Where can I find advice, information and assistance on finding material that can help to prepare my students for paper 2?

The OCC offers teachers the chance to share good practice, and to access and contribute resources to help prepare students for the paper 2 examination.

Will my students have enough time to read the unseen text in the examination before writing their response?

As with all written examination papers, a 5-minute period of reading time is provided before the examination begins. The 1 hour 15 minutes allowed for this paper includes time for an additional recommended 15-minute period of reading and planning before students write their response.

What is meant by an issue in criterion A?

An issue is a concern that is addressed by strand 1 (“Social and ethical significance”).

For example, unauthorized access to patients’ medical records (1.3 “Privacy and anonymity”) would be considered an issue.

How many marks can a student gain under criterion B if the description of the IT processes does not go beyond the information in the article?

Using best fit a student may achieve more than 2 marks but it is unlikely that they will gain more than 4 marks.

How much depth is expected in the description of the technology in criterion B?

The student is expected to draw upon knowledge of IT hardware, software, systems and processes studied throughout the course in order to explain the step-by-step process of how the IT system works.

How many solutions are expected in criterion D?

Only one solution is required. No marks will be awarded for extra solutions.

Is there a suggested word count?

Yes. Students should write approximately 750 words and base the depth of their response on the requirements of the command terms and the mark allocations across the paper.

What are the “best practices” to ensure that students do well on paper 2?

Students should be able to do the following.

• Understand the structure of the paper, including the command terms and requirements of each criterion.

• Use appropriate ITGS terminology throughout the response.

• Criterion A: Read the news item carefully. Choose an appropriate social and ethical concern and describe the relationship of the primary stakeholder to the IT system. Doing this will also assist in reaching the top markbands in criteria B, C and D.

• Criterion B: Use IT terms to describe the step-by-step process of how the IT system works, going beyond information given in the article. Explain the relationship between the IT system and the concern described in criterion A.

• Criterion C: Analyse and evaluate the impact of the issues on stakeholders with clear references to the article.

• Criterion D: Evaluate one solution related to an issue identified in criterion C. Additional solutions will not be rewarded.