Lower 6th Form Curriculum

Information Technology

Examination Board: OCR
Entry Requirements: Grade B at GCSE ICT
If you have not studied GCSE ICT you should consult the Head of ICT before choosing this AS course.

The world is increasingly dominated by the use of Information and Communications Technology. Many aspects of our daily lives rely on ICT on a practical level. This course will introduce you to the fundamentals of ICT, providing a foundation from which to extend your knowledge of this growing area. Through the course you will develop your understanding of the principles of problem solving using ICT. You will learn about the range of ICT applications and the effects of their use. The course aims for you to be able to apply this knowledge and understanding when developing ICT solutions to problems.

AS Examination Structure

Unit 1: Information, Systems and Communications

Assessment: 1 hr written paper (30% of AS, 15% of A Level)
Preparation for this unit will provide the foundation for all subsequent units. You will gain an understanding of the core aspects of ICT systems, which is developed and enhanced in subsequent modules.

Unit 2: Structured Practical ICT tasks

Assessment: ICT Tasks (40% of AS, 20% of A Level)
The structured tasks in this module examine the skills of design, testing, implementation and documentation; they will prepare you for the requirements of the ICT Project in the A2 course.

Unit 3: Practical Applications of ICT

Assessment: 1 hr written paper (30% of AS, 15% of A Level)
Preparation for this unit provides you with opportunities to acquire and apply skills, knowledge and understanding of the way standard software applications packages are used in different contexts. You will therefore learn the advanced features of a number of applications.

A2 (A Level) Examination Structure

Unit 4: Communications Technology and its Application

Assessment: 1 hr written paper (15% of A Level)
Communication between computers and interaction between humans and computers and the converging technologies of IT and data communications are covered.

Unit 5: ICT Project

Assessment: Coursework (20% of A Level)
This unit requires you to identify a well-defined problem involving a third party user, and to generate a solution using ICT. This is carried out using your choice of an appropriate applications package.

Unit 6: ICT Systems and Systems Management

Assessment: 1 hr written paper (15% of A Level)
This unit extends the work covered for previous units by studying information in the organisation, management of change, advance database systems and project management.

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