10 Top Tips for GCSE ICT Examination Success
I have been working as an ICT Teacher/Lecturer/Trainer for over 20 years and would like to share some of my Top Tips that I give to my students.
From experience as an assessor, I see students lose marks in their examinations for not reading questions carefully and rushing at the end because adequate time has not been left to complete all the questions.
Tip Number 1
Check how long your examination paper is for. Remember you need to allow at least 10 minutes at the end to check your work.
Tip Number 2
You need to work through the entire paper. If you are stuck on a task, providing it does not have an impact on the task following, move on to the next task.
Remember you need to complete tasks to the best of your ability!
Do not spend too long on tasks, as you may not leave enough time to complete the exam paper.
Tip Number 3
If you are asked to proofread, this does not mean only pressing the F7 key for the Spelling and Grammar check. You need to read through your work thoroughly to ensure it makes sense and has been checked thoroughly for Spelling and Grammar errors.
Tip Number 4
If you are asked to change a heading to a specific Font and Font Size ensure that both are done. As an assessor I often find that this has been partially done e.g. Font has been changed or Font Size.
You may be asked to explain the difference between Serif and Sans Serif Fonts. A Serif Font has a small line attached in a letter or symbol. Examples of Serif Fonts are Times New Roman or Garamond. A Sans Serif Font is a plain font. Examples of a Sans Serif Font are Arial or Tahoma.
Tip Number 5
In Excel , if you are asked to Show Formulas, remember to Show Formulas by going to Formulas, Show Formulas. You will need to remember to turn Show Formulas off again by going to Formulas, Show Formulas.
Tip Number 6
Students often confuse Input Device with Output Device. Examples of an Input Device are keyboards, mice and scanner. Examples of an Output Device are monitors, speakers and headphones.
Tip Number 7
Do not confuse RAM and ROM! RAM is Random Access Memory which is a fast temporary type of memory in which programs, applications and data are stored. Some examples of what is stored in RAM are the operating system, applications and the Graphical User Interface. Remember, if a computer loses power all data stored in RAM is lost.
ROM is Read Only Memory which is memory that cannot be changed by a program or user. ROM is retained even after the computer has been turned off.
Tip Number 8
I often see students lose marks when they are asked to change All Margins. What does All Margins mean? All Margins refers to Top, Bottom, Left and Right. You do not need to alter the Gutter Margin!
Tip Number 9
This tip is about data entry in tables. You must ensure that all data has been entered correctly. If there are Capital Letters at the start of data, you must enter Data with a Capital Letter. Marks are often lost because students are not careful with data entry!
Tip Number 10
My final tip for this blog is about screenshots. For some exam questions, you will be asked to take screenshots as evidence, without these you will not be awarded full marks. Remember as you go through the exam questions to take your screenshots. Do not leave it until the end as you may forget! You will save your screenshots as a separate document.
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