Unit AS 1
Approaches to Systems Development
- SYSTEMS ANALYSIS AND DEVELOPMENT APPROACHES
- DESIGN, DEVELOPMENT AND TESTING
- IMPLEMENTATION AND SYSTEM SECURITY
- PROGRAMMING
CCEA AS Digital Technology, memorised in year one.
Everything the AS examines and nothing from the second year. Drill the 8 topics you are actually sitting in Northern Ireland this summer.
- AS of 2650
- 8 topics
- 94 subtopics
CCEA AS-Level Digital Technology 2650
Systems Analysis and Development Approaches
Topic overviewThe software crisis and the need for systems developmentUser needs, time and costRoles in a systems development teamThe purpose of analysisFact-finding techniquesFunctional and non-functional requirementsData flow diagramsThe waterfall modelRapid application development and AgileResources, constraints and risks in a software projectProject management, Gantt charts and critical path analysisVersion management
Design, Development and Testing
Topic overviewThe purpose of systems designStoryboarding the user interfacePrototyping the interface and the data modelThe development stage: turning a design into working codeWhy testing runs throughout developmentLevels of testing: unit and integrationSystem testingAcceptance testingAlpha and beta testingThe purpose and components of a test planTypes of test data
Implementation and System Security
Topic overviewThe purpose of system implementationDirect and parallel changeoverPilot and phased changeoverUser documentationTechnical documentationData conversionThe purpose of system maintenanceCorrective, adaptive and perfective maintenanceArchiving dataBackup and recoveryFull, differential and incremental backupsDisaster recovery plans
Programming
Topic overviewThe purpose of a computer programThe integrated development environmentTranslation: compilers, interpreters and assemblersThe stages of compilation and linkingAlgorithms, pseudocode and syntaxVariables, constants and data typesSequence and selectionIteration: count-controlled and condition-controlled loopsFlowcharts and algorithm representationObjects, classes and methodsInheritance and evaluating the object-oriented approach
Data, Information and Data Representation
Topic overviewBits, bytes and units of storageHow many values a given number of bits can holdConverting decimal to binaryConverting binary to decimalTwo's complement and negative numbersCharacter sets: ASCII and UnicodeData, information and knowledgeFactors affecting the quality of informationValidation: range, type, length and presence checksValidation: format checks and lookup checksCheck digits and the Modulus 11 methodBatch totals, verification and the limits of checking
Computer Architecture and Processing Systems
Topic overviewThe processor, the clock and the registersThe fetch-execute cycleBuses, input and output controllers and portsMain memory: RAM, ROM and addressingCache memory and the memory hierarchyFactors that affect processing speedThe need for secondary storageMagnetic, optical and flash storage mediaChoosing secondary storage for common applicationsBatch, real-time and transaction processingAutomatic teller machines and point of sale terminalsSmartphones: input, output and processing
System Software, Application Software and the User Interface
Topic overviewUser interfaces: WIMP, command line and forms dialogueChoosing and evaluating a user interfaceInputting text, sound and videoThe purpose of an operating systemHow an operating system manages memory and processesTypes of operating systemUtility programsThe need for data compression, lossless and lossyZipping and archive filesCommon data file formatsApplication software: generic and special purposeObtaining and delivering software
Web Technology and Multimedia
Topic overviewThe internet, the World Wide Web and web standardsURLs, HTTP and the request-response cycleDomain names, DNS and IP addressesWeb browsers, search engines, cache and cookiesWeb servers, hosting, ISPs and file transferIntranets and how an organisation uses oneCreating web pages with HTMLHTML tags for text, lists, images and linksStyling pages with CSSMultimedia assets in a web pageClient-side and server-side processingSecurity over the internet: encryption, HTTPS and certificates
What CCEA AS Digital Technology covers, and what it leaves out
CCEA AS Digital Technology is the first year of the 2650 course and a qualification in its own right, examined in 2 units, AS Unit 1 and AS Unit 2. This page holds only what the AS examines: 8 topics across 94 subtopics, 1,274 active recall questions, starting with Systems Analysis and Development Approaches, Design, Development and Testing and Implementation and System Security. The 7 topics kept back for the second year are not shown, so nothing here is content you have not been taught yet.
Starting the second year? The full CCEA A-Level Digital Technology page adds the A2 topics on top of everything here.
CCEA GCE Digital Technology, subject code 2650, qualification number 601/8488/7 (A level), first teaching September 2016. Read the CCEA specification ↗
How it is assessed
Unit AS 2
Fundamentals of Digital Technology
- DATA, INFORMATION AND DATA REPRESENTATION
- COMPUTER ARCHITECTURE AND PROCESSING SYSTEMS
- SYSTEM SOFTWARE, APPLICATION SOFTWARE AND THE USER INTERFACE
- WEB TECHNOLOGY AND MULTIMEDIA
The full specification
8 topics, 94 subtopics. Open any topic to see what is inside it.
01Systems Analysis and Development Approaches12 subtopicsOpen topic
- The software crisis and the need for systems development
- User needs, time and cost
- Roles in a systems development team
- The purpose of analysis
- Fact-finding techniques
- Functional and non-functional requirements
- Data flow diagrams
- The waterfall model
- Rapid application development and Agile
- Resources, constraints and risks in a software project
- Project management, Gantt charts and critical path analysis
- Version management
02Design, Development and Testing11 subtopicsOpen topic
- The purpose of systems design
- Storyboarding the user interface
- Prototyping the interface and the data model
- The development stage: turning a design into working code
- Why testing runs throughout development
- Levels of testing: unit and integration
- System testing
- Acceptance testing
- Alpha and beta testing
- The purpose and components of a test plan
- Types of test data
03Implementation and System Security12 subtopicsOpen topic
- The purpose of system implementation
- Direct and parallel changeover
- Pilot and phased changeover
- User documentation
- Technical documentation
- Data conversion
- The purpose of system maintenance
- Corrective, adaptive and perfective maintenance
- Archiving data
- Backup and recovery
- Full, differential and incremental backups
- Disaster recovery plans
04Programming11 subtopicsOpen topic
- The purpose of a computer program
- The integrated development environment
- Translation: compilers, interpreters and assemblers
- The stages of compilation and linking
- Algorithms, pseudocode and syntax
- Variables, constants and data types
- Sequence and selection
- Iteration: count-controlled and condition-controlled loops
- Flowcharts and algorithm representation
- Objects, classes and methods
- Inheritance and evaluating the object-oriented approach
05Data, Information and Data Representation12 subtopicsOpen topic
- Bits, bytes and units of storage
- How many values a given number of bits can hold
- Converting decimal to binary
- Converting binary to decimal
- Two's complement and negative numbers
- Character sets: ASCII and Unicode
- Data, information and knowledge
- Factors affecting the quality of information
- Validation: range, type, length and presence checks
- Validation: format checks and lookup checks
- Check digits and the Modulus 11 method
- Batch totals, verification and the limits of checking
06Computer Architecture and Processing Systems12 subtopicsOpen topic
- The processor, the clock and the registers
- The fetch-execute cycle
- Buses, input and output controllers and ports
- Main memory: RAM, ROM and addressing
- Cache memory and the memory hierarchy
- Factors that affect processing speed
- The need for secondary storage
- Magnetic, optical and flash storage media
- Choosing secondary storage for common applications
- Batch, real-time and transaction processing
- Automatic teller machines and point of sale terminals
- Smartphones: input, output and processing
07System Software, Application Software and the User Interface12 subtopicsOpen topic
- User interfaces: WIMP, command line and forms dialogue
- Choosing and evaluating a user interface
- Inputting text, sound and video
- The purpose of an operating system
- How an operating system manages memory and processes
- Types of operating system
- Utility programs
- The need for data compression, lossless and lossy
- Zipping and archive files
- Common data file formats
- Application software: generic and special purpose
- Obtaining and delivering software
08Web Technology and Multimedia12 subtopicsOpen topic
- The internet, the World Wide Web and web standards
- URLs, HTTP and the request-response cycle
- Domain names, DNS and IP addresses
- Web browsers, search engines, cache and cookies
- Web servers, hosting, ISPs and file transfer
- Intranets and how an organisation uses one
- Creating web pages with HTML
- HTML tags for text, lists, images and links
- Styling pages with CSS
- Multimedia assets in a web page
- Client-side and server-side processing
- Security over the internet: encryption, HTTPS and certificates
How you work through it
Pick the mode that fits the time you have.
Try three questions
No account needed. Answer from memory first.
Your recallNot started
Key term
Explain why poorly written software stays expensive long after it is delivered.
Key term
Why is time the dominant factor for a system tied to an external date?
Key term
Explain why involving users throughout development saves money overall.
Spaced Repetition Schedule
How reviews are timed
Levo will automatically distribute all of your progress into a spaced repetition calendar. Once you’ve answered, it’s scheduled for you on the next day in the spaced repetition schedule. Over time, the gaps between your recall get bigger, from a day to three years, reinforcing memorisation over a long period of time.
Interval sequence
- 1 day
- 3 days
- 7 days
- 14 days
- 30 days
- 60 days
- 4 months
- 8 months
- 1 year
- 2 years
- 3 years
What is inside Levo
Six ways to work the same material
Digital Technology revision questions
Common questions about revising CCEA AS-Level Digital Technology. Tap any to open it.
What is on CCEA AS Digital Technology?
8 topics across 94 subtopics, examined in AS Unit 1 and AS Unit 2. They are all listed on this page, and each one opens to the subtopics inside it. The full topic list is Systems Analysis and Development Approaches, Design, Development and Testing, Implementation and System Security, Programming, Data, Information and Data Representation, Computer Architecture and Processing Systems and more.
Does AS Digital Technology count towards the full A level?
Yes. In Northern Ireland the AS units are marked as a standalone AS qualification and also carry forward into the full CCEA A level, which is why the first year matters more here than it does in England. Check the current weighting on the 2650 specification, as it is set by the board rather than by us.
What is the difference between AS and A level Digital Technology?
AS is the first-year units only. The A level adds 7 further topics, among them Networks, Databases, Artificial Intelligence, Expert Systems and Robotics, and expects you to connect them back to the AS material. Work the AS content here, then move up to the full A level page when you start the second year.
When do you sit CCEA AS Digital Technology?
Normally at the end of Year 12, in the summer series. That gives you one year to memorise 1,274 questions' worth of material, which is roughly 7 questions a day across an academic year if you start in September.
How should you revise for AS Digital Technology?
By retrieval, not rereading. Cover the answer, pull it from memory, then check. Levo runs that loop across all 8 AS topics and brings each question back on a spaced schedule, so what you learn in September is still there in June.
Is it worth revising AS content again for the A level?
Yes, and it is the mistake most students make. The second-year papers assume the first year, and in Northern Ireland the AS marks usually count towards the final grade as well. Keeping the AS material on a spaced schedule through Year 13 costs far less time than relearning it.
How many questions are there for CCEA AS Digital Technology?
1,274, written from the 2650 subject content and grouped into 94 subtopics so you can work one small area at a time rather than a whole topic at once.
Can you use Levo for just the AS year?
Yes. Pick your subject, choose the AS topics on the topic screen, and every mode — the 3-step method, Cram, Blank Blitz, Build It and Test It — works only that material. Add the second-year topics when you get to them.
Every question in Digital Technology, on a schedule.
Attempt a question from memory, write the correct version, then attempt it again. Levo records the jump between your first attempt and your last, and brings each question back on the day you are due to forget it.
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