The opening questions of the June 2025 Paper 1 (0417/11) cover three foundations: telling output devices apart from input and storage, describing what different types of software actually do, and evaluating a real-world device. They look simple, but each has a classic trap that costs marks — so let's go through the thinking.
📄 The original paper and mark scheme are on the Cambridge International past papers page. Questions below are paraphrased and explained in my own words.
Output devices (and how to tell them apart)
The first question gave a list of components and asked candidates to pick out the output devices.
The skill being tested isn't really "name an output device" — it's classifying devices into three groups, because the list deliberately mixes them. An output device sends information out of the computer to the user or environment: a printer produces a physical copy, an actuator creates physical movement (in robots, motors, valves). The trap is storage and input dressed up in the list:
| Category | What it does | Examples from this kind of question |
|---|---|---|
| Input | Sends data into the computer | Keyboard, webcam |
| Output | Sends information out to user/environment | Printer, actuator |
| Storage | Holds data for later | Blu-ray disc, SD card, hard disk, cloud |
The misconception that catches people: treating storage as output. A Blu-ray disc or SD card holds data — it doesn't communicate a result to you — so it's storage, not output. If you can sort any component into input / output / storage, this style of question becomes free marks.
✏️ Practice it: "From this list, identify one input, one output and one storage device: microphone, speaker, USB flash drive."
Applications software — and why data gets converted
The second question asked candidates to describe three types of applications software, then explain why data is converted between analogue and digital.
Describe the function, never the brand. Examiners want what the software does, not a product name:
- Word processing lets you create, edit, format and store text documents — typing, changing fonts, saving and printing.
- Control software monitors and regulates hardware, responding automatically to changes in its environment — the kind used in robots, traffic lights and central heating.
- Apps are small programs designed for a specific task, such as a calculator or notes tool.
The trap on apps is writing "apps are games." Some are — but the mark is for the function (a small, task-specific program), not an example.
Analogue and digital — the conversion both ways. Computers only process digital data (0s and 1s), but much of the real world is analogue (continuously varying signals like sound, temperature or light). So two conversions are needed:
- An ADC (analogue-to-digital converter) turns real-world signals into digital data the computer can process — e.g. a microphone's sound, or a temperature sensor's reading.
- A DAC (digital-to-analogue converter) turns digital data back into analogue so it can drive a device or be understood by us — e.g. digital audio coming out of a speaker as sound.
So the short version: analogue → digital so the computer can understand it; digital → analogue so people and devices can use the result.
✏️ Practice it: "A weather station records temperature and displays it on a screen, and also sounds an alarm. State where an ADC is needed and where a DAC is needed."
Evaluating smartphones for video calls
The final question asked candidates to evaluate the use of smartphones for video calls — a 6-mark question.
"Evaluate" is a command word with rules. It means weigh up advantages and disadvantages and ideally reach a judgement — and every point should have a reason, not just a label. "Good quality" earns nothing; "the call uses digital signals, giving clearer voice quality" earns the mark.
Advantages worth making:
- Built-in camera and microphone mean no extra equipment is needed.
- Portable, so calls can be made almost anywhere.
- Support group video calls and keep a log of recent calls.
- Digital transmission can give clear voice quality on a strong connection.
Disadvantages worth making:
- A weak or dropping signal causes lag and lip-sync problems.
- The small screen makes it harder to see participants clearly than on a laptop or TV.
- Using one while walking or driving is a real safety risk.
- It depends entirely on a reliable internet connection.
A top-band answer finishes with a balanced judgement — e.g. smartphones are excellent for convenient, casual video calls, but a larger device on a stable connection is better for important or group calls. That bit of evaluation is what lifts it above a simple list.
✏️ Practice it: "Give one advantage and one disadvantage of video calls that would matter specifically to a business using them for international meetings."
Quick recap
- Sort components into input / output / storage — storage (discs, cards, drives) is the trap that gets mistaken for output.
- Describe software by its function, not a brand; remember ADC converts real-world signals in, DAC converts digital results out.
- "Evaluate" means advantages and disadvantages with reasons, plus a judgement to finish.
Part 2 https://www.techiemike.com/igcse-ict-june-2025-paper-1-0417-11-testing-safety-security/
