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The Association of Business Executives
Certicate
2.1 ITAS
IT Applications and Skills
afternoon 5 June 2009
1 Time allowed: 3 hours.
2 Answer ALL questions.
3 Questions do not carry equal marks. Marks for subdivisions of questions are shown in
brackets.
4 No books, dictionaries, notes or any other written materials are allowed in this
examination.
5 Calculators, including scientic calculators, are allowed providing they are not
programmable and cannot store or recall information. Electronic dictionaries and
personal organisers are NOT allowed.
6 Candidates who break ABE regulations, or commit any misconduct, will be disqualied
from the examinations.
7 Question papers must not be removed from the Examination Hall.
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ITAS0609 ABE 2009 M/501/6116

ITAS0609 2 ITAS0609 2
Answer ALL questions
(Note that questions do not carry equal marks)
Q1 Word Processing
(a) Explain, using a diagram if necessary, what the following word processing terms mean:
(i) Margin
(2 marks)
(ii) Paragraph
(2 marks)
(b) Word processed text can be formatted in a number of different ways.
(i) Give two examples of formatting that can be applied to text.
(2 marks)
(ii) For each answer in (i), give an example of where it could be used.
(2 marks)
(c) Give two suggestions to someone new to word processing about how to
save a document so that it can be easily retrieved.
(2 marks)
(d) Below are images of three button icons from a word processing program.
For each image, describe the purpose of the button:

(i) (2 marks)
(ii) (2 marks)
(iii) (2 marks)

(e) Macros can be very useful when using a word processor.
(i) Explain what a macro is.
(2 marks)
(ii) Give an example of what a macro could be used for when word processing.
(2 marks)
(Total 20 marks)
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Q2 Spreadsheets
(a) Explain the meaning of each of the following spreadsheet terms:
(i) Spreadsheet
(2 marks)
(ii) Workbook
(2 marks)
(iii) Function
(2 marks)
(b) Describe how you would complete the following spreadsheet operations:
(i) Create a new spreadsheet.
(2 marks)
(ii) Open a previously saved spreadsheet.
(2 marks)
(c) Describe one way to check that all formulas in a spreadsheet are complete and
give correct results.
(2 marks)
(d) Why is it a good idea to use print preview before printing out a spreadsheet?
(2 marks)
(Question continues overleaf)

ITAS0609 4 ITAS0609 4
(e) Below is an extract of a spreadsheet (Figure 1) that shows part of an Olympic Games
Medal Table. The spreadsheet does not currently contain any formulas. Please refer to
Figure 1 when answering the questions which follow.

Figure 1
(i) The data for Great Britains number of Bronze medals was deleted.
What number should be in cell D13?
(1 mark)
(ii) Why should the numbers in column E be changed into formulas?
(1 mark)
(iii) State the shortest formula that can be input into cell E4 to calculate the total
number of medals won by the United States of America.
(2 marks)
(iv) State the shortest formula that can be input into cell B15 to calculate the average
number of Gold medals for the countries listed in Figure 1.
(2 marks)
(Total 20 marks)
ITAS0609 5 [Turn over ITAS0609 5 [Turn over
Q3 Database
(a) Explain what the following database terms mean:
(i) Flat File
(2 marks)
(ii) Query
(2 marks)
(iii) Relationship
(2 marks)
(b) Describe two advantages of using a form, rather than a datasheet view,
for entering data into a database.
(4 marks)
(c) A stock control database could contain a number of different tables for storing data.
Describe the contents of two tables suitable for storing stock control data.
(4 marks)
(d) Database reports are used to present data in a clear and professional manner.
Name and explain two formatting features that would help to make a report
easy to understand.
(6 marks)
(Total 20 marks)
Q4 Electronic Mail
(a) Explain what the following terms mean as they apply to e-mail:
(i) Forward
(2 marks)
(ii) Virus
(2 marks)
(iii) Reply
(2 marks)
(iv) Signature
(2 marks)
(b) (i) Name a commercial program that can be used to send and receive e-mail.
(1 mark)
(ii) List the steps needed to create, address and send an e-mail.
(3 marks)
(c) Outline the steps needed to insert an attachment into an e-mail message.
(2 marks)
(d) Explain how to view the contents of a compressed le.
(2 marks)
(Total 16 marks)

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Q5 Integrated Software Applications
(a) Explain the meaning of each of the following software integration terms:
(i) Linked le
(2 marks)
(ii) Paste special
(2 marks)
(iii) Hyperlink
(2 marks)
(b) Describe one method of inserting a spreadsheet chart or graph into
a word processed report.
(4 marks)
(Total 10 marks)
Q6 Commercial Applications of IT
(a) Explain the meaning of each of the following business IT terms:
(i) Verication
(3 marks)
(ii) Back end
(3 marks)
(b) List four of the main hardware components that make up a typical Automated Teller
Machine (ATM).
(4 marks)
(c) State four items of data that a customer needs to input into a web site
in order to make an online purchase.
(4 marks)
(Total 14 marks)
End of Question Paper
ITAS0609 7 [Turn over
Certicate
IT Applications and Skills
Examiners Suggested Answers
Q1 Word Processing
(a) (i) A margin is the space between the edge of the text in a document and the edge
of the piece of paper it is printed on. A word processed document usually has
four margins - top, bottom, left and right.
(ii) A paragraph is a piece of continuous text between carriage returns
(when Enter/Return is pressed on the keyboard).
(b) (i) Bold and Underline
(ii) Bold is used for emphasis e.g. headings are often made bold.
Underline is used for emphasis e.g. titles are often underlined.
(c) Documents should be given a name that describes their contents so that they can
easily be found and it is clear what they contain e.g. Sales Report Quarter 1 2009.

Documents should be saved in a logical location e.g. sales reports would be saved in a
Reports folder which would be within a Sales folder. This makes nding a document a
quick process, even for someone unfamiliar with the ling system.
(d) (i)


The New button is used to create a new blank word processing document.

(ii)


The Open button is used to open an existing word processed document.

(iii)


The Save button is used to save the currently active document. If it has been
previously Saved, the saved copy will be updated, otherwise the user will be
prompted to input a le name and storage location.

(e) (i) A macro is one or more instructions that can be executed by the user. Macros are
usually used to automate one or more processes and can range from being very
simple to extremely complex.
(ii) A simple macro could be used to automatically print two copies of a letter - one
to send and the other to le. A complex macro could automate the process of
extraction of data from a series of les to create a summary document.

ITAS0609 8
Q2 Spreadsheets
(a) (i) A spreadsheet is a computer application that is used for input, analysis and
presentation of data. It can perform calculations, create charts and print out
results.
(ii) A workbook is a spreadsheet le. Workbooks usually contain a number of sheets
(worksheets or charts) that can cross reference each other.
(iii) A spreadsheet function is a pre-programmed feature that performs a particular
type of calculation usually on a range of spreadsheet cells. For example SUM is
a spreadsheet function that adds up a range of cells e.g. = SUM(A3:A8) adds up
all the cells in the range from A3 to A8.
(b) (i) With the spreadsheet program active select New from the File menu and select
the type of new spreadsheet to create.
(ii) With the spreadsheet program active select Open from the File menu and
navigate in the ling system to the location of the le to open and click the Open
button.
(c) Formulae can be checked by displaying them all on the spreadsheet and adjusting
the column widths so that all formulae can be seen in full then each formula can be
manually inspected for accuracy.

Formulae can also be checked by entering test data with known results and seeing
whether the spreadsheet results match the correct values.

(d) Using Print Preview before printing a spreadsheet should reduce the chances of
printing out unnecessary pages. Spreadsheets are large and it is quite easy to
accidentally input data in the wrong place, leading to incorrect printouts.

ITAS0609 9 [Turn over
(e)


Figure 1
(i) Great Britain should have 12 in D13
(ii) Currently if any of the number of medals are changed the total does not update.
If formulae were used in the total column, the gures the column displays would
always match the numbers of medals input.
(iii) The shortest formula in E4 to calculate the number of medals is: = SUM(B4:D4)

(iv) The shortest formula in B15 to calculate the average number of
gold medals is = AVERAGE(B4:B13)
Q3 Database
(a) (i) A at le means a database that consists of a single table. Simple database
programs such as Microsoft Works Database can only handle at les.
(ii) A database query is an object that selects from or modies data in one or more
database tables.
(iii) A database relationship is where one database table can reference records in
another database table via a common eld value. Relationships between tables
are what makes relational databases so powerful.
(b) A data input form can be designed to have a similar layout to the data source e.g. if the
data source was a paper form the electronic input form could look very similar in layout.
This would make it easier for the user to follow when inputting data.

A data input form can have sophisticated data validation incorporated into it so
reducing the chances of incorrect data input.
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(c) Product and Sale


The Product table would store all details of products e.g. price, description, offer
details etc.


The Sale table would store all sale details e.g. product code, quantity sold, date
sold etc.
(d) Lines and Grouping


Lines can be used to separate items in a report to make it easier to follow.


Data can be grouped and summary data for the group displayed making
comparisons easy.
Q4 Electronic Mail
(a) (i) Forward is to send a received e-mail to a new recipient. Forwarding of messages
is frequently used for circulating important information in a work setting.
(ii) A virus is a program usually designed to self-replicate across a computer network
and cause trouble. Viruses most frequently spread via e-mails.
(iii) A reply to an e-mail message is a response to a received e-mail message.
Replies typically contain the original message text beneath the reply text.
(iv) An e-mail signature is one or more lines of text that automatically are added to a
newly composed e-mail message. Typically a signature will contain the name of
the author but may also contain job title and contact details too.
(b) (i) Microsoft Outlook

(ii) (1) Click the New Message button
(2) In the To box type in the e-mail address of the recipient/s
(3) In the message body type the message content
(4) Click the Send button.
(c) Click the insert le/attach button, navigate to the le location and click the insert/attach
button.
(d) Double click on the zip le, click the Extract option, select the location to extract to and
double click the extracted le.
Q5 Integrated Software Applications
(a) (i) A linked le is where one le is associated with another, for example, a word
processed report could contain a chart from a spreadsheet. If the chart was
changed in the spreadsheet then it would be automatically updated in the word
processed document too.
(ii) Paste special is a command that allows data to be pasted in different formats.
For example, a chart could be copied from a spreadsheet and paste special then
used to insert the chart into a word processed document as a linked le.

ITAS0609 11
(iii) A hyperlink is part of a le (usually text or an image) that is linked to another
location in the same le or to another le. When the link is clicked the linked
le/other location is displayed.
(b) Within the spreadsheet select the chart and copy it (via the Copy command on the
Edit menu). Switch to the word processed report and position the cursor at the desired
location. Select Paste from the Edit menu. Finally resize the chart as required.
Q6 Commercial Applications of IT
(a) (i) Verication is the process of checking the accuracy of data input. A number of
different methods of verication can be used but one of the most common in an
IT context is to re-input important data. For example, when using a web form the
user is usually asked to input an e-mail address or password twice to help reduce
mistyping errors.
(ii) The Back-end of a business IT system is the database that is used for the
processing of requests. For example, in a sales-based website the Back-end
would be a database containing all the product, stock and sales data is used by
that website to process online sales.
(b) A magnetic card reader, a display screen, an input keypad and a cash dispenser.
(c) The customer needs to input their name, delivery address, contact details and payment
details.
ITAS0609 12 2343-201-1