AQA TVQ L3 Communication Technologies IT: H/507/6426 Report on the Examination

TVQ L3 Communication Technologies IT: H/507/6426 Report on the Examination TVQ01009-15 June 2019 Version: 1.0 Further copies of this Report are available from Copyright © 2019 AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved. AQA retains the copyright on all its publications. However, registered schools/colleges for AQA are permitted to copy material from this booklet for their own internal use, with the following important exception: AQA cannot give permission to schools/colleges to photocopy any material that is acknowledged to a third party even for internal use within the centre. REPORT ON THE EXAMINATION – TVQ IT – H/507/6426 – JUNE 2019 3 of 6 SECTION A: Question by Question analysis Multiple choice (questions 1-5) As usual, the first five questions on the paper were single-mark multiple choice questions. Four of these were very well handled, with over three quarters of students choosing the correct answer. By contrast, question 3 (mobile phone personal unlocking key) proved challenging, with approximately two fifths of students gaining the mark. Q6.1 most students achieved just 1 mark here, with the most common responses being twistedpair or fibre optic; some students lost marks for writing no more than 'cabling', 'fibre', or 'light', all deemed insufficient for a mark. Q6.2 again, most students achieved just 1 mark here, students lost marks for stating, variously, that shielding 'prevents', 'stops' blocks' or 'eliminates' EMI rather than reducing, containing, or reflecting EMI. Q7.1 most students did gain a mark here for the correct answer, which was pleasing to see. Q7.2 again, most students did gain a mark here, with laptop or router being the most common responses. Q8.1 this proved to be a very well answered question, with most students achieving full marks. The mark scheme allowed some credit for correct completion of the OSI model OR the TCP/IP model, with part credit reserved for students who succeeded in putting together a correct pairing, even if on an incorrect row. Q8.2 most students did gain a mark here. Some students made inappropriate reference to 'headers and footers' (when presumably intending reference to headers used as part of packaging message data) for which a mark was not allowed. Q8.3 again, most students did gain a mark here, most commonly for UDP. IMAP and HTTP were among the many incorrect responses. Q9 It was clear students understood and had covered repetition code, with many references to the use of repetition code as a means of error-detection and error-checking. Q10.1 most students achieved 1 mark here. However some students gained no marks for making reference to 'programming' and then failing to provide any explanation or expansion, some essentially doing no more than repeating / rephrasing the question. Q10.2 again, most students achieved 1 mark here, and there was a pleasing range of examples provided. Q11 most students achieved just 2 marks. Some students lost marks by saying little more than WANs cover a wide area or that LANs cover a local area (each insufficient alone for a mark), The students that did achieve the full 4 marks typically made reference to the relationship between LANs and peripherals, and WANs and multiple LANs, and - popularly - the Internet being the largest WAN. REPORT ON THE EXAMINATION – TVQ IT – H/507/6426 – JUNE 2019 4 of 6 Q12.1 most students achieved 1 mark here, with most making reference to deliberate action by the ISP. Q12.2 again, most students achieved 1 mark here, students making appropriate reference to ISPs prioritising users (justifying both advantaging and disadvantaging heavy users) in an effort to reduce bandwidth congestion and regulate network traffic. Q13.1 This question was very well answered. Q13.2 this was intended to be a very specific and slightly more challenging question and it was pleasing to find most students achieved 2 or 3 marks. References to data roaming and mobile data were common, as was reference to GSM. Q14.1 despite this being intended as a more challenging, more thoughtful question, most students did achieve both marks here. The range of responses included reference to UTP being the faster copper-based medium, and pleasing recognition that STP is simply unnecessary where EMI is minimal. Q14.2 most students achieved 1 mark here, with references to boosting or amplifying or extending a signal common, as well as recognition of the importance of maintaining signal integrity. Q15.1 this more challenging question did result in most students achieving just 1 mark. There were numerous incorrect references to MAC addressing and IP addressing and few references indeed to a routing table. Some students gained a mark for referencing point to point routing of data; other students lost a mark for referencing 'routing of information' and essentially doing no more than repeating / rewording the question. Q15.2 while it was recognised from the outset that this would be a very challenging question it was pleasing to see that a number of students did achieve the full 3 marks, with pleasing summaries that included, for example, "routers sending out discovery requests and routing information directly . . sharing routes learned periodically . . and calculated through distance-based hop counts". Q16.1 most students achieved 1 mark here, with references to resistance and attenuation, congestion and bottlenecks common. Q16.2 here again it was recognised that this would be a very challenging question. Some students did achieve full marks, with reference to, for example, "optical fibre capable of greater (faster) speeds, lower latency, and much less noise, mostly unaffected by traditional issues with EMI". 2 SECTION B: Question by Question analysis Q17 while some students did achieve the full 6 marks for this determinedly challenging question, and while 10% of all students achieved more than half marks, a little more than 10% of all students did not attempt this question. Those students who were successful here knew that LED displays are typically thinner, brighter, offer better resolution, and improved pixels per inch; credit was given for simply knowing LCD involved crystal display while LEDs are light-emitting diodes. Successful students knew that LEDs generated their own light while LCD crystals were either on or off, open or closed, allowing light through or blocking light. Q18 this was perhaps the most challenging question of the paper, demanding in-depth knowledge of the protocols of the TCP/IP model (in depth knowledge not required at Q8.3), and demanding REPORT ON THE EXAMINATION – TVQ IT – H/507/6426 – JUNE 2019 5 of 6 the ability to discuss and describe, explain and expand technical concepts. A number of students did achieve the full 9 marks and 30% of all students achieved more than half marks. It was pleasing indeed to find some students making reference to and comparison of 'connectionoriented' service authentication and a 'connectionless' service; other students made pleasing reference to the benefits and advantages of speed over accuracy (particularly when citing specific examples such as VOIP), and appropriate reference to the 3-way handshake, SYN and ACK; Q19 it is pleasing indeed to report that some students did achieve their full 15 marks for this very challenging question; 25% of all students achieved more than half marks. Most common network devices cited were modem and router; credit was given for combined components, such as router and switch, though students who discussed components individually and specifically seemed more likely to make comparisons and distinctions that were clear and definitive; some students made observations in that they seemed founded on direct experience (eg for most home networks, a router is sufficient, a switch unnecessary, with explanation and expansion), while others made pleasing connections (e.g. with a modem and wireless router; ADSL phone line and cable modem), and some described with confidence the merits of wireless access points and the benefits of enabling Wi-Fi devices to connect to an otherwise wired network. REPORT ON THE EXAMINATION – TVQ IT – H/507/6426 – JUNE 2019 6 of 6 Mark Ranges and Award of Grades Grade boundaries and cumulative percentage grades are available on the Results Statistics page of the AQA Website.