Know and understand components of technical documentation including purpose of the system/program, limitations of the system, program listing, program language, program flowcharts/algorithms, system flowcharts, hardware and software requirements, fil

Cambridge IGCSE ICT (0417) – Complete Core Content Notes (2026‑2028)

These notes cover all 21 syllabus blocks, include Assessment Objective (AO) mapping, concise examples and useful tables. They are designed for quick revision and for building the knowledge required for the IGCSE ICT exam.

1. Computer Hardware

• Central Processing Unit (CPU) – executes instructions; speed measured in GHz, cores indicate parallel processing capability.
• Memory

  • RAM – volatile, temporary storage for active data; typical sizes 4 GB–16 GB.
  • ROM – non‑volatile, stores firmware (e.g., BIOS).

• Storage devices

  Device	Technology	Typical Capacity	Key Advantages
  Hard Disk Drive (HDD)	Magnetic platters	500 GB‑4 TB	High capacity, low cost
  Solid‑State Drive (SSD)	Flash memory	120 GB‑2 TB	Fast access, no moving parts
  Optical disc (CD/DVD/Bluray)	Laser‑etched	700 MB‑50 GB	Portable, long‑term archiving
  USB flash drive	Flash memory	4 GB‑256 GB	Highly portable, plug‑and‑play

• Motherboard & Bus architecture – connects CPU, memory and peripherals; common buses: PCIe, SATA, USB.
• Power supply, cooling & case – provides stable voltage, dissipates heat, protects components.

AO Mapping

• AO1 – Identify hardware components and state their functions.
• AO2 – Recognise hardware in diagrams and specifications.
• AO3 – Evaluate hardware choices for a given task (e.g., SSD vs HDD for video editing).

2. Software

• System software

  • Operating Systems (Windows, macOS, Linux, Chrome OS) – manage hardware resources.
  • System‑software utilities – drivers, compilers, linkers, debuggers, backup utilities.

• Application software – word processors, spreadsheets, databases, graphics editors, web browsers, media players.
• Utility software – anti‑virus, compression (ZIP), disk‑defragmentation, system‑monitor tools.
• Software licences

  Licence type	Key characteristics
  Proprietary	Owned by vendor, source code closed, paid per user or device.
  Free‑ware	Free to use, source code usually closed.
  Open‑source	Source code available, may be free or require a support fee.
  Subscription	Paid regularly (monthly/annual) for updates and support.

• Cloud computing (part of software services) – SaaS, PaaS, IaaS; examples: Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, AWS.

AO Mapping

• AO1 – Define types of software and their purposes.
• AO2 – Distinguish system from application software in scenarios.
• AO3 – Discuss advantages of open‑source vs proprietary software for schools; evaluate cloud‑based solutions.

3. Input Devices

• Standard devices – keyboard, mouse, touchpad, stylus, scanner (flat‑bed, sheet‑fed), microphone, webcam.
• Specialised devices – graphics tablet, game controller, biometric readers (fingerprint, facial), RFID readers.
• Direct data‑entry devices (syllabus 2.2)

  • Magnetic‑stripe reader (e.g., credit cards)
  • Chip‑&‑PIN reader
  • Optical Character Recognition (OCR) scanner
  • Optical Mark Recognition (OMR) scanner
  • QR‑code scanner

AO Mapping

• AO1 – Name common input devices and their uses.
• AO2 – Choose appropriate devices for a given task (e.g., barcode scanner for inventory).
• AO3 – Evaluate the impact of device choice on efficiency, accuracy and accessibility.

4. Output Devices

• Monitors – LCD, LED, OLED; characteristics: resolution (e.g., 1920×1080), colour depth (24‑bit), refresh rate.
• Printers

  Type	Technology	Resolution (dpi)	Typical use
  Ink‑jet	Liquid ink droplets	600‑1440	Photo printing, low‑volume office
  Laser	Electro‑static toner	600‑2400	High‑volume text documents
  Dot‑matrix	Impact pins	~200	Multi‑part forms, receipts

• Audio output – speakers, headphones; key specs: frequency response, impedance.
• Projectors – slide, digital (LCD/DLP), interactive whiteboards; brightness measured in lumens.
• Other – plotters (vector printing), 3‑D printers (additive manufacturing).

AO Mapping

• AO1 – Identify output devices and key characteristics.
• AO2 – Match device to required output (e.g., high‑resolution monitor for graphic design).
• AO3 – Assess cost‑benefit and suitability of different output technologies for a specific context.

5. Storage Devices & Media

• Primary storage – RAM (volatile).
• Secondary storage – HDD, SSD, optical discs, USB flash, external hard disks.
• Cloud storage – Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox; advantages (anywhere access, automatic backup) and disadvantages (internet dependency, privacy).
• Backup strategies

  Strategy	How it works	Pros	Cons
  Full	Copies all selected data each time	Simple restore	Time‑ and space‑intensive
  Incremental	Copies only data changed since last backup (full or incremental)	Fast, saves space	Restore requires last full + all increments
  Differential	Copies data changed since last full backup	Faster restore than incremental	Grows larger over time
  3‑2‑1 Rule	3 copies, on 2 different media, 1 off‑site	Robust protection	Requires planning and resources

• Media advantages / disadvantages

  • HDD – high capacity, cheap, slower, mechanical failure risk.
  • SSD – fast, shock‑resistant, more expensive per GB.
  • Optical – long‑term archival, slower, limited capacity.
  • USB flash – portable, easy to lose, limited lifespan.

AO Mapping

• AO1 – Explain differences between volatile and non‑volatile storage.
• AO2 – Create a logical folder structure and apply a consistent naming convention.
• AO3 – Evaluate a backup plan for a small business using the 3‑2‑1 rule.

6. Networking Fundamentals

• Network types

  • LAN – local area, typically within a building.
  • WAN – wide area, connects multiple sites.
  • MAN – metropolitan area, city‑wide.

• Network hardware

  • Router – forwards packets between networks, provides NAT.
  • Switch – connects devices within a LAN, operates at layer 2.
  • Modem – converts digital data to analog for telephone/DSL lines.
  • Access point – creates Wi‑Fi coverage.

• Transmission media

  Medium	Typical bandwidth	Pros	Cons
  UTP (Cat5e/6)	100 Mbps‑10 Gbps	Cheap, easy to install	Limited distance, susceptible to EMI
  STP	Similar to UTP	Better shielding	More expensive
  Coaxial	10‑100 Mbps	Robust, good for TV signals	Bulky, harder to terminate
  Fiber‑optic	1‑100 Gbps+	Very high speed, long distance, immune to EMI	Expensive, fragile
  Wireless (Wi‑Fi 802.11ac/ax)	Up to 1 Gbps	Mobility, no cables	Interference, security concerns

• IP addressing & DNS – IPv4 format (e.g., 192.168.0.1), subnet masks, role of DNS in translating domain names.
• Network security basics – firewalls, encryption (WPA2/WPA3), VPNs, MAC filtering.

AO Mapping

• AO1 – Define LAN, WAN, router, switch.
• AO2 – Interpret a simple network diagram and identify components.
• AO3 – Discuss advantages and disadvantages of wired vs wireless networking in a school.

7. ICT Applications & Effects of IT

• Productivity software – word processing, spreadsheets, databases, presentation tools.
• Creative software – graphics editors, video editors, music composition.
• Communication tools – email, instant messaging, video‑conferencing, social media.
• Effects of IT

  • Social – digital divide, e‑safety, online collaboration.
  • Economic – e‑commerce, job creation, automation.
  • Environmental – e‑waste, energy consumption, green computing.

AO Mapping

• AO1 – List major categories of ICT applications.
• AO2 – Choose appropriate software for a given task.
• AO3 – Evaluate the social impact of social media on teenagers; discuss environmental implications of e‑waste.

8. Safety, Health & E‑Safety

• Physical safety – ergonomics, correct posture, safe handling of equipment, avoiding electrical hazards.
• Health considerations – screen‑time limits, blue‑light filters, 20‑20‑20 rule (every 20 min look 20 ft away for 20 sec).
• E‑safety

  • Data protection – GDPR principles, personal data handling.
  • Password hygiene – strong passwords, two‑factor authentication.
  • Malware protection – anti‑virus, safe browsing.
  • Phishing & social engineering – recognising suspicious emails.
  • Netiquette – respectful online communication.

AO Mapping

• AO1 – Identify key e‑safety measures.
• AO2 – Apply safe browsing practices during an exam.
• AO3 – Assess the effectiveness of a school’s e‑safety policy.

9. Audience Appreciation & Communication

• Identify stakeholder groups – users, managers, technical staff, external clients.
• Analyse audience needs – technical knowledge level, preferred language, format (written, visual, oral).
• Adapt communication – plain language for non‑technical users; technical terminology and diagrams for developers.

AO Mapping

• AO1 – Explain why audience analysis is essential.
• AO2 – Produce a brief user guide aimed at a specific audience.
• AO3 – Critique a given document for suitability to its intended audience.

10. Email, Internet & World Wide Web

• Email etiquette – clear subject line, appropriate greeting, concise body, professional signature, meaningful attachment names.
• Internet basics – URLs, HTTP/HTTPS, browsers, search engine techniques.
• Web safety – recognise secure sites (padlock), avoid untrusted downloads, use reputable sites.
• Legal issues – copyright, plagiarism, fair use, licensing of digital content.

AO Mapping

• AO1 – Define components of a URL.
• AO2 – Draft a professional email requesting information.
• AO3 – Evaluate the reliability of an online source and discuss copyright considerations.

11. File Management

AO Mapping

• AO1 – Recognise common file extensions and their purposes.
• AO2 – Organise a set of files into a sensible folder structure.
• AO3 – Discuss advantages of a consistent naming system for collaborative projects.

12. Images, Layout & Styles

• Image formats – raster (JPEG, PNG, GIF) vs vector (SVG, EPS); raster loses quality when enlarged.
• Basic editing – cropping, resizing, colour correction, transparency, layers.
• Document layout – margins, columns, headings, footers, page numbers.
• Styles – apply consistent fonts, colours, heading levels; use style sheets in word processors.
• Proofing tools – spell‑check, grammar check, track changes, comments.

AO Mapping

• AO1 – Differentiate raster and vector images.
• AO2 – Apply a predefined style to a report and insert a correctly formatted image.
• AO3 – Evaluate the visual impact of different layout choices on readability.

13. Graphs & Charts

• Common types – bar, column, line, pie, scatter, histogram.
• When to use each (e.g., compare categories → bar chart; show trend over time → line graph).
• Key elements – title, axis labels, legend, data labels, scale, gridlines.
• Creating graphs in spreadsheets – select data range, choose chart type, format axes and labels.

AO Mapping

• AO1 – Identify appropriate chart type for a given data set.
• AO2 – Produce a correctly labelled bar chart from a sample table.
• AO3 – Critique a chart for clarity, accuracy and visual appeal.

14. Document Production (Word‑Processing)

• Creating, saving, printing, and sharing documents.
• Using templates, mail merge, tables, headers/footers, page numbers.
• Inserting hyperlinks, bookmarks, cross‑references.
• Review features – comments, track changes, compare documents.
• Automation – macros (basic) for repetitive tasks.

AO Mapping

• AO1 – List key functions of a word‑processor.
• AO2 – Produce a formatted report with a table of contents, headings and a mail‑merged address label.
• AO3 – Evaluate the effectiveness of using styles versus manual formatting for large documents.

15. Spreadsheets

• Basic concepts – cells, rows, columns, worksheets, workbooks.
• Formulas & functions

  • Arithmetic – =A1+B1
  • Statistical – =AVERAGE(A1:A10), =SUM, =COUNT
  • Logical – =IF(A1>100,"High","Low")
  • Lookup – =VLOOKUP, =HLOOKUP

• Data handling – sorting, filtering, conditional formatting, data validation.
• Charts – create bar, line, pie charts directly from data ranges.
• Protection – lock cells, sheet passwords, hide formulas.

AO Mapping

• AO1 – Explain the purpose of a formula and common functions.
• AO2 – Build a simple budget spreadsheet using SUM, IF and conditional formatting.
• AO3 – Assess the reliability of a spreadsheet model that contains hard‑coded values versus referenced cells.

16. Database Fundamentals

• Core concepts – tables, records, fields, primary key, foreign key.
• Data types – text, number, date, Boolean, currency.
• Relationships – one‑to‑one, one‑to‑many, many‑to‑many (implemented via junction tables).
• Forms & Queries

  • Forms – user‑friendly data entry screens.
  • Queries – SELECT statements, criteria, sorting, calculated fields.

• Reports – formatted output for printing or PDF export.
• Normalization (basic) – eliminate duplicate data, ensure each table stores a single entity type (1NF).

AO Mapping

• AO1 – Define primary key, foreign key and their roles.
• AO2 – Create a two‑table database (e.g., Students & Enrolments) with a linked query.
• AO3 – Evaluate a database design for redundancy and suggest normalisation improvements.

17. Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC)

• Stages

  1. Planning – define objectives, feasibility study.
  2. Analysis – gather user requirements, produce a requirements specification.
  3. Design – create system design documents, data flow diagrams, UI mock‑ups.
  4. Implementation – coding, configuration, data migration.
  5. Testing – unit, integration, user‑acceptance testing.
  6. Deployment – install system, train users.
  7. Maintenance – bug fixing, updates, enhancements.

• Agile vs. Waterfall – iterative development, flexibility vs. linear approach.

AO Mapping

• AO1 – List the SDLC stages and their purpose.
• AO2 – Produce a simple data flow diagram for a school library system (analysis stage).
• AO3 – Compare advantages of an agile approach for a mobile app project versus a waterfall approach for a payroll system.

18. Project Planning & Management

• Project documentation – brief, specification, Gantt chart, risk register.
• Time management – estimating effort, critical path, milestones.
• Resource management – hardware, software, human resources, budget.
• Risk assessment – identify, evaluate, mitigate (e.g., data loss, scope creep).
• Evaluation criteria – cost, time, quality, user satisfaction.

AO Mapping

• AO1 – Explain the purpose of a Gantt chart and a risk register.
• AO2 – Create a simple Gantt chart for a three‑week website design project.
• AO3 – Evaluate a completed project against its original brief, budget and timeline.

19. Technical Documentation

Technical documentation records all essential information about a system or program. The Cambridge syllabus expects you to understand the components and be able to produce or evaluate them.

• Purpose of the system / programme – concise statement of what the software is intended to achieve (e.g., “manage student attendance records”).
• Scope & limitations – what the system will do, what it will not do, assumptions and constraints (hardware, operating system, user numbers).
• System requirements

  • Hardware – CPU, RAM, storage, peripherals.
  • Software – OS version, required libraries, drivers.

• Program listing – the actual source code, clearly numbered, with comments explaining each section.
• Programming language – name and version (e.g., Python 3.10, Visual Basic .NET).
• Algorithm / flowchart – a step‑by‑step logical description of the process; may be presented as pseudocode, a flowchart, or a structured English description.
• System flowchart – shows interaction between the user, the program and external devices (e.g., input devices, databases, printers).
• User guide (brief) – instructions for installing, launching, and using the program; includes screenshots where appropriate.
• Testing documentation – test plan, test cases, expected results and actual outcomes.
• Evaluation & recommendations – assess whether the system meets its purpose, discuss any limitations, suggest improvements.

AO Mapping

• AO1 – Identify the components of technical documentation and their purposes.
• AO2 – Produce a short system flowchart and a pseudocode algorithm for a simple calculator program.
• AO3 – Evaluate a given program listing for clarity, commenting and adherence to the specification.

20. Evaluation of Systems

• Evaluation criteria – functionality, reliability, efficiency, usability, security, cost.
• Use a checklist or rating scale to compare the developed system against the original brief.
• Consider stakeholder feedback – teachers, students, IT staff.
• Identify any unmet requirements and propose realistic improvements.

AO Mapping

• AO1 – List common evaluation criteria for ICT systems.
• AO2 – Apply a simple evaluation checklist to a sample student‑record system.
• AO3 – Write a balanced evaluation, highlighting both strengths and limitations, and suggest two enhancements.

21. Emerging Trends & Future Developments

• Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning – chatbots, predictive analytics, image recognition.
• Internet of Things (IoT) – smart sensors, wearable devices, home automation.
• Cyber‑security developments – biometric authentication, zero‑trust networks.
• Virtual & Augmented Reality – immersive learning environments.
• Sustainable ICT – energy‑efficient hardware, e‑waste recycling programmes.

AO Mapping

• AO1 – Name at least three current emerging technologies.
• AO2 – Discuss how a chosen emerging technology could be applied in an educational setting.
• AO3 – Evaluate the potential benefits and risks of adopting the technology in schools.

Quick‑Reference Tables

Use these notes