ITGS Paper 2 Exam Tips

ITGS paper 2 is the unseen article exam. Here are some tips for approaching it:

The First 15 Minutes

• The recommended reading time is 15 minutes. Use this time to highlight key parts of the article.
• Colour code it – parts for each criteria.
• Write a plan for criteria C and criteria D.
• The worse thing you can do is start writing immediately when the examiner says the 5 minutes reading time is over.
• Remember: If you misunderstand the article, your entire answer may be pointless – so read it once and then read it again (this has been a problem several times during practice papers).
• Ask the invigilator for an English-Spanish dictionary if you are unsure of a word or phrase

Criteria A

• Remember the issue you choose must be a concern, not a positive issue
• There may be several issues: choose the strongest
• Think forward to criteria C: are there lots of impacts for this issue?
• Think forward to criteria D: is there a feasible solution to the impacts caused by this issue?

Criteria B

Describe, step by step, how the IT system works

• Write in bullet points
• Avoid “magic steps” where many things happen at once. For example: “Then the bar code is read and the bill is calculated” –
  • this could be broken down into 3 or 4 separate steps.
• You must go beyond the information in the article to score well, using technical language and detail.

Explain the relationship between the IT system and the social/ethical concern

• This is not asking you to repeat criteria A. It is basically asking how the system caused the issue. Think about the unique characteristics of the IT system. For example: is it making data widely available to many users? Is it collecting behavioural information and making decisions about it? These would cause a privacy concern.

Criteria C

• You now have two pages for this, so you have lots of space. But don’t write for the sake of it!
• Avoid introductions “Well, there are lots of issues, some are positive and some are negative, and they affect different people.” Get straight to the point with a clear topic sentence about the first impact.
• One issue will likely affect more than one stakeholder – make sure you include the relevant stakeholders.
• Don’t forget balance – positive and negative impacts – many of you forgot this in the mock exam!
• As always, analyse and evaluate
• Do not include solutions here

Criteria D

• Write one solution only. Examiners ignore any others
• The solution must be feasible (realistic). In the “Underage drinkers” example, some of you said “to solve this problem the photographic database
  • should be updated every week”. This isn’t realistic, and undermines the whole point of the system in the first place. Watch out for this.
• The solution cannot be “stop using the system”
• You must fully describe the solution – what it involves and how it would work
• You must evaluate the solution – address its strengths and its weaknesses
• Write one solution only. Examiners ignore any others

ITGS Paper 2 is a great way to score points, and we have done lots of practice – so put your knowledge to good use! Reading ITGS news articles is also a good way to prepare and to practise your analytical skills.