btec tech award in dit - component 3
Effective Digital Working Practices
Learning resources for Learning Outcome A of the BTEC Tech Award in Digital Information Technology
Learning resources for Learning Outcome B of the BTEC Tech Award in Digital Information Technology
Learning resources for Learning Outcome C of the BTEC Tech Award in Digital Information Technology
Learning resources for Learning Outcome D of the BTEC Tech Award in Digital Information Technology
Assessment
The paper follows a clear structure with a progressive increase in the complexity and mark tariff of the questions. Each question is set within a new vocational scenario, such as a dental surgery, an online clothing company, a rugby club, or a gym.
The mark allocation per question is consistent across all papers:
Question 1
12 marks
mixture of "Give" and "Explain" questions
Past scenarios
Winter 2024: Clean My Pup: This is a mobile dog grooming company. It uses its website to promote its services and allow customers to book dog grooming appointments. Staff use their mobile phones' 4G network to access the company's systems but sometimes have issues with data allowances and connectivity. The company is also concerned about the security of its systems.
Summer 2024: Pearls of Wisdom: This organisation is a dental surgery. It stores personal data about its patients and their treatments. The company is concerned about the potential impacts of a data breach. Staff use passwords and two-factor authentication to access the computer system , and the surgery uses email to send appointment reminders to patients. The surgery is also considering replacing its current computer system.
Winter 2025: Star Jump Gym: This business is a fitness centre. The centre uses information technology systems to store data and to communicate with its customers. One of the communication platforms it uses is a website. The gym is focused on protecting its systems and customer data through methods like user access restrictions, firewalls, and anti-virus software.
Question 2
12 marks
mix of "Give", "Explain", and often an "Annotate" question
Past scenarios
Winter 2024: Diggers: This is a garden design company that employs staff to design and create gardens. The company stores personal data about its customers, which must be handled according to data protection principles. Its garden designs are considered intellectual property. Staff work collaboratively on designs and use scheduling tools to arrange online meetings to discuss their ideas and progress. The company also has a backup policy for its data.
Summer 2024: Dig My Duds: This is a UK-based, fair trade online clothing company. It sources its clothing from ethical factories located all over the world. The company uses scheduling tools and its staff work from home, collaborating via cloud computing. The company also has an order form on its website for customers to purchase products.
Winter 2025: Sunny Light: This business is a factory that manufactures solar panels. It employs a team of customer service staff who handle all enquiries and work entirely from home. The company provides these staff members with laptops. For a specific project involving making and installing solar panels for a customer, the company uses a planning tool to manage the process. The company uses cloud computing for all its computing needs.
Question 3
16 marks
mix of "Explain" questions and a 6-mark "Draw" question
Past scenarios
Winter 2024: Get Working: This is a recruitment agency with branches located across the UK. The agency is hired by other organisations to advertise job vacancies on their behalf. Staff use email to communicate with each other. The company uses a website to post job advertisements and utilises cookies to gather information about users' interests. The scenario also involves a process for matching people looking for work with new job requirements.
Summer 2024: Turbo Rally Parts: This company manufactures and supplies parts for high-performance rally cars. The business has a disaster recovery policy that outlines actions to take after a security attack. Staff are not permitted to use company computers for personal use, and the company has methods to monitor this. The scenario details a specific information flow process for when a customer orders a part, involving the Parts Department, the Warehouse, and the Workshop.
Winter 2025: Hardback Library: This is one of many community libraries in the UK. The library is concerned with digital threats, such as staff receiving suspicious emails with attachments. It has an Acceptable Use Policy that staff must follow when using the library's digital systems. The library also uses penetration testing to find weaknesses in its systems. A process is described for how the library orders new books from a publisher, which involves library staff, a senior librarian, and the book ordering system.
Question 4
20 marks
combination of "Describe", "Explain", and two 6-mark "Discuss" or "Evaluate" questions
Past scenarios
Winter 2024: Weather Pilots: This is an organisation responsible for monitoring the world's weather. It operates monitoring stations in different countries across the globe that constantly collect and transmit data to the main office for storage. Data is encrypted before transmission. The organisation uses cloud storage for the data it collects, and staff are advised against using portable storage devices. Staff from the different stations work collaboratively to process and present the results to senior management. The organisation also aims to maintain an inclusive and accessible workplace.
Summer 2024: Cardboard Cut Out Theatre: This is a company of travelling actors who perform shows all over the UK. The company uses a website to advertise its shows and sell tickets. Actors use open Wi-Fi networks to access the company's online system for updates on ticket sales. The website uses cookies, and staff have been targeted by phishing emails asking them to verify personal data. The company uses an online form to sell tickets and collects transactional data (like ticket types, sales dates, number of tickets sold, and customer details) to help plan for future shows.
Winter 2025: Veterinary Surgery: This is a surgery providing animal care services for both pets and farm animals. It has an Acceptable Use Policy with rules on behaviour that staff must follow, with potential sanctions for non-compliance. Some staff use ad hoc networks to access the surgery's systems remotely. The surgery is creating a new website for clients to get information and book appointments. It plans to use the booking system and website cookies to collect data about clients and their animals, with the goal of using this data to improve its services.
Types of Questions and Command Words
The examination uses a variety of command words to assess different levels of understanding and skill, as defined in the specification.
Low Tariff (Recall & Identify):
Command Words: Give, State
Marks: Typically 1 mark per point (e.g., "Give two...").
Purpose: These questions test foundational knowledge and recall of facts, terms, or processes.
Medium Tariff (Explain & Describe):
Command Words: Explain, Describe
Marks: Usually 2, 3 or 4 marks. An "explain" question often requires a point (identification) and a second point for justification or expansion.
Purpose: These questions require learners to demonstrate their understanding by providing reasons, justifications, or linked descriptive points about characteristics, features, or processes.
Medium-High Tariff (Application & Diagrams):
Command Words: Annotate, Draw
Marks: Typically 4 to 6 marks.
Purpose: These questions assess the ability to apply knowledge to a practical representation. Learners may be asked to label features on a given image and explain their purpose (Annotate) or to create a procedural diagram like a flowchart or data flow diagram based on a written scenario (Draw).
High Tariff (Analysis & Evaluation):
Command Words: Discuss, Evaluate
Marks: Always 6 marks for the extended open-response questions.
Purpose: These questions are synoptic and assess higher-order skills. Learners must present a balanced argument, considering different aspects of an issue (e.g., benefits and drawbacks) and drawing supported conclusions. These questions are consistently found in the final, highest-mark question (Question 4).
Last modified: July 3rd, 2025
