WACE Applied IT study guide
WACE Applied IT · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
WACE Applied Information Technology is a Western Australian senior secondary course, typically taken in Year 11 and Year 12, that combines practical software work with the study of how information systems are designed, built, secured and used. It suits students who want to work confidently with business software, data, networks and digital projects, and who are interested in how technology affects people and organisations. The WACE Applied IT study guide has 7 sections and about 2,495 words.
01Project Management and the Design Process
Every Applied IT project can be described as a sequence: initiation (define the problem and scope), planning (tasks, timeline, resources, budget), execution, monitoring and control, and closure (handover, evaluation, review). Know the documents that anchor each stage: the project brief or statement of scope, the work breakdown structure, the Gantt chart, the risk register, and the client sign-off.
399 words, about 2 min02Hardware and Software Fundamentals
Candidates must describe the function of the CPU (fetch-decode-execute cycle), RAM (volatile working memory), ROM and flash (non-volatile storage of firmware), secondary storage (HDD, SSD, optical, cloud), motherboards, buses and peripherals. Understand the input-process-output-storage model and be able to trace a simple operation through it.
338 words, about 2 min03Data Management, Storage and Security
Understand how data is organised: characters, fields, records, files and databases. Know the purpose of a database management system, primary and foreign keys, and why normalisation reduces duplication and inconsistency.
336 words, about 2 min04Networks and Online Communication
Know the difference between LAN, WAN, PAN and the internet, and between client-server and peer-to-peer models. Describe the roles of the router (forwards traffic between networks), switch (forwards within a LAN), access point (wireless), modem, firewall and NIC.
340 words, about 2 min05Application Skills and Software Use
Candidates should demonstrate competent use of word processors, spreadsheets, databases, presentation software and graphics tools, and know when each is appropriate. In spreadsheets, understand cell references, absolute versus relative referencing, formulas and functions (SUM, AVERAGE, IF, COUNTIF, VLOOKUP), sorting and filtering, chart selection, and formatting for clarity.
356 words, about 2 min06Impacts of Information Technology on Individuals and Society
Technology changes how people work, learn, communicate and access services. Benefits include efficiency, access to information, remote work and telehealth; costs include distraction, screen-time health effects, job displacement, e-waste and energy use.
342 words, about 2 min07Emerging Technologies and Future Directions
Be able to describe, at a conceptual level, artificial intelligence and machine learning, the Internet of Things, cloud and edge computing, 5G, virtual and augmented reality, robotics and automation, blockchain, biometrics, and quantum computing. For each, know a typical use, an enabling factor, and a limitation.
384 words, about 2 min