GCE A/L General Information Technology study guide
GCE A/L General Information Technology · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The GCE Advanced Level General Information Technology (GIT) examination is a Sri Lankan school-leaving subject examination, taken alongside A/L subjects and administered by the Department of Examinations. It is designed for students who want a broad, practical grounding in computing rather than the depth of a specialist computer science stream: the syllabus moves from ICT fundamentals and computer hardware through operating systems, data representation, networking, databases, programming, e-services, and the social, ethical, and security issues around technology. The GCE A/L General Information Technology study guide has 10 sections and about 3,171 words.
01Information and Communication Technology Fundamentals
Information and Communication Technology (ICT) studies how data is captured, processed, stored, transmitted and used to support decisions. The exam tests definitions of data, information and knowledge; the components of an ICT system (people, procedures, data, software, hardware, networks); and the difference between ICT skills and computer science theory.
321 words, about 2 min02Computer Systems and Hardware
This domain covers the physical and logical building blocks of a computer: CPU, main memory, secondary storage, input/output devices, motherboard, buses and performance measurement. Questions often ask you to classify a component, explain the fetch–decode–execute cycle, or compare technologies.
341 words, about 2 min03Software and Operating Systems
Software is divided into system software (operating systems, utilities, device drivers) and application software. The exam tests operating-system functions, interface types, file and process management, and the distinction between proprietary, open-source and freeware licensing.
326 words, about 2 min04Data Representation and Number Systems
This domain tests how computers represent numbers, text, images and sound using binary. You must convert between binary, denary and hexadecimal, use two’s complement for signed integers, and explain character-coding standards.
329 words, about 2 min05Computer Networks and the Internet
Networks connect devices to share data and resources. The exam covers LANs and WANs, topologies, media, the TCP/IP model, IP addressing, DNS, HTTP/HTTPS, packet switching and basic performance terms.
319 words, about 2 min06Databases and Information Management
Databases store structured data for reliable retrieval. The exam tests the relational model, keys, relationships, normalisation, SQL basics, transaction properties and data integrity.
292 words, about 1 min07Programming and Algorithms
Algorithms are finite, ordered steps that solve a problem. The exam tests algorithm properties, pseudocode and flowcharts, sequence/selection/iteration, variables, functions, testing and basic searching and sorting.
296 words, about 1 min08Information Systems and e-Services
Information systems collect, process and distribute data to support operations and decisions. The exam covers transaction processing, management information, decision support and executive systems, plus e-government and e-commerce services.
299 words, about 1 min09ICT in Society
This domain examines how ICT affects people, organisations and the environment. It tests social and economic impacts, the digital divide, employment change, education and health applications, and environmental costs such as e-waste and energy use.
322 words, about 2 min10Ethics, and Security
This domain covers responsible use of ICT and protection of systems and data. It tests privacy, intellectual property, cyberbullying, data protection principles, malware, social engineering, authentication, encryption, firewalls and backup.
326 words, about 2 min