Information and Communication Technology Fundamentals
This domain tests how confidently you explain the information chain and the arithmetic behind computers, storage and transmission. Expect definitions, unit conversions and simple reasoning rather than product knowledge.
Core rules
- Data are raw symbols; information is data processed in context; knowledge is information applied with judgement.
- Digital systems use binary. A byte is 8 bits; 1 KB is often 1,000 bytes in marketing and 1,024 bytes in binary notation, so exam questions must state which convention they use.
- The CPU fetches, decodes and executes instructions; RAM is volatile working memory; ROM/firmware is non-volatile.
- An algorithm is a finite ordered set of steps; a program is its implementation.
Worked example
Convert binary 11011010 to decimal and size a transfer. Place values 128,64,32,16,8,4,2,1; set bits give 128+64+16+8+2 = 218. A 1.5 MB file is 1.5 × 8 = 12 megabits. On a 12 Mbps link the ideal transfer time is about 1 second; real time is longer because of overhead, latency and protocol limits.
Traps
Do not confuse MB (megabytes) with Mb (megabits); do not treat 1,024 and 1,000 as interchangeable; do not call RAM storage; and do not assume a faster CPU alone fixes a slow network transfer.