MATSEC IM Information Technology study plan

Map the MATSEC IM IT syllabus into a checklist of every topic and subtopic, marking each as confident, shaky, or unknown.

Define the core vocabulary of computer systems: hardware, software, firmware, data, information, and the input–process–output–storage cycle.

Explain the function of CPU, main memory, secondary storage, and peripherals, and describe how they interact during program execution.

Distinguish system software from application software and give two examples of each with a one-line justification.

Convert between binary, denary, and hexadecimal, and perform simple binary addition.

Describe how characters, images, and sound are represented digitally, stating the role of bits, bytes, and character encoding.

Compare primary and secondary storage types by speed, capacity, cost, and volatility, and recommend one for a given scenario.

Classify input and output devices by purpose and identify one suitable device for a specified user need.

Describe the purpose of an operating system and list five of its management functions.

Compare command-line and graphical user interfaces and justify a choice for a given user group.

Explain file management concepts: folders, paths, file extensions, and backup versus archive.

Identify common file formats and select an appropriate format for text, image, audio, and spreadsheet data.

Define the main components of a data communication system: sender, receiver, medium, protocol, and message.

Distinguish LAN, WAN, and the internet, and describe the roles of router, switch, and modem.

Explain IP addressing and domain names at a conceptual level, including what DNS does.

Compare wired and wireless transmission media and state one advantage and one limitation of each.

Describe how the internet supports services such as email, the World Wide Web, and file transfer.

Explain the client–server model and how a browser requests and renders a web page.

Identify common online risks: malware, phishing, and weak passwords, and state one countermeasure for each.

Apply safe-practice rules for passwords, updates, and personal data sharing in a given scenario.

Define database, table, record, field, and primary key, and identify each in a sample data set.

Design a simple two-table database with appropriate field types and a primary key for each table.

Write and interpret simple queries using selection and sorting criteria.

Distinguish data from information and explain how validation and verification improve data quality.

Describe the main stages of the software development life cycle and the purpose of each.

Distinguish waterfall and iterative approaches and match each to a suitable project type.

Explain the role of testing, debugging, and documentation in producing reliable software.

Identify the social and ethical issues raised by IT use, including privacy, employment, and digital divide.

Consolidate all weak topics flagged in the week 1 checklist and close every unknown item.

Complete two full timed practice papers under exam conditions and mark them against the syllabus.

Explain your three most frequent error types and the correction for each.

Produce a final one-page revision sheet of formulas, definitions, and comparison tables.