Cambridge International A Level · Information Technology (9626)

System life cycle (A Level only): Practice Questions

5 multiple-choice questions marked as you go, and 5 written questions with worked solutions. All on System life cycle (A Level only).

10 questions24 marksFree, no account

Question 1

1 mark

A company decides to replace its old IT system by running the old and new systems simultaneously for a period of time. Which implementation method is being used?

Question 2

1 mark

In the context of software maintenance, which type of maintenance is specifically carried out to improve the performance or maintainability of a system even if it is currently functioning correctly?

Question 3

1 mark

A supermarket chain implements a new inventory system by deploying it entirely at a single branch to evaluate performance, train staff, and fix issues before rolling it out to all remaining branches across the country. Which implementation method is being utilized?

Question 4

1 mark

Which Data Flow Diagram (DFD) symbol is correctly matched with its standard visual representation?

Question 5

1 mark

During the System life cycle, at which stage would a developer create a Data Flow Diagram (DFD) to represent the flow of data through the proposed system?

Question 6

2 marks

During the System life cycle, the final stage is evaluation. Identify the primary document, usually produced during the analysis or design phases, that the new system is measured against to determine if it has successfully met its intended objectives.

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Question 7

4 marks

A systems analyst is designing a new database. Explain the difference between white box testing and black box testing in the context of the System life cycle.

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Question 8

5 marks

A systems analyst is deciding between observation and document analysis during the research stage of the System life cycle. Evaluate one unique benefit of observation that document analysis cannot provide, and identify one psychological limitation associated with observation.

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Question 9

3 marks

A company is considering the best method for transitioning from an old software system to a new one.

(a) Identify two characteristics of the parallel running implementation method.
(b) Describe one advantage and one disadvantage of using the direct changeover method compared to phased implementation.

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Question 10

5 marks

A systems analyst has just completed the implementation of a new payroll system and is now moving into the final stages of the System life cycle.
(a) Identify two specific components that would be found in technical documentation but would be excluded from user documentation.
(b) Explain the importance of the Evaluation stage, specifically in terms of how it uses the system specification created during the design phase.

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