| Date | November 2017 | Marks available | 2 | Reference code | 17N.1.HL.TZ0.10 |
| Level | HL | Paper | 1 | Time zone | no time zone |
| Command term | Outline | Question number | 10 | Adapted from | N/A |
Question
An application package used in an office includes a word processor.
The office manager decides to buy and install new software and hardware.
The changeover to the new system can be achieved by either direct changeover or phased conversion.
The new software allows basic text summaries and analysis to help check text files, including functions such as calculating word frequency.
Describe how a spellchecker checks whether a word in a text file is correctly spelt or not.
Outline one problem that may arise from the installation of new hardware and software in the office.
Compare direct changeover and phased conversion.
Identify one way of testing this software.
Markscheme
Each word in the text file is compared with words in a dictionary (held in memory/online);
If the word is found in the dictionary it is correctly spelt / if the word is not found in the dictionary, spellchecker will recognize that it is incorrectly spelt;
Award [1] for stating a problem and [1] for an elaboration, up to [2 max].
Users/employees might be afraid of these changes (for various reasons);
And not willing to help in this change;
Data migration problems;
For example, different file formats so conversion must be performed;
Employee efficiency may drop;
As they learn to use the new system;
Issue of compatibility with legacy software/hardware;
So features of new software/hardware may not work correctly;
Award [1] for outlining what is meant by direct changeover, [1] for outlining what is meant by phased conversion, and then [1] for an advantage or disadvantage of each, up to [4 max].
Example answer
In direct changeover, the old software and hardware is completely replaced, in one move, by the new software and hardware;
Phased conversion involves selecting one section in the office for the direct changeover and other sections will be switched when the first section selected is running satisfactorily. Eventually the whole office has been changed;
A phased conversion is less risky than a direct changeover as any problems that might arise will be isolated in only one section in the office;
Direct changeover means everyone in the organization has same software/hardware and so there are no compatibility issues;
Award [1 max].
Debugging (Accept: white-box testing – i.e. structural testing/flow testing;
black-box testing / requirement testing);
User acceptance testing (alpha-testing) / Beta-testing;
