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UPDATED TO 2020 SYLLABUS

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SUMMARIZED NOTES ON THE PRACTICAL SYLLABUS
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1. Spreadsheets
1.1. Create a Spreadsheet
Term Definition
Cell A rectangle within a spreadsheet where data can be positioned
Formula A mathematical calculation
Orientation The direction of text, for example horizontal or vertical
Positioning text so that it is in line, for example on the left, right or
Alignment
centre
Function A ready-made formula representing a complex calculation
Validation The process of checking if data matches specific rules
Verify To check that data matches the original data
Row A horizontal set of cells
Column A vertical set of cells
Resized
Range A set of one or more cells referenced by a name
Worksheet A set of rows and columns
Workbook A set of one or more worksheets

Hidden

1.2. Manipulating Rows and Columns

Rows and Columns can be added

1.3. Spreadsheet Security

Different parts of the spreadsheet can be secured depending on the
software being used.
This allows developers to:

Prevent Individual worksheets from being removed

Prevent new worksheets from being added
Prevent changes being made to certain data, and select certain
individual cells, rows or
columns.
Protect the worksheet, but still allow users to enter data into
certain cells.
Prevent formulas from being seen and/or changed.

Deleted

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Page Formatting
Page Setup
1.4. Format a spreadsheet
Format Data Type- The cells in a sheet can be formatted to be in a
specific data type

Fit to Page

Change Text Orientation and Alignment- The text in a cell can

oriented to either diagonal
or vertical , and be aligned either to
the left, right or centre

Margin

Emphasis Certain Cells- Certain cells can be formatted to standout.

Comments can be added.

Header and Footer

Conditional Formatting- Cells can be formatted based upon certain

conditions being met.

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row number

Functions- They are ready-made formulae representing ‎a complex

calculation.‎
Summary Functions

Function Purpose Example

Calculates the total of values within a

SUM
range

Calculates the average of values within

AVEREGE a
range
Calculates the smallest value within
MININUM
a range
Calculates the largest value within
MAXIMUM
a range
1.5. Create Formulae and Functions
1.6. Validation rules‎
Formulae- A formula uses basic arithmetic calculations, which
use +,-,* and /.
Validation rules can be applied to data in a spread sheet. If the data
passes the validation rule,
it will be a
‎ ccepted. However if the fails
the rule, it will be rejected and an error message will be
shown.‎

Relative Cell Referencing- RCR is used when you want the content
of a cell change based
on its relation to its row and column
position.

Absolute Cell Referencing- ACR is used when you do not want a

cell reference to change
when other cells are filled in, or when
replicating formulae.

To stop a row from being changed, add $ before the row number

To stop a column from being changed, add $ before the column

letter

To stop both column and row changing, a $ must be put ‎before

the column letter and

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Data can be exported in multiple formats, such as CSV, TXT, PDF,

HTML (Webpage), etc.

1.7. Validation applied to a spreadsheet

There are different types of test data:
Type of test data Purpose
Data that is acceptable/ valid, that
Normal
will pass the validation test
Data that is at the limits of
Abnormal
acceptability/validity, and will just pass the validation rule
Data that is outside the limits of
Extreme
acceptability/validity, and will not pass the validation rule

1.12. Graphs and charts

1.8. Test a spreadsheet model and evaluate the ‎effectiveness
Graphs and charts are used in a worksheet to present data in a
format that allows users to
of test plans for a spreadsheet ‎model compare values.

To test formulae and functions

The Input data to be used f‎ or calculation should be i‎dentified
The Output data expected should be identified
The expected Output ‎should be calculated with t‎ raditional
methods and t‎ hen
compared to the r‎ esult from the ‎spreadsheet
The Worksheet containing ‎the Input and Output data s‎ hould be
identified as t‎ hey may
be on different w
‎ orksheets
Cell and Worksheet p ‎ rotection and C‎ onditional F
‎ ormatting can
be ‎tested
A good range of Input v‎ alues should be used, w ‎ ith both types
of e
‎ xtreme values
Invalid Inputs should only be used if Validation Rules are set
up

1.9. Filter data

Data in a spreadsheet can be filtered so as to only s‎ how the data
that is required

Text Filters

Filter Purpose Example

Selects data that in a column that
Contains “AB” will only show data
Contains contains specific
which contains the letters A and B
text
Selects data that starts with the text Starts with “AB” will only show data
Starts with
specified that starts with the letters A and B
Selects data that ends with the text Ends with “AB” will only show data that
Ends with
specified ends with the letters A and B

1.10. Sorting Data‎

Data in a spreadsheet can sorted to either be ‎ascending or

descending.‎

1.11. Import and export

Data can be imported from other formats such as CSV (Comma Separated
Values) file, TXT
(text) file, or from another database. It is
important that you select the option to show all
the files when
importing a file.

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Bar/Column chart- Used to show a single series of d

‎ ata in
columns or rows.‎ Pie chart- Used to show the proportion that is used ‎by each item of
data.‎

Comparative bar/ Column chart- Used to compare more than one

series of data in
columns or rows.
1.13. ‎Create a graph or chart‎

When creating a graph or chart, they should be l‎abelled

appropriately.‎

Label Purpose
Title A brief overview of what the graph chart is showing
Legend A key to show what the colours used represent
Each of the axes (x and y) should include the values
Value axis
including the any units
Each of the axes should
Category axis
include a title to state what the data represents
When using a pie chart , the percentages may need to
Line Graph- Used to show how a single series of data changes
over a period of time. Percentages

be displayed for each segment
Instead of legend, each segment in a pie chart could
Segmented labels
be labelled with its description
As well as, or instead of the percentage, each segment
Segmented value
in a pie chart could be labelled with its quantity
Scale The interval between each value on an axis
Axis scale maximum The maximum value to be used on an axis
Axis scale minimum The minimum value to be used on an axis

2. ‎Database And File Concepts

2.1. Create a database
Term Definition
Database A structured method of storing data
Comparative line graph- Used to compare how m
‎ ore than one
series of data changes over
Table A set of similar data
a period ‎of time.‎

Record A common word for entity
Entity A set of data about one thing
Attribute A category of information within an entity
Field A common word for attribute
A field that contains the unique identifier for a
Primary key
record
A field in a table that refers to primary key in
Foreign key
another table
The extent to which a database has been
Normal form
normalized
A list of keys or keywords which identify a
Index unique record and can be used to search and
sort records more quickly
A diagram that represents the relationship
Entity relationship diagram
between entities
Flat file A database stored in a single table
Compound key Two or more fields that form a primary key
Data in the foreign key of ‎the table on the many
‎side of a relationship ‎must exist in the primary
Referential integrity
‎key of the table on the ‎one side of the
relationship
Query A question used to retrieve data from ‎database
Parameter Data used within the criteria for a query
Database Management
Software used to manage the database
System

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2.2. Data types and field sizes

Each field in a table will have data type assigned to it
(Short/Long)Text- Used for titles, names, descriptions, etc.
Short text (or Alphanumeric)
can hold a maximum of 255
characters, w ‎ hile Long text can hold more than 255
characters
(60,000 and upwards). Can include numbers, letters and symbols.
‎

Number (Integer/Decimal) - Used for numeric values. Integer

is used in fields which
only contain whole numbers, while
Decimal is u
‎ sed for decimal values. ‎

Date/Time- Used to store date and time values. The f‎ ormat

of the data can be
specified.‎ One to many Relationship

In this relationship, each record in one table is connected to
many records in ‎another
table
The foreign key will be on the many side of the relationship
while the primary key will
‎be on the one side of it
The data type and field size must match
Currency- Used for Currencies. Depends on t‎ he regional
setting on the Computer.‎ Only data present in the primary key (one side) of the
relationship can be present in

the foreign key ‎(many side)

Yes/No (Boolean) - Used w

‎ hen the data need to b
‎ e either
yes or no.‎

AutoNumber- Used to g ‎ enerate a value (usually n ‎ umeric)

that is unique to e
‎ ach record.
They are used ‎in Primary key
fields and t‎ his field is used to d
‎ istinguish between each
‎record.‎

Field size- Each field will have a maximum field s‎ ize; some
field sizes can also be ‎
specified

2.3. Relationships
Database relationships can be used to connect e ‎ ntities together
One-to-one Relationship
In this relationship, each record in one table is connected to
one record in another
table
Each foreign key value will only be linked to one primary key
values and Vic versa.
The data type and field size must be the same for the two fields
Many-to-many Relationships
Only data items that is present in the primary key can be used
in foreign key
These are basically two sets of One-to-many relationships
(Referential Integrity)
Make sure the index for both fields is set to Yes (No
Duplicates)

2.4. Difference between flat file and relational database

Flat File- A database that consists of a single table, having
only fields and records.‎
Advantages
Flat files are easy and fast to set up
Since there is only a single file, it is easy to share,
store and backup
New columns can be added easily
All the required data is in a single file
Disadvantages
Since all the data is in one table, there can be a lot of
redundant data that can take
up additional ‎memory
Making updates can be tricky and time consuming, and if
there are data
inconsistencies errors c‎ an occur
When running a query, the whole database must be loaded and
searched
Relational database- A database that’s consists of multiple
tables, connected together with
multiple relationships.
Advantages
Redundancy is reduced and less unnecessary space is taken up

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When running a query, only the required tables need to be

loaded Criteria Format Purpose
Less errors occur as there will be less inconsistencies Searches for all data that
The database is more organized and the data can be managed
more properly Comes after >=”X” come after “X”
Security can be applied to separate tables, so different
user can access different
alphabetically
tables
Searches for
Data can be sorted and searched efficiently, unlike a flat
file Between (numbers) Between A and B
values between A and B
Detailed reports can be produced from a relational database
Disadvantages Searches for all
Greater than (numbers) >A
Takes time and some understanding of relationships to set up values greater than A
Processing may take some extra time compared to a flat file Searches for all values greater
Greater than or equal to
Since there are multiple table, if one or more tables are
lost, errors can occur >=A than or equal
(number)
They are very hard to share as there are multiple tables to A
Between Searches for data between
2.5. Referential integrity Between(date) “#dd/mm/yyyy#” and the specified
“#dd/mm/yyyy#” dates
Referential integrity- It exists when data in the foreign key of
the table on the many side of Searches for all records
a relationship exists in the primary
key of the table on the one side of the relationship. Today(date) =Date()
containing today’s date
If the related records does not exist, than the database will
prevent data from being
entered in the foreign key. png)
It is necessary to maintain the accuracy of the data within the
database.

2.8. Static and dynamic parameters

2.6. Validation and verification
Static parameters- Used in the queries mentioned so far. The
parameter values will not
Validation- Validation rules can be applied to data in the database change each time the query is run.
Types of validation

Lookup in list
Range
Data type
Format
Length
Presence Dynamic parameters- Used when the parameter values can be chosen
every time the
query is run, and so the values are never fixed.

Rule Type Purpose

“M” or “F” Lookup in list Must be either “M” or “F”
IN(“Mrs.”, “Mr.”, “Miss”, “Dr”) Lookup in list Must be any of the values in the list
>DATE() Range Must be after today’s date
>28/03/1980 Range Must be after the date listed
Value must be greater than 3 but less
Between 3 And 10 Range
than 10
>2 Range Value must be greater than 2
Like “[A-Z][A-Z]” Data type Must be two text characters
Like”*@*.*” Format Email address
IS NOT NULL Presence Field must not be empty
2.9. Sort Data
2.7. Searches Ascending/descending- Data can be stored in either ascending or
descending order within
a table, query or report. ‎
It is possible to filter out data in a database by using certain
criteria ‎

Simple queries- Used for searching data with a single criteria

using a premade table

Grouped- More than one field can be used to create the sort.

Criteria Format Purpose

Searches for values that equal
Equals to “X”
“X”
Searches for all the data in the
True True
field that are true 2.10. ‎Data entry form
Searches for all data except
Does not equal to Not “X” Used for entering data. Multiple factors are to be considered when
making an effect and
“X”
user-friendly data form.
Null Is Null Searches for all empty fields

Searches for all fields that are

Not null Is Not Null
not null
Searches for all data that
Contains Like (“*X*”)
contain “X”
Searches for all data that does
Not contains Not like (“*X*”)
not contain ”X” Appropriate font styles and sizes- The text in the form must
be easy to read, be an
appropriate colour and must have a
consistent font style
Searches for all data that
Begins with Like(“X*”) starts Spacing between fields- There must be appropriate spacing
between each field so the
with “X” data and clear and distinguishable
Character spacing of individual fields- There must be
sufficient space between each
character within the data to be
viewed properly

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Use white space- Used to separate data and prevent screen

from looking like a mess Extension File type Purpose
Navigation buttons- To allow uses to navigate between
records Stores images as uncompressed raster
**Radio boxes-**To allow users to select one mutually exclusive
option images, each pixel being stored
Check boxes- Used to select items bmp Bitmap Image
individually. Can be used in any
Drop-down menus- To allows users to select from a set of
options ‎software
Highlight key fields- Important fields should be highlighted
Stores images as compressed raster
jpg Joint Photographic Experts Group images. Common ‎digital camera and
‎web formats use this file type
Stores images as compressed raster
png Portable Network Graphic images and can ‎include background
transparency colours
Stores Images as two-dimensional (2D)
svg Scalable Vector Graphics ‎vector graphics. Used ‎for vector
graphics on the web
Stores program object code that allows
exe Executable program file the program to be executed by the
2.11. Export data computer

Data can be exported to common formats

Table- CSV, Txt, or a table in an RTF file 2.14. Proprietary and open- source file formats
Query- Sane way as tables
Report- RTF and PDF Proprietary file formats- File formats developed by software
manufactures solely for use
within their software.

2.12. Data dictionary Extension Software Manufacturer

.docx Word processor Microsoft Word
Data dictionary- It is a document that describes the structure
of the data held within a
database, in other words, metadata about a
database. .wpd Word processor Corel Word Perfect
They will include: .msg Email message Microsoft Outlook
Data about fields .ra Audio/video streaming Real Networks
Field names to identify each field .MOV Movie Apple
Data types
.psd Graphics Adobe Photoshop
Field size
.ai Graphics Adobe Illustrator
Format of fields
Default values in the fields .accdb Database Microsoft Access
Primary keys, Compound keys and Foreign keys
Indexed fields to improve search times
Validation rules 3. Sound and Video Editing
Data about table
The primary key of the table Term Definition
Sort order of the data A very small square area of one colour that is illuminated on
Pixel
Relationships to other tables display screen. When combined, they form a bitmap image
Total number of records Frame A single still image in a video
Validation rules that apply
Combining the effects created in a video file to create an
Permissions and security Rendering
output video file
Transition The movement from one clip to the next
2.13. File and data management
Filters An effect, often colour related, that can applied to a clip
Files types- Data can be stored in multiple file types. Each
files will usually contain a header Track A single audio section in a sound or video file
(metadata), the main content to
be stored and the end-of-file marker Pitch The highness or lowness of a tone
Aspect ratio The ratio of width to the height of a screen
Extension File type Purpose
The number of pixels horizontally compared to the number of
txt Text Stores plain text without formatting. Resolution
pixels vertically
Stores structured data in rows and Sampling rate The number of samples of the recorded sound
csv Comma separated value columns separated by commas. Used
The effect created on sound when it repeatedly bounces back
for databases Reverb
off a surface
Stores text-based documents with
formatting. Can be used in other
rtf Rich text format 3.2. Video editing
applications without the formatting
being lost
Importing files and inserting
image(s)/video(s)
Saves word processed documents by

docx Microsoft Word XML document

saving ‎all objects separately
Used for read-only documents. Used
pdf Portable Document Format
for web documents
Open source file ‎type for text
ods Open document spreadsheet ‎documents that can be used in open
source software Setting aspect ratio
Open source file ‎type for spreadsheets

odt OpenDocument ‎text that ‎can be used in open source

software
A data file that uses markup language
xml Extensible Markup Language to define objects and ‎their attributes.
Can ‎be read by a simple text editor
A data file that stores video files with
avi Audio Video Interleave very little compression.‎Large in size,
but no data lost
Audio and Video are compressed and
Moving Picture Experts Group (layer 4
mp4 ‎videos can be shared across the
video file)
internet
Stores audio files ‎as waveform data
wav Waveform Audio File Format ‎that allows ‎different sampling and bit
rates. Used with CDs
Stores audio files in a compressed
mp3 MPEG (layer 3 audio compression)
format. ‎10% the size of a‎.wav files‎

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Trimming video clips and joining them

together Resolution (custom resolution)

Text based slides and credits

Animation and effect

Exporting
Most websites use .mp4, .avi, .mpv for videos.

Extracting a still image (snapshot)

Adding sound file

Video clip speed

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Fade in and out

Fade in Fade out

3.3. Sound editing

Trimming and joining audio clips

Altering the speed and pitch of a sound

clip

^ A more accurate way of splitting and trimming audio clips

Changing the speed of an audio clip also changes the pitch of

the clip

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Reverberation (Reverb) Exporting- The most commonly used

format for audio clips are .mp3, and during
exporting, sample rates
can also be changed.

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