1. Write each of the following computer based acronyms in full:

• (a) TFT: (1 mark)
• (b) LED: (1 mark)
• (c) MIME: (1 mark)

2. State two advantages of command line interface operating systems. (2 marks)

3. State the functional differences between Optical Character Reader (OCR) and Optical Mark Reader (OMR) input devices as used in computing. (2 marks)

1. Computer Acronyms (3 Marks)

• (a) TFT: Thin Film Transistor
• (b) LED: Light Emitting Diode
• (c) MIME: Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions

2. Advantages of Command Line Interface (CLI) (2 Marks)

• Resource Efficiency: Requires significantly less memory (RAM) and CPU processing power to run compared to a Graphical User Interface (GUI).
• Speed & Automation: Operations can be executed much faster by expert users through the utilization of scripts and direct commands.

3. Functional Differences: OCR vs. OMR (2 Marks)

• OCR (Optical Character Reader): Synthesizes and converts handwritten or printed text characters into editable, machine-readable data.
• OMR (Optical Mark Reader): A technology that recognizes the presence or absence of marks at specific positions on predesigned forms, commonly used for surveys and examinations. 

4. State the characteristic of the second generation computers in each of the following aspects:

• (a) Programming language: (1 mark)
• (b) Storage media. (1 mark)

5. Peter was prompted to create a password for accessing an online system. He provided the string "Peter" as the password. State two reasons why the password is not a good choice. (2 marks)

6. Distinguish between phishing and pharming as used in computer security. (4 marks)

4. Second Generation Computer Characteristics (2 Marks)

• (a) Programming Language: Primarily Assembly language, though early high-level programming languages (such as FORTRAN and COBOL) were also introduced.
• Technology / Mode of Operation: Utilized transistors instead of vacuum tubes.
• (b) Storage Media:
  • Internal: Magnetic core memory.
  • External: Magnetic tapes and magnetic disks.

5. Password Weaknesses (2 Marks)

• Inadequate Length (Too Short/Simple): The password is only five characters long, making it highly vulnerable to brute-force attacks.
• High Predictability: It uses a common, easily guessable first name and lacks complexity due to the absence of a mix of uppercase letters, lowercase letters, numbers, or special characters.

6. Phishing vs. Pharming (4 Marks)

• Phishing: A social engineering technique that relies on deceptive, fraudulent emails or messages to trick users into willingly revealing sensitive credentials or information.
• Pharming: A technical cyberattack that maliciously redirects traffic from a legitimate website to a fraudulent clone by compromising DNS configurations or host files, trapping users even if they type the correct URL.

8. Ruler Tab Settings (2 Marks)

• (a) Right Tab: Aligns text to the right margin at the tab stop location. It is commonly used for formatting right-aligned data, such as page numbers or dates in headers/footers.
• (b) Decimal Tab: Aligns numeric data precisely at the decimal point. Regardless of how many digits a number has, this setting ensures that all decimal points line up vertically for clean column presentation.

9. YES/NO Data Type (2 Marks)

• Purpose: A logical data type used in databases when a field can only contain one of two mutually exclusive values (Boolean).
• Application: It stores 1-bit data representing states such as True/False, Yes/No, On/Off, or Paid/Unpaid.

10. Database Form Controls (4 Marks)

• (a) Command Button: An interactive control element used to execute an action, script, or macro when clicked by the user (e.g., Save Record, Delete, Print, or Close Form).
• (b) Navigation Button: A built-in or custom user interface control that allows users to traverse or browse through database records sequentially or directly (e.g., Next Record, Previous Record, First Record, or Last Record).

11. Benefits of Document Review / Study (3 Marks)

• Factual & Historical Insight: Provides reliable, objective, and quantitative data regarding the structure, history, and operation of the existing system.
• Requirements Grounding: Helps the systems analyst understand the formal workflows, business rules, and data inputs/outputs currently in use without disrupting daily operations.
• Gap Analysis: Allows for the identification of discrepancies between how the current system is documented to work versus how it actually functions, highlighting areas that require automation or improvement.