“I initially struggled deciding between a grammar school sixth form and Birkenhead Sixth Form Collge and I am happy with my decision. The College has improved my self-motivation due to its ethos of independence and this is great preparation for university. I am more confident socially and I love the comfortable yet demanding lessons. The College has 'ticked all of the boxes' for me!”
Gillian Davies

ICT Applied Single

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Entry Requirements

Normal BSFC entry requirements for an AS programme of study 

About the Subject

Applied ICT is the application of ICT to realistic work based scenarios. Information and Communication Technology is embedded in all aspects of life; both work and leisure. This course prepares students for using ICT as an aid in the workplace or for a career in ICT. The qualification is good preparation for HE courses in a variety of university courses; both ICT and other disciplines.

ICT is a fast moving discipline and the units offered reflect the changing nature of the subject; allowing for the inclusion of the latest developments. As a results of this, students will use the latest software from Microsoft and Adobe in completing tasks from word processing to web design.

AS Year

Assessment
Unit		 Name Type of
Assessment		 Date of
Assessment		 Weighting
in AS		 Weighting
Overall
Unit 1 Using ICT to
Communicate		 Coursework November 1/3 1/6
Unit 2 How Organisations
use ICT		 Pre-prepared
tasks and exam		 May 1/3 1/6
Unit 3 ICT Solutions for
Individuals & Society		 Coursework February 1/3 1/6

A2 Year

Assessment
Unit		 Name Type of
Assessment		 Date of
Assessment		 Weighting
in A2		 Weighting
Overall
Unit 9 Working 
to a Brief		 Coursework May 1/3 1/6
Unit 11 Interactive
Multimedia
Products		 Coursework February 1/3 1/6
Unit 14 Developing &
Creating Websites		 Coursework November 1/3 1/6

General Information

Breakdown of AS Units

Using ICT to Communicate

Students evaluate a range of existing business documents and use this as a basis for creating their own documents for a specific organisation. Students are expected to develop the core skills of planning, development, evaluation and bibliographies alongside the creation of leaflets, letters and web pages.

How Organisations Use ICT

A realistic brief, describing the systems in an organisation, is provided by the exam board. Students study this and prepare requested documents before taking a 1 ½ hour exam assisted by the notes they have made on the scenario.

ICT Solutions for Individuals and Society

Students acquire valuable skills in how to search the Internet efficiently at an advanced level. They research using the Internet, a database and produce a spreadsheet to analyse data. The information is combined in a structured report. 

What Next?

Applied ICT offers a good foundation for many careers and it also provides an extremely valuable addition to many other career routes. Having studied Applied ICT you might consider apprenticeships in industry or taking a trainee post as an ICT technician or operator.

Many students choose to progress to HE and there are a wide variety of courses to suit everyone’s preference including: Networking, Multimedia Technologies, Software Engineering and Business Information Systems.

The department has excellent links with the University of Chester and Manchester Metropolitan University and many of our past students are highly regarded at these institutions. Other students have progressed to courses at JMU, Hope, Edge Hill, Sheffield,
Liverpool and Manchester